Why Eating Broccoli Can Give You a Stomachache

Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables, thanks to its low calorie count and seriously impressive nutritional profile (think: vitamins, antioxidants and fiber). However, if you suffer from broccoli-related stomach pain, know that you're not alone — broccoli intolerance is very real.

Broccoli has a long list of health benefits. Specifically, it's loaded with good-for-you compounds, including vitamin C, potassium, B6, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A and fiber, all of which play important roles in various biological processes, saysJesse P. Houghton，MD俄亥俄州南部俄亥俄州医疗中心胃肠学高级医学董事，俄亥俄州朴茨茅斯。

For example, vitamin C not only helps the body metabolize protein, but it also plays a vital role in healing, says the国家膳食补充剂办公室。一杯切碎的原料西兰花有89.2毫克的维生素C，据该含有89.2毫克的维生素C，占维生素的每日价值的90％，美国农业部。

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In addition, the high fiber content found in broccoli — as well as the entire family ofcruciferous veggies, such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower — is important for the digestive system. Eating enough daily fiber prevents constipation and regulates bowel movements to help remove waste from the body, according to哈佛卫生出版社出版。

The very same fiber that's so beneficial for your digestive system can also be the cause of a broccoli-induced stomachache — think bloating, gas and cramps, Dr. Houghton says. "The fiber can reach the colon and be acted upon by the bacteria in our intestines, giving off gas in the form of methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide," he says. If your stomach experiences these unpleasant side effects after eating the green veggie, it could be a broccoli intolerance.

Broccoli also can be the culprit behind a slew of stomach-related symptoms. Not only does the veggie — or more specifically, the intestinal bacteria that breaks the fibrous content down — cause gas, but that gas can actually be painful, too. Because the gas expands the intestines, its lining and walls become stretched.

"This then activates stretch receptor nerves, which then send a signal to our brains telling us that our intestines are being stretched," Dr. Houghton says. "We sense this as painful stimuli in our abdomen."

The good news is that you can still enjoy broccoli if it gives you gas or stomach pain — you just need to tweak how you're eating it. For starters, Dr. Houghton recommends taking small bites and chewing each one completely to break down as much of the vegetable as possible before it enters your digestive tract. Keep your portions small and avoid eatingraw broccoli。

Should you decide to煮你的西兰花— regardless of whether it's steamed, stir-fried or tossed into a side dish — know that doing so can actually be to the vegetable's detriment. "Cooking broccoli will cause you to sacrifice some of the plant's important phytonutrients," Dr. Houghton says.

In fact, a study published in the journalHeliyon2019年3月发现，沸腾的西兰花显着降低了黄酮类化合物的保留，抗炎效果的抗氧化剂。研究发表在杂志Food Chemistryin November 2019 found that flavonoids can not only inhibit enzymes important in inflammation, but that they can also reduce the effect of tissue damage.

另一种帮助您打击西兰花不耐受的选项可以是气体战斗的过境药物。如果你知道你要吃十字食作奇的蔬菜，请考虑在吃之前服用豆科。“它含有α半乳糖苷酶，其有助于[我们的身体]分解在西兰花中发现的三糖棉花糖，”Houghton博士说。

否则，您可以选择包含Simethicone的药物，例如气体-X，有助于破解气泡本身，以止痛，痉挛和轨道中的气体。

阅读更多:西兰花茎有营养价值吗？