12 Weird Side Effects of Healthy Foods

We all know that different foods will give us different vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional content. These specific combinations allow different foods to have specific effects on people. Here's a list of some of the weirdest side effects that foods can have on you.

Natural Deodorant

When we sweat, proteins and fats are excreted from sweat glands in our skin. These waste products are eaten by the bacteria that live on human skin and produce body odor. By consuming less protein and fat and more vegetables, as one would with vegetarian or vegan diet, you can actually improve your body odor.

Increased Urination

Foods high in Vitamin C are known to have diuretic properties. This means that they rid the body of waste through urine production. If you don’t want to be interrupted by too many bathroom breaks be sure not to eat to many oranges or melons.

Heartburn

Foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits are highly acidic. This acidity can cause heartburn in individuals who have a history of it.

Drowsiness

Foods with a high ratio of carbohydrates to proteins may cause you to feel sleepy. These foods include soy products like tofu and soy milk, whole grains, hummus and avocados. Scientists believe that these high carb, low protein foods allow the brain to make more melatonin and serotonin, which are hormones that regulate sleep.

Headaches

Do you suffer from headaches? Well, if you eat a lot of nuts and seeds they could be the culprit. These foods often have a high amount of the compound tyramine. This compound is produced by the breakdown of the amino acid tyrosine and increases the flow of blood to the brain, causing headaches.

Sensitivity to Light

Certain foods such as figs, celery, and carrots contain chemicals that when applied to the skin may cause photosensitivity. This can manifest as anything from slight discoloration of the skin after sun exposure to full blown blisters.

Tears

Anyone who’s cooked with onions knows that they can cause your eyes to water when chopped, but not everyone knows why. When we chop onions a chemical called syn-propanethial-S-oxide is released into the air. When it comes in contact with our eyes our bodies attempt to flush out this irritant by producing tears.

Skin Discoloration

Carotenemia is a harmless condition in which excess carotenoids, found in foods like carrots, squash and spinach, build up within the skin and give it a yellow-orange appearance. This condition can be differentiated from jaundice by looking at the whites of a person’s eyes. Jaundice turns the sclera yellow, carotenemia does not.

Beeturia

Eating too many beets can turn your pee and poop red. In some people, about 14% of the population, this condition is genetic and happens anytime they eat beets. In most people though, this is a sign of iron deficiency.

Increased Libido

Experiencing a less than optimal sex life? You might want to eat more oysters and pumpkin seeds. These foods contain high amounts of zinc, which is a key factor in the production of testosterone.

Hypothyroidism

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, contain chemicals called goitrogens. These goitrogens mess with the function of the thyroid gland and if enough are eaten they can cause hypothyroidism.

Pine Mouth

No one is exactly sure why, but after ingesting pine nuts a person could experience a soapy aftertaste in there mouths for days or even weeks. As mentioned above scientists aren’t sure why this happens or why it only happens with some pine nuts.