The most common causes of stomach pain include indigestion, food allergies, food intolerance, and constipation. It’s possible to be allergic to any food, but 14 allergens make up 90 percent of all food allergies. • Milk & Dairy products • Cereals containing gluten (e.g. wheat, rye, barley, oats) • Eggs • Fish, Molluscs & Crustaceans • Peanuts & nuts • Soybeans • Celery • Mustard • Sesame seeds • Sulphur dioxide • Lupins (related to the legume family e.g. peanuts, peas, lentils and beans). In the EU all these food ingredients must be labelled as an allergen on pre-prepared food packaging. Food Intolerances are usually caused by foods which aren’t easily digested by the stomach. They cause an adverse reaction such as nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea, but not an autoimmune response. Symptoms usually begin about half an hour after eating or drinking the food in question, but in some circumstances may not appear for up to 48 hours. Here’s examples of food types which commonly aren’t easily digested by the stomach • All 14 listed allergens can be a trigger for a food intolerance • Yeast • Worcesterhire Sauce • Sugar, its not easily digested causing a buildup of gas in the upper intestine • Highly acidic foods like Coffee or Capsaicin, a component found in peppers, it’s high acidity can cause irritation to the stomach lining • Nightshade vegetables, which include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and aubergines can cause stomach problems and also joint pain • Consuming too much saturated fat can cause inflammation, as it can alter the body’s gut bacteria triggering the immune system • Fructan containing foods like Onions and Garlic contain fibres that can cause bloating • High fibre content foods may cause bloating in individuals who are not used to eating a lot of fibre. • Citrus, corn, peanuts, soy, or wheat cause pain in some people. Migraines can be caused by sunflower seed, walnut, cashew, coconut, or pineapple. Among plant foods, soy may be the one that causes pain the most often.