Swollen Tummy: Is It Risky to Eat Cherries and Then Gulp Down Water?
- 2 Minute Read
- Cherries
- Abdominal Discomfort
- German Consumer Protection
Consuming cherries followed by drinking water: A potential impact on health? - Consuming cherries followed by water: Impacts on one's health?
Eating a bunch of cherries and then guzzling water straightaway isn't classified as hazardous, but it can occasionally trigger stomach trouble like pain, bloating, or gas, thanks to cherries' high fiber content and sugars. Consuming cherries will leave you loaded with fiber, which could bring on tummy aches, bloating, and gas in some people, especially when they're chomping down on a large helping[1][2]. Tart cherry juice is also crammed with sorbitol, a sugar substitute that might upset the stomach for some, adding to your stomach pain and bloating[5].
Drinking H2O post-cherry-eating won't brew up a harmful chemical reaction, but it could escalate the sensation of fullness or bloating by inflating your stomach size temporarily. However, the main culprit behind stomach aches is likely to be your body's sensitivity to the fiber, sugars, or sorbitol present in cherries instead of the water itself.
Bottom line, while it's generally OK, cramming in lots of cherries followed by swigging a huge glass of water quickly can sometimes lead to abdominal discomfort such as gas and bloating due to the fiber and sugars found in cherries. If you experience this often or the issues are extreme, scaling back on cherry consumption or sipping your water slowly may provide some relief[1][2][5].
[1] Fiber consumption and digestive health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/fiber-foods-and-health[2] How to ease gas and bloating: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/bloating/art-20050978[3] Tart cherry juice for inflammation and pain relief: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5841700/[4] Sorbitol and lactose intolerance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3006140/[5] Dietary sugars and health: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/added-sugars-in-the-diet/licks-of-sugar-added-sugar-in-popular-foods-and-beverages
- When following a healthy-diets plan, it's essential to be aware that consuming large amounts of cherries, rich in fiber, sugars, and sorbitol, might cause abdominal discomfort such as gas and bloating.
- In the context of health policy, promoting health-and-wellness initiatives could include educating individuals about the potential effects of eating cherries and drinking water on digestive health, as well as the benefits of maintaining a balanced diet and practicing proper hydration.
- To address community policy issues related to understanding the impact of diet on overall health, additional research could explore the effects of fitness-and-exercise and nutrition on the digestive system, particularly in regards to the consumption of high-fiber foods and the intake of sugar substitutes like sorbitol.