Diarrhea After Eating Red Meat

All the meat that are red in color, when in raw state are termed as red meat. They are all obtained from mammals. It includes beef, pork, lamb etc. Red meat contains high amount of protein and calories. If the red meat is not properly cooked or is kept in the refrigerated condition for a long time, then the possibility of diarrhea after eating red meat increases manifolds. For this reason, diarrhea after eating red beef or diarrhea after eating pork mostly happens after consuming them at large social gatherings, restaurants, picnics, school cafeterias, where the preparation techniques of red meat may not be hygienic. To know more read on diarrhea after eating and diarrhea: symptoms, causes and treatment.

Causes of Diarrhea After Eating Red Meat
Research studies have found that certain bacteria are present in red meat that are not good for human health. As a result of eating red meat, your body absorbs a particular form of sugar molecule from the red meat, which the human body cannot produce. It is known as glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). E.coli present in the red meat, when in active state, produces toxic substance which is known as subtilase cytotoxin. This toxic substance has a tendency to get attached to all those cells that have been exposed to Neu5Gc like intestinal lining and kidney cells and cause diarrhea. On regular consumption of red meat, people may get more prone towards food poisoning caused by E.coli bacteria. Thus, it may happen that every time a person eats red meat, he or she may get diarrhea. In such cases, the cause of diarrhea may not be food poisoning and it could be a form of food allergy.

Symptoms Observed
Usually, the symptoms of diarrhea after eating meat is observed within 2-4 hours of consumption of the food. Due to the infection of E.coli bacteria, inflammation occurs in the stomach. Swelling in both the intestines can happen leading to cramps in abdomen. Because of the diarrhea and vomiting, a patient may suffer from dehydration. Fever, chills, headache and weakness are some of the other common symptoms. If it the situation becomes serious and turns towards bloody diarrhea, then the condition could be serious and the patient may get a disease known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), that can adversely affect the kidneys and in some cases it can be fatal.

Diagnosis and Treatment
The doctors starts the diagnosis of this type of diarrhea with physical examination, if the patient has abdominal pain. Then the doctors investigate the kind of food eaten in the past few days. To confirm the diarrhea, some laboratory tests are carried out like blood test, stool test etc. In certain cases, doctors may examine the leftover food as well. Along with the medications provided by the doctor, the patient needs to drink plenty of fluids, to compensate for the fluid lost due to diarrhea and vomiting. Milk and caffeinated beverages should be strictly avoided as they can aggravate diarrhea. It is better to avoid solid foods when a person is suffering from diarrhea. Children with diarrhea often cannot drink so much of fluids. In that case, intravenous fluids are administered. None of the prescribed medicines should be stopped without consulting the doctor. If the treatment starts on time, then the patient may recover within a few days. Read more on digestive health.

Diarrhea after eating red meat can be prevented if the red meat is cooked well enough. Cooking with right techniques is the best way to destroy the harmful effects of E.coli bacteria. The minimum temperature to cook red meat is 160°F. Moreover, never put the cooked meat in the same container where the uncooked meat was kept. Do not eat any meat that has been kept in refrigerator in the raw state for more than two days.