Do Carrots Cause Indigestion?

A food allergy occurs when the body reacts adversely to certain ingredients. Most times, food allergy reactions are mild but can be severe. Allergies are the result of your body's immune system responding to something as if it was harmful. You can be allergic to any food, but eggs, milk, soy, wheat and sugar are common culprits. Allergies to carrots are not as widespread, yet there are people who are allergic to carrots as well as parsnip, fennel, celery, parsley, dill and anise – other plants belonging to the carrot family. You may have a pollen food allergy in which case if you are allergic to birch pollen or mugwort pollen, you could also have an allergic reaction to carrots, according to MayoClinic.com. Common food allergy symptoms include skin rashes, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, heartburn and indigestion.

Food sensitivity or intolerance occurs when your digestive system -- rather than your immune system -- reacts unfavorably to an ingredient. Any food, or substance in a food, can irritate your digestive system and cause discomfort. Eating raw carrots can trigger symptoms such as indigestion, bloating and gas especially for people with irritable bowel syndrome. IBS often affects normal motility in the colon, therefore, adequate intake of dietary fiber can reduce some of these symptoms. Eat soluble fiber before eating insoluble fiber foods at a meal. Carrots are a soluble fiber food whereas nuts, seeds and whole grains are insoluble fiber foods. Chopping and cooking vegetables help break down the fiber making starchy vegetables like carrots more digestible.

Foods contain different nutritional components, and therefore, are digested differently. Unless you combine the right types of foods at the same meal, you can experience digestive problems including stomach cramps and heartburn. A basic rule of food combining is not to eat starches and proteins together at the same meal. In other words, don't eat carrots with meat. Although carrots are less starchy than some other high-carbohydrate, sweet vegetables such as potatoes, yams, peas, corn and squashes, some people have trouble digesting raw carrots. Meat protein will digest better if you eat it with a green salad. Lettuce, endive, romaine, spinach, cucumber, peppers, onions and radishes are examples of non-starchy vegetables.

Irritation of the stomach wall, which can lead to indigestion, often comes from eating the wrong foods. Although a common complaint, indigestion or heartburn can be extremely uncomfortable. To prevent indigestion, avoid eating carrots or other foods that trigger your symptoms. Smoking, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, acidic foods, spicy foods and foods high in fat are other frequent causes of indigestion.