Food - News
What It Really Means If Salads Upset Your Stomach
By ERICA ANDREWS
Dr. Niket Sonpal, an internist and gastroenterologist in New York City, explained, "Eating salads and lettuce puts a heavy fiber 'load' on the intestines, and, if you are slightly backed up, your bowels will work a bit overtime to get it all out." Sonpal added that it may seem like you should cut out the greens, but you should actually continue to help yourself to greens.
Gastroenterologist Dr. Robynne Chutkan said, "You have to look at the [condiment] in terms of the amount of oil, salt, and sugar, because those are all things that can bloat you." Dr. Sonpal agreed with this, noting that the problem could also be creamy ranch dressing that can cause issues if you're lactose intolerant.
Likewise, croutons could be a problem for your stomach to digest if you're sensitive to gluten. Spicy ingredients like hot peppers or jalapeños, on the other hand, could also be causing digestive issues, as they contain capsaicin, which can irritate the lining of your stomach.
But if skipping these items hasn't helped your stomach, Sonpal said it could be because your salad is too large. Sonpal also suggested that your salad could have been contaminated with E. coli, so it's worth checking to see if there have been any recalls and to avoid lettuce on the banned list.