Enjoy These Healthy Foods Without The Discomfort

These nutritious foods are good for you but eating them can have some nasty side effects, from nausea to bloating – here’s how you can counter those effects

APPLES

With 4g of fibre per serving, and a high antioxidant as well as vitamin C content, apples are wholesome and filling. But they contain high levels of a natural sugar called fructose and relatively less glucose. This imbalance, says dietitian Derrick Ong, who is also the director and founder of Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy, can cause bloating and intestinal gas in some people. This happens when there’s not enough glucose to help the small intestine absorb the fructose. “It’s called fructose malabsorption,” he says. For most people, excess fructose is not an issue. However, in those with fructose malabsorption, it can cause bloating and gas, and possibly, abdominal pain or diarrhoea. Fructose that does not get absorbed by the small intestines passes through to the large intestine where bacteria breaks it down, a process called fermentation, producing gases that make you feel bloated. If you suffer from these problems after eating apples, choose another fruit like oranges or bananas, which have a more balanced proportion of fructose and glucose.

GREEN TEA