Onion intolerance ?

[Erina]

I don't understand why I recently left bed bound with severe bloat after eating onion soup, but not onions in a Bolognese ?

Let me explain: I purchased a pre-made store bought onion soup from a well known supermarket with the following ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: Water, Onion (30%), White Wine, Cornflour, Butter (Cows' Milk), Yeast Extract, Tomato Purée, Onion Stock (0.5%) (Onion Extract, Black Treacle, Sugar, Water), Vegetable Glace (Sugar, Concentrated Vegetable Juices (Onion, Carrot, Leek, Garlic), Salt, Cornflour, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Water, Nutmeg Extract), White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Thyme, Black Pepper.  

Shortly after eating it I was left bed bound, sleeping for three hours, then another two uninterested in getting up. Right throughout the night I was left bloated, the following day a little also.

However, clear of that, another day I made a Bolognese sauce from scratch with a whole white onion, beef mince, olive oil, canned tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, garlic granules and seasoning and enjoyed it without issue.

I slowly fried the onions in olive oil, if that makes a difference.

 

So what's going on ?

[TheVat]

Onions are a high FODMAP food, which means sensitive people will experience gas and bowel irritation.  Cooking onions into a soup tends to concentrate FODMAPs and so you are more likely to react.  Especially when garlic and tomato puree (again the puree has more FODMAP than other forms) are added.  People who have IBS often are put on a low FODMAP diet.  You can Google search and find a list of high FODMAP foods to avoid or at least minimize.  

And be sure to check with a doctor if such strong symptoms continue.  You don't want to have some other GI tract issue go untended.  And they might also look at other suspect foods like cow's milk or yeast (which were also in that bloaty soup).  Both are foods that people can develop intolerance for.

Edited March 13, 2023 by TheVat
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[StringJunky]

Oligosacharrides in onion can't be utilized by the body's enzymes, so gut bacteria work on it, sometimes producing excessive gas liberation. Generally, in the majority of the population complex carbs are beneficial for our gut residents but some people have an adverse reaction to them. If it has been ascertained medically that there is a recurrent underlying problem, following FODMAP protocols might be appropriate. The decision to avoid food groups should be left to a medical professional to advise. Complex carbs shouldn't be avoided on a whim.

I find that the stuff I eat infrequently, like those, will cause some kind of bloating but will recede with regular use. What I think is happening here is that when one introduces a new food group, the bacteria that favour using that group undergoes a population explosion, producing a rapid evolution of gas and probably other imbalances. When the population stabilises the issue diminishes... until you stop for a while and start it again.

Edited March 13, 2023 by StringJunky

[Erina]

The thing is that I ate an entire onion in a Bolognese sauce today and was fine.

[StringJunky]

2 hours ago, Erina said:

The thing is that I ate an entire onion in a Bolognese sauce today and was fine.

The soup contains extracts, which possibly contains more of the offending substances.

[TheVat]

4 hours ago, StringJunky said:

If it has been ascertained medically that there is a recurrent underlying problem, following FODMAP protocols might be appropriate. The decision to avoid food groups should be left to a medical professional to advise. Complex carbs shouldn't be avoided on a whim.

I should have added to my post that avoidance diets are best done with medical supervision.  I did mention that in the second paragraph but didn't stress that enough.  I appreciate that you did.

That said, the low FODMAP diet can be tried for a little while since it still allows a nice range of complex carbs.  It's mainly wheat and rye that is avoided during the most restrictive phase, along with beans, milk, onions, tomatoes, apples, dates, pears, plums, cashews, pistachios and cruciferous vegetables.  Some on the diet can eat wheat if it's an authentic sourdough, which is more digestible.  Oats, rice, quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat, all fine.  And there are many fruits and vegetables that are low FODMAP, e.g. berries, oranges, green beans, avocados, chickpeas (in moderation), carrots, potatoes, bell pepper, potatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, sprouts, etc.  Nuts like walnuts, almonds and macadamias are okay.

The problem with lack of supervision is if you don't know much about nutrition and you oversimplify the diet, like just eating potatoes and meat after tossing out all the whole wheat and cabbage and broccoli.  A nutritionist can help with healthy substitutions like rolled oats for whole wheat, or blueberries for apples, or bell pepper for cabbage...that kind of thing.

IOW, if you are knowledgeable you can try substitutions, if they don't short you on needed fiber, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals etc.

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by TheVat
btfsplk

[Erina]

Perhaps in my case, I may be able to manage the problem with Rennie's tablets ?

I may also try making my own onion soup. It could work out well like the Bolognese ?

[StringJunky]

As an experiment, slice/dice your onions and soak in water first for an hour or two, then strain and use. That should reduce oligos by dilution. Play with soaking time. Smaller bits or thinner slices should speed up the oligos leaching out.

[exchemist]

3 hours ago, Erina said:

Perhaps in my case, I may be able to manage the problem with Rennie's tablets ?

I may also try making my own onion soup. It could work out well like the Bolognese ?

I would certainly try that. It never ceases to amaze me how many extraneous ingredients manufacturers seem to need to add to ready meals. Also you can cook the onions slowly which may help. I don't seem to be bothered by oligosaccharides myself, so can't advise from experience. But I do have quite a lot of garlic, brassica vegetables and lentils in my diet so, looking at @StringJunky's explanation, it may be that I have reached equilibrium in my gut long ago and that's why.     

[iNow]

4 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Play with soaking time. Smaller bits or thinner slices should speed up the oligos leaching out.

Consider also soaking in buttermilk instead of water 

[StringJunky]

2 hours ago, exchemist said:

I would certainly try that. It never ceases to amaze me how many extraneous ingredients manufacturers seem to need to add to ready meals. Also you can cook the onions slowly which may help. I don't seem to be bothered by oligosaccharides myself, so can't advise from experience. But I do have quite a lot of garlic, brassica vegetables and lentils in my diet so, looking at @StringJunky's explanation, it may be that I have reached equilibrium in my gut long ago and that's why.     

I'm a faddy eater and consume particular food types for a while then get bored, so if I stopped say cornflakes and went onto muesli, I bloat for a few days and burp/fart alot. I know it will pass in a few days when the gutflora has adapted to the new intake. One shouldn't immediately blame an emerging food type problem/allergy until you've given it some days. Like you do, it's better to vary within that food group for variety and you should still have an uncomplaining gastro-intestinal system. Obviously nut allergies and similar can't be dealt with like that, so I'm not suggesting one should try with those. I'm talking about general tummy upsets from indigestible stuff that gut flora work on.