A few years ago I discovered quinoa at a potluck party. The dish was made with tomatoes, basil, garlic and roasted eggplant. I loved it and began replicating it at home. It became one of my staple foods.Here it is a few years later and my kids won't eat it and I don't bother making it for myself. Until today.
What I really craved was a bowl of hot polenta with nuts, raisins, butter and maple syrup (a'la Guerilla Cafe) But I didn't have any polenta and it was pouring rain so there was no way I was going out. I DID have rice, bulgur and quinoa. I decided on the quinoa and cooked it up according to package direction, using apple juice instead of water and, at the end, mixing in walnuts, raisins, blueberries and butter. The chewy texture of the quinoa didn't satisfy the need for smooth hot porridge, but it tasted delicious and I ate a bowl.
Fast forward 2 hours and you see me in fetal position on the sofa. Moaning because my stomach felt like it was twisting itself in knots in an attempt to exit out my navel. The pain was excruciating. I won't go into the details of the illness, but it wasn't pretty. And it lasted all afternoon.
At some point I felt well enough to get online and google my symptoms. Suspecting the quinoa, I added that to search. Sure enough, I landed on a blog post called "Just Say No To .... Quinoa." Although the writer had different motives for consuming quinoa than I, she had the exact same experience - calling it a "quinoa hangover" and blaming it on saponin - the natural oily residual on the grain that needs to be WASHED OFF because it is bitter tasting and used to make DETERGENT.
I didn't wash my quinoa. My stomach hurt bad enough that I will not chance eating the grain again. EVER. Washed or not. There is no guarantee I can wash it well enough - each and every tiny grain. I don't want to take the chance. It's sad, cause I liked quinoa and it's very good for you (saponin not included). But, I stress again, for me, it's not worth the risk. Ouch.
Can't wait to get my hands on some polenta.
I had the same experience this week with a 13 bean soup I made. Apparently I should have soaked the beans overnight. Will never make it again!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just got stomach cramps and diarrhea from a nice innocent-looking quinoa vegetable soup. Very Disappointed!
ReplyDeleteSoak it for about 24 hours before washing it. Then you will have no problems with saponins whatsoever!
DeleteThank you for this post! I have a high-fibre diet, no food allergies and had eaten quinoa for years. However, the previous two times I ate it (in a restaurant) in a salad. I blamed my subsequent severe stomach cramps on potentially unwashed lettuce. Today I had quinoa in a salad with no lettuce and am still suffering from cramps five hours later. I vow never to eat quinoa again.
DeleteThe same pain happened to me. My doctor said that quinoa is so dense in fiber that the stomach pain is actually caused from your body trying to process that much fiber at once. Especially if it's not something you get a lot of in your diet. I think it's a combination of the two!
DeleteI bought it pre washed and I still had a reaction to it
ReplyDeleteI know - I got prewashed too and it still hurt. I've just stopped eating it which is sad cause I loved it and it's really healthy.
DeleteGut wrenching pain for 12 hrs in waves. My wife finally got me some Alkaseltzer cause I was afraid. It worked. Alkaseltzer to the rescue!
DeleteI have exactly the same problem, no matter how well I wash quinoa. I stopped eating it last year, but on a trip to Sedona last month, I unknowingly ate a quinoa wrap served to me at a restaurant. The pain began about 30 minutes after eating. It didn't stop until hours afterward, even after I threw up. I think it's more of a genetic problem than a chemical one. I've had my genome mapped at 23andme.com, and I have an elevated risk for Celiac disease. I wonder if my reaction to quinoa is linked to that risk. My partner, who is not at risk for Celiac and is Native American, has never experienced this reaction to quinoa.
ReplyDeleteI have that pain the the pit of my stomach from Quinoa just now and it's happened the past few times I've eaten it .. and my grandmother is Celiac .. wondering if there is a connection!?
DeleteNot 100% sure of that association. I have coeliac's disease and eat quinoa with no side effects!
DeleteMy husband has Celiac Disease and Quinoa gives him horrible gas, cramping and diarrhea!!! It doesn't matter if it's washed or not. It could be the prewashed kind, it could be quinoa pasta, quinoa cracker's, etc. It all does the same thing, even small amounts.
DeleteI don't think they're related because people use quinoa as an alternative to gluten. My mother has never had any problem with gluten, but is severely allergic to quinoa.
DeleteI have had similar experiences with quinoa. I would always rinse and soak the prewashed quinoa. I ate it a couple of year ago until one day I ate it and my face got really red immediately after I ate it and 1.5 hrs later the next thing I knew I was in the fetal position in the middle of the mall. After avoiding it for 2 years, I ate it few weeks ago and had horrible stomach pains for hours until I threw up for another 2 hours.
DeleteNo known gluten allergies, but my allergies to indoor and outdoor allergens are pretty severe.
I have tried quinoa about 6 times and every time I have had terrible stomach ache and end up in a fetal position like the person above. I have always rinsed it but decided to try it once more today, but after washing, rubbing, rinsing and rinsing again just in case I hadn't been rinsing it enough. The pain today was even worse, so I'll never eat it again. Is it the oxalates or a Celiac problem? I've no idea, but boy is it painful!
ReplyDeleteYanika
Yup - I just completely avoid it and if it shows up on my plate (as it did at a restaurant last week) I say I'm very allergic and have them take it away. The Pain is excruciating.
DeleteI had to go to the emergency room it was so bad. Finally discovered it was quinoa. Zantac 75 works pretty well to take away the pain if needed. I will still stay away from quinoa, though!
DeleteYou can't just rinse it cause the covering is hard to remove. I soak it for two days in the fridge and my stomach doesn't hurt most of the time. It's risky and I don't even like the taste but my I'm forced to eat it as we're Peruvian and it's like a big thing there.
DeleteI have a strange experience with Quinoa.
ReplyDeleteFirst time i tried Red Quinoa from Whole Foods market bulk section. Within a day, I had a severe eye infection which is the first time i ever experienced an eye infection. Never had an eye infection before trying Red Quinoa. I had this eye infection for at least a month, my eye doctor prescribed several antibiotic eye drops.
Every one claimed it was a healthy food, so I tried organic white Quinoa from costco. Rinsed it very well, A day or two later, again had an eye infection. Redness and swelling in one of the eyes.
Again several months later, at a friend's place, they had a wonderful quinoa (different brand). Within a day, both my eyes were infected.
Each time, the infection lasted at least couple of weeks.
Went away only after taking antibiotic eye drops for 4 times a day and several probiotic pills per day.
But i didn't have any stomach issues.
I am not going to touch this quinoa ever again.
Good to find out others have some intolerance to this grain.
Yep, stomach cramps, fetal position, etc.. this is the second time it's happened, unfortunate as I liked it and it's good for you (or not)..
ReplyDeleteHad stomach cramps, diarrhea ... Have had quinoa three times with same result but thought was not connected. 1st time - friend's house for dinner - blamed on other food; 2nd time little prepared bowl to heat up bought at Costco - with cooked frozen veggies that I eat with brown rice all the time- same reaction - blamed brand, prep; Today had quinoa salad for lunch from Whole Foods vegetarian food section, empty stomach before I ate it. Ugh- same reaction --no quinoa ever again !!!
DeleteOmg I had it happen tonight!! I think it's the second time I just never put 2 and 2 together!! It hurts so bad! Anyone have a "natural remedy to ease the pain" or is time the only savior?? I will be giving this bag away and NEVER eating it again
ReplyDeleteUgh! So sorry. Only remedy I know is to let it pass. Hang in there. I'm still sad I can't eat it.
DeletePeppermint tea works well. Unfortunately I'm a slow learner. I just need to stop eating it!
DeleteI feel your pain. Literally. Just recovering from a quinoa attack: fetal position, cramping, bloating, nausea… I was reading through the comments, and somebody above recommended Zantac 75 and said that it help to relieve symptoms. I think it is best for me in the future to avoid quinoa at all cost, but I am thinking I might get some Zantac to have on hand just in case I accidentally eat it.
DeleteThanks for sharing this. I've been having the same experience, and I just ate some for breakfast today because I didn't make the connection, and I now have a headache, stomach ache, and I'm hoping it doesn't go down the same road as the other night. The other night I chalked it up to bananas because those cause me to have stomachaches from time to time.
ReplyDeleteShoot - Quinoa for breakfast.... I wonder if eating it with an empty stomach is better or worse digesting it. In any case, I really hope you don't get any sicker today!
DeleteI think it's worse. I just did it again (after washing the living shit out of pre-packaged, pre-washed stuff) and I still got reaction. fetal position tonight. yayyyy.
Deleteyup - I won't have it AT ALL anymore. I now consider it an allergy and say so when I'm out or going to someone's house. "Anything you can't eat?" "yes, I'm allergic to Quinoa. Thanks for asking."
DeleteHope you feel better really really soon.
Apparently each time you eat it, the worse the reaction becomes possibly leading to anaphylaxis. I am ceoliac and am currently recovering from eating quinoa for breakfast yesterday. Have had it many times however yesterday was the first time my body recognised it as a poison and went on the attack. Once allergic, you should never eat it again
DeleteSuper helpful info Kerri - thanks!
DeleteWow! That's too bad. Everyone is different. I avoid whole wheat pasta. That puts me in a fetal position. I love quinoa. I usually eat about 1/2 cup because I eat so much fiber. ...
DeleteIf it hurts you don't eat it. We could be allergic to healthy food. Now that a years passed I hope all of you feel better:)
Wow this is helpful information, glad to be reading this! This must be my issue. I used to eat quinoa regularly, but the last 3 times I've had extreme cramping ! It's one of the most painful experiences I've ever had! Takes hours to go away!!
DeleteWell,
ReplyDeleteI didn't wash the Quinoa - the instructions told me to simply add 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water, boil, simmer, season and enjoy - that's exactly what I did. It did taste bitter at first but I ate it. Next thing I know I'm watching Downfall - and I feel sick. At first I thought it was Dr. Goebbels and his wife (they were pretty sickening), but then I realised my mouth was filmy. I thought maybe acid reflux so I took some calcium and then an antiacid. That's about when I started... doing what early pregnant women do in the morning.
I re-read the package and the instructions to wash the quinoa were off to the left - under the barcode. That's not exactly the place I'd look for cooking instructions when most of the cooking instructions were right above the nutritional information. I'm going to write the packaging people about this.
I don't have any other pain besides the post heaving pain. I've tossed 3 times, the third mostly dry. Everything else feels fine though - no stomach pains, etc.
Still - tossing isn't fun - how long will it last?
ugh! so sorry! It shouldn't last more than 8 hours... maybe less since you're tossing it up. I had this problem even after washing quinoa so please be aware. I hope you feel better very very soon!
DeleteYes I bought keniwa grain at Whole Foods in the bulk section and thought I'd try it since I've had trouble with quinoa before and don't eat it. I just had some for lunch mixed with brown rice. Yikes! Same reaction - my stomach is killing me! Turns out they are related. I give up on any peruvian grain no matter how healthy. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Keniwa - but I won't try it! Thanks for the tip.
DeleteKeen-wa perhaps? Methinks someone can't pronounce quinoa!
DeleteKeniwa or Kaniwa is also known as baby quinoa and is related to both quinoa and amaranth...all plants in same family.
DeleteAnyone had just major snuffles from red quinoa?...I'm trying to track down the allergen in this as my Education Assistant in highschool foods class wound up snuffling after handling the cooked red quinoa. She has a severe strawberry allergy and I wondered about cross-reactivity of strawberries and red quinoa.
I too had had quinoa a few times, loved it, made it myself a few times and then came that one day (night). My temperature sky-rocketed, it came out of both ends, and it was the first and only time in my life, I seriously thought i was going to die. a few months later, i tried just a little bit and again got ill. my boss told me that if you saw how they process it, you would see how dirty it really is. maybe it is the detergent, bacteria or protein, but whatever, never again. :-(
ReplyDeleteI'd been eating quinoa for years, sometimes soaked sometimes pre-washed. I love the stuff. A few weeks ago I made a coconut quinoa curry. I was delicious! Well, about 30 mins later abdominal pain like you couldn't believe and it all came out the bottom end over the next few hours. Only after it was all out of me did I feel like I could sleep. What a nightmare! I had no idea what caused it. I thought it was the curry spices since it was the first time I had curry. So, a few days ago I made my favorite 1/2 quinoa 1/2 steel cut oats porridge for breakfast. Lo and behold a little bit after I ate it I was doubled over in the bathroom. Same symptoms except worse pain and I was shaking from the pain. I spent the next 4 hrs in the bathroom. Now I know it's the quinoa. I'm so sad. I LOVE the taste and texture. I thought I was weird for maybe being allergic to it, so I cam to the internet. I'm shocked to find so many people having the same reaction as myself. This really should be brought to light because I seriously thought I was going to die. I was so scared, my heart was fluttering, I was too sick to leave the bathroom. My husband was concerned. Never again will I buy quinoa, eat it or feed it to my family.
ReplyDeleteYup - I enjoyed quinoa for years with no problem. Since the one incident I can't eat it at all without a major stomach ache (I tried ONCE). I miss it too. Really loved the texture and making it both savory and sweet. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I have to say - this is the most read and commented post in my blog so I'm really surprised there aren't more studies done on it. Let me know if you find a good grain substitute - I've tried millet, oats, and wheat bulger but nothing tastes quite the same.
DeleteI had the same reaction, Anonymous. Last time I thought it was the cheese I added to the bowl meal I prepared because I've been transitioning to a vegan diet and don't eat dairy often. It turns out I had the same reaction tonight after making stuffed squash with quinoa. I rinsed it but still had the horrible reaction- stomach cramping in cycles of about 30 minutes followed by very short periods of relief and then it starts up again. I didn't sleep at all the last time I had the episode and it was so painful I had to either get fetal or pace. I considered waking my husband to ask him to take me to the ER (thus coming from a girl who's had her share of GI issues before going vegan-ish). It was bad! I'm concerned this time because I'm a few weeks pregnant and I'm afraid the illness and stress from the pain could be bad for the baby.
DeleteDoes anyone know if the reaction can cause complications during pregnancy?
So glad to find this blog and know im
Yes - I have experienced the same when I've forgotten to wash quinoa, I did it by mistake twice. Once out of laziness and once because I mistook it for some other grain in an unmarked bottle in my pantry. The only remedy that works for me is a tea make from Cumin seeds and Ajwain Seeds. Ajwain seeds are found at an Indian grocery store or Penzey's spices. Let the seeds boil in water for a few minutes until the liquid is quite dark and then drink it. Some ginger in the tea may help too. Honey will make the taste sweeter. Hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteSecond time I tried Quinoa was last night and I had a big plate full and am still having problems hours later. I was told it was safe to eat if you were gluten intolerant, but apparently it's not. I also have chronic ulcers and had so much heartburn with the pain I had to go take some meds I've been off of almost 4 months.
ReplyDeleteI tried quinoa a few years ago after going gluten free. I had a large bowl of it for breakfast, and within thirty minutes of finishing it I felt a little dizzy and had a headache. Soon after that I was experiencing bad stomach cramps and had blood in my bm(sorry to be graphic, but I want to warn people). I'll never eat quinoa again.
ReplyDeleteI have had the grains cooked and was fine. Twice I used the flour and each time had a really severe dose of vomiting and runny stomach. Both times it took more than a day to recover
ReplyDeleteYears ago I tried quinoa and didn't like the taste. Recently had a sample at the local and it was delicious. For some reason, I didn't buy any that day. Later I bought some in bulk at a different local. Made a bunch,husband out of town.Froze some.Horrible pain all three servings.At least I have that figured out now, no more quinoa!
ReplyDeleteI had a very strange reaction to quinoa and I won't go near it now. A couple years ago I tried quinoa twice (when it just started gaining popularity, and there wasn't much negative information about it online). The first time, after I finished eating I had what I thought was a bad panic attack (I was really stressed at the time, so I attributed it to that). I felt like I was going to faint, felt really cold, suddenly very tired, and just all over out of control. It lasted about an hour. The second time I tried quinoa was one afternoon as a quick snack while I was preparing to host a party for a football bowl game at my house. A few hours later, while my friends were at my house, I noticed that my hands were GREEN. I showed a few people, who agreed with me that they looked weird. Within a couple more hours they turned even greener and I again started feeling faint and panicky. Ended up leaving my own party early to spend the evening of January 1st in the ER (nothing like meeting your deductible on the first day of the year!)/ The only conclusion the hospital could come up with was that I had an allergic reaction to the quinoa. It was the only thing different I had eaten that day. I have severe environmental allergies that can cross-react with foods, and apparently quinoa is one type of food I have to stay away from.
ReplyDeleteI have been having digestive problems for about 6 weeks and have not been able to figure out what went wrong with my "healthy" diet. Last night I ate quinoa for the first time in that six weeks and am experiencing severe cramping and bloating in my gut. It has been persisting for about 3 hours now with no relief. Now I recall that just before the onset of my digestive problems I had been eating quinoa for breakfast. No more quinoa for me! Thank you all for sharing your information .
ReplyDeleteI am so surprised to read all these comments about reactions to this "superfood" =( seems it is a lot more common than expected too.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone can suggest any remedies (home or pharmaceutical) to ease the painful stomach cramps? My partner was vomiting/dry heaving every 15-20 minutes for several hrs after consuming a big bowl of quinoa and veges.It has been 24 hours after the vomiting episodes have ceased but he is still having intense stomach cramps. Any suggestions would be helpful and much appreciated!
Your best bet would be to either
DeleteA) Take a lacative
b) Take something to make you throw up
c) Take something to flush your system, there are several products like this that can be bought over the counter, there are a few teas and plants that do this depending on where you live.
Why because the faster it gets out your system the quicker you feel better.
I have had all the same problems as mentioned by most people here. I also have the same problem with Spinach!
ReplyDeleteBoth contain OXALIC ACID, quinoa less so
I've narrowed it down to this although not totally certain.
Love both so may try digestive enzymes... But Leary of the risk!!!
Send me good wishes:-)
Hi Ruth! I also have a bad reaction to raw spinach and quinoa. Intense abdominal pain and nausea that starts about 30 min after I eat either and lasts about two hours. However I can eat cooked spinach no problem. I’m wondering if you can eat cooked spinach? I don’t have other food allergies, not gluten intolerant. I do get a really bad rash from adhesives (bandaids) but that’s it.
DeleteDear Unknown, I know someone who has the same reaction you have to spinach, quinoa -- and bandaids. Or rather -- not the bandaids themselves. We used to think it was the bandaids, but when she got her ears pierced and go the same reaction we realized it wasn't bandaids but the isopropyl alcohol wash used to sterilize her ears before the piercing. That same solution -- rubbing alcohol -- is what causes the rash. It may be that you have been thinking it was bandaids but instead it's the wound wash before the bandaid goes on that causes the problem. Now, is there a connection between oxalic acid -- the suspected problem ingredient in raw spinach and quinoa -- and the rubbing alcohol? Seems like a stretch, but ...
DeleteI have had stomachaches from eating quinoa - I always had a feeling it was the saponins but even though I always washed it I still get the stomach pain. This last time I tried it and had the same issue, but I also happened to have some kombucha tea on hand, and this helped me immediately. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experience; it has helped me accept that perhaps I just can't eat quinoa. At least we live in a time with many choices available. Good health, all!
ReplyDeleteFucking Quinoa. I ate it and it said it was supposedly pre-washed but that ir recommends that you wash it anyways so I did. Then I let it sit in water for about 30 minutes and drained it. Then I added extra water when cooking so in the event that I didn't wash it well enough any excess toxins or pesticidies (this was before I even knew it could be mildly toxic) would come off because having 2 farmer parents I know you should soak all these types of food for that amount of time to get the chemicals off in warm water.
ReplyDeleteI ate a small amount like a teaspoon size and started to feel dizzy but I never thoughit was the quinoa, just attributed to a bad day. Next morning, wake up feel fine, say now it is time to try some quinoa and guess what try about a teaspoon amount while I getting ready to heat it up and instantly with in 5 minutes feel dizzy, an hour later feel nauseated, and like I am not even in my own body, a little bit of an inchy throat about an hour later and my breathing starts to feellike I amminutes away from a panic attack. Strangely no stomach pain, but the previous day of eating quinoa lots of chest pain and pain in the lower left abdomen. I will never eat Quinoa again, this is pure evil.
I have a Peruvian friend and I've never seen him eat Quinoa when he brings lunch (if it was so good I am sure I would see him eat it over several years) this is probably some trick that Peruvians are pulling on us and laughing at us dumb Westerners paying $9 a pound for shit that is making us vomit, have allergic reactions, unable to breath and feeling like passing out.
Either that or the only logical explanation is that Quinoa is like milk where if your ancestorsnever ate it then you will have high propensity to have an adverse reaction.
Ive been trying to work out if I am Amine Intolerant and have been eating Quinoa for the last
ReplyDeletemonth as a replacement for Rice.Rice is high in Histadine which is a trigger release for Histamine.
My headaches, foggy brain, tiredness have been getting worse and as I am keeping a detailed food diary I can look back and see just how much Quinoa I am eating.... lots!
I tested myself ( food challenge) for the third time this morning and sure enough within 2 hrs the pressure in my head started and I have had the usual intense headache now for 12 hrs.
I expect it to be gone by the morning.
Out goes Quinoa.
I have a steel kettle stomach, no intolerance at all, except apparently to quinoa. I am sitting here suffering because I thought I would give quinoa another try after being told to wash it very well. I washed and rinsed thoroughly but had an even worse reaction this time. No more quinoa and I will be warning everyone I know!
ReplyDeleteI have been eating quinoa for a couple years now with no problems. However, this past week, my wife bought a bag of "Organic Red Quinoa" at Trader Joe's. She pre-washed and cooked it. Upon eating it, I noticed that it had a very bitter taste which was not the case when I previously ate quinoa. Later, I got gas and cramps. Hours later, my stools showed the quinoa seed coat.
ReplyDeleteI am a trained agronomist and I know that quinoa has a bitter seed coat, called Saponin, that needs to be removed post harvest. The removal process involves soaking the seeds and then drying which then helps the saponin seed coat to peel off when further processed. I just soaked the red quinoa from Trader Joe's and looked at some seeds. It looks to me like the Saponin layer was not removed, so some broker ripped off Trader Joe's. I wonder if that is what is making us sick.
Maybe - but this was posted in 2010 ... I think there is something else.
Deletemy twin and I have never eaten quinoa - im pregannt, she is breastfeeding and I thought it a good idea to eat some for the health benefits it has. I washed it super thoroughly (about ten times than someone else would i imagine) and about6 hours later my twin came up in a red rash all over her body, beginning on face, and then this morning swelled up like a huge tomatoe in her face and neck. I woke up this morning, huge red patch on my face, burning ears, and red rash on my body too. The antihistimine they gave my sis hasnt worked so im def not taking mine. Doc thinks she needs a steriod. we will never eat it again. ashame, because we loved it!
ReplyDeleteI am presently on a steroid from he**with all the same symptons. I ate it three days in a row...unaware....and it was so good. I am so ready to feel well again. Still have the flushing, but the swelling small bumps are gone.
Deletefire ball in my mid stomach region. the most pain i have ever felt ever! severe pains comes on every 15 to 30 mins last like 5 to 10 mins.. omg thank god for this site.. it is helping me cope.. i never had a problem with quinoa but this is the 4th episode of this kind of stomach pain since may.. im not sure if it is directly related to quinoa but i know for sure the 3 out of the 4 times i had this i ate quinoa. NO MORE QUINOA!!!
ReplyDeleteSO sorry! Try to rest. I don't know why there aren't mainstream news stories on this.
DeleteI had bought some quinoa from Costco a couple of months ago and didn't have any problem with it & didn't even have to wash it...when I went to restock on quinoa a couple of weeks ago I noticed they had a different brand so I bought it thinking it should all be the same...I was mistaken! The cooking instructions and labeling for washing are separate like another person had posted about, and I have had severe stomach aches & bathroom issues after eating this new brand ( although my husband hasn't ?) I read that once you have a reaction you should give it up.
ReplyDeleteI really loved the quinoa option too, but now I don't trust eating it :-(
I am unfortunately another victim of quinoa right now. I forgot that last year after going to Protein Bar, a chain in Chicago whose menu is based off of quinoa, I felt like how I am now-SEVERE stomach pains accompanied with chills all over my body, nausea, and diarrhea. This is the worst, and I'm upset with myself for eating it! I used to be able to eat so much of it years ago, I have no idea why this happens now.
ReplyDeleteProtein Bar's quinoa is the devil. I had it from other places and never had an issue. Two bad trips to Protein Bar (I knew within two hours of eating it) and I cannot eat any type of quinoa without horrible pain.
DeleteI love reading these comments! (Misery loves company.) I used to eat quinoa about 3-4 times a year. I never knew it needed soaking, so never did...and I never got sick. Well, not until camping this summer. I bought an organic quinoa/rice pre-cooked & pre-seasoned Costco multi-pack that I thought would be easy but healthy for my GFCF hypersensitive autistic son while out camping.
ReplyDelete1st time: All 3 of us ate the pre-cooked pre-seasoned quinoa at dinner, but I had a lot less than my husband and adult son. No symptoms at all until I woke at 1am feeling severe stomach distress. My husband slept blissfully while I spent the next 4 hours puking and pooping my guts out in the campground toilet---not a place you want to be doing that(!) especially when you are too weak to stand. I was certain that I was reacting to bad hamburger.
2nd time: Barely recovered yet from the first reaction, 3 days later we all ate the same organic quinoa/rice precooked Costco product (that couldn't have been washed anyway). I woke up at 12:30am in the same state, but worse. Horrific pain. Again I fled to the campground bathroom...in the pitch dark and pounding rain. Unfortunately, the toilets in this park's restroom automatically flushed each time you move---a flush that mimics a mini Niagara Falls (with accompanying splash) with each volcanic vomit deposit, of which there were many, many over the next 3 hours. How could there possibly be so much vomit?! Now I think I'm reacting to one of the ingredients in the pre-cooked processed mixture, since it couldn't possibly be the rice...or quinoa.
3rd time: Since neither my steel-gut husband nor my hypersensitive adult son were sickened at all, I figure I just have an allergy (and they don't) to one of the spices or oils in the packet, so a few weeks later I use up the last packet in a soup (of many other ingredients) for them. I absent-mindedly took a tiny sip to taste-test, amounting to maybe 1/8 teaspoon of quinoa. I got very nauseous later.
4th time: A few weeks after that my daughter made a quinoa salad recipe---the exact same recipe from the same bag of organic Costco quinoa grain that she made, and I ate, 4 months before all this happened. She didn't wash the quinoa either time. This was not the precooked stuff I'd puked up. When my daughter had made the salad 4 months before, I had no reaction whatsoever to that exact product, that exact recipe, so I ate it with confidence at a family gathering. Yes, you guessed it, at another campground. I woke up again just about 7 hours after consumption, only now I'm going more prepared and I take a camp chair, a flashlight, and an umbrella before I make the hike to the campground restroom and repeat the whole miserable process again (fortunately without the splashing automatic Niagara Falls toilets).
Moral of this story: I've proven myself to be far less intelligent than I had previously thought, but I've learned my lesson finally---No More Quinoa!!!!
After eating the white quinoa about once a week for a while with no problem, I saw the red on sale, and bought a bag. This time I got severe diarrhea, but I wasn't sure if the quinoa was the problem because I have irritable bowel syndrome. Then I put small amount (soaked and cooked) in whole wheat bread I was making, and I got the same effect. Fortunately, I haven't had the pain, headaches, vomiting, or other symptoms that others have had, I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Has anyone had different reactions to different kinds? I am hoping the white is different from the red, and that I will still be able to eat it if that is what made the difference.
ReplyDeleteRed Quinoa may be the problem or a bigger problem.
DeleteI have been eating lighter colored varieties for a while without even knowing I should wash or rinse it. Wasn't aware of any problems.
A few days ago I bought red quinoa for the first time in a bulk bin. I ate a lot of it over the last few days. I didn't connect it to the skin zits I got on my chin but last night I had significant discomfort / mild chest pain so I had to research why since I am very healthy and fit and am planning to run a full marathon in 3 days. I am so glad I found this site. I am so appreciative of the others who took time to post so that I could figure this out.
I eat an almost all organic , no oil real food Vegan diet, ran a full cross country marathon a few weeks ago. I have been amazed at how converting to that no oil vegan diet allowed me to take on unimaginable feats of endurance. (unimaginable for man in his fifties that used to weigh many pounds more before making the change)
So when I started getting minor chest pains, it didn't make sense. After reading many comments hear, I felt I had to share my experience with red quinoa. Admittedly , I didn't wash it. But I didn't wash the lighter colored quinoa either.
No stomach ache, just chin zits and discomfort sleeping and light twinges of chest pains that made no sense to someone who has been getting fitter , stronger, better endurance etc and suddenly , this week , the week of red quinoa, I felt things reversing.
Like many on this thread, I ate quinoa many times without issue in the past, then I got the terrible stomach cramps and fever that others described twice in a row. I thought I'd give it one more shot this morning with quinoa that was thoroughly rinsed first but it didn't make a difference. Searching for help I landed on this page. When I read the post about the kombucha tea helping, I took two probiotic pills and in an hour or so I was feeling normal again! Much faster than the previous hours-long turnaround. I hope this helps others who land on this page under similar circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this very important comment! I'll be updating this post in the next couple of days and will put your comment on the top. Thanks!
DeleteThe instructions on every kind of quinoa i've ever bought explicitly say to rinse first. Not that hard to read
ReplyDeleteKind of an obnoxious comment, don't you think? It's safe when you don't put your name on it I guess. I soaked my quinoa for 24 hours and then I rinsed it just as I always do. I've had probably 20 quinoa meals in the last 6 months. Thought it was a wonderful find and now I plan to NEVER eat it again. I bought a different brand this last time and I'm on my 3rd day of intense pain (though mildly better than yesterday). Don't assume everyone did something wrong. Geesh.
DeleteEver try to wash chips that have quinoa as an ingredient?
DeleteAlso, I invite you to look at all the people in the comments reporting problems despite washing it thoroughly.
Wow I've never known about this rinsing issue. I buy my quinoa at the Bulk Barn and there aren't instructions on washing them. I have quinoa at least once every week or two. I have never had the stomach pains that everyone here has mentioned. Im wondering if it's just a sensitivity to the grain rather than an issue with washing it. None of my friends wash theirs either, you boil the grain so i'm sure that would kill any stomach pain causing organisms
ReplyDeleteyup - I think it's an individual sensitivity that grows over time.
DeleteI've only had quinoa twice in my life, but both times it's given me terrible diarrhea within about twelve hours. I don't have the stomach pains or the vomiting, though, so I guess that's something.
ReplyDeleteThe first time, I didn't wash it because the package didn't specify that it needed to be rinsed and I didn't know any better. I googled the digestive issues and every response told me I just needed to rinse it. So when I decided to try quinoa again, I made sure to rinse it -- even though the package was prewashed and the instructions didn't say anything about rinsing -- and I had the same problems. My boyfriend ate the same quinoa both times and didn't have any reaction. It has to be some sort of personal intolerance.
Sort of like an allergy. Though I'm not allergic to anything else.
DeleteYet another quinoa victim here. I have a friend who is sensitive, but I thought it couldn't happen to me. HA! My favorite dish at my favorite restaurant is served on a bed of quinoa. The last few times I had it, I had some stomach discomfort after but nothing horrible, so I ignored it. Silly me! Last night I had it again. By the time I got home, I was, as everyone else describes, doubled over with stomach cramps. They continued throughout the night. At this point they've spaced themselves out some, but I had to call in to work because they're so disabling when they happen. (Also because it's a loooooong walk to the bathroom there and I'm not sure I could make it in time.) I came online to see if it was the quinoa (hoping against hope) and found your page. This has been fascinating because it's like seeing all stages of quinoa sensitivity - and seeing the people who had a stronger reaction than I did makes me sure I never want to get to that point.
ReplyDeleteI have eaten at this restaurant with plenty of friends, none of whom have problems with the quinoa. It didn't taste bitter. I'm assuming that part of it may be the issue of rinsing, but part of it may just be that some people are far more sensitive to it than others. I am really, REALLY sad to find that I am one of the super-sensitive ones! I'll now have to wave a tearful goodbye to my favorite meal.
Sorry. I still miss quinoa SO MUCH. It seems to be an intolerance that is built up over time. So weird that there isn't more information about this online. It's the most read post on my blog. Hope you feel better soon!
DeleteI have gas after eating it also but I am going to try sprouting it first. Apparently it changes the structure and actually increases the nutritional value. Will let you know.
ReplyDeleteI get gas also but I will try sprouting the seeds first then lightly steaming.Will let you know how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteI just have to say that unwashed, the experience was the worst of my life. I thought I had sun poisoning as I had gone on a hike that day and had quinoa that night. Then I found out I was supposed to have washed the quinoa. Okay. Fast forward to last night. I had bought some fresh, pre-packaged and flavored quinoa thinking I didn't have to worry about the washing issue (since it came with spices and all that, can't wash that away). My sister's serving went straight through her. I don't have a reaction for about 8-12 hours, washed or unwashed. At that point, my poor abdomen is on fire and I can tell my intestines gave all that they could into passing that out of me.
ReplyDeleteWish I could love it, but this is awful.
We purchase our quinoa for Costco 4lbs for $12, cheapest I have seen it. It's organic and made by CF Foods. Here what I noticed. In the rice cooker, quinoa gives me stomach pain. However, 30 min in PRESSURE COOKER equals very little to no pain. Also, I heard that roasting after rinsing helps to remove the saponin. Perhaps, the Incas secret was washing, roasting, and slow cooking for several hours
ReplyDeleteI was having stomach aches too and I am glad to come across your blog. I do have a suggestion that might help. I noticed that the stomach aches are much less, almost not even there, if I cook the quinoa in a pressure cooker. Also, when I make quinoa flour for baked goods, I toast it on 250 for 30 min. The resulting flour has almost a peanut butter smell, which is pleasing if you like peanut butter. But the stomach ache becomes almost non-existent. I wonder how washing, roasting, and then pressure cooking it might work? That might be the lucky triple combo! Please let me know if you try it and it works
ReplyDeleteI am spending the 2nd day home from work out of 3 days having never missed a day at work to illness - all because of quinoa flake hot cereal. I had eaten quinoa once a week or so this winter and the cereal once or twice a week. I have hot pain in my stomach, the runs, and feel nausea but am unable to throw up - on monday I thought I had the flu and it lasted most of the day - today after the reaction to the cereal was almost instant I got on line and found that this is not uncommon. Why anyone would try and eat quinoa again after having this reaction is unbelievable to me. never again
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this post. I ate quinoa for the first time last night and didn't rinse it because I read that packaged quinoa is pre-washed. The stomach cramps weren't as bad as the ones you described, but they were serious enough to make me stop working. Next time I eat quinoa... scrub, rinse, repeat!
ReplyDeleteDecided to make quinoa for dinner tonight. Risky move since I've gotten the terrible tummies from the grain before. I thought as long as I was extra careful and rinsed the quinoa especially well I'd be ok. I've been laying in bed with horrible stomach pain for the last 3 hours praying for death. Ne'r again.
ReplyDeleteI am likewise sensitive to quinoa. Tonight I ate a blend of cooked steel cut oats for dinner, and I had THE EXACT SAME REACTION. Never before have I felt the same sensation as I have experienced after eating quinoa, so heed my warning! I've yet to figure out exactly what I'm allergic to in the blend, but the ingredients includes large flake and steel cut oats, oat bran, wheat bran, and flaxseed. My guess is that the pain was caused by the flaxseed, but the jury is still out. Has anyone had a similar experience?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what's wrong you people. Aparently i'm the odd one here, but listen:
ReplyDelete1. You rinse your quinoa
2. You soak your quinoa (about 12 hs)
3. You clean your quinoa (remove little stones and stuff)
4. You can either boil or sprout your quinoa
I eat quiona once a week because I'm addicted, never experience anything but pleasure. It's sightly sweet, very neutral flavor, I love to eat it right by itself, spoon after spoon...
Either way, I've noticed you people buy pre-washed, pre-cooked, and 'branded' quinoa. Maybe you should try simply buying organic quinoa. You never know what stuff those companies put in your quinoa in order to cook it wash it, and clean it. Do yourself a favor and do those things yourself, and enjoy. My two cents.
I always buy bulk organic quinoa. For years I ate it and it gave me no problems. This summer, it made me nauseas and in a LOT of gastrointestinal pain all 3 times I tried to eat it. I hope, which may be wicked of me, that you experience this yourself, Mr. or Ms. Self-Righteous.
DeleteI always buy organic bulk quinoa. I ate if for years with no problem and then this summer, three times it's made me extremely sick with stomach and gastrointestinal pain. Boo to you.
DeleteI have always bought organic, bulk quinoa and ate if for years with no problems. This summer, it gave me intense gastrointestinal pain all 3 times I ate it. Might happen to you!
DeleteDear Anonymous,
DeleteYou're an idiot and your two cents are insulting to all of the poor souls that are doubled over in pain reading this thread. Some people have a true, horrendous allergy. Some don't. The "just wash it" advice is piss poor information for the people that truly suffer from the allergy. Maybe do yourself a favor and don't troll conversation threads that don't apply to you.
I am considering quinoa and read all above posts. It may be these are allergic reactions to undigested protein. Cf. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAS566.pdf which is a translation of a 1981 study "Digestibility and Protein Quality of Quinua:...". Note that in the intro a prior study is cited in which 100% of the embryo (60+ % of the seed) was recovered in the stools when consumed as boiled whole seed. The second trial used 60 min. boiling - as seems to occur in native diets as soups and stews - but nevertheless found entire seeds less digestible than flour.
ReplyDeleteThese tests weer on children, but perhaps should be replicated in adults.
i wonder if part of the issue could be fiber (could be a combination or reasons). I've had quinoa before and I was fine (once didn't wash it and was fine). today I had it, washed it and am now feeling cramping and gas. I saw some stuff and have been drinking water (because I may not have been hydrated enough) and from the advice here just started to drink to. I am trying to walk around to get the digestion going rather than laying there. it has helped but still have pain.
ReplyDeletealso, flax seed is high in fiber and I had spinach earlier which is high in fiber
ReplyDeleteI am keeled over at work in pain. I am so glad I looked up if eating quinoa can lead to stomach issues. I made it two nights ago and was up all night with stomach pain, I thought about going to the ER because I just had a baby and thought maybe something was seriously wrong with my internal organs. I ate the left overs from that meal for lunch today and holy crap, the pain is terrible. Luckily I can close and lock my office door and people assume I am breast pumping so I can lay down on the floor. I am so bummed, I am a vegetarian and quinoa is such a healthy grain, and I have never had that reaction before. But never again, this is truly miserable.
ReplyDeleteI love quinoa or at least I used to. this last time I bought some mixed quinoa (red, white, etc) from trader joes. I washed it and cooked it a couple of days ago with no problem, but tonight washed and cooked the rest and when I ate it I had severe pain in my esophagus and upper stomach within 3-4 minutes that hurt like the dickens, almost unbearably so. I kept spitting up mucus and felt like I had severe gerd and wanted to throw up but I couldn't. I tried to sip water but the pain kept coming in waves. finally it has subsided after about an hour of horrific pain right in the middle of my back. the only way I dealt with the waves of pain was panting and belching and spitting. I think I have been sensitized in some way and will have to abstain from now on.
ReplyDeleteI had my first quinoa last night. I am gluten intolerant and had meant to try it sooner. My package did not say to rinse ahead and so I didn't; today I have had horrible abdominal cramping; I want to go to ER but I don't want to if that makes sense. My bladder is even hurting from the pressure. Is that unusual? I will never eat this again. I never even thought of a connection until late today and then I found these comments. I have not had diarrhea at all though.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is currently in the bathroom throwing up. The last time he was throwing up this severely, he also had quinoa with dinner. Apparently, I don't have a reaction, but after seeing what it does to my husband, we will NEVER eat quinoa again. After reading this post, apparently, this is a common problem among people. There was NO label instructing us to clean the quinoa before cooking. The companies that sell quinoa should really start putting a label on their packaging. This is absurd.
ReplyDeleteI had some for breakfast about a year ago at work. I was the only one there at 6 am because the boss was out of town. I thought maybe something in it had gone bad because for four hours I had to lie on the ground shaking, looking under the display fridge to see customers' feet so I could drag myself over to serve them. Huddling over the sink in intervals shaking... it was THE WORST, and I am severely allergic to nuts and it is incomparable, at least with the nut allergy I can get some help from the hospital and pass out.. not here. Well today I made some (thinking fresh stuff couldn't hurt me) and boom! Im shaking, bloated, feeling like its coming up, coming out. By the way, quinoa is really not a sustainable food product. Lots of forest is cut down to harvest it in places where forests should be left well alone. Why do we eat this stuff again?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous June 2, 2014 at 10.35PM
ReplyDeleteI had a violent reaction to quinoa after eating it twice over a year or so, both times. My suspicions are now confirmed, no more quinoa! It was as if my stomach was exploding with serial diarrhoea and vomiting sitting doubled up on the toilet. I was ok after an hour or two the second time but quite shell shocked.
I´ve eaten quinoa several times now and although I really liked the taste of it, I always experienced gas a few hours after consumption, not unlike I do when eating peanuts or soy.
ReplyDeleteSince all those foods are said to be rich in certain proteins, I start wondering whether the reaction has sth to do with that, rather than the fiber. Or maybe it´s a combination of both plus some remaining saponins (I did rinse mine thoroughly though!).
Whatever the reason, after reading all the comments in this blog, it appears to me that the stuff is not such an easy digestible health promoting food as has been claimed so far.
I have been eating this crap for a week and didn't put two and two together of why my stomach has been on fire! Of course, I had quinoa and kale together which is like a silver bullet through my colon. My dinner was in and out in under an hour. These ''superfoods" are really over rated.
ReplyDeleteThis is very insightful. I ended up in ER a couple weeks ago with unbelievable stomach pain. I thought it might be appendicitis but the pain was very high - like a band from side to side under my diaphragm. I was actually short of breath because my abdomen was so distended. ER found nothing wrong but I also began to feel better.In hindsight I think this might be because I threw up before I went to the ER. It happened again a week ago but I didn't throw up. I had a bit less pain to start with but I ended up on the bathroom floor shaking in a cold sweat wondering if I was going into shock. unfortunately nothing would come out. No vomit. It took until morning to pass and I felt awful for days. There was nothing in common except the quinoa. Tonight more... And quinoa for dinner. My stomach is tight like a drum. My doctor ran many tests and I'm fine. No appendicitis not gallstones,etc. This is so weird. I've taken 2 advil so I'll see if that helps. Thanks for the posts.
ReplyDeleteYep, here I am, just another sap suffering hours of maddening cramps, distended stomach and diarrhea after innocently consuming my own home cooked Trader Joe's white quinoa. I have eaten it a couple times prior with no negative reactions until now just like many a horrific story above. Thus, let it be known that I hereby resign from consuming said source of apparent perfect protein and shall henceforth embark upon another path and provide sound warning to all those that I love and adore! The late Robin Williams once said "Right is what's left after doing everything else wrong."
ReplyDeleteJust tonight I ate some Ancient Grains quinoa pasta thinking that perhaps processed quinoa would be easier on my stomach (having experienced the pain of eating the grain itself) - BIG mistake. I'm about to try the cumin seed/ajwain/ginger tea an earlier commenter suggested. This stuff should come with a warning label.
ReplyDeleteNever again!! Ate quinoa three separate times and today was the worst of my life!! I seriously cried. Stomach cramps, heartburn, bloating and everything else!! I don't know what causes it or care but I will never ever eat it again!! I tried a hot bath and that helped, and after a hearing pass for the cramps since it feels like woman problems and that seems to help as well. Good luck to those in pain and just stay away from that grain!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started trying quinoa, I had purchase the white pre-washed kind & would mix a little bit of it in with a couscous or rice side dish, & I did not experience any problems or discomfort (at least not that I remember). But then I started buying brands which were not pre-washed & also the red & tricolor kinds. The packages I have do instruct you to rinse well before cooking, but don't say why. I just assumed it was for the same reasons that packages of rice say to rinse. I kept forgetting to pre-rinse them before cooking, but never realized that could be a reason why whenever I eat just a tiny bit of quinoa, now, mixed with other things, I end up with severe stomach pain about 40 minutes later which lasts for 2 or 3 hours, depending how much I ate! I was just thinking it was a correlation with the colored types of quinoa. Now, after researching, I learn about the saponin which needs to be washed off. Thank you, Cori, for helping to educate us! Perhaps that's the main reason for my stomach aches...but it is more likely a sensitivity for me, since I recently tried some gluten-free pasta made from brown rice & quinoa, mixed with normal pasta, & even that small amount of quinoa in that (which you would assume had been rinsed) made me feel sick to my stomach for awhile. At least I didn't have the severe pain with it.
ReplyDeleteBTW, in regards to my post on 1/19/15 at 12:30pm, my husband did NOT experience any discomfort on any of the occasions which I did. So some people have no issues even if the quinoa is not rinsed.
ReplyDeleteI had never tried quinoa before but my mom mentioned to me that she had simar reactions listed above so I have been super hesitant to try it cause I never wanted to experience that! Well my wonderful husband made quinoa for dinner last night and I agreed to try 1 bite and a few hours later I had similar reactions: diarrhea, headache, fetal position. Maybe I do have something else but I am just now starting to get over it this morning. I won't have it again!!
ReplyDeleteI have eaten quinoa several times with no problems. Ordered a chicken veggie quinoa bowl from Crazy Bowls & Wraps for dinner last night and Bam! This morning I'm passing little red seeds and feel nauseous. This is the first time I've eaten quinoa I didn't make myself. I always rinse it. I'm wondering now if I can ever eat it again!
ReplyDeleteI ate quinoa a couple of times a week for about 6 months. I'm fighting insulin resistance, have toi avoid wheat and rice, so I thought it was a big help to my diet. I was aware of the saponin issue and on the advice of a nutritionist I always pre-soaked it over-night with a dash of cider vinegar added to the soaking water, then rinsed well before cooking. A couple of months ago I made my favourite quinoa dish, which includes spinach and a cheese topping. An hour or so later I was violently ill. I vomited a few times that night and felt ill for at least 24 hours after. I thought it might have been too much cheese in the dish, or too much wine with dinner. Never thought it could have been the quinoa. I didn't eat quinoa again until last night, when I used it to make a pizza base. I had just a tiny portion and again, I felt ill an hour or so later. Didn't throw up this time, although for a while I thought I was going to. I'm thinking that was only because the amount I ate was so small. The stomach cramps and diarrhea were just as bad though. I thought at first maybe it was because I used a different brand those two times to the brand I had used before, and went looking for information on bad reactions.
ReplyDeleteI'm stunned to see so many people have had the same problem. I will stay away from quinoa now and will warn my family and friends.
I think for some of us an insensitivity just builds up until the body refuses to deal with it any more. It seems to have nothing to do with whether you rinse your quinoa or not. I'm still thinking maybe some brands are worse than others though.
I have to add - I don't have food allergies and have always been able to eat anything without any ill effects. This is the first time I've had to deal with a bad reaction and I hope it's the last.
I'm typing on a mobile phone so there may be some typos. I have had a similar story with quinoa. I bought a bag of pre rinsed quinoa. I always read about how it needs to be rinsed before being eaten, but was unaware of saponins being the reason why and what it does. I didn't rinse it because on the package it said it was prerinsed already. This was my first time eating quinoa. I bought because I wanted to try and make vegan style quinoa like I saw online. I blended a cup of quinoa, a cup of flour, a banana, brown sugar, and some coconut milk. I've been bloated, had stomach cramps, abdominal pains, and three days of diarrhea. Never again. Never gonna eat quinoa again.
ReplyDeleteOH MY this was me this afternoon. Had quinoa for lunch and 2 hrs later had to leave work and fetal position it up on the couch for a few hours. The pain was absolutely gut wrenchingly awful. This has also happened before but I wasn't 100% sure it was the quinoa which caused it. I will never eat it again.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteUsually your case with quinoa is a "leaky-gut" problem. JUST wash your quinoa well, and do not eat pre-made quinoa food products from the prepared food section of any store incase they did not wash, or wash the quinoa properly -- probably stay away from quinoa flakes as well.
The outer layer of the quinoa seed contains substances called saponins. In some foods, such as beans, saponins are edible phytonutrients that may deliver health benefits. The natural saponins in quinoa repel insects, which is a benefit because the plant doesn't need additional chemical pesticides. However, you should not eat quinoa saponins. They have a bitter taste and may damage the small intestine, according to Purdue University. This is the cause of "leaky-gut". Many brands of quinoa are pre washed to remove saponins, but it’s a good idea to rinse the seeds again prior to cooking to be sure all remnants are removed. If you’re not sure whether the seeds were pre washed, rinse them several times in fresh water.
If you truly do think this is truly an allergy have yourself checked out by a professional and good allergist instead of self-diagnosising.
Same thing. I am so glad I found this article. I have had smaller reactions before, but today was awful. I just did not figure it could be the quinoa.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
So glad I found this page. Had terrible diarrhea the morning after eating quinoa with vegetables. I have been eating Quinoa for years, never rinsing, and never getting sick. I only suspected the quinoa this time because... and this is disgusting... I saw some of the undigested quinoa in my poop. Freaking horrible! This is day 2 of diarrhea in the morning, all from that one bowl of effing quinoa 2 nights ago now. When does it end???
ReplyDeleteI too did not have diarrhea until the morning after eating quinoa, and have now had it all day as well (seeds in poop and all)! When did it end for you? I feel like crap and am having what seems to be heartburn, which I have only had one other time in my life. Please let me know!
DeleteFeel so much better finding this site! Had quinoa for dinner Sunday…miserable for two days, then had it again Wednesday…again miserable since. This was red quinoa sent to me in two different Blue Apron Meals. I'm a recent breast cancer survivor and any new pains come with a good amount of anxiety. I'm thinking this must be the common denominator….So glad I googled this.
ReplyDeleteI too have a reaction to quinoa. I had a persistent upset tummy (no vomiting) for about 3 weeks...just had "rainbow quinoa" for dinner and had awful upper abdominal cramps...am now realising that my previous upset tummy is very likely because I was eating granola with quinoa in it. I am drinking a Yogi tea (peppermint, cinnamon, chamomile, spearmint...and lots of other tummy helpful herbs) which is helping a little. Apparently rice helps so I'm cooking some up as I write. I will never eat quinoa again, there have been too many occurrences of upset tummy :( unfortunately quinoa seems to be appearing in lots of "healthy" foods, so I will have to keep an eye on the labels of cereal bars, bread, granola...sigh. Boyfriend will be pleased tho, he never liked the stuff!
ReplyDeleteMy husband hates quinoa and is so happy I can't have it anymore. I had horrible stomach pains several months ago after eating quinoa and again tonight. Didn't make the connection until now (thought it was bad tuna). Never again. This is awful.
ReplyDeleteCurrently dying from quinoa dinner. Have been this way for the last 4.5 hours. I'm never eating this shit again. My stomach is killing me. I'm never eating it again!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI too am currently in the fetal position on the bathroom floor. No one mentions how long the suffering lasts. I'm going on hour 5. How much longer do I have with this?
DeleteOmg...I sampled 2 different kind at a health food store. It was really good and I thought nothing of it. I went home and my stomach got really bloated then I pooped a little and went about the rest of my day. About 7 the next morning is when the madness began. I'm so pissed off that I didn't read up on this shit first...I've been shitting my brains out for the past 5 hrs. OK maybe I needed a thorough cleaning out but not like this, i dont need these cramps and all these weird noises in my stomach. I just started a new job and in training, I can't miss work because of this nonsense. There should be some kind of warning on that shit
DeleteThe first time I ate quinoa, I experienced really weird nausea / hunger pains and I honestly didn't want to finish it. I thought it was normal since that was my first meal of the day. Later on, I kinda felt tired for several hours.
ReplyDeleteJust today, I had quinoa in my stuffed bell peppers. I started getting a huge headache all over the head which got worse. I took a nap hoping it would get better. Not at all. I woke up and thought, Maybe I need to eat something starchy. I hadn't had starch for a week because of my diet. So after eating some whole wheat crackers and a little bread, my headache is slowly subsiding!
Have any of you tried to treat your reaction with something starchy?
Well, I'm so glad I found this. Other sites about IBS symptoms say that quinoa is good to eat - but I am still lying in bed with horrible stomach cramps now (at half nine) from eating quinoa at lunchtime. It's about the fourth time it's happened and has got much worse this time. I now know it is definitely the quinoa. I haven't been able to keep down my dinner, boo! No more quinoa for me! Why is this not more publicized?
ReplyDeleteI agree. They need a warning sign on this stuff. I will b n bed all day and trying to finish homework while praying this poop and pain go away in time for work tomorrow😬
DeleteThis happened to me twice after eating a quinoa breakfast cereal. Gut cramps, throwing up, diarrhea. The second time I figured out what caused it. Since then, I've eaten quinoa many times after thoroughly washing it myself and have never had a problem.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was alone and everyone made fun of me when I mentioned I could not eat quinoa. In my opinion it is evil for what it did to me-spending the night in my bathroom with the worst stomach cramps. Did the same thing to my mom when she tried it for the first time. I will never eat it again. Several years ago I could not find anything online about quinoa reactions.I have no allergies to food,this is the first thing I can't eat.I accidentally had quinoa flour in a vegan muffin and I was sick once again. While I am happy to know I am not alone,I am sorry others had to suffer.
ReplyDeleteYES, I was made fun of as well. I was sent to the ER two yrs ago when I first tried quinoa made by my vegan/nutritionist best friend. She couldn't believe it was her healthy quinoa that had me vomiting for hours. Although I do have a sensitive stomachs, I never had a reaction like that.
DeleteGreat to see there is finally a site that so many of us can share their awful experiences here about a delicious food.
ReplyDeleteSo be warned about its serious side effects - many being ...
EXTREME FATIGUE
ITCHY BLOTCHY SKIN
DEPRESSIVE MOOD/S
SEVERE STOMACH CRAMPS
NAUSEA & OR VOMITING
FEVER & OR CHILLS
CONSTIPATION
PAINFUL DIARRHEA
STOMACH BLOATING
ACHING BODY & LIMBS
DIZZINESS / VERTIGO
COLD & FLU SYMPTOMS
BREATHING DIFFICULTIES
FEAR & OR PANIC STATES
CONFUSION / DELIRIUM
INSOMNIA / SLEEPINESS
Some or even all of the above conditions could effect you instantly or take days to manifest - if your unfortunately sensitive to this yummy but somewhat dangerous food source !
I'm glad I am not the only one, so this is a thing I guess?
ReplyDeleteFirst time I had Quinoa was this Christmas. Ruined my Christmas, I had severe cramps and my stomach felt like I drank some hot acid.
But I didn't make the connection until I had Quinoa again tonight. My stomach is on fire again, I want to die. My roommate warned me that i shoud wash it first, but i'm more the careless type. Should have listened to her!
To everyone who is suffering right now, here is what brought me some relief: drink lots of water to dilute whatever the hell is causing the pain. Sapponins or whatever, flush it out. Dont drink any tea, it can irritate the stomach even more(yes even chamomille)
Lesson for life learned.
I am quite interested in this thread as I, too, have observed allergic reactions to quinoa. But mine take the form of choking up and coughing whenever my wife cooks up a batch of quinoa. As far as I can tell I have had no internal effects from quinoa whenever I've eaten it. But the fumes from cooking it really do me in.
ReplyDeleteI thought I might just add to the chorus. I used to eat quinoa all the time with no problems. Then I started getting severe cramps after eating it so I stopped for a long time. Tonight I gave it a go again as this time it has been through a long soaking process which supposedly makes it better. Worst pain ever, I've spent the last few hours in the foetal position wondering if it will ever pass. Moral of the story is if you're having trouble with quinoa then don't keep trying to eat it; the response just gets worse every time.
ReplyDeleteI developed reaction to quinoa after having no reaction for 2 months straight. did not know that antacids can help. for immediate relief Mylanta can help. my son developed stomach pain after having no reaction to it for a long time. I am staying away from quinoa for some years now.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I stumbled across this blog googling for answers to my painful gut.I started eating quinoa more often after going off gluten for digestive and inflammatory issues two months ago. I don't particularly like quinoa, but I found a flaked hot cereal that has a nice, creamy texture. This morning after yet another gluten-free breakfast stomach ache did I connect the dots. I only get this pain with quinoa flakes! It wasn't my vitamins WITH the quinoa, it was the quinoa! I felt like I had eaten glass. Because this didn't happen right away, but over time, I was sure it was something else in my diet or the combinations of food I eat. Now I can think back to pre-gluten-free when I had quinoa containing recipes -- the kale and quinoa salad. It wasn't the raw kale that caused me pain, it was the quinoa! TJs Harvest Grains. It wasn't the couscous [well, maybe] it was the quinoa! [definitely] Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have now had my very last quinoa stomachache. I even hesitate to give away my unopened box of quinoa flakes and other products to the food pantry. Some unsuspecting quinoa-sensitive hungry soul may find they've eaten glass like I did this morning! Horrors!
ReplyDeleteOh gawd. I just ate a huge bowl of quinoa with walnuts cranberry and feta. I'm scared.
ReplyDeletePoor Mother in Law really sick all night after eating Quinoa. She said it was the worst ever. Out both ends, I should know I was cleaning up last night. We were going so well on a health diet....
ReplyDeleteEverybody say about quinoa the best of food for healthy,but i have every time roblems with stomach after eating quinoa.maybe it not so healthy?
ReplyDeleteMy mother has a severe sensitivity to quinoa. I had to pick her up from work in the middle of the day once because she was displaying symptoms of food poisoning. I barely got her home and had to clean vomit from the garage floor. She had washed and prepared it exactly as the package instructed.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that supposedly "healthy" foods with a variety of grains love to put quinoa in there without warning. I have to read labels carefully. She got violently sick again recently and we discovered the new tortilla chips she had bought had quinoa in them.
My husband had mild digestion issues with quinoa once or twice, but thought nothing of it. Last night he cooked himself a Sonoma Veggie Burger. The first ingredient listed is organic quinoa (I ate something else.) He said it tasted bitter but he insisted on eating it anyway. He had a miserable night with all the symptoms others have described, from about 1hr after he ate the quinoa burger, until morning. I'm not buying quinoa in any form for our family ever again.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know I'm not alone in this stomach pain problem.
ReplyDelete@viktoroar - Last night, I had quinoa for the first time as part of my dinner. This morning diarrhea, nausea, very low energy, balance is off when walking and my right eye and nostril (probably the right side because I mostly sleep on my right, allowing mucus to drain to the right) are full of mucus. I had a bit of ginger, which calmed the nausea down. Second, I had a small bowl of cooked, whole oats, which also helped with the nausea. I figured the oats would make a nice, slimey film to coat my stomach against whatever the quinoa deposited. The nausea is still with me, just more faint.
ReplyDeleteAhhh! Quinoa! The "blowfish" of grains! I don't care if it's been soaked for 2 days, I hope to never have any more EVER again in my life. My son is a chef, prepared it properly (he never has a problem eating it, by the way) and I STILL had the same reaction as much of what I see in this blog. If superfood means it will have you near death in a mater of hours, then it's high on the list. I can't wait to ask my husband how it affected him today, because he had it too during last night's dinner. Quinoa is NOT worth the side effects.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I try eating this "super seed and ancient grain blend" i got at trader joes: ( chia seed, golden flax seed, quinoa, shelled hemp seed,.. you know, all the 'healthy' stuff).. i get the runs, seriously.. diarrheah.. i need to move onto other healthy food that doesn't make me feel like i want to die.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I tried Quinoa, I thought I just had a reaction to whatever else was in it. Then I had Amaranthus, AND 10 MINUTES LATER, i was in horrible gut wrenching pain, followd by a trip to the bathroom. I had quinoa again in a soup for lunch. My stomach felt like it was a towel that was being wrung out!! Sooo terribly painful, followed by an IMMEDIATE run to the bathroom (pun intended). If you have an allergy or whatever this is to quinoa, please stay clear of Amaranthus. Your gut will thank you.
ReplyDeleteSide note, I don't get these reactions from crackers with quinoa in them, but I will only have a few crackers with anxiety of previous experiences.
I had quinoa last night for the first time ever. It was in a rice side dish. That was 12 hours ago. I had to run to the bathroom this morning. Three times.
ReplyDeleteAll evening I had weird loud gas that I could hear. It was long sounding. Internal. So not me.
I'm wondering if it's the quinoa. I googled it and I found this blog post. I also found one about too many sit-ups could help move it along. Which could be true in my case...I went from being slightly inactive to completing day 6 of a 30 day boot camp challenge.
Or maybe it was the 3 pieces of raw ginger I ate....
Today I was eating at a well know burger place in Australia 'Grilled'.. and I ordered a new menu item black crumbed chicken schnitzel burger. I was excited as I'm into healthy foods. Very suddenly,while I was talking to My sister on the phone, I had a very scary allergic reaction. I couldn't figure it out. My voice went hoarse, I started choking and couldn't breath properly, I felt like I needed to cough to get my airways opened but it didn't help it made it worse. My heart was racing and I was Spitting, coughing choking, drinking water and thinking I was going to die. I was going to call an ambulance as I have never had asthma or breathing problems ..30 mins later it started to subside and I had a sharp tingling burning pain in my diaphragm and then an urgent, urgent need to visit the ladies room to do unlady like things! My brain is foggy and I'm way out of whack.I have leaky gut syndrome and a myriad of autoimmunity issues as a result, but quinoa is definitely off my list now. I feel like I wont be here the next time I put some in my mouth. it may be a superfood for some people but it is problematic for others of us.
ReplyDeleteI'm laying on the bathroom floor reading this. Had quinoa with my lunch and I'm in so much pain I feel like I need to go to the hospital. I know it's the quinoa because this has happened before after eating the same dish. Did not realize until today it's the quinoa. Nothing has helped ease the pain. Never ever again.
ReplyDeleteEvery single time I eat quinoa I end-up with really painful stomach cramps, horrible nauseous feeling and runs to the bathroom! I eat healthy, lots of fiber.. so i know it's not the fiber that makes me sick. We buy our quinoa from Costco in LA- my husband is from the Caribbean, and he has no problems with it, I'm European and will have to quit eating the damn thing!!
ReplyDeleteI had severe heart palpitation and stomach spasm for about 2.5 years (from 2012 to 6/2015) I did not know what were the causes. Then it suddenly disappeared for a year from 6/2015 to 7/2016 after I moved home and ate a different diet. I recently have heart palpitation and stomach spasm again. So two days ago, I search a lot of info on the web and found out that it was b/c I placed myself in a whole grain diet (brown rice, quinoa, millet, beans, chia seeds, cocoa powder etc..). I ate foods that advertise are superfood/healthy foods. It was the phytic acid that caused me to have deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, copper and calcium which triggered heart palpitation and stomach spasm, hair loss and insomnia.
ReplyDeleteAfter I learned this info on phytic acid three days ago, I decided to put Quinoa back in my diet. So yesterday 8/10/2016, I soaked 1/2 cup of dry quinoa in water with 1 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar for 6.5 hours. Drained and rinsed. Then I fried it with organic coconut oil and added a bit of organic chicken. I finished eating at around 5:45pm. I began to feel sick at around 6:15pm.
At night time, I had insomnia, severe stomach spasm and heart palpitation. So I searched the web at around 2am and found this website. Oh my God! there are so many people felt sick after eating quinoa.
Now it has been 23 hours since I finished the quinoa yesterday, I still have stomach spasm and heart palpitation.
I thought of giving it one more. But no way now. I also just learned from another website saying that by soaking the quinoa will allow the saponin get into the quinoa. However the quinoa I got was from Costco which said no rinsing was necessary despite that I did rinse the quinoa a few times after I soaked the quinoa into ACV water. Anyway, I am still so sick.
How come my stomach spasm and heart palpitation last so long? can anyone tell me? I also searched the web I might be quinoa intolerance?
I just tell everyone that I'm allergic to Quinoa. Including restaurants that might have it in a dish I order. (porridge, salad, etc.)
DeleteI just tell everyone that I'm allergic to Quinoa. Including restaurants that might have it in a dish I order. (porridge, salad, etc.)
DeleteAnnie, you just saved my life. The phytic acid is probably what is causing me a lot of problems. Bless you so much, thank you Jesus just bless this woman.
DeleteSide note: I have gerd and am used to being nauseated from the over abundance of acid. But this morning I feel extra nauseous which made me realize its the quinoa. When I first started eating it, my chest would hurt and be heavy, thought it was eating too much. Then a week ago had precooked preflavored quinoa and threw up the next morning. Then last night had some and yeah same thing...Quinoa is so good :(
I also was in a bad mood soon after eating it...anyone else get that??
I have this reaction with quinoa, but today I also tried amaranth. Boom! Same type of reaction with slightly less severity than I get with quinoa. I felt overheated, slightly dizzy, had overwhelming stomach cramps, and a weird headache.
ReplyDeleteAmaranth has to be rinsed like quinoa, which I made sure to do ahead of time.
What helped bring relief was crouching in a squatting position with my legs against my stomach. I took a probiotic (acidophilus) right away, and also drank homemade kombucha with some ice, because drinking anything warm made me want to gag. The probiotic and kombucha are the only reasons I can currently function enough to type this post. They helped a ton, and relatively quickly.
This article is a life saver! Nice to know I'm not the only one who has this problem. I have had quinoa twice and both times I had unbelievable stomach cramps, abnormal amounts of gas and diarrhea about 30 minutes after eating. The first time I was able to vomit about 6-7 hours after consuming and that helped end the suffering. The second time I had a smaller amount but the reaction was worse. Probably because I didn't vomit but it was a day and a half of complete suffering, excruciating pain and misery. I will follow others now and say I'm allergic. Never want to experience that again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these comments guys, I can't believe how painful this is, I just used a little bit of quinoa flour in a pancake... severe! 😭
ReplyDeleteWow, think I'm there right now. I has some of the Far East brand, premade box...then had some cashews about hr later and can't figure out of its cashew oil or quinoa... chills, stomach pain, gas,and d....reminds me of time I visited Turkey. I swear my stomach has never really been the same. Thank you for very informative post. No more quinoa for me!!!
ReplyDeleteWarning on raw cashews too! I bought some raw cashews from health food store bulk bin and had the similar bad reactions like chest discomfort , minor tinges of pain, etc. Then I found out that improperly processed raw cashews have toxins on them. After cutting them out of the diet, I went back to great health on a no oil vegan diet.
DeleteIt was only in the last week , after eating large amounts of red quinoa without presoaking, that I have had any health concerns.
I run and swim long distances for fun, so I am not some unfortunate soul with a weakened system.
Improperly processed cashews can absolutely produce bad side effects. I had never heard of that until it scared me, in the same way way this red quinoa in my cupboard causes me to be concerned 3 days before a 26.2 mile marathon.
Oh wow, I also made a box of Near East quinoa blend Weds night and on Thurs a.m. woke with horrible pain in my intestines, a huge amount of trapped gas, and the pain was unlike anything I'd ever had. Today I am still sick though the gas and pain is more intermittent. No energy and a lot of depression too. I also developed heartburn which I hadn't had for ages. My stomach felt as though I had a brick inside it. I haven't had diarrhea though, more like constipation. I had quinoa once years ago and recalled it made me feel unwell but I wanted to try it again. This was awful! I also discovered the Mary's pretzels I've been eating often also contain quinoa! This may be why I've been feeling unwell despite eating really clean. I also had facial flushing yesterday. I was really red. My family members had no reaction really but my one child did have a tummy ache the night we ate it. Nothing debilitating though like I had. I'll never touch quinoa again!
ReplyDeleteUgh looks like my comment got deleted accidentally. Will type again though, this info is valuable to many people seeking answers. Like the poster above, I ate a seasoned quinoa blend from Near East brand for dinner Tues night. Weds a.m. I felt awful and my belly was distended, tender to the touch and also full of trapped gas and random sharp, stabbing pains. I was exhausted and teary as well. Two days later here I am still bedridden but finally beginning to feel better. My stomach does at times feel like I swallowed a brick. I also have heartburn. I haven't had any of these symptoms for ages. I have been unwittingly eating quinoa in Mary's pretzels but it must have been a small enough amount that my symptoms were limited to things like fatigue, gas, facial flushing, mild depression, bloating. This stuff from the box made me suffer a great deal and I was thinking of going to the ER but I will now wait it out and never touch quinoa again!! My other family members didn't get sick but my more fragile daughter did have a tummy ache Tues night. No diarrhea or vomiting for me, just awful pains, gas, exhaustion, huge bloated belly, and lots of tears out of nowhere. So glad I found this blog and was able to pinpoint quinoa before I ate it again and had to go through this again! Ate it once years ago in a pilaf and felt unwell but since then my intestines became more leaky so this reaction was far worse. Quinoa is the harshest thing I've ever asked my body to digest! Never again.
ReplyDeleteI ran out of oatmeal, so I decided to make a nice big bowl of quinoa for breakfast. It was organic and pre-washed. Not too long after eating it, I vomited twice and have had nausea and diarrhea ever since. My stomach hurts, and I had to take two days off work and get an anti-nausea prescription from the doctor. I ate it about 36 hours ago and am still hurting, although the nausea and diarrhea is gradually going away. Never again!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post
ReplyDeleteI also was wracking my brain to try work out what giving me these nasty cramps and diarrhea.
Eventually I narrowed it down to the quinoa.
Onto my 3 bag now,
Ive been adding it to salads in the evenings and usually only dealing with cramps in the morning but tonight the cramps have kept me from falling asleep.
The sooner I pass it out the sooner the cramps subside.
Not a happy experience...
Why does the packaging not explain this may happen to some people..?!?!?!!
And looking at this thread a lot of people do suffer from quinoa, rather than a small minority.
Either way there should be a package warning....
Thank you for this post
ReplyDeleteI also was wracking my brain to try work out what was giving me these nasty cramps and diarrhea.
Eventually I narrowed it down to the quinoa.
Onto my 3 bag now,
Ive been adding it to salads in the evenings and usually only dealing with cramps in the morning but tonight the cramps have kept me from falling asleep.
The sooner I pass it out the sooner the cramps subside.
Not a happy experience...
Why does the packaging not explain this may happen to some people..?!?!?!!
And looking at this thread a lot of people do suffer from quinoa, rather than a small minority.
Either way there should be a package warning....
The last three times I ate quinoa I have experienced bed reactions. The first time I was nauseous the second time I was nauseous and then landed up throwing up all afternoon. Then this last time my throats began to itch immediately after and then a few hour later woke up violently ill throwing up. Seems as though it's becoming an allergic reaction (due to the itching throat). I finally put two and two together and discovered it must have been the quinoa. Never knew one could be allergic to it! But the more I have it the worse my reaction gets.
ReplyDeleteI had quinoa for awhile now, (1/2 cup a day for about 1 month) with no issues. Recently though I started getting bad stomach bloating, pains and cramps.
ReplyDeleteDay 1: I thought it was food poisioning so I took an immodium a.d and it went away after about 30 minutes.
Day 2: the pain came back 24 hours later. I thought maybe the immodium a.d wore off and the food poisoning was making a revenge. Took another immodium a.d and pain disappeared.
Day 3: pain intensified
Then I thought maybe this food poisoning is really bad. But, it honestly didn't make sense because I was fine all day. I ate my spicy foods and drank coffee with no stomache pains. Googling quinoa I came to realize that I too am a victim. I will no longer eat it. This pain is horrible.
Just another quinoa fool, chiming in here. I've eaten quinoa for years with no reaction, including one of my favorite and most delicious foods, dark chocolate toasted quinoa bark. I'm especially lazy and never washed it. Alas, tonight's unwashed batch for some reason did me in. About an hour after a fabulous quinoa stir-fry, I felt the rumblings of distress deep within. Quickly, things accelerated and I progressed from washing dishes to the couch to facedown on the floor, moaning and praying for delivery from whatever evil substance had brought me to this state. After mentally checking off other sources of food poisoning, it struck me that the quinoa could be expanding in my stomach. Little did I know that that was only the beginning! A lovely Google session ensued, leading me here.
ReplyDeleteThe fiancé is happily snoozing after eating the exact same thing, which is quite fortunate, because we live in a 700 square foot flat with only one bathroom and I have solidly established my territory in the fetal position on its floor.
This night alone has nearly ridded me of my desire to become a biological mother. If childbirth is anything like the debilitating cramps that I have been experiencing every ten minutes for the last five hours, perhaps adoption is a better option for me.
Thank goodness for this website, which has distracted me enough to make the last several hours bearable. Soldier on, all ye who find yourselves in this predicament... As for me, as soon as I can uncurl my body and walk again, I'll be circulating the globe preaching the evils of this dastardly grain.
I'm sorry you anonymous, because I'd love to read more of your writing. Do you have blog? Or a book? Your comment is very funny, despite the serious subject. Thank you so much for taking the time to chime in.
DeleteI am literally NEVER eating this evil little seed ever again. It had me keeled over in fetal position, moaning like a dying animal. Seriously, I didn't realize I was such a wuss until this tiny little grain had complete control over me. I was laying there thinking, "who am I?" My pain came in waves and when at its peak, I had myself convinced I was going to die. Or best case, my stomach was going to explode right before my eyes. All I can do now is avoid it like the plauge. I might even let out a horror scream (PTSD) if I see a box in the grocery store, who knows!
ReplyDeleteI too just started having this issue. Agree with everyone, it sucks.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if anyone is having this issue with sprouted quinoa? Looking for alternatives besides rinsing.
Found this after searching to see whether quinoa could be causing this very uncomfortable bloated feeling I get after eating the flakes made into porridge. I've been eating it most days for a few weeks and also started having diarrhea a couple of weeks ago. Now I know why and am just so thankful I found this blog. I will never touch quinoa again. I feel like I've dodged a massive painful bullet. If I hadn't looked this up I probably would have gone on eating it until I ended up curled up on the floor in agony like so many others.
ReplyDeleteI am lay in bed with a hot water bottle on my tum as I type this on evening number 2 of ingesting this evil, dastardly grain! Never again. I had never tried it before until yesterday when consumed at lunchtime. I bought a microwave packet of Red Q (Im still traumatized so cant bring myself to utter the Q word.) Get home 5 hours later and started to develop what I can only describe as tummy pains that became full on labour pains (This is coming from a bloke.) I end up from 1am thru till 5am with the WORST most EXCRUCIATING Pain I have ever felt coupled with being sat in the bath with the shower running as I didnt know which end I was going to have to contend with. My temperature sky rocketed and the groaning coming from my mouth would convince most that I was about to meet my maker. Truly the most horrendous food reaction in my 46 years on this planet. Thankfully 24 hrs later the pain is bearable, the nausea gone but the bloating still evident. I am going to try organic apple cider vinegar and warm water to see if this helps. I truly feel mentally scarred from this experience. Never ever again.....
ReplyDeleteok..last night I was getting dead. I ate maybe only 2, 3 table spoons of quinoa. I pre-washed it 4 times myself, organic bought...2 hours after I ate it, when doing my work out, started feeling severe stomack pain. continued my just 0.5 hr dancing and it developed into vomitting sensation and lastly dizzines and headache. quinoa was not new to me. I started it maybe 5 years ago and we cooked it at home as a good source of protein. my mom and I both ate it and after a few months felt it gives us a lot of bloating. but nothing dealy still. until 6 months ago when I started getting stomack pain and my natropathic doctor told me to stop it. I stopped it and still was not sure. like other items I am allergic to, decided to gradyually try it and add it back to my diet. i am very healthy eating person. but last night confirmed there is no way I can digest it and I am never going to try it. I was also getting same stomack pain today after ate my lunch and the stomack was screaming at me 'what did you do to me'. I went to washroom maybe 4 times since last night and gradually the headache and dizziness went away. I suggest anyone who wants to try it to be very very causious and thank you so much for your blog.
ReplyDeletep.s. I am allergic to dairies protein called 'casein', took me 'YEARS' until I found it out and it is not odd if I cannot digest quinoa protein as well.
Hope it helps :) here is the link to casein:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=casien&oq=casien&aqs=chrome..69i57.1665j0j9&client=ms-unknown&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
I’ve had quinoa often, and bought prewashed mushroom quinoa last night and had it with other veggies for dinner (vegan, iron-stomach, eat tons of fiber). All day today I’ve felt what others have felt, like there was a fire in my belly, but no other ill effects until this afternoon, when I got the shakes, felt dizzy, hot, and a bit itchy and sneezy, like I was having an allergic reaction and a panic attack at the same time, though I’d eaten nothing that I don’t eat every day. Quinoa is in crackers that I routinely eat, and I’ve never had this reaction, so I didn’t see any connection. That said, I almost went to the ER, but after an hour or so (3-4 today after eating around 7 last night) it seemed to subside, at least to a manageable point. Tonight, I (stupidly) made more quinoa, paired with very bland veggies, not thinking in a million years that it could be the cause! About a half hour after dinner the ‘fire belly’ got was worse and I was quite nauseous, but drank ginger tea, then ate a banana a few hours later, and it calmed that a bit (but not completely). 6 hours after supper and I still do not feel right. I plan on staying up all night to keep pushing fluids in an effort to get rid of this nasty!! I pray that I don’t get the weird panic/allergic reaction again tomorrow.... the stomach pain is was bad, but whatever that reaction was was pure misery, like I needed to crawl out of my own skin. I am so grateful for this blog - no more quinoa EVER.
ReplyDeleteI am literally laying on the floor rolling from the fetal position to my stomach. I feel like I am dying. It isn't worth the risk. We always rinse our quinoa before cooking it especially after the last time I went thru this. My husband didn't rinse he made it, and I got the worst stomach pain. We didn't have a clue that it was from quinoa. We made it a lot after that, but I was always rinsing it and cooking it. Then he decided to cook one night, and it happened again and, we discovered that he wasn't rinsing like I was. Fast forward to tonight.. He rinsed it thoroughly, and I am still having cramping, bloating, and stomach pain. Never again quinoa. You are the devil.
ReplyDeletePlease add me to the ongoing list of quinoa victims. I followed a diet to convert my body to plant based. Love the taste, love the texture. But after a 8 hour love boat cruise, the honeymoon was over. I too began with terrible cramping, and have evolved to tossing a coin trying to figure which end it's coming out. Sounds bad to say, but misery loves company. Nice to know I'm not the only one going through it. Don't know how long this voyage will last, but I'm sure ready for it to end. Great blog, thanks for keeping it going. Just say no to Q!
ReplyDeleteI miss quinoa too. I was used to eat it quite often, and one time, all of the sudden my body reacted as you guys described.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really notice that quinoa was the origin of that awful pain after several times on the floor in fetal position thinking about wtf I just ate.
I've also tried different washing, rinsing and cooking methods with no significant pain-free results. Nowadays I just don't even try.
Big hug to every quinoa allergic people
Well, I also experienced the wrath of Quinoa. Last Thursday I ate my vegan lunch at work, which included quinoa, kimchi, and veggies. Two hours later I was praying to throw up, begging my boss to leave the office so I could expel this demon from my stomach with no one around, but nothing would come up. I drank ACV in water...no relief....Tums, no relief...I finally was able to drive home and fell asleep, still not thinking it was the quinoa.
ReplyDeleteSo Sunday for lunch I thought I'd have the last of the quinoa for lunch, and again, two hours later the pains strike, burning nausea, belches, and this time it was worse than the previous episode. I was able to get myself to throw up though, but the pain and belching lasted until late in the night. I never had diarrhea thankfully, as soon as it passed from my stomach it seems to calm down.
I've been eating quinoa for the past year trying to stay away from gluten...I've had rosacea and now I'm wondering if that was the first sign that my body didn't tolerate this magical grain/seed! The quinoa was from Costco, 'prewashed', which I don't think makes any difference because I've tasted unwashed quinoa and it's gross, tastes like eating soap. Buyer beware!!
I am SO happy that I found this post. I have been getting what I thought was random excruciating pains in my upper/middle stomach, nausea, sometimes diarrea maybe once or twice a year for the past 8 years. But for the last three months, I've been getting it at least twice a month and they have just been getting worse. Last month, I was so close to going to the ER because I had the most horrible pain I've ever experienced (I gave birth a year ago and this pain was worse) for over 12 hours and I thought I was going to die. Well, yesterday I finally figured out that it has been quinoa all along after yet another night of pain!! I started writing down what I ate after each "attack" the past few times and quinoa is the common denominator. I had NO idea that could be it! I have been going to a gastro specialist and all they ask is if I've been eating greasy/spicy food but I eat mostly healthy, clean food. I have an upper endoscopy booked for Saturday but I'm going to cancel it, make sure I never eat quinoa again and hopefully the pain will never come back. THANK YOU for this post!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Started a whole food vegan diet a couple weeks ago. Smoothies in the morning and I have been using protein powder that I had on hand. Went to GNC yesterday and bought a sample pack of protein powder that I thought was made from peas. I couldn't even finish the smoothie. Had to double over and lay down. When I could get up I checked the powder packet and it contains quinoa. I avoid quinoa at all costs but it was so far down the ingredients and I didn't see it. Here I lay in the fetal position between puking episodes when I am supposed to be packing for a trip! I took 2 probiotics but three them up right away. Trying again.
ReplyDeleteOmg I am so sorry...I we have to literally look at everything we eat now because they sneak this crap in everything.its so annoying. I pray that it gets out of your system soon. Drink tons of water as well. Praying 🙏 for u
DeleteSure you don't need another story but you're going to get one anyway 😁
ReplyDeleteFor me it's a Tilda branded Brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin & sunflower seed pre-booked mix which my wife cooks up with beetroot, vegan feta, rocket and houmous into a healthy lunch. She's a runner and super-fit, I'm a recent vegan convert and normally a regular sandwich guy so when she suggested I try her protein-packed lunch I jumped at the chance.
10 minutes later and my guts exploded - I'd bought and handled some pretty awful smelling fermented African locust beans off of eBay that morning so I put my bad stomach down to them (and wrote the poor guy who sold me them a rotten review)
A week later my lovely wife offers to make me the same lunch, I accept and here I am, 12 hours later sitting in agony reading this blog.
Like other posters on here I've eaten quinoa regularly before but it can't be anything else in that lunch - I eat the other ingredients every day, so thank you for the heads up -
I'll write to the manufacturer - you can't be expected to rinse quinoa which has been pre-cooked with rice, seeds and spices, but there's no warning of any kind of potential for intolerance or allergy on the packet.
I'm intrigued to know whether an episode like this leads to a more general intolerance of quinoa it whether those who have suffered repeat problems have just been unlucky.
Please keep this blog updated however - it's a valuable resource - I can't find anywhere else online with such a thorough detail of symptoms.
To stave off the symptoms, I have found that taking probiotics, Beano (2), and drinking warm water has helped tremendously. I'm really glad I found the Beano, as I believe it helps break down the quinoa and helps your body digest. Warm water soothes the digestive tract.
ReplyDeleteI picked up a pre-made quinoa salad from Costco, which I've had before and have enjoyed. I missed lunch and was starving, so I ate a fairly large bowl on an empty stomach and within 4 hours was experiencing pain, cramps, bloating, nausea, etc.
These symptoms would come and go for almost 5 days - it was horrendous. I thought I had a stomach virus until I started searching online and put 2 and 2 together. I now think I am intolerant. When you eat quinoa, your digestive system isn’t able to digest the proteins, sugars and even the carbohydrates in the seed in turn leading to inflammation of your abdomen which also may cause symptoms such as bloating, cramping, gas and even nausea. I will now stay away! too bad, I really enjoyed that salad.
My mother in law made chocolate chip cookies and after 1 bite my throat started swelling up and I couldn’t breathe! She said they were made with quinoa. The only thing I’m allergic to is pesticides. So I googled quinoa and turns out it’s a pesticide. Why would anyone be eating pesticides?! I’m lucky to be alive!
ReplyDelete*Saponin is a natural pesticide that coats quinoa seeds, so technically it's the coating and not the seed itself that is a pesticide. But still, yes. Seems like the "small number of people" effected by it might not be so small!
DeleteI bought quinoa (mixed grains) due to all the hype online from the whole plant community. Ate it for breakfast yesterday with fruit. Last night I had diarrhea. I made a soup out of the remainder of it, not knowing what may be causing the problem. I had a big bowl of soup today, and still have the diarrhea. I am not eating oils or dairy, and there was nothing in the soup to cause the problem, just rice, beans, vegs. I may try a little more of a big pot of it I made tomorrow to see if I still have the issue. Everything is just going through me, and I can see the little seeds all over inside the toilet. I am so disappointed, because that is a great soup and I still have a huge amount left, plus the bag of quinoa I just bought.
ReplyDeleteI had the same confusion that I'd eaten it several times before I had a bad reaction (La Madeleine salad), and it made me so mad that no matter how well I soaked and rinsed after that, and no matter how little I ate, same reaction. Turns out once you've had the reaction, your body reacts to the *protein* as if it's the toxin and tries to fight it off just the same. Sucks. The other confusing thing is that I realized I've eaten *dried* quinoa in a cereal bar and that's the only way it doesn't bother me. Maybe it's so broken down that my body doesn't even recognize it as the whole seed.
ReplyDelete2019 here and I’m currently on my hands and knees on my bed since it’s the only position giving me some relief. My stomach is hurting so bad, it’s burning on fire and cramping. It is awful. I’m an hour in and hope it’s over soon.
ReplyDeleteI checked my quinoa bag and it does say to rinse, which I didn’t do. I threw it in the garbage I am terrified to eat it now. It is not worth the risk I would rather just eat brown rice. I am young and healthy, I am not comfortable eating anything that could make me feel this much pain it is ridiculous. It does feel like being poisoned. I feel like I drank soap.
Devil grain...
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteI second that!
I'm so happy I found this post. I used to LOVE Quinoa bowls and had them all the time, never an issue. Then one night after having one for dinner I honestly thought I was going to have to go to the ER! I already have a terrible stomach and have dealt with horrible stomach pains, hours of diarrhea, you get the picture. However, this was something COMPLETELY different! Very intense twisting pain right at my navel, I spent the entire night in the fetal position unable to move/fall asleep. At the time I had no idea what it was from. A little while later I was out on a work lunch and we all ordered Quinoa Bowls. This time the reaction came on in less than an hour - sooo painful it was difficult to drive home. My husband is the one who put 2 and 2 together that it was the quinoa!
ReplyDeleteLo and behold, earlier today I had a few crackers that apparently had quinoa in them and back to the pain. Only had a few, so hopefully won't be as bad this time around.
I'm also curious if anyone has similar (albeit lesser) reactions to bananas or eggs? Just me?
Had organic quinoa delivered from Costco during quarantine. never had it before. I was. bored. I ate 1/2 cup cooked and loved it. I was so happy. then... 30 minutes later I felt...unwell. I have many food intolerances, I did not know why I thought I could eat this. I stuck my fingers down my throat as soon as the tell tale signs started and threw up most of it. I was ok but today am stily nauseated with cramps!
ReplyDeleteJust recovered from a very bad quinoa experience. Drowsiness, pressure in the ear, being off-balance, headache, lowering of blood pressure, paleness, slight chest pain, and undescribable feeling of being unwell. I had no idea it was quinoa because I had it before. Was getting seriously worried, as it was increasing to the point of passing out. Just before calling 911, I decided to forced myself to vomit, to see if that could be the issue. Sure enough...almost instant relief of the symptoms (still some ear pressure and a bit of headache), but all else is gone. Phew! No quinoa for me, EVER again!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, had a similar reaction to amaranth a few months ago. So I see a pattern now. They should really have warning signs on these foods.
I’m so happy I found this site, I thought it was the beef I had but I know now it was the tri colored quinoa I bought from Trader Joe’s. This was the first time having it and I didn’t know I was supposed to wash/soak it. I’ve had food poisoning before and this is exactly that, sharp pain in one side of my stomach and in the upper rib area, followed by very severe cramps in my stomach then lower abdomen, bloating, gas, and then nausea and throwing up. This all started about three hours after eating it. I never knew quinoa could do this, I’m throwing away the rest of the the bag and never having this again, I’m not even going to try to wash and soak it after reading of how that doesn’t help sometimes, It’s too bad because I thought I found a good alternative to rice.
ReplyDeleteI ate a spoonful of quinoa 4 days ago and I'm still experiencing symptoms. The first two hours after eating it I started to feel bad stomach pain and very severe burning sensation all over my body. Within the first five hours I use the washroom and it was all quinoa. The first night I keep vomiting and my body was burning really bad.. my stomach was burning the most. I didn't sleep all night on my first and second night. For those two days I experience severe burning sensation and rashes. Today is my fourth day and I still can't keep down a regular meal and I'm still having little burning sensation in my stomach... I'm just praying to God to help me recover from this stupid quinoa.. I wish I didn't tried it because it brought me my worst days of my life!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my God. I’m so glad I found this blog. I used to eat quinoa regularly, but the las 3 times I had it , I experienced severe pain. This last time (today) I se about half a cup of cooked quinoa in the rice cooker . I did not rinse it, but I doubt it would help.
ReplyDeleteRight after eating it I had to rush to lye down in the bed in a fetal position , or whatever position . NOTHING worked, I experienced the most extreme cramps and stomach pain in my entire life. I was shaking , sweating , feeling like I was going to faint. This was about 6 hours ago, and I am still feeling the same , I wish I had known this before. I was close to going to ER because I literally thought I was going to die . No vomiting or diarrhea , but I wish I had it so I could get rid of it.
PLEASE AVOID QUINOA BY ALL MEANS if you’re experiencing something like this , I don’t know what the hell it is, but don’t risk it .