Healthy individuals can experience dizziness after eating strong spices and due to alcohol or caffeine intoxication. In most other cases, dizziness after meals speaks for an underlying health condition.
Spicy foods, such as chili pepper, which contains capsaicin, can cause burning feeling in the mouth to which the brain can react by releasing endorphins (endogenous opiates), which can cause dizziness and more or less pleasant feelings known as “chili high” .
Alcohol and Caffeine
Symptoms of alcohol intoxication can include dizziness, flushing, unsteady gait, slurred speech and sleepiness.
Symptoms of caffeine intoxication can include lightheadedness, headache, anxiety, palpitations (pounding or racing heart), nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and seizures .
According to some internet sources, individuals with caffeine hypersensitivity or intolerance can experience symptoms of caffeine intoxication even after drinking a single cup of coffee [17,18,19].
Toxins in fish, such as tuna, barracuda, sardines, anchovies, grouper and sea bass, can cause ciguatera, scombroid or clupeotoxin poisoning with itching and tingling around the mouth, nausea, dizziness and weakness appearing 30 minutes to 30 hours after eating .
Common foods that cause allergies in children are cow’s milk, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, and in adults fish and shellfish.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food typically appear within few minutes or, in delayed allergic reaction, within 12 or up to 72 hours after eating and can include:
- Itch or tingling in the lips, around the mouth or anywhere in the skin, flushing and red itchy rash (hives)
- Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
- Dizziness (in severe reaction)
Diagnosis is made by a skin prick test and a blood test that reveals an increase of IgE antibodies.
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) causes sudden swelling of the lips and tongue, anxiety, generalized itch, paleness, difficulty breathing, wheezing, fainting and rapid heart pulse. First aid includes an injection of epinephrine.
In individuals with histamine intolerance, symptoms similar to an allergic reaction (itching, flushing, swelling, dizziness, palpitations), can be triggered by eating foods high in histamine [14,21]:
- Fermented beverages: wine, beer, cider
- Fermented foods: sauerkraut, cheese, soy sauce, tofu
- Pickled foods (vinegar)
- Processed meats: bacon, ham, salami, sausages
- Tinned and smoked fish
- Tinned vegetables
- Dried fruit, seeds and nuts
- Yeast extract
Dizziness may also be triggered by the foods that can stimulate the release of histamine in the body, such as avocado, bananas, chocolate, cocoa, egg white, grapefruits, kiwi, mango, nuts, papayas, pineapple, pumpkin, red prunes, spices, spinach, strawberries and tomatoes [14,21].
Some individuals with celiac disease may experience dizziness, vertigo or brain fog within an hour after consuming wheat, barley or rye products, which contain gluten [1,2]. Some individuals can develop gluten ataxia–an autoimmune disorder of the cerebellum with muscle incoordination and unsteady gait–, which can improve after several months of gluten-free diet . Other symptoms may include bloating, diarrhea, tiredness, rash and headache .
Prevention: Symptoms start to improve after 2 weeks of gluten-free diet and can completely disappear within 3 months .
Reactive or Postprandial Hypoglycemia (Dumping Syndrome, “Sugar Hangover”)
Reactive or postprandial hypoglycemia means a severe drop in blood glucose levels after a meal. It more commonly occurs in individuals with gastric bypass surgery, in overweight people and those with diabetes mellitus . One possible mechanism is an excessive increase of the hormone insulin from the pancreas, resulting in a quick movement of glucose from the blood into the cells.
Symptoms typically appear within 30 minutes to 4 hours after a meal [4,5,6].
- Early symptoms (within 30-60 minutes): fatigue, palpitations, dizzy spells, excessive sweating, facial flushing, diarrhea
- Late symptoms (within 1-4 hours): hunger, shakiness
After large meals, symptoms may occur even in the absence of hypoglycemia .
Prevention: Avoid big, calorie-dense meals, refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta or rice, sugary foods) and milk, and do not drink during and at least 30 minutes after a meal .
Postprandial hypotension means a significant fall in blood pressure after a meal. It almost exclusively occurs in elderly, especially in those with high blood pressure, nerve damage due to diabetes (diabetic neuropathy) or Parkinson’s disease .
Mechanism: After a meal, a large amount of blood moves to the intestinal arteries to assist digestion; normally, the arteries in the muscles and skin would reflexively narrow in order to prevent a drop in blood pressure, but when such a reflex is impaired due to a neurological disorder (dysautonomia), the blood pressure falls .
The main symptoms are dizziness and fainting after meals .
- Drink a glass or two of water before a meal.
- Do not take antihypertensive medications before meals.
- Avoid large meals and meals high in quick carbohydrates (white bread, pasta and rice, potatoes, sugary foods).
- Sit or lie down after a meal for 30-60 minutes.
The main symptom of a migraine is throbbing headache, usually appearing on one side of the head and lasting 4-72 hours. Other symptoms may include dizziness, excessive sensitivity to lights and sounds and vomiting.
Migraine can be (according to anecdotal reports) triggered by certain foods, for example, alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks), food additives (monosodium glutamate, nitrates, aspartame), aged cheeses high in tyramine, such as camembert and brie, citrus fruits, onions and seafood [11,12].
Hydrops (Menier’s Disease)
In individuals with hydrops or Menier’s disease (an elevated pressure in the inner ear–labyrinth), eating salty or sugary foods, or drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages can cause dizziness, vertigo and ringing in the ears (tinnitus) .
Other Triggers of Heart Palpitations After Meals
- Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) with heartburn 
- Difficulty swallowing 
- Irritation of the vagus nerve by bloating
Other Common Causes of Dizziness and Heart Palpitations
- Motion sickness
- Severe anxiety or panic attack
- Starvation and malnutrition
- Low oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxemia)
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) 
- Medications for asthma (theophylline), diuretics, beta blockers and medications for high blood pressure
What does NOT likely cause dizziness after eating?
- H. pylori infection of the stomach (chronic gastritis)
- Intestinal yeast (candida) overgrowth
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Intestinal parasites
- Leaky gut syndrome
How to prevent dizziness after eating?
- Eat small meals.
- Avoid high-carb meals and sugary drinks.
- Stay hydrated.
When to visit a doctor?
Visit a doctor if you experience unusual dizziness, fainting or heart palpitations after meals.
- Lindsay’s story Celiac Central
- 2014, “Brain Fog” Improves in Celiac Disease Patients After Starting a Gluten-Free Diet Celiac Disease Foundation
- Hadjivassilliou M et al, 2003, Dietary treatment of gluten ataxia PubMed Central
- Reactive hypoglycemia – hypos after eating Diabetes.co.uk
- Kanth R, 2014, Dumping syndrome Emedicine
- Kanth R, 2014, Dumping syndrome, clinical presentation Emedicine
- Kanth R, 2014, Dumping syndrome, treatment Emedicine
- Postprandial hypotension The Merck Manuals
- 2010, Eating can cause low blood pressure Harvard Medical School
- Hain TC, Hydrops and hydrops diet Dizziness-and-balance.com
- Migraine triggers The Migraine Trust
- Migraine triggers Migraine Action
- Hyperthyroidism symptoms EndocrineWeb
- Histamine intolerance AllergyUK
- Yew D, 2014, Caffeine toxicity, clinical presentation Emedicine
- Eat wisely; Aperient foods Bucknell University
- Caffeine intolerance: signs and symptoms YorkTest
- Dager SR et al, 1999, Human brain metabolic response to caffeine and the effects of tolerance PubMed
- Malczewski P, D genes decide how much coffee we can have? NutritionMyths
- Caffeine sensitivity Caffeine Informer
- Maintz L et al, 2007, Histamine and histamine intolerance The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Celiac disease symptoms Mayo Clinic
- Celiac disease – what happens WebMD
- Skipping a bit – the surprise of palpitations Harvard Medical School
- Marine toxins Centers for Disease Control and Prevention