Have you ever had lettuce in your salads or wraps, and suddenly felt unease in your stomach. You might came to the fact that why does lettuce give me diarrhea.
Diarrhea is characterized by loose, frequent, and watery bowel motions. When stool moves through your digestive system too quickly, you develop this ailment.
Diarrhea often goes away in one to two days, but if there is a significant issue, it may stay longer. Diarrhea may result from eating certain foods, including lettuce. 
There could be many scenarios that why does lettuce give me diarrhea, let’s discuss all in detail:
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Traveler’s diarrhea may be the cause of your unpleasant stomach after eating lettuce while you’re on the road. According to the Mayo Clinic, this kind of diarrhea might happen when you travel to an area with a different climate and hygienic customs than your own.
Due to its local cultivation and washing in water that may carry germs, viruses, or parasites, raw product like lettuce is a possible culprit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against eating salads, raw, unpeeled fruits, and raw vegetables when visiting places with poor or unknown sanitation and hygiene standards in order to prevent traveler’s diarrhea. Choose cooked fruits and vegetables that you can peel before eating instead.
Foodborne Disease
Diarrhea can result from a foodborne infection that is frequently spread by leafy greens like lettuce. In reality, studies reveal that leafy greens are responsible for up to 9% of foodborne illnesses in the US, with lettuce accounting for over 75% of these cases.
Bacteria or parasites found in inadequately handled, packaged, or cleaned food can cause infection and unpleasant stomach symptoms.
Raw food is linked to several possible pollutants that can result in symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, and fever, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The duration of these symptoms can range from a few days to a few weeks.
The Mayo Clinic recommends washing all produce, including lettuce, under running water before consumption to avoid foodborne illness.
Fiber According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), lettuce has 1 gram (g) of fiber per cup, making it a healthy source of fiber. Although fiber is a necessary component of a balanced and healthful diet, consuming too much of it too soon might upset your stomach.
About 25 to 30 grams of fiber should be consumed daily, according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you want to avoid gastrointestinal issues, gradually increase your intake of fiber over a few weeks. To aid in the absorption of this crucial nutrient, don’t forget to drink lots of water.
Cut Down On Illness Risk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise washing leafy greens that aren’t marked “ready to eat,” “triple washed,” or “no washing necessary.” However, the CDC warns that cooking produce is ultimately the safest option because washing doesn’t totally eradicate all pathogens.
If you intend to consume lettuce that isn’t “ready to eat,” be careful to adhere to these CDC guidelines:
Before and after preparing leafy greens, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Throw away any exterior leaves that are ripped or damaged.
- After rinsing the leafy greens under running water, gently massage the leaf surfaces with your hands.
- Avoid soaking leafy greens in a sink full of water as this could infect them with germs.
- It is not advisable to soak leafy greens in a bowl of water since the water can contaminate other leaves.
- Rinse with alternative consumable water (such filtered, bottled, or distilled water) if you don’t have access to safe tap water.
- Using a fresh cloth or paper towel, pat dry the leafy greens.
The CDC advises the following storage practices for lettuce:
- Keep it apart from raw meats in storage.
- Store it in the fridge.
- Diseases Caused by Consuming Unhealthy Lettuce
A June 2024 study in the Journal of Food Protection found that various lettuces are responsible for over 75.7% of leafy-green foodborne illnesses.
Frequently, food poisoning-causing lettuce is tainted with:
- The germs E. coli and norovirus
- Salmonella
According to MedlinePlus, symptoms of food poisoning typically appear two to six hours after consuming infected lettuce or other poisoned foods. Depending on the microorganism, you may experience different symptoms and have different symptoms for longer periods of time. However, food poisoning typically manifests as symptoms such as:
- cramping in the abdomen
- diarrhea, possibly with blood in it
- Chills and fever
- A headache
- Vomiting and feeling queasy
- Weakness (possibly severe)
According to MedlinePlus, food poisoning usually goes away in 12 to 48 hours, despite the fact that it can be uncomfortable.
However, you should get medical help if you encounter any of the following:
- stool with pus or blood in it
- incapacity to consume liquids due to nausea and vomiting
- Children who have a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, or who have a temperature of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit with diarrhea
- Symptoms of dehydration, such as thirst or lightheadedness
- diarrhea following recent international travel
- After five days or more (two days for toddlers and infants), the diarrhea persists or gets worse.
- A child who has been throwing up for more than 12 hours could have botulism, shellfish, or mushroom poisoning.
Conclusion
Why does lettuce give me diarrhea? Like other foods, lettuce can become contaminated with bacteria that can lead to foodborne illness. The majority of germs are eliminated when many foods are prepared before consumption. However, since salads are typically consumed raw, there’s a greater potential that you could inadvertently consume certain bacteria that are hidden.
There are numerous ways for food poisoning-causing bacteria to infiltrate lettuce that are discussed in this article.
