Surprisingly, nausea or stomach pain after eating eggs or chicken is common for many people. At least it is for me, which is too bad since chicken and eggs are a couple of my favorite foods!
In general, nausea after eating can be extremely uncomfortable. In fact, a person’s stomach may be so upset that they feel a sudden need to vomit.
Feeling nauseous after eating can be attributed to several possible causes, including the gastric flu, postprandial hypotension, appendicitis, gallbladder disease, irritable bowel disease, migraine headaches, anxiety, indigestion or heartburn. Pregnant women are also sometimes nauseous after eating certain meals.
When a person experiences nausea one to eight hours after eating, food poisoning may be the root cause of the issue. Food allergies are also a common cause of nausea after eating. In fact, food allergies and food poisoning are both possible causes of nausea after eating eggs or chicken.
In This Article:
What Causes Nausea After Eating Eggs?
Eggs are delicious and nutritional. They are loaded with antioxidants and other valuable nutrients. Most notably, eggs are good sources of selenium, tryptophan, iodine, protein, molybdenum, vitamin D, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
That being said, experiencing nausea after eating eggs is typically the result of a food allergy, food intolerance, or salmonella food poisoning:
Egg allergy: Eggs are among the most common foods that cause allergic reactions. Hives and skin inflammation are often symptoms of egg allergies; however, nasal inflammation, cramps, nausea, and vomiting are other possible symptoms. All food allergies trigger an immune system response due to an immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated reaction. Egg whites and egg yolks both contain certain proteins that can cause food allergies.
Egg intolerance: Egg intolerance is sometimes mistaken with egg allergies since similar digestive symptoms can occur, such as nausea. Intolerance to eggs is typically the result of a defect in the digestive system. Food intolerance is also called non-allergic food hypersensitivity or non-IgE mediated food hypersensitivity. The small intestine will produce certain enzymes that break down the proteins in eggs during the digestive process. If the body doesn’t contain these enzymes, uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, and diarrhea can result.
Salmonella egg food poisoning: Salmonella food poisoning can result from food handling or processing. Eggs that are the source of food poisoning typically come from caged hens or large industrial farms that are poorly sanitized. Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of food poisoning. You can reduce your risk of salmonella poisoning by consuming organic, free-range eggs.
What Causes Nausea After Eating Chicken?
Chicken is a big part of many diets. The reason being is that chicken is a nutrient-dense and versatile food. You can roast it, broil it, or sauté it, either way it tastes great. Chicken is a good source of tryptophan, protein, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6.
It is also possible to experience nausea after eating chicken, even if it’s organic, mainly due to food poisoning and food allergies.
Chicken food poisoning: The main cause of nausea after eating chicken is food poisoning from chicken contaminated with the bacteria salmonella. Food poisoning from chicken will be a problem when chicken is undercooked. It is also a problem when chicken has been left out too long or comes in direct contact with animal feces. After eating contaminated chicken, a person may develop symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and cramping within a few hours of consumption.
Chicken allergy and intolerance: Although eggs are among the most common foods that cause allergic reactions, it is still possible to be allergic or intolerant to chicken, especially if you experience nausea every time you eat chicken. The first time you suffer an allergic reaction, IgE antibodies are created to fight off the reaction. After that, every time you eat chicken, the allergen binds to IgE antibodies and large amounts of histamine are released in an attempt to protect your body. Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that are associated with chicken allergies or intolerance. People may also experience food allergies or intolerance when common food triggers are combined with chicken, such as soy, milk, wheat, eggs, lactose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Natural Ways to Treat Nausea After Eating Eggs or Chicken
The most common medications that treat nausea after eating include meclizine hydrochloride, dimenhydrinate, emetrol, and bismuth subsalicylate (better known as “Pepto-Bismol”). However, there are natural ways to treat nausea after eating:
- Identify and eliminate food allergies or intolerances: Since food allergies or intolerances can cause nausea after eating, it is a good strategy to identify and eliminate potential foods from the diet. As you know, common food allergies or intolerances include eggs and chicken. There are several effective testing methods that can help detect potential food triggers, including a food elimination diet, bio-meridian testing, bioenergetic feedback testing, the Meridian Stress Assessment, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) blood test.
- Herbal remedies: There are several medicinal herbs that can relieve nausea after eating such as peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, meadowsweet, chamomile, fennel, cloves, marshmallow, black horehound, and galangal.
- Essential oils: In general, essential oils can help relieve nausea. Some effective anti-nausea oils include sandalwood, rosewood, rose, black pepper, nutmeg, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, sweet fennel, coriander, lemon balm, cardamom, cascarilla bark, and French basil.
- Homeopathic remedies: Homeopathic remedies can also effectively treat nausea after eating, especially nux vomica, ipecacuanha, sepia, pulsatilla, colchicum, iris versicolor, and veratrum album.
Other natural remedies for nausea after eating include apple cider vinegar, lemon, zinc, and vitamin B6. Acupuncture and acupressure can also help relieve nausea.
When to See a Doctor for Nausea After Eating
It’s important to see a doctor if you feel nauseous after eating and experience any of the other following symptoms: pale skin, blurry vision, fainting, chest pain, urination problems, cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. It is also an issue when your symptoms interfere with your intake of food or fluids.
Precautions to Take to Avoid Nausea After Eating Eggs or Chicken
Here are a few other precautions that you can take to help avoid nausea after eating chicken and eggs:
- Avoid eating spicy and oily foods.
- Avoid drinking cold drinks.
- Drink water to help flush toxins from the body and alleviate nausea after eating.
- Clean all surfaces and wash your hands after touching raw chicken.
- Prevent raw chicken from contacting other foods.
- Cook chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid nausea after eating.
Sources for Today’s Article:
Mateljan, G., The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the healthiest way of eating (Seattle: George Mateljan Foundation), 576, 632, 720.
Marks, D., “I Have Stomach Pain After Eating Chicken,” Livestrong.com, March 8, 2011; http://www.livestrong.com/article/399028-i-have-stomach-pain-after-eating-chicken/.
“Five Reasons Eggs Are Good For You & Five Egg Dangers,” Poliquin Group web site, February 20, 2014; http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1123/Five_Reasons_Eggs_Are_Good_For_You_Five_Egg_Danger.aspx.
“Salmonella Poisoning (Salmonellosis) Symptoms, Causes, Treatment,” WebMD web site, http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/salmonellosis-topic-overview, last accessed November 25, 2015.
“Eggs and Digestion,” Livestrong.com, December 18, 2013; http://www.livestrong.com/article/486922-eggs-and-digestion/.