Can Hard Boiled Eggs Lead to Gas?

Almost everyone likes eggs. And if you are a regular egg eater, you have probably come to notice you have gas after consuming them. Yes, unfortunately, this commonly eaten food is known to cause bloating and flatulence in many people. We know they are a versatile food that can be prepared in many different ways. A popular cooking method is to boil them, which results in hard boiled eggs. Regrettably, eggs cooked this way not only cause gas, they also cause gas that smells really bad and rotten.

If you have gas after eating a hardboiled egg, you may have an egg intolerance or allergy. If so, eating them may cause negative digestive reactions. However, one thing to note is the two conditions are not the same.

If you have intolerance to eggs, it is because your gastro tract does not have the enzymes needed to process them. If you are allergic to eggs, your body goes into attack mode towards the egg proteins which causes a reaction from your immune system.

Symptoms of Egg Intolerance

When someone has an intolerance to eggs, symptoms usually start to appear about 30 minutes to a couple hours from consumption. Signs can include extreme gas, nausea, bloating, flatulence, vomiting, and abdominal cramping or pain. Your symptoms can be mild in nature or may become severe, both depending on how many enzymes your system produces to digest the egg proteins. Sometimes your intestines may not make any, which typically results in worse conditions. At any time, if you have severe discomfort, pain or bloody stools and vomit, seek immediate emergency medical attention.

Symptoms of Egg Allergy

When thinking about "why do hard boiled eggs cause gas", you should consider you may have an allergy to eggs. If so, you might experience reactions that are comparable to those you would with other kinds of allergies. Signs may include:

• Hives or swelling of the skin or face

• Difficulty breathing

• Wheezing

• Nausea or vomiting

• Stomach pain or cramping

• Diarrhea and digestive distress

• Rapid heartbeat

• Runny or congested nose

Very rarely, an individual with an egg allergy might experience anaphylactic shock.

Treatments

Whether you are egg intolerant or have an egg allergy, you should treat it the same – avoid egg consumption. This is easier said than done because eggs are a common ingredient in so many food products. Examples include ice cream, canned soups, meatballs, salad dressings, meatloaf, crusted coated chicken and even egg substitutes.

What's more, you should notice eggs are in a product, while the labeling may have you fooled into thinking it is egg-free. Look for ingredients such as albumen, protein, globulin, ovoglobulin, egg powder, livetin, ovomucin, vitellin and lecithin. All of these are derived from eggs. Read labels carefully as the federal government has packaging guidelines that require egg content must be listed. Also, do not hesitate to ask if prepared food from a restaurant or made at someone’s home has eggs in it.

If you have an extreme allergy to eggs, your doctor may prescribe you epinephrine in the form of an EpiPen. This will allow you to easily carry the medication with you, so if you have a severe reaction, you can use it right away.

Do hard boiled eggs cause gas? Now that we know the answer is yes, but you should be aware that there are several other types of food that can cause the same reaction.  They include the following.

• Beans. Beans are raffinose-rich, which is a sugar your body has a hard time processing. As it passes through your intestinal tract, it stimulates the release of methane gas, hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the form of flatulence.

• Dairy Products. Dairy products carry lactose, another sugar that some people have a hard time digesting. If you don’t produce a sufficient amount of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, you can have excessive gas.

• Whole Grains. Whole grain food products must be processed by bacteria in the intestinal tract and can result in gas easily. Ingredients include raffinose, starch and fiber, all of which are hard to digest. The only grain that does not lead to flatulence is rice.

• Vegetables. Even healthy vegetables can cause gas and bloating. Types specifically known for this problem include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and asparagus because they contain raffinose.

• Sodas. Carbonated drinks like sodas can cause bloating and gas, because they cause air to enter your digestive system directly. It must get out of your body so you either burp it or release it through gas.

• Fruits. Peaches, apples, prunes, plums and apricots are made of soluble fiber and contain sorbitol. Both components are hard for your body to digest and must travel through your large intestine. The bacteria that process them cause gas to form.

• Hard Candy. When you eat hard candy, you often suck on it. This can make you suck in extra air. Also, some hard candies contain sorbitol. Both issues can cause you to have excess gas.

• Onions. Fructose is a sugar found in onions. Just like other natural sugars, your large intestine must break it down and this leads to excess gas production.

• Chewing Gum. Gum chewing is another habit that causes you to suck in extra air. Also, gum often has mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol as ingredients. Both can result in excessive burping or gas.

• Processed Foods. Packaged foods often contain lactose and fructose. Goods include snack foods, breads, salad dressing and cereal. The combination of the dairy, sugar and fiber can result in more gas and bloating.