If you can eat popcorn without butter and experience no difficulty but develop diarrhea only when you eat buttered popcorn, you may have an allergy. Corn is a difficult food to digest for many people, and eating popcorn is no exception, but if you notice that you only develop diarrhea when the popcorn has butter on it, you should talk to your doctor about being tested for a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance. Diarrhea from buttered popcorn is not a common side effect.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea occurs when your gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed or irritated. The gut reacts to the inflammation or swelling by ridding the system of all substance, leading to loose, watery stools. Diarrhea is considered a normal condition that is experienced by most people throughout life, according to the University of Maryland's Medical Center. Diarrhea can last for a few days or up to a few weeks. Any diarrhea that lasts for more than two days should be evaluated by your doctor.
Milk Allergy
A milk allergy is a considered by MayoClinic.com as a common food allergy. Butter's main ingredient is cream from milk that could cause an allergic reaction when ingested. During a milk allergy, the immune system identifies the proteins in the milk as a harmful substance and attempts to fight them off by creating certain antibodies called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. The creation of these antibodies alerts mast cells to produce histamine, a natural hormone in the body to fight off infection. Increased histamine in the gut will cause diarrhea and other gastric symptoms.
Identification
A milk allergy is typically easy to identify because of its symptoms. Shortly after eating popcorn with butter, you will experience cramping, bloating, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. If the reaction is related to an allergy, you will develop other symptoms alongside the digestive ones. Other symptoms from a milk allergy include tingling of the mouth, throat or lips, nasal congestion, eczema, itchy skin, hives, wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath, according to Kids Health.
Lactose Intolerance Consideration
If you are severely lactose intolerant, you may also experience diarrhea shortly after eating popcorn with butter on it. Every person is intolerant toward lactose, the sugar found in cow's milk, to one degree or another, according to MedlinePlus. Only people with significant symptoms are considered lactose intolerant. The symptoms of intolerance are similar to a milk allergy, but will only cause the gastric symptoms exclusively. If you are lactose intolerant, take a digestive enzyme supplement before eating popcorn with butter to see if there is any improvement.
