Ask a doctor - Why do cucumbers cause stomach pain?

Q. Why do cucumbers cause stomach pain?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

Cucumbers have been known to cause stomach pain in some people, but why this happens is less researched and understood. The most common reasons for cucumber-related stomach pain include an increased sensitivity to certain compounds found in the vegetable, indigestion caused by eating too much of it at once, or a potential reaction between raw cucumbers and other food components that are already present in your digestive system.

When it comes to sensitivity towards specific compounds found in cucumbers, one example is the compound called furocoumarin (or psoralen). This compound can cause gastrointestinal discomfort if you are especially sensitive to it. Additionally, cucumbers contain insoluble fiber which is difficult for your body to digest easily and may result in bloating or gas-like symptoms as they pass through your intestine.

Eating large amounts of cucumber can also trigger digestion problems from overloading the digestive system with hard-to-digest fibers at once. Eating smaller portions spaced out through the day and hydrating sufficiently throughout meals can help reduce discomfort levels when consuming cucumber regularly. Additionally, including cooked varieties such as pickled ones into one’s diet may be more digestible for some people as well due to their softer texture as compared with raw ones.

Finally, there are possible interactions between raw cucumbers and other food components that could potentially lead to digestive upset such as proteins from dairy products or eggs being combined together when eaten within close timeframes. To avoid this issue completely consider separating out consumption times when eating these foods with raw vegetables like cucumber or others like tomatoes or onions which can also lead to similar issues due sourcing their pungent smell compounds interacting with each other during digestion processes within one’s gastrointestinal tract!