6 Reasons Red Meat Might Cause Stomach Pain and What to Do About It

Do you get stomach pain after eating red meat? Tucking into this food group — which includes beef from cows as well as lamb, pork and processed options like sausage, pepperoni and bacon — may cause belly cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting for some people.

But getting to the bottom of this issue can be tricky, as there are several possible reasons for the discomfort.

For example, you may have eaten something else along with that burger that's setting your stomach aflame, such as alcohol, dairy or fried foods. And there are literally dozens of reasons out there for a case of abdominal pain, per the Mayo Clinic.

Learn more about the connection between stomach pain after eating red meat, including the likely culprits behind it and some stress-free ways to ease — and maybe even avoid — the pain.

Stomach pain after eating red meat could be a sign of a food intolerance, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which means your body has a hard time breaking down this specific food group.

While this typically results in bad gas after eating red meat, other signs of a food intolerance include:

• Bloating
• Cramping
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Headache
• Feeling irritable or nervous

Tummy pain or indigestion from red meat could mean you have an allergy to this food group, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), although this type of food allergy is not very common.

Other symptoms of a red meat allergy can include:

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath
• Hives
• Feeling dizzy or confused

This kind of allergy can develop at any age, per the ACAAI. And sometimes it can be the result of a bite from a Lone Star tick (known as Alpha-gal syndrome), per the Mayo Clinic.

You're not alone if a digestive disorder is the cause of your stomach pain after eating steak. In fact, digestive diseases affect an estimated 60 to 70 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

One digestive issue in particular that causes stomach pain is diverticulitis, an inflammation of one or more of the small pouches in the gastrointestinal tract, per the Mayo Clinic.

One March 2018 study in ‌Gut‌ looked at red meat consumption and the risk of diverticulitis and found that eating more was associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis.

"This small study could be of concern to meat-lovers, but there needs to be more direct data," says Jacqueline Wolf, MD, a gastroenterologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

"A prospective study that compares people on a meat diet with those who aren't is the next step here, but there could potentially be a change in the gut microbiome in people with diverticulitis who eat a lot of meat," she says.

According to the Mayo Clinic, other signs of diverticulitis include:

• Abdominal tenderness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Fever
• Constipation (sometimes diarrhea, but that's less common)

Another reason you may have stomach pain could be due to a case of gastritis. This is an irritation of the stomach lining, per Johns Hopkins Medicine, which can be caused by a bacterial infection, an autoimmune disorder, the long-term use of pain medications and more.

Besides other meat-related stomach problems, there's a chance you may have only eaten meat once and gotten sick. This could mean that you got food poisoning due to a foodborne illness.

Food poisoning usually happens when the food you eat is contaminated with bacteria, parasites or viruses.

Typical symptoms of food poisoning include the following, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Upset stomach and cramps
• Nausea
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
• Fever

The two most common bacteria behind it include E. coli and C. perfringens. "E. coli is from undercooked beef and can cause stomach pain and other GI symptoms, while C. perfringens is a toxin that can be found in contaminated beef," Dr. Wolf says.

Keeping track of what you ate and when you started having symptoms is one way to pinpoint stomach pain after eating red meat. But in some cases, your discomfort may not even be related to your diet.

Certain types of sickness, like the flu, are known to cause fever, aches, chills and a stuffy nose, per the CDC, but abdominal discomfort, like nausea and vomiting, are also possible signs of this seasonal illness.

And according to an August 2020 study in ‌Gastroenterology‌, done by Stanford Medicine, it's not uncommon for people with COVID-19 to get gastrointestinal distress.

Belly discomfort is no picnic, of course, but if you're looking for a remedy for stomach pain after eating beef, the fix is about the same as for other cases of mild GI distress.

Here are some strategies to try:

• ‌Sip clear liquids:‌ If red meat causes diarrhea, drink clear liquids, like water and broth, to stay hydrated until your symptoms go away, per the Cleveland Clinic.
• ‌Nix solid foods:‌ Skip solid food for the first few hours after symptoms appear and avoid high-fat foods or ones that are fried or greasy, as these may cause GI discomfort, per Harvard Health Publishing.
• ‌Try mint:‌ "If your symptoms aren't severe, you could try Pepogest ($9.31, Amazon) or another mint product before eating," Dr. Wolf says.
• ‌Get some rest:‌ If steak causes diarrhea or other issues, the best remedy may just be some good ol' down time. The reason? Sickness, dehydration, stomach pain and more can drain your body of energy.

If your connection between meat and abdominal pain is unclear to you, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and when they began. You may have red meat intolerance symptoms, which would require you to avoid eating red meat altogether.

Similarly, if you're having trouble coping with stomach discomfort, call your doctor. They can help treat the underlying cause and get you feeling better.