Here’s the deal: Brussels sprouts are packed with a sugar called raffinose. Your body doesn’t have the enzyme to break it down in the small intestine, so it takes a trip down to your large intestine instead.
That’s where your gut bacteria throw a party. They ferment the raffinose, and the byproduct is gas. Think of it like a tiny car engine revving in your belly—honk, honk, bloat incoming.
Why Your Belly Feels Like a Balloon
It’s not just gas, either. Brussels sprouts are also high in fiber. Fiber is great for you, but if you’re not used to a high-fiber diet, your system reacts like a toddler who just ate an entire bag of candy. Confusion and chaos.
You eat a whole bowl of them, and suddenly your stomach feels like it’s auditioning for a role in Alien. That pressure is a mix of gas and water retention, and it’s real.
I remember a Thanksgiving where I declared I was “going green” and ate an entire tray. Big mistake. Huge. I spent the rest of the night watching TV while lying on my side, convinced I was transforming into a beach ball.
