When eating pizza from various places, frequent diners or chefs may notice there is a pattern of pain and bloating in their stomachs and bodies after eating pizza. When trying to still enjoy pizza without the pain, what can be done to avoid the bloating that is common after pizza? After doing extensive research, here is why pizza causes bloating, and the best ways to stop or avoid it!
Pizza causes bloating since it is a dish with gluten, lactose, and meats that most people's stomachs have issues digesting. Pizza starches can sit in the stomach for hours, fermenting and causing gas that leads to painful nausea and discomfort. Change the pizza ingredients to minimize bloating!
What makes bloating effects from pizza happen? What else could be causing some people to bloat from pizza? Let's go over what to look for and do in case bloating is always happening after eating pizza!
It is normal to feel bloated after eating, however, if this occurs consistently, it could be an indication of deeper problems that can be fixed or avoided! Some reasons for bloating may include overeating, food intolerance to dairy or eggs, eating too much starch in the form of carbohydrates, eating too much fat, a side effect from certain medications like aspirins or opioids, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, or celiac disease. In addition to this, the ingredients in pizzas is almost always so diverse and different that the complicated hodgepodge can be hard on a stomach to digest, causing bloating. Depending on the possible source for why the bloating is happening, there are different ways to decrease the bloating from pizza too.
Overeating
If overeating appears to be the source of bloating, this problem can be pretty easy to fix. Just try to hold back with some self-control, and instead of eating an entire pizza by oneself, try to only have a few slices paired with some healthy sides and a salad! While overeating is often the most common source and cause of bloating, at least smaller portions can be a simple and straightforward fix to the discomfort.
Food Intolerance
There is also the possibility that a person has a food intolerance that they are not aware of just yet. People can be intolerant to dairy, eggs, lactose, and even pasta! Oftentimes people are very sensitive to dairy or carbs or lactose, the ingredients can really set their stomachs off. Thankfully, there are tons of modified pizza recipes that can help an eater avoid bloating and discomfort. Online, there are recipes for dairy-free, gluten-free, and other modified pizzas for food intolerances!
Fatty or Rich Food
Some people feel cramping, and pains in the stomach, and experience bloating if they eat food that is too fatty or rich. This type of food can make a person feel overly stuffed sooner and for longer. This is because some fatty foods take much longer to digest when compared to other foods high in carbs or proteins. Fat will keep the stomach feeling full for longer, but to avoid bloating, try limiting the daily fat consumed, or try to exchange some of the fatty ingredients in pizza for healthier fats. There are fixes for this like using a lower-fat parmesan cheese substitute, and fatty meats like pork sausage and pepperoni can also be substituted for thinly sliced and leaner cuts of turkey bacon, salami, or chicken sausage!
Medication Side Effects
Some people that are consistently on meds like fiber supplements, opioids, certain pain supplements, or aspirins could experience bloating due to the combo pizza has with their medication effects. If this is the likely cause of bloating, it is a good idea to consult the doctor who prescribed the medications and see if the meds can be replaced with others that don't have corresponding bloating side effects.
Eating Too Fast
Bloating can even be a side effect of eating pizza too quickly. The fix to this problem is simple and to the point. Diners just need to eat slower and listen to how their body and stomach feel as they eat so they don't overdo it. Not only does eating more slowly help prevent bloating, but it also helps people to avoid overeating since they give their bodies more time to adjust to the food they're eating.
Lactose found in the cheese toppings of pizzas can be hard on the tummy since lactose is a form of sugar found in all dairy products. People who are intolerant to lactose will not be able to completely digest lactose since they don't have the correct enzyme called lactase to help break them down. Lactose intolerance is more common in diverse groups of people, such as the Hispanic, Black, and Asian ethnic groups. The best way to help stop bloating pain from lactose intolerance is to avoid or just cut back on milk and cheese products.
People can easily either shop for lactose-free pizzas or bake their own with specialized recipes. There are even dairy products like Lactaid that are conveniently lactose-free, or lactase supplements to help someone process lactose. If these solutions don't help, consult with a doctor or similar expert on how to decrease or replace lactose products until eating becomes pain-free once more!
The crust in pizza can have ingredients like wheat, rye, barley, and other ingredients that are high in gluten. If someone with celiac disease were to eat pizza like this with high gluten, their immune system will get confused and begin attacking the lining of the intestines of the stomach. Even though only one percent of the population of the U.S. have celiac disease, it could be worthwhile to try to make gluten-free pizza in case this is the cause. In case it isn't necessary, check in with a doctor and confirm a state of celiac disease just to make sure!
