Acid reflux, gas, upset stomach, and bloating affect many people. Consuming certain meals may cause stomach issues. One person’s digestion-altering meal may not bother them while another’s does.
Your bodily reactions may reveal which meals bother you. After eating them consistently, beans and cabbage may cause discomfort, but you may modify them to enjoy them. Also, avoid citrus and peppermint if they induce digestive irritation.
Find out which nine meals might upset your stomach and how to treat it. Unless they bother you, these foods include nutrients, so incorporate them into your diet.
Fried Foods
Fried meals with high fat cause stomach pain and loose stools. In 2021, Preventative Nutrition and Food Science released another study associating fried meals with heartburn.
Try roasting, baking, sautéing, stir-frying, and pan-frying (with a little oil).
Sugar Alcohols
Sugar-free candy, gum, and other sugar-alcohol-containing treats may cause bloating and diarrhea. Sugar alcohols, including sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, and maltitol, should be listed.
Gum, candy, and other sugar-free items may help you avoid sugar alcohols. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, added sugar should not exceed 10 percent of total calories.
RELATED: 11 Great Ways to Improve Your Digestion Naturally
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup in baked products and sweets may cause bloating, cramps, and gas. Avoid sugar alcohols in candy, pastries, and other delights by checking the ingredient list.
Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits’ acidity may induce heartburn. When citrus fruits are eaten, stomach acid may back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn. A slow stomach emptying may enable stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus and induce heartburn repeatedly.
Citrus fruits and liquids are nutritious, but acid reflux sufferers may prefer other sugary snacks.
Peppermint
Some individuals get heartburn and indigestion from peppermint. The stomach-esophagus sphincter muscle may relax with peppermint. Relaxing this sphincter releases stomach acid into the esophagus, causing heartburn and indigestion.
If you’re sensitive to peppermint, try another herb or tea.
Beans
Beans include non-digestible, fermentable oligosaccharides that may induce gas, stomach pain, and bloating. Since they’re not digested in the stomach or upper intestine, they enter the colon and are fermented by healthy bacteria. Gas is produced. Beans are healthy but may cause pain.
Try this instead: First, soak dry beans for 4 hours and drain the water before cooking to reduce gas. According to research, regular ingestion of ½ cup of beans for at least eight weeks may minimize gastrointestinal difficulties in those unfamiliar with beans.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables—such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collard greens—are part of the cabbage family. Their sugars cause gas, stomach pain, and bloating like beans. Due to their high fiber content, they may be difficult to digest.
If these vegetables bother you, cook them. This makes them stomach-friendly and reduces GI problems.
Spicy Food
Spicy foods may trigger heartburn and acid reflux in certain people. Heartburn and acid reflux occur when spicy food relaxes the sphincter (or valve) between the stomach and esophagus, allowing acidic food to pass backward.
Try this instead: Reduce the heat by adding fewer peppers and spices, or avoid spicy cuisine and eat blander items.
Chocolate
As with peppermint and citrus fruit, chocolate may relax the esophageal sphincter, causing heartburn and indigestion. This is quite personal since some people are sensitive to certain meals.
Try this instead: Limit chocolate if it causes heartburn and indigestion. You may not have to give it up permanently, but you should avoid it.