Fried foods, chocolate, ice cream, mashed potatoes with cream... these widely loved delicacies are not actually suitable for everyone. Here are the top nine foods most likely to cause stomach problems:
1. Broccoli and Cabbage
Broccoli and cabbage are both outstanding members of the cruciferous vegetable family. They are not only rich in vitamins and dietary fiber but also have anti-cancer and anti-aging effects. However, even though they are rich in fiber and various nutrients, you can't completely trust that these vegetables are always healthy. This is because high-fiber vegetables can help expand your stomach capacity and easily lead to a buildup of excess gas in the digestive tract.
2. Chocolate
Consuming large amounts of chocolate not only brings excess calories but also, for those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it can cause the unpleasant irritation that comes after eating it. This is because chocolate can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, causing stomach acid to reflux and irritate the esophagus and throat.
3. Citrus Juice
Acidic beverages can irritate the esophagus and stimulate sensory nerves, causing the irritated area to become red and swollen. If your first thing in the morning is to drink a large glass of citrus juice, you will increase the acidity in your stomach and intestines. If what you're drinking is sweet lemonade with a high concentration of fructose, you should be even more cautious, as excessive sugar intake can cause diarrhea.
4. Beans
Beans are notorious for causing indigestion. The oligosaccharides in beans, such as stachyose and raffinose, are fermented by intestinal bacteria, which can produce gas and lead to symptoms like belching, rumbling stomach, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Patients with severe peptic ulcers should not eat bean products because they are high in purines, which can promote gastric acid secretion. Patients with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should also avoid bean products to prevent the stimulation of gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal bloating.
5. Raw Onions
Onions, garlic, and chives are full of various nutrients that are very beneficial to health, such as protecting the heart, but they can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, like gas and abdominal cramps. However, cooking seems to neutralize the compounds that cause this discomfort.
6. Mashed Potatoes with Cream
Potatoes are a low-calorie, high-protein food rich in various vitamins and trace elements, known as an ideal food for weight loss. It seems nothing is more popular than a bowl of mashed potatoes. This is why when it comes to so-called "convenient foods," mashed potatoes is always at the top of the list.
But mashed potatoes with cream or cheese are not as good as they seem. In the United States, there are 30 to 50 million people with lactose intolerance. If you are one of them, you should not enjoy mashed potatoes with cream. This is because the milk, cream, or cheese added to the mashed potatoes can make your stomach very uncomfortable.
7. Ice Cream
There is no quick way to determine if you are lactose intolerant; you only find out after you sit down and eat a large bowl of ice cream. When you experience bloating, abdominal cramps, and gas, these physical reactions are telling you to stay away from these dairy-rich foods.
Eating too many cold raw foods, like ice cream, popsicles, and iced beverages, can affect the normal function of the digestive system, making food difficult to digest and easily damaging the spleen and stomach. Although they are delicious to eat, they can later lead to a loss of appetite and also irritate the spleen and stomach, creating a vicious cycle of bloating and abdominal pain.
8. Fried Foods
Fried foods like fried chicken and french fries are inevitably high in oil and fat, and the buildup of these two substances in the stomach can cause illness. Oil produces a substance called "acrylic acid" at high temperatures, which is difficult to digest.
Tara Gidus, a nutritionist for the official Viagra direct sales website in Orlando, Florida, says: "If you already suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, you should pay special attention to eating less greasy, high-fat fried foods, otherwise it may cause some discomfort symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea."
9. Spicy Foods
Red chili peppers or jalapeños can irritate the inner lining of the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation after eating and increasing the burden on the stomach. Even if you add something like sour cream to cool it down, you still get the same irritation. Moreover, adding things like sour cream can lead to other side effects.