Have you ever wondered, “Why do I sweat when I eat?” or why a delicious meal or afternoon snack is often followed by inexplicable excessive sweating? Sweaty armpits and clammy palms are just some of the areas where these troublesome sweats can manifest. Sweating after eating is annoying and embarrassing. It can make you feel like you’re destined to order takeout and eat alone forever.
8 Foods That Will Make Your Armpits Wet
Can the foods you eat really make you sweat? The answer is yes. There are a number of common foods that can trigger a sweating reaction. Often, these trigger foods have different biological reasons why they make you sweat.
1. Spicy Foods According to Dr. Barry Green, a professor of surgery (otolaryngology) and former director of The John B. Pierce Laboratory, there’s a reason you might sweat after eating spicy foods. “The answer lies in the fact that spicy foods activate receptors in your skin that normally respond to heat…which trigger the physical reactions of heat. Including vasodilation, sweating and flushing,” Green says.
If you are one of those who wonder, “Why do I feel hot after eating spicy food?”. You should know that capsaicin, a chemical found in spicy foods, basically tricks your body into thinking that it is really hot, which is why your body sweats.
2. Caffeine Experts believe that caffeine stimulates sweating because of its effect on your central nervous system. It increases your blood pressure and heart rate, which causes the physiological sweating reaction. There is a specific study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food that specifically looked at the effects of coffee on athletes that supports this theory.
3. Alcohol According to MD Health. There are a few reasons why alcohol might be the cause of sweating after eating or drinking alcoholic beverages . First, alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, which raises your skin temperature. A warm body causes sweating. This reaction is most common when you drink more than the recommended amount.
On the other hand, some people can’t tolerate alcohol at all. They lack a necessary enzyme that our bodies need to break down alcohol. This condition is often accompanied by flushing, gastrointestinal problems, and headaches.
4. Sugar and Carbohydrates If you eat a lot of sugary snacks or foods that are high in carbohydrates, your blood sugar level may spike quickly. To combat the spike in ทางเข้า ufabet blood sugar, your body releases a hormone called insulin. If your insulin levels are too high, it can lead to a condition called hypoglycemia, which can lead to sweating. If you sweat while eating frequently, you should see your doctor, as it could be a sign of diabetes. Does sweating after eating mean diabetes? Not always, but we’ll get to that later.
5. Protein (Sweating from Meat) There isn’t a lot of research looking at the effects of meat on sweating. What we do know is that digestion uses about 25% of our total energy expenditure, and protein takes more energy to digest than any other food. To make this information more complete and useful, let’s add some details about the relationship between protein, digestion, and sweating.
Thermogenesis: Digestion is a process in which the body uses energy, which creates heat. This process is called thermogenesis. Protein has a greater effect on thermogenesis than carbohydrates and fats. This means that the body has to use more energy to digest protein. Which creates more body heat, which can lead to sweating.
Energy use in digesting protein: It takes more energy for the body to digest protein because protein molecules are larger and more complex than carbohydrates and fats. The body requires more enzymes and complex processes to break down protein into amino acids, which are building blocks that the body can absorb. This process uses energy and generates heat.
Individual Effects: The amount of sweat produced after consuming protein can vary from person to person, depending on factors such as the amount of protein consumed, the individual’s metabolic rate, and overall physical condition.
Other foods high in protein: In addition to meat, other foods high in protein, such as fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and grains, may also cause sweating in some people.
Although research on the direct effects of meat on sweating is limited, from the above information we can conclude that consuming protein, especially in large quantities, may result in increased sweating, as the digestion of protein requires more energy and generates more heat than the digestion of other foods.
If you notice that you sweat excessively after eating a high-protein meal, you should consult your doctor to rule out other possible causes.
6. Hot Food and Drinks This one may seem obvious, but warm foods and drinks can increase sweating after eating. This is because they raise your body temperature, causing you to sweat, typically around your lips, nose, or forehead. Interestingly, according to researcher Ollie Jay from the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics.
“What we found is that when you drink hot beverages, you have a disproportionate increase in sweat volume…but the amount you sweat, if it all evaporates, more than offsets the heat gain from that liquid,” Jay says.
7. Processed Foods Processed foods can cause you to sweat after eating for the same reason as protein and sugar. Most processed foods are high in fat and lack fiber, making them difficult to digest. Your body has to work harder and use a lot of energy to digest them, which raises your core body temperature, leading to sweating.
If processed foods are high in sugar, it can be the result of the hypoglycemia we mentioned earlier. Ice cream, white flour, and processed foods are the main culprits in this case. To further understand the link between processed foods, digestion, and sweating, let me explain a little more:
Composition of processed foods: Processed foods are often high in fat, sugar, and sodium, while low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which can have a number of negative health effects, including digestive health.
Effects on Digestive System: Since processed foods are high in fat, the body requires more energy to digest fat, which creates more heat in the body, which stimulates sweating. In addition, processed foods that are high in sugar affect blood sugar and insulin levels, as mentioned above.
Lack of Fiber: Fiber plays a key role in helping the digestive system function properly. The lack of fiber in processed foods can make the digestive system work harder and take longer, which can lead to heatiness and sweating.
Additives and chemicals: Processed foods often contain additives, preservatives, and other chemicals, some of which can affect the nervous system and sweat glands, causing increased sweating in some people.
Examples of processed foods that are culprits: Examples of processed foods that are common contributors to sweating include fast food, snacks, pre-packaged bakery goods, sugary drinks, and frozen foods.
If you notice that you sweat excessively after eating processed foods regularly, consider changing your eating habits by cutting back on processed foods and eating more fresh, nutritious foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor to rule out other possible causes.
8. Cigarettes Okay, cigarettes aren’t food. Don’t eat them (of course). But they’re something you put in your mouth, so we thought it was worth mentioning. In case you’re wondering, “Why do I get hot flashes after eating?”, evidence suggests that smoking can increase hot flashes, which are triggered by sweating.
Additionally, the nicotine in cigarettes (and e-cigarettes) can trigger a sweating response due to its action on nicotine-acetylcholine receptors in the nerve ganglia and in the skin (9). Nicotine can also increase anxiety, which is a known cause of sweating.
To supplement the information about cigarettes and their effects on sweating, let me explain further.
Nicotine and the Nervous System: Nicotine is a stimulant that affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls many automatic body functions, including sweat glands. Nicotine stimulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are found throughout the body, including in the brain, nerve ganglia, and skin. These stimulations cause the release of neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline, which stimulate sweat glands, causing sweating.
The Relationship Between Smoking, Food, and Sweating: Although cigarettes are not food, smoking after eating can increase sweating. This is because the digestive process itself stimulates the autonomic nervous system, which, combined with the stimulation from nicotine, increases sweat gland activity.
Effects on blood circulation: Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict, which can affect blood circulation and may cause hot flashes, which are one of the causes of sweating.
Overall health effects: Smoking has many negative health effects, including increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and cancer, all of which may be accompanied by sweating.
Therefore, smoking can directly and indirectly stimulate sweating, both through stimulation of the nervous system, effects on blood circulation, and overall health effects. If you are concerned about sweating or have problems related to smoking, you should consult your doctor or health professional for appropriate advice and treatment.