Vegetables are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. The fiber in lettuce, carrots and green beans can promote digestive regularity, but if you switch from a low-fiber diet to one that's packed with greens, you could experience uncomfortable gas and bloating until your system adapts. If you prefer to eat your veggies fresh from the garden, be aware that raw vegetables not only produce more gas than cooked ones, they are also at higher risk of contamination with food-borne illnesses or parasites. If you are experiencing severe pain, excessive diarrhea or unexplained fever lasting more than a day or two, call your physician.
Gas
It takes some time for your digestive system to break down vegetables. As the food moves through your system, enzymes and bacteria take the materials down to their most basic components. When bacteria works on the food, one byproduct is intestinal gas. Although most people produce about the same amount of gas, some people are more sensitive to it than others, causing painful cramping. The fiber in vegetables helps add bulk to stools to prevent constipation. Although this is a healthful benefit, suddenly changing your diet from processed, low-fiber foods to fiber-rich fresh vegetables can produce intestinal pain, bloating and cramping.
Suggestions
If gas is causing your stomach cramps, then let your vegetables cook a little longer before you eat them. Cooking breaks the food down, which can help you digest it painlessly. Write down everything you eat for a few days and take note of any stomach cramping. This can help you pinpoint which foods are causing problems so that you can avoid the triggers. When you make a change in your diet to include more vegetables, don't let a little discomfort dissuade you. Just go slowly: start off with small servings of cooked vegetables. Build your way up to the most notorious gas-producers like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Gradually increase your serving sizes and, if desired, decrease cooking times.
Contamination
Vegetables can become contaminated with harmful organisms in the field, at harvest and during preparation. The parasite Cryptosporidium parvum gets onto the leaves of growing plants, and water can spread the organism from one plant to another. E. coli and salmonella bacteria can spread in the refrigerator or kitchen. Eating enough of these organisms can give you food poisoning. Symptoms range from mild stomach upset to stomach cramps, severe diarrhea and vomiting, fever and dehydration. Most cases of food poisoning will get better on their own within a few days. If you are severely ill for more than a day or two, call your doctor.
Recommendations
If you think your stomach cramps are caused by contaminated vegetables, make sure the food you eat is handled properly. In your own kitchen, always store meats on the lowest drawer of your refrigerator so that raw meat juices cannot drip onto your vegetables. Always wash your hands before handling food, and wash or peel fresh veggies thoroughly before use. If you are worried about parasitic contamination, cook your vegetables before you eat them. Cooking will kill most of the common vegetable contaminants.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Crohn's Disease
- United States Department of Agriculture: Foodborne Illness: What Consumers Need to Know
- United States Department of Agriculture: Parasites and Foodborne Illness
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Gas in the Digestive Tract
