Fall is in full swing, which means we are in peak apple season! A fresh apple is crisp, tart, sweet, and juicy, making for a great snack or salad addition, smoothie star, or dessert component. Apples, besides being delicious, are undeniably good for you, as they contain essential nutrients, specifically fiber. One medium apple contains about four grams of fiber, according to nutritional data.Â
Fiber is a good thing, right? Well, the high-fiber content can make apples difficult to digest. In this article, we will explain why they are hard to digest and how long they take to digest. We’ll also explain what to do if your stomach hurts after eating apples.
Apples Are High In Fiber
As previously mentioned, apples are great sources of fiber. Fiber brings a host of health benefits, such as reducing LDL cholesterol levels, regulating bowel movements, and keeping you full. If you consume a good amount of fiber in your diet, apples may not cause digestive discomfort. Increasing your dietary fiber intake too quickly, or eating a lot of fiber all at once (such as a couple apples), may cause gas, bloating, constipation, or abdominal cramps.Â
Apples Are High In Fructose
Fructose, also known as fruit sugar, can be hard on the digestive system for some people. The fructose in apples can increase the risk of bloating and general stomach pain, especially if you eat a lot of apples at once. The Cleveland Clinic reports that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be particularly sensitive to the fructose in apples. If you have IBS or fructose sensitivity, you may get diarrhea if you eat fruits that are high in fructose, such as cherries, apples, and peaches. Fructose is actually the reason why apple juice can cause diarrhea, especially in children who drink it in large amounts.Â
Foods that are rich in carbohydrates or sugar, like apples, tend to stay in the stomach for about 30 to 60 minutes. That all depends on the person’s digestive system, though. It can take anywhere from 40 to 120 minutes after those initial 30 to 60 minutes for food to move through the intestines. Additionally, it can take up to several hours before it becomes waste. If you have digestive issues, consider the following if you want to make apples easier to digest.
Cook Them
By cooking apples, you can break down their nutrients, which can make them easier to digest than raw apples. Cooking apples is one of the best ways to enjoy them without experiencing gas or bloating. Applesauce and cooked apples without peels are often recommended for people after dealing with a recent stomach bug.Â
Peel Them
Regarding fiber, there is soluble and insoluble fiber (click here to learn the difference). Apples contain soluble fiber in the flesh and insoluble fiber in the skin, according to nutritionists. If you want to decrease the amount of fiber in your apple, you can peel it before eating it. That may help reduce the side effects of eating too much fiber at once, which can include bloating, gas, and diarrhea.Â
Watch Your Portions
This tip is especially important if you have IBS, a fructose sensitivity, or you usually get diarrhea after eating apples. Try to limit the amount you eat per day, keeping in mind that a serving size is one medium apple. Eating more than one medium apple per day could potentially cause digestive discomfort. If you notice pieces of undigested apple in your stool, you may have eaten too much and the body was unable to break it down.
If you want to enjoy apples without experience severe digestive issues, consider the following tips:
- Go for a walk if your stomach hurts after eating apples, or engage in some gentle movement to aid digestion. Health experts note that exercise is a tried-and-true remedy for gas and bloating because movement helps to get things moving.
- Drink plenty of water when you eat foods that contain a lot of fiber. The Cleveland Clinic notes that you should drink 11.5 and 15.5 eight-ounce cups of water per day, in addition to eating water-rich foods, to stay hydrated. Water helps things move through the gut, which can help you avoid complications that result from too much fiber.Â
- Boil some water and get out a few different herbal teas, such as chamomile, peppermint, and ginger. These teas work to soothe bloating and gas, but keep in mind that some of them can make bloating worse, especially if you have acid reflux.
