Farting is normal â the average person does it 5-15 times a day. In fact, having a lot of gas on a particular day might actually be a sign of good health, if you forget about any discomfort or embarrassment caused. Thats because the foods that create farts tend to be heart-healthy, fibre-packed complex carbs, which your body cant break down but the bacteria in your gut can. So which foods make you fart, which make your farts smelly, and when should you consult your doctor?
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals wouldn’t be complete without a beautifully roasted turkey as the centerpiece But some people find that eating turkey leads to uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal cramps, bloating, and excess gas If you experience tummy troubles after eating turkey, you may wonder – does turkey make you gassy?
There are a few reasons why turkey can contribute to gas, diarrhea, and other digestive upsets. Understanding the causes can help you enjoy your holiday bird without unwanted side effects.
Eating Too Quickly
One of the most common reasons turkey may give you gas or an upset stomach has to do with how you eat not necessarily what you eat. Gobbling down your food too quickly allows you to swallow a lot of air and that excess air has to come out somehow.
As the Mayo Clinic points out, swallowing air while you eat can lead directly to gas, abdominal bloating, and gas pains. This is true whether you’re eating turkey, vegetables, or any other food.
The fix? Slow down and chew your food thoroughly at holiday meals. Don’t talk with your mouth full either. Giving your body time to digest and avoiding gulping down air reduces the chances you’ll deal with post-meal gas pains.
Food Allergies
For some people, gastrointestinal distress after eating turkey points to a food allergy. Poultry allergies are one of the least common food allergies, but they do occur in a small percentage of the population.
In addition to gas and cramping, a turkey or poultry allergy can also lead to other symptoms like hives, vomiting, diarrhea, tightness of the throat, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
Allergic reactions usually begin within minutes to a couple hours after exposure. So if you consistently experience stomach issues a short while after eating turkey, it could signify an allergy.
Keep in mind that other ingredients like seasonings and sides can also cause allergic reactions. Make sure to consider everything you consumed, not just the turkey itself. Common food allergy triggers include shellfish, nuts, eggs, dairy, soy, and wheat.
If you confirm a turkey allergy with allergy testing, you’ll need to avoid eating turkey and other poultry going forward. Watch out for hidden poultry ingredients in broths, soups, deli meats, and flavorings as well.
Food Intolerances
Having an upset stomach after eating turkey may also point to a food intolerance rather than an allergy. Food intolerances cause digestive difficulty when your body lacks an enzyme or chemical needed to properly digest a particular food.
The most common symptoms of a food intolerance are abdominal cramping, diarrhea, bloating, and gas occurring a few hours after eating the problematic food.
Food intolerances are different from food allergies in that they usually only cause gastrointestinal issues, not other symptoms like hives or breathing difficulties. The problems also tend to be more delayed, while allergic reactions come on quickly.
Potential reasons for developing a food intolerance include sensitivities to food additives like sulfites, underlying conditions like IBS, or simply lacking an enzyme needed to break down compounds in some foods.
If your body doesn’t tolerate turkey well, avoiding poultry may be your best option to prevent gastrointestinal woes.
Foodborne Illness
Isolated cases of diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps after eating turkey point to a foodborne illness rather than an intolerance or allergy. Consuming turkey or stuffing tainted by bacteria, viruses, or parasites can definitely lead to gastrointestinal issues.
Undercooked turkey is one of the most common sources of food poisoning reported to the CDC. Bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter are often to blame. If the meat lingers too long at unsafe temperatures, allowing pathogens to multiply, it becomes risky to eat.
Most cases of food poisoning cause symptoms like abdominal cramping, nausea, and diarrhea within 1-3 days of exposure. It usually resolves without treatment within a few days.
You can reduce the risk by proper handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen, cooking turkey to the proper internal temperature, and not leaving perishable foods in the danger zone too long.
Other Causes
While turkey is sometimes the culprit behind gassiness or stomach troubles, other factors can also be at play:
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Medical conditions – Digestive diseases like IBS, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance, and others can contribute to gas and abdominal discomfort.
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Carbonated drinks – Fizzy beverages contain dissolved carbon dioxide that has to get released from your digestive system.
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Sweeteners – Sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol found in candies, diet foods, and gum are known to cause bloating and gas.
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Beans and veggies – Gas-promoting compounds in foods like beans, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower can lead to gas.
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Medications – Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, and supplements like iron may cause gas as a side effect.
If you only experience gastrointestinal distress occasionally after eating turkey, these other factors may be involved instead. Keeping a food diary can help you pinpoint causes of your gas and abdominal discomfort.
Tips for Preventing Turkey-Related Gas
Here are some tips to help you enjoy turkey without unwanted gas or indigestion:
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Eat slowly and chew thoroughly to avoid swallowing excess air.
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Limit high-fiber foods like beans, cruciferous vegetables, and raw veggies at big meals.
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Avoid overeating – excessive portions can lead to gas and bloating.
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Take a digestive enzyme supplement before eating to help break down food compounds.
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Save room for dessert – eating fat, protein, and carbs together slows digestion, increasing gas.
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Stay hydrated by sipping water with meals. Dehydration can cause constipation.
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Avoid carbonated drinks, eat less salt, and ditch gum and candy with sugar alcohols.
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Wear loose clothing to prevent added pressure on your stomach.
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Take a quick walk after eating to stimulate digestion.
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Treat any underlying medical issues causing chronic gas or diarrhea.
With some minor diet and lifestyle adjustments, you can likely enjoy turkey and all the fixings without gastrointestinal woes. Pay attention to how your body reacts and avoid any foods that regularly cause discomfort. And be sure to see your doctor if symptoms are severe or ongoing.
Fatty foods, including pork and beef
Fatty foods slow down digestion, which can leave them festering in your gut, fermenting and getting pongy. Fatty meats are doubly tricky because they are rich in the amino acid methionine, which contains sulphur. Sulphur is broken down by your gut bacteria into hydrogen sulphide â that lovely rotten egg smell â and âenhancesâ the odour of gas produced by other foods you eat as well as the meat.
Beans and lentils contain lots of fibre, but they also contain raffinose, a complex sugar that we donât process well. These sugars make their way to the intestine, where your gut goes to town using them for energy, resulting in hydrogen, methane and even smelly sulphur.
Contrary to popular belief, eggs dont make most of us fart. But they do contain sulphur-packed methionine. So if you dont want smelly farts, dont eat eggs alongside fart-causing foods such as beans or fatty meats. If eggs make you bloated and give you wind, you may be intolerant to them or have an allergy.
Onions, artichokes, garlic and leeks all contain fructans â carbs that can cause gas and bloating.
Dairy from cows and goats contains lactose, a sugar that can cause gas to build up. On top of that, about 65 percent of the worlds adult population has a degree of intolerance to lactose, and eating dairy can leave them feeling bloated and gassy.
Broccoli, cauli and cabbage
Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, kale and other green leafy veg are super-high in fibre and this can all be a bit too much for your body to digest. But the bacteria in your gut loves to utilise it for energy, and this results in gas. Many of these cruciferous veg also contain sulphur, and you know all about the smell that can lead to.
Many fruits, such as apples, mangoes and pears, are high in the natural sugar fructose. In addition, some apples and pears are loaded with fibre. A number of people find fructose difficult to digest and might get gassy from eating these sweet treats because they cant break down the sugars properly. However, fructose intolerance isnât as common as lactose intolerance.
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FAQ
What are the side effects of eating turkey?
Is turkey bad for your stomach?
Why does deli turkey make me gassy?
Does meat make you gassy?
Can Turkey cause gas or stomach upset?
If turkey causes gas or stomach upset frequently, a food intolerance may be to blame. This is when you have difficulty digesting certain foods, per the National Health Service, and can lead to symptoms like: According to the Mayo Clinic, you may have a food intolerance for the following reasons: The fix?
What food causes gas?
The production of gas is related to different causes. It can be due to hormonal issues or poor digestion that can be caused by dysbiosis, which is the imbalance of the intestinal microbiota, or it can also be caused by enzyme deficiency, when digestive enzymes are not produced or are produced insufficiently. The ideal is to go through a medical evaluation or with a dietitian to investigate the cause. But it is known that foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cabbage and beans can cause gas production.
Why do I have gas after eating turkey?
If you have stomach cramps or gas after eating turkey, it may have more to do with how you ate, rather than what you ate. That’s because you can swallow excess air when you eat too fast, which — you guessed it — can lead to gas and gas pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. The fix?
Can eating turkey cause digestive problems?
An isolated instance where you develop digestive issues several hours after eating turkey may be related to food poisoning. Foodborne illness occurs when you eat something contaminated with an infectious organism like a parasite, bacteria or virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.