# What spice or flavoring might cause sudden cramps, gas, diarrhea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749 "2009-10-30T17:42:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/1 "2009-10-30T17:42:55Z")
My spouse is one who “adjusts to taste”. Sometimes she will may make a quite delicious dish that will cause me to have sudden cramps, gas, diarrhea in about an hour. The food can be eliminated. It must be in the spice or flavoring. She has 48 different things in the spice rack. She cannot recall what she uses. What spice or flavoring might cause sudden cramps, gas, diarrhea? ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/2 "2009-10-30T17:47:23Z")
[Meat tenderizer](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Papain+allergy+and+surgical+risk.-a04023820) comes to mind. > [@](#): > > Symptoms of papain allergy, which include itching, headaches, abdominal complaints and conjunctivitis may appear after cooking or eating tenderized meat. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/3 "2009-10-30T17:57:15Z")
Some people apparently get [diarrhea from spicy food](http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5162351_do-spicy-foods-cause-diarrhea.html) due to an irritation in the intestines. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/4 "2009-10-30T18:03:00Z")
My husband has this reaction to significant amounts of cumin. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/5 "2009-10-30T19:12:40Z")
Some people react that way to MSG, but I’d think she’d know if she was using that. Doe she use any prepared spice mixes that might be hiding MSG? ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/6 "2009-10-30T22:53:07Z")
I fart a lot after Five Spice. ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/7 "2009-10-30T23:21:42Z")
My brother has that reaction to dehydrated onions. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/8 "2009-10-30T23:56:06Z")
That can be an effect of some food allergies. If you know any foods you are allergic to, that could help narrow things down. However some food allergies also have some odd carryovers (my nephew and I are allergic to tree nuts, and to stone fruits are also off-limits to us both). I wouldn’t recommend a testing regimin, though. If possible, see an allergist and get tested. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/9 "2009-11-01T01:22:41Z")
The majority of culinary spices aid in digestion, kinda why they are used in the first place, in addition to taste. Cayenne and like peppers could cause a big reaction if you are not used to them. Another possible cause could be bean dishes that you are not used too, and yer Hon is spicing them up according to recipe. So, perhaps not the spices, but what is being spiced. It would help if you could say the specific recipes that cause that duress. By my own example: I made a big old pot of lentil soup last week, first of the season, hadn’t eaten that for a few months. It’s been a winter staple for decades, but, this first round was really a gassy cleanout meal, plenty of TMI intestinal action. Does this help narrow it down? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/10 "2009-11-01T03:54:07Z")
> [@Jadis](#): > > My brother has that reaction to dehydrated onions. That’d be my guess. Roasted garlic is another one. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/11 "2009-11-01T07:34:32Z")
I get these symptoms from paprika. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/12 "2009-11-01T10:06:47Z")
I have inflammatory bowel disease, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to get those symptoms if I eat any raw allium (garlic, onion, shallot, etc.) or black pepper. I have other triggers, too, but those ingredients are guaranteed to set off an attack. Otherwise, I’d say that this sounds like a food allergy, possibly. Are any of your family members lactose intolerant, or have other food allergies? Note that I said raw allium. I can eat cooked onions and garlic and other members of the onion family, I just have to be sure that they’re thoroughly cooked. Good thing, too, because I dearly love this family. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/13 "2009-11-01T11:41:46Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I have inflammatory bowel disease, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to get those symptoms if I eat any raw allium (garlic, onion, shallot, etc.) or black pepper. I have other triggers, too, but those ingredients are guaranteed to set off an attack. Otherwise, I’d say that this sounds like a food allergy, possibly. Are any of your family members lactose intolerant, or have other food allergies? > > Note that I said raw allium. I can eat cooked onions and garlic and other members of the onion family, I just have to be sure that they’re thoroughly cooked. Good thing, too, because I dearly love this family. I am sort of the reverse, I can eat raw onions or garlic and nary a poot, cooked I can clear a room and make the cat run in terror ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spice-or-flavoring-might-cause-sudden-cramps-gas-diarrhea/515749/14 "2009-11-01T11:45:31Z")
I get those symptoms after a glass of water.