9 Foods That Are Hurting Your Unhealthy Stomach

  Hey there, health freaks! Have you been watching your stomach lately? During these trying times, it is easy to find comfort in food. Laying back on the couch with your favorite snack is sometimes all you need to feel a little happier. But you might be doing more harm to your gut than good. Let’s talk about 9 Foods That Are Hurting Your Unhealthy Stomach. Are onion rings doing this? Oh no, what about chicken wings? What happens when you swallow sugar-free chewing gum? Wait, why oranges? We’re talking all that AND more... 

Oranges to put it simply, eating too many oranges will affect your digestion. This is due to a couple of things. Number one, the acidic content located in this fruit can irritate the stomach lining, making it much harder for food to process. If your stomach has been acting up, it's best to avoid acidic foods in general. The high fiber content in oranges also posesa threat. One regular-sized orange contains around 11%of your daily recommended fiber. A diet of daily oranges will give you a fiber overload. This will cause your digestive system to go nuts. As a result, you’ll probably feel abdominal pains. Not to mention some pretty intense diarrhea. If you find that your stomach is hurting after having an orange, you may be developing a stomach ulcer. The citrus from the orange can also cause inflammation in your gut. If this is the case, you’re going to want to see a doctor. 

Sugar Free Gum: Chewing too much sugar-free gum will make your stomach hurt. But why? You’d think outside of swallowing it, chewing gum is rather harmless. Well there are actually a couple of reasons behind this. The first is the amount of air you swallow when chewing endlessly. This will make your stomach feel cramped and bloated. Sugar free gum also contains a form of sugar alcohol - sorbitol. This is the artificial supplement used to replace the sugar in your gum. Sugar alcohol is not well absorbed or digested. If you are chewing sugar-free gum on the regular,you’re going to feel stomach pain. With sorbitol in particular, large amounts can cause you to have diarrhea. If you're having stomach trouble, it’s safe to say you should avoid sugar-free products.

 

Chicken Wings: Fried foods already do a number on your stomach. But spicy snacks like wings will surely have your gut screaming for mercy. They will also cause you to make multiple trips to the bathroom. This is because of capsaicin, which is a part of chilli peppers. When we eat something spicy, the capsaicin triggers receptors in your brain that tell your body something’s burning inside you. When your body is processing food, the capsaicin will irritate the small intestine, causing your food to move into the colon quicker. This happens so that whatever is burning up your insides leaves the colon quicker than usual. It will exit in the form of diarrhea. But not only that, a little too much spice can result in stomach pains, nausea and even vomiting. So the next time you visit your favorite sports bar, you may want to pass on that order of extra hot wings.

White Bread: But how can something so easy to eat be dangerous to your gut? The truth is, bread can cause your stomach to bloat, as well as bring on annoying gas. This is one of the reasons people cut bread from their diet. They just can’t handle the discomfort. Many patients with digestive issues claim that their stomachs get worse after eating bread.You have wheat to blame for this. Wheat causes several unwanted reactions. The first being allergies. These allergies don’t usually affect the stomach. They instead cause itching and sneezing. The second reaction is wheat sensitivity, which will bring on bloating, aches and diarrhea. But the third reaction is coeliac disease. This is where the lining of your intestine doesn’t allow you to fully absorb the wheat and becomes damaged. So if your stomach is acting up, I would takea breather on the toast and sandwiches for now.

Red Meat Yes, red meat can do one heck of a lot of damage to your stomach. Research has linked red meat with a gut disorder called diverticulitis. This condition is defined by abdominal pains, nausea and constipation. It inflames the colon and leads to complications such as tearing or blockage. A long term study focused on 46,000 healthy     men. Over the span of 26 years, their diet was tracked. In the end, it was found that those who ate a ton of red meat were 58% more likely to develop diverticulitis. And by a “ton” of red meat, I mean 13 servings or more per week. So go ahead and eat a hamburger. Or better yet, have some veal with dinner. But practice a little moderation, becausetoo much will hurt your insides. 

Grapefruit: This is another example of a citrus drink you need to avoid when your stomach hurts. If your gut has been hurting lately, eating grapefruit will only make it worse. Remember how we mentioned ulcers? Stomach ulcers are painful sores that form along the lining of the stomach. They happen when the mucus that protects your stomach from certain juices goes away. This leaves your stomach vulnerable to different acids. The acids will eat away at your tissue, eventually forming ulcers. Aside from stomach ulcers, you should also watch out for gastritis. This is the inflammation of the stomach lining. Symptoms of gastritis include bloating, vomitingand loss of appetite. If these are happening to you, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit may be the issue. 

Beans It’s crazy how foods that are normally healthy for you can damage crucial organs. The truth is that beans are high in fiber. Just half a cup of baked beans carries 25%of your daily recommended intake. Certain fibers in beans are non-digestible. This poses a challenge for your stomach. Eventually, it will begin to bloat. The fibers will also cause gas in the colon. People with IBS are normally advised to avoid beans, as the gas can lead to more bloating, cramps and diarrhea.

Onion Rings: Onion rings are one of the more popular examples of deep fried treats, that wreak havoc on your digestive system. Not only are they greasy and salty, the onions are a nightmare for your stomach to process. Onions contain fructans. These are molecules that your intestines find difficult to absorb. As the fructans stay in your stomach, you’ll suffer at the hands of diarrhea, bloating and severe gas. So the next time you’re in line for fast food, may be skip the onion rings. As a matter of fact, skip out on the burger. 

Remember RED MEAT! You know what, you might just want to avoid fast food in general. Your stomach needs a break! Soda Too much soda not only causes stomach pain, it can do damage to the organ long term. When you have a sensitive stomach, soda can cause really bad cramps and bloating. This is thanks to the carbon dioxide found in the drink. When you drink a can of coke, you are ingesting gas in the form of carbonation. Not to get into a massive science lesson here, but increased gas that enters your gastrointestinal tract will result in extreme bloating and cramps. Is quenching your thirst with a cool summer soda really worth all the discomfort? 

Well apparently so... Surveys show that over half of Americans drink soda everyday. The average amount of soda consumed is almost 3 glasses every 24 hours. People don’t seem to be slowing down their consumption either. The trick is to drink a lot more water, and cut down on the fizzy drinks. If you do happen to give in to your urges, try drinking the soda without a straw. This way you won’t be swallowing air so quickly, reducing the stomach pain. Drinking soda slower can also reduce symptoms, whether you have a straw or not. Are you eating any of these foods? Would you consider cutting them out after reading this article? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!