Have you wondered why you seem to be perpetually suffering from a bad case of indigestion even though you have been careful about what you are eating? Well, there is a possibility that you could be suffering from a medical condition that needs to be looked at by a doctor, but the more likely reason could be that you are filling up your plate with things that are known to mess around with your digestive system. Read on to know more about what these offenders are.
Dairy: This is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to giving you gas, indigestion, and loosies. Dairy is difficult to digest because of two ingredients in it: casein, a protein that causes inflammation and allergic reactions in some people; and lactose, a carbohydrate that is a quite the villain when it comes to tummy issues.
Gluten: Found in grains like barley and wheat, gluten is known to take a long time to digest and can seriously mess up your gastro-intestinal system. It can cause inflammation, bloating and serious health issues for people who are gluten allergic or gluten intolerant. Get yourself tested to see if gluten is the issue.
Sugar: if you are suffering from rumbles in the tummy, that last thing you should do is munch on a sugary treat to comfort yourself. Sugars come in different forms and can cause a variety of symptoms in those who lack the enzymes needed to process some sugars. So if your system can’t process sugars like lactose, sucrose, fructose and galactose, you will suffer from gas, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and nausea.
Artificial sweeteners: It’s not just natural sugars but artificial sweeteners like sorbitol that is added to many processed foods, that causes digestive disruptions like gas, bloating, and diarrhoea.
Oily food: Have the wise old people in your family always told you to stay away from oily food when you are down with a stomach flu? Well, there is a reason for it. Fatty food moves through your bowels too quickly and causes diarrhoea or hangs around in your stomach making your feel bloated. Low levels of fibre in many oily foods make it harder to digest.
Beans: You know all the jokes about beans and the embarrassing things that they make your tummy do? Well, it turns out that they are true! Beans and legumes cause gas because they contain a sugar called oligosaccharide that cannot be digested by humans properly. These oligosaccharides are only broken down by bacteria in the large intestine and this process creates gas.