Diarrhea is categorized by stools that are watery and occur frequently. Diarrhea usually goes away on its own, but call your doctor if it goes on for five days or if you are also experiencing black, bloody or pus-filled stools, stomach pain, dehydration or a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you drink eight to 10 glasses of water each day while experiencing diarrhea. Although diarrhea is usually caused by the stomach flu, eating red meat can result in diarrhea from a number of causes. However, consult your doctor for the cause and treatment plan for your diarrhea.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Red meat can flare an episode of irritable bowel syndrome. With IBS, your large intestine muscles contract at different speeds than normal, causing a number of gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea. IBS can cause episodes of both diarrhea and constipation, or you might experience only diarrhea- or constipation-predominant IBS.
Carnitine
Carnitine is an amino acid made by the body and also found in high amounts in red meat. If you consume 3 g or more of carnitine per day, you might experience diarrhea. However, you are not likely to consume this much from red meat alone, since a steak contains 56 to 162 mg and ground beef has 87 to 99 mg, considering that 1,000 mg comprise 1 g. Nonetheless, if you are taking carnitine supplements, the red meat might put you over the edge, especially if you eat an abundance.
Food Poisoning
Your diarrhea could be from food poisoning, caused by bacteria on the red meat you have consumed. E. coli can grow in undercooked hamburger meat and salmonella and C. perfringens are found in beef. You will usually experience food poisoning within four to 36 hours after eating the food. In the case of red meat, you might not cook the meat to a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria if you choose rare or medium rare cooking temperatures.
Allergy and Intolerance
Your body might simply be unable to handle red meat if you have an allergy or intolerance to it. Although rare, people do have allergies to either carbohydrates or proteins within the meat. With this allergy, you can experience acute onset diarrhea, among other symptoms. If you have an intolerance to red meat, you can also develop diarrhea as a symptom. An intolerance occurs from your body not absorbing the food properly or releasing chemicals in reaction to the food.
References
- MedlinePlus: Diarrhea
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Carnitine
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Food Poisoning
- ABCNEWS; Allergic to Meat? 12 Unusual Allergic Reactions Revealed; Dan Childs, et al.; Mar. 3, 2010
- American College of Gastroenterology; Food Intolerance
