# Why doesn't peanut butter "sit right" in my stomach. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604 "2011-07-11T08:28:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/1 "2011-07-11T08:28:13Z")
I’ll be 51 in October. I am not, nor have I ever been, allergic to peanuts. I can eat an entire jar/bag of peanuts and not have any problems, whatsoever. Yet, if I have a piece of bread with just a teaspoon of peanut butter on it I’ll burp up peanut butter for 5-10 hours afterwards. **WTF?** ---
**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:** [July 11, 2011, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/2 "2011-07-11T09:42:03Z")
mainly because most commercial peanut butters have other ingredients, one of them may be the burp causer. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/3 "2011-07-11T10:31:25Z")
Maybe it’s the bread? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/4 "2011-07-11T17:09:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Maybe it’s the bread? No: \*Having a sandwich with something other than peanut butter on it does not make me burp up the rest of the day. \*Having peanut butter on crackers, or a banana does make me burp up the peanut butter the rest of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/5 "2011-07-11T17:24:09Z")
Do you have any reflux issues? Heartburn on a regular basis? It could be that this particular combination of foods is a trigger for reflux for you. Another potential trigger food is tomato. Do you have any similar issues with tomatoes or tomato products? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/6 "2011-07-12T04:25:13Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Do you have any reflux issues? Heartburn on a regular basis? It could be that this particular combination of foods is a trigger for reflux for you. Another potential trigger food is tomato. Do you have any similar issues with tomatoes or tomato products? No problems with tomatoes. I take Aciphex daily and do not have any heartburn ever. it works great. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/7 "2011-07-12T04:49:01Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No problems with tomatoes. I take Aciphex daily and do not have any heartburn ever. it works great. \*\*Daily?!? \*\* For how long, and for what symptoms? Is there an expectation Aciphex will cure, or just relieve? But clearly you have problems in the digestive system, one would assume this peanut butter thing is a consequence of that. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/8 "2011-07-12T04:57:10Z")
Try eating a big spoonful of peanut butter with no bread or anything else accompanying it (as I am doing right now in solidarity) and report back. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/9 "2011-07-12T05:01:38Z")
You take aciphex, I’m assuming you have acid reflux and aciphex successfully treats it? Perhaps it’s the hydrogenated oil in the peanut butter. You aren’t allergic to peanuts but do you have any allergies? If it’s not the oil in the peanut butter, it may be one of the other ingredients not found in whole peanuts. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/10 "2011-07-12T08:24:33Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > You take aciphex, I’m assuming you have acid reflux and aciphex successfully treats it? Perhaps it’s the hydrogenated oil in the peanut butter. You aren’t allergic to peanuts but do you have any allergies? If it’s not the oil in the peanut butter, it may be one of the other ingredients not found in whole peanuts. /points at post #2 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/11 "2011-07-12T12:24:04Z")
I take Aciphex because I had surgery for a narrowed esophagus. The doctor said this was to protect the lining of the esophagus while it was healing. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/12 "2011-07-12T12:35:51Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Perhaps it’s the hydrogenated oil in the peanut butter. Okay, let’s put our heads together: What other foods are very big on hydrogenated oil? Only one comes to my mind, and that’s margarine. Try a good-size portion of margarine on your bread and let us know what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/13 "2011-07-12T15:45:35Z")
Is hydrogenated oil a component of just “processed” peanut butter from the major manufacturers, or is it a natural component? Would it be worth it to try some natural peanut butter to rule this item out??? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/14 "2011-07-12T17:44:34Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Okay, let’s put our heads together: What other foods are very big on hydrogenated oil? Only one comes to my mind, and that’s margarine. Try a good-size portion of margarine on your bread and let us know what happens. I loath margarine. But I’ve eaten it in the past with no problems. I couldn’t imagine how awful “burping up” margarine could be. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-peanut-butter-sit-right-in-my-stomach/588604/15 "2011-07-12T17:56:57Z")
I almost have the same situation, but it’s not a burp. More of a hiccup, sorta. But, like the OP, I can eat peanuts and not get it. I can eat a peanut butter sandwich and not get it, but if I just dig a dollop of peanut straight out of the jar and down it, I do get a weird sensation somwhere in the esophagus/stomach area. For me, though, it’s more like a hiccup that never quite makes it.