Digestive problems related to beef?

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karengetsfit
karengetsfit Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello All,

I am of Asian descent and grew up eating mainly rice, vegetables, and very little meat and dairy at home. After leaving for college I adopted a more western diet consisting of mostly burgers and pizza (and some salad thrown in from time to time of course). First thing I noticed was a lot of bloating and cramping in my stomach after these meals. I know for the dairy, it's due to slight lactose intolerance, but why am I in so much discomfort after a steak dinner? Is there such thing as meat intolerance (especially beef)?
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Replies

  • alasin1derland
    alasin1derland Posts: 575 Member
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    A probiotic will probably help.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,025 Member
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    Lots of variables in a western diet.....try eliminating beef. Why steak and not burgers, or are you referring to 1 particular steak dinner?
  • junkintrunk5
    junkintrunk5 Posts: 93 Member
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    I have the same issue, and didn't realize it until I married a hunter, and our diet became mostly wild game (venison). I never have a problem with this lean meat, but when I occassionally eat a steak when we're out to dinner with friends, I become bloated and have digestive issues. SO, it's not worth it to me......I avoid beef now and stick to venison, chicken, and fish.

    It's scarey, but I think it might be what they do to "beef them up" like hormones:(....unless it's the higher fat content that is contributing to my problem.

    I'd be curious how many other people have this issue?
  • karengetsfit
    karengetsfit Posts: 19 Member
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    burgers especially (beef + cheese!) I just mentioned steak so as to not confuse the effects of eating dairy and meat together. Thanks for the help guys, I think I will make a point of avoiding it in the cafeteria for now.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,025 Member
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    I have the same issue, and didn't realize it until I married a hunter, and our diet became mostly wild game (venison). I never have a problem with this lean meat, but when I occassionally eat a steak when we're out to dinner with friends, I become bloated and have digestive issues. SO, it's not worth it to me......I avoid beef now and stick to venison, chicken, and fish.

    It's scarey, but I think it might be what they do to "beef them up" like hormones:(....unless it's the higher fat content that is contributing to my problem.

    I'd be curious how many other people have this issue?
    If it's outback, I sympathize with you.
  • helen8328
    helen8328 Posts: 36 Member
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    It's probably because the food is so processed. The closer a food is to its natural state the easier it is to digest and will have more nutrients in it. Your diet was a lot more healthy before, I'd stay away from pizzas and red meat if I were you they're not really good for anyone but your body gets used to bad foods if it's all it has.
  • hlopez_
    hlopez_ Posts: 17 Member
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    Yeah the typical high animal protein western diet isn't very good on the digestive system. Beef is high in fat and a heavy task for the digestive system. Try eliminating beef and replace with fish or plant protein sources like beans, nuts, tofu.
  • Darrelkun
    Darrelkun Posts: 152 Member
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    Beefs gives me all kinds of stomach woes. I try to avoid it at all costs now.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    I'm actually unable to digest beef in any form (along with soy and MSG), so pain, bloating, and PAIN are good deterrents. I haven't had beef in 14 years. I can eat anything "off the hoof," though. Pork, turkey, chicken, and even buffalo are all fine.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    It's probably because the food is so processed. The closer a food is to its natural state the easier it is to digest and will have more nutrients in it. Your diet was a lot more healthy before, I'd stay away from pizzas and red meat if I were you they're not really good for anyone but your body gets used to bad foods if it's all it has.

    Um... no. Steak is pretty close to it's natural form, there. I can't eat beef for digestive issues, but it has nothing to do with processing. And your body will not get used to bad foods if you have an intolerance or allergy.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    Actually, most beef is hung for anywhere up to 30 days before even being processed into steaks and whatnot. That's 30-day old meat.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Actually, most beef is hung for anywhere up to 30 days before even being processed into steaks and whatnot. That's 30-day old meat.

    That's not processing, that's aging. Processing is breaking down the food, reforming it and adding other things to it.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    Actually, most beef is hung for anywhere up to 30 days before even being processed into steaks and whatnot. That's 30-day old meat.

    That's not processing, that's aging. Processing is breaking down the food, reforming it and adding other things to it.

    You're right on the terminology. In my particular instance, the aging is what makes it indigestible.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    It's probably because the food is so processed. The closer a food is to its natural state the easier it is to digest and will have more nutrients in it. Your diet was a lot more healthy before, I'd stay away from pizzas and red meat if I were you they're not really good for anyone but your body gets used to bad foods if it's all it has.

    The opposite is true. The more processed a food, the easier to digest, unless you're adding indigestible elements like fiber. Why do you think babies are fed purees? Break the food down in advance, less work for your digestive system.

    Less processed may have more nutrients. Depends on what the processing is and if there are supplements added.

    Now, processed foods may have some additive that doesn't agree with your digestion. That's a separate issue.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Actually, most beef is hung for anywhere up to 30 days before even being processed into steaks and whatnot. That's 30-day old meat.

    That's not processing, that's aging. Processing is breaking down the food, reforming it and adding other things to it.

    You're right on the terminology. In my particular instance, the aging is what makes it indigestible.

    Do you know why? I'm curious. Typically aging breaks down the meat and makes it more digestible.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Yeah the typical high animal protein western diet isn't very good on the digestive system. Beef is high in fat and a heavy task for the digestive system. Try eliminating beef and replace with fish or plant protein sources like beans, nuts, tofu.

    this makes no sense. Eating meat for protein has been done by humans for millenia, now it's not good for the digestive system? I have a very sensitive digestive system and I eat chicken daily.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    Do you know why? I'm curious. Typically aging breaks down the meat and makes it more digestible.

    Without getting too grody, my intestines have none of the filters that take out the naturally occurring chemicals in aged and processed foods. Tyramine (Definition: In foods, it is often produced by the decarboxylation of tyrosine during fermentation or decay.) is the main one I can think of at the moment. I can't have blue cheese, most wines, bananas that have any black spots on the skin, or saurkraut, to name a few others that don't work with me.

    ETA: I'm probably a strange case. I initially meant to get into the conversation to support someone trying to eliminate beef from their diet. :happy:
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Do you know why? I'm curious. Typically aging breaks down the meat and makes it more digestible.

    Without getting too grody, my intestines have none of the filters that take out the naturally occurring chemicals in aged and processed foods. Tyramine (Definition: In foods, it is often produced by the decarboxylation of tyrosine during fermentation or decay.) is the main one I can think of at the moment. I can't have blue cheese, most wines, bananas that have any black spots on the skin, or saurkraut, to name a few others that don't work with me.

    ETA: I'm probably a strange case. I initially meant to get into the conversation to support someone trying to eliminate beef from their diet. :happy:

    Interesting. I hadn't heard of that before. It's interesting also because I can't eat beef either, but for a completely different reason. And OP probably has a different reason too. Goes to show there can be many different reasons why we can't all eat the same things.
  • mertzk14
    mertzk14 Posts: 5
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    I do not know how accurate this will be, but I was vegetarian for 3 years and started to reintroduced animal products into my diet a couple years ago. I cannot digest fatty animals products anymore (like steak and bacon and sometimes even ice cream) and I have no idea why. Lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and yogurt are fine. Maybe your stomach is triggered by the fatty foods?
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    [Interesting. I hadn't heard of that before. It's interesting also because I can't eat beef either, but for a completely different reason. And OP probably has a different reason too. Goes to show there can be many different reasons why we can't all eat the same things.

    Now that I ponder this further, this condition can also be triggered by taking an MAOI, so sudden dietary issues could actually be interactions with new medicines and their possible side effects.

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