Experts Reveal There Is Such Thing As Too Much Hummus And It Can Harm Your Body

Plenty of people around the world will hold hummus up as one of the best foods around.

It's the perfect compliment to a cheeky cheese board, or to consume with all the carrots and celery sticks imaginable.

While these hummus-lovers might not want to hear this: there is a limit to how much you should be eating.

This isn't a question of how much someone can individually devour in a single sitting (I've personally seen a friend try to eat a one kilo tub of the stuff because he was dared to), but more of how much the body can tolerate in general.

Nutritionist Heather Hanks has explained on the Eat This, Not That podcast that hummus is a really healthy snack.

She added: "It is full of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals-all the makings of a nutritious food...[but] hummus is made from chickpeas, which are a legume.

"These can be hard to digest for many people, and induce GI [gastrointestinal] inflammation."

As a result, if you start to feel bloated, gassy or you can't stop burping, then that's your body telling you you've had too much.

If your body can process fibre well then you'll be miles in front of your friends who can't get the indigestible parts of plant foods through their system as easily.

But fear not, you can allow your body to eat more hummus if you steadily and gradually increase your fibre intake - aka the secret to more hummus is more hummus.

Dietition Kelsey Lorencz said while you might want to dive into a tub of hummus like it's nothing but air, it's important to take it step-by-step.

"If you are just starting to eat hummus (or any fiber-rich food), start with a couple of tablespoons and make sure you are drinking plenty of water to help move the fiber through your system,' she said.

Taking this route will mean you won't get the sudden onset of stomach issues and can enjoy the creamy, delicious mixture without feeling sick and uneasy.

Thankfully, because there's around 400 calories in a standard cheese-board sized hummus tub, it's not going to wreak havoc on your waistline.

So take it easy when you hit the hummus next time otherwise you could be keeled over and feeling like a bloated ball of pain for a while.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Food, News

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie