# What food ingredient is making me feel sick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 11, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539 "2023-04-11T23:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/1 "2023-04-11T23:23:12Z")
So I burnt my onion rings last night, but I still wanted them so I got some more today and om mom nom nom. Then I remembered why I don’t eat onion rings, they make me feel sick. It is something in the batter, because I feel the same way after eating English battered fish too. I know it isn’t bread (I eat bread without issues), so I’m wondering, what do you suppose is in the batter that makes me feel sick? It is extremely consistent. The only allergy I am known to have is a mild allergy to alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/2 "2023-04-11T23:26:56Z")
Grease? I can’t eat greasy food like I used to when I was young. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/3 "2023-04-11T23:27:55Z")
I thought perhaps that too, but French fries don’t bother me. And I cook everything in my air fryer so there’s not much oil. Maybe French fries are inherently less greasy? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/4 "2023-04-11T23:29:56Z")
Salt? Maybe the batter has a lot of salt in it. Fries don’t have batter do they? ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/5 "2023-04-11T23:30:54Z")
Nope, no batter on the fries. I make them myself chopping up potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/6 "2023-04-11T23:36:16Z")
I have stomach trouble after eating a certain type of onion (I’m still not sure which one). Maybe the breading has a different type onion and that’s giving you the whoopsies, while the internal onion is the nazz. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/7 "2023-04-11T23:41:17Z")
Are you battering them yourself? If so, what’s in the batter? And if not, what brand are they? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/8 "2023-04-11T23:41:34Z")
Are these store bought Onion Rings and English battered Fish? If so, link the brands, we might be able to see a commonality in the breading portion. For quite a few pre-prepped foods, there are ingredients for color, for texture, for crispness, flavor and preservation that could be a factor. If they’re home-made, probably a much shorter list of ingredients and you’d have narrowed it down easily. However, don’t rule out grease. I use an air fryer as well, and I’ve seen plenty of onion ring and beer battered products that have a much heavier breading than I’d otherwise do, and they’re pre-saturated with fat. And yeah, as I get older, it’s Love the first one, enjoy the second one, like the third one, and after that, nothing but regret if I don’t stop. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/9 "2023-04-11T23:45:19Z")
[https://www.highliner.com/products/family-favourites/family-favourites-english-style-fillets-in-batter](https://www.highliner.com/products/family-favourites/family-favourites-english-style-fillets-in-batter) [https://mccainfoodservice.ca/en-ca/products/Pages/battered-onion-rings1005-6388.aspx](https://mccainfoodservice.ca/en-ca/products/Pages/battered-onion-rings1005-6388.aspx) It probably is the grease. It does have a greasy texture to it. Much more than the French fries, which just feel fried and not greasy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/10 "2023-04-11T23:51:55Z")
Yeah, batter is pretty straightforward: flour/starch, eggs (though yours do not seem to have eggs), sometimes a leavening agent, salt, spices, and that’s about it. My guess would also be the grease – I’m not sure if something battered absorbs more grease than naked French fries, but it seems to me like it does. And second would be the onions themselves. When I overdo onions, it can sometimes unsettle my digestive system (usually makes me feel gassy, but not horribly so.) But you did mention the battered fish makes you feel the same way. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/11 "2023-04-11T23:59:39Z")
Yeah must be the grease. I don’t eat a lot of greasy food. Maybe pizza might be the next greasiest. Thanks Teeming Millions! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/12 "2023-04-12T00:10:05Z")
My partner has this, plus some other unrelated foods that cause stomach issues - apple for instance. [Check out the FODMAP diet](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know), it helps her a lot. She can eat some of what’s restricted there every day, but too much (in any combination) in a day sets her off. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/13 "2023-04-12T00:36:03Z")
I appreciate that but I don’t problems with any of the foods on that list. 🙂 It is pretty much only battered food. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/14 "2023-04-12T03:54:27Z")
If you eat onions without batter do you have issues too? ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/15 "2023-04-12T10:56:29Z")
No, and I have them frequently in salads or on a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/16 "2023-04-12T12:22:16Z")
Years ago I had problems with greasy food. Those problems got worse over time and eventually I was diagnosed with a gallbladder full of stones and a blocked common bile duct. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/17 "2023-04-12T12:58:42Z")
Huh. I’ll mention it to my doctor next time I see him. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/18 "2023-04-17T18:03:49Z")
my pet theory is that oil needs enough other ‘stuff’ with it to digest cleanly, otherwise it just goes through partially undigested and causes problems. maybe eat some veggies or starch alongside? ---
**Author:** ![Nightaudit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightaudit/32/17181_2.png) [@Nightaudit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightaudit)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/19 "2023-04-17T18:43:52Z")
You might have a sensitivity to the stabilizers in the fry oil… commercial fry oil has stabilizers added to extend the cooking life for users. Some of the places that I worked at in the long long ago… used to add a powder called “fry master filter magic” it’s basically perlite (aluminum silicate) and citric acid that helped keep the oil clean and slow down oxidation and prevent scorching taste from getting into the food. Search “Dean Frymaster Filter Magic” or “Fryclone fryer oil stabilizer & Filter powder.” if you’re curious about that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Vicmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@Vicmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicmac)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539/20 "2025-03-05T13:33:48Z")
Hi I am trying to figure out the same. I feel like it’s to do with the beer batter. I also can’t drink alcohol anymore and, I can’t even drink non alcoholic beer I had a dirty blonde non alcoholic beer and felt just as bad as if it was alcohol. I was ill after eating beer battered fish, and so next time when I went out I skipped the fish and just ate fries, but still felt rough the next day. I’m thinking that because they used the same oil as for the battered fish it still made me feel unwell. Let me know if you make any further discoveries and I will do the same!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-ingredient-is-making-me-feel-sick/982539.md?page=2)