Severe Stomachache after mixing Huel with fruits (Goji berries)

Experiences
1

Hi there,

I am a new user and I had my first delivery at the beginning of March. I have used Huel Unsweetened & Unflavoured for a week with no issues, didn’t take it on the weekend and skipped Monday too as I wasn’t at home on Sunday night to prepare it. I started again on Tuesday, as usual, 1 scoop for breakfast with 200ml of milk, a shot of coffee and a banana and 3 scoops for lunch with 40g of Goji berries and half Avocado.

After breakfast, I felt a bit weird but nothing major, after lunch I started to feel pain in my stomach, slowly building up for about 1 hour until it was really strong and I couldn’t just ignore it anymore. So I went to the toilet, tried to see if I had to go but nothing. As I was walking back to my desk I started to feel dizzy and I felt like I was going to pass out, so I reached for some sugar sachets. Had a bit of water with sugar and I was better but the pain was still there and I was a bit shaky.

Went to the toilet again and decided to throw up as I couldn’t stand the pain any longer. I couldn’t. So I 've been walking around the office like a lost soul in pain for about an hour until I felt I was going to throw up, so I went to the toilet, once again, and I threw up.

I felt much better but I was really weak and the pain persisted so I decided to go home where I took some Pepto Bismol and I fell asleep straight away (it was 5 pm), woke up at 9 pm had dinner and went to bed again.

That was last week, after that I thought, wow it can’t be Huel, I have used it for a week and it was fine what the hell! So I gave my body a week to calm down and I tried again today and guess what? Breakfast was fine but after lunch… Same thing! This excruciating pain started about 30 minutes after I finished my Huel and lasted for about 3.5 hours, I am still sore as I am writing this. I had Pepto Bismol with me today so I managed to control the pain and I didn’t throw up.

This is very annoying as I was looking forward to using Huel and now I just can’t! And I am also stuck with a whole unopened bag, if anyone wants it!

Has anyone had a similar experience or can help understand what the issue might be? It’s so weird that with the same exact ingredients it was fine for a whole week and now I can’t take it for one day.

Appreciate any response.

2

Have you tried just Huel without all that weird stuff in there?

Just pure scoops and water?

1 Like
3

No, I haven’t. But as I said it was fine for a whole week with all “that weird stuff in there”

4

Worth a go then!

1 Like
5

Could it be the fibre content? Sounds like a huge amount - perhaps more than you’ve had in the past?

I found the same myself. Gradually increasing from 2 scoops per day upto 2x3 scoops, aiming for 2x4 scoops over about a month or so.

6

Have you had similar issues? But even if that was the case, I don’t understand why I didn’t have issues during the first week

7

I find mixing certain fruit with Huel causes me digestive issues, whereas I don’t get any digestive or stomach problems at all on days I consume Huel but not fruit or fruit juice.

It’s probably not the same in your case, but I get all those problems you’ve described if I eat bananas. Severe pain, sweating, nausea, stuck on the toilet for hours - absolute hell.
This is the second post I’ve seen about someone consuming Huel with banana and mentioning these symptoms exactly, and I can’t help wondering if others are allergic to bananas but don’t realise it - it’s actually a fairly common intolerance. Worth checking out anyway.
Regardless, it’s definitely worth trying Huel on it’s own (just 2 scoops a day to start) without other fruits and fibres added, and drink plenty water, and see if you’re ok or not.

2 Likes
8

Thank you, I think I might give it a go by itself. I eat bananas regularly by themselves and I never had any issues, so I doubt it’s that.

1 Like
9

Hi @iarybreko. How often and for how long have you been eating avocado and goji berries?

1 Like
10

I bought a big pack of goji around the same time I got my first Huel delivery, I had them before but not daily, avocado has been in my diet for years now, I am just surprised everything was fine the first week and now it gets really bad after one meal

11

I was just wondering as both are high fructose. Perhaps try dropping the goji berries for a while and see if that helps.

2 Likes
12

Having the UU on its own can be pretty miserable though so maybe get some cacao powder or something… if only there was someone here who could recommend one… :eyes:

13

UPDATE: I think the gogji berries are the problem. I just had a handful in oats and I am experiencing stomach pain.

So weird thought that it was fine for a whole week and now I can’t have them.

And ye @RyanT UU plain is not great on its own

27

3 Likes
14

Food intolerances are like that. A certain amount and you’re ok, then whoops!

15

Don’t want to be that guy but would love if you could maybe change the clickbaity title from “Severe stomach ache after taking Huel” to “Severe stomach ache after mixing goji berries and Huel” or even just the goji berries up to you

3 Likes
16

Or maybe try a shake without the goji berries first and report back, I hope it agrees with you better :slight_smile:

17

So I have removed the goji berries from the equation and everything is fine, the only thing is that the UU is really horrible on its own and I don’t really want to use sweeteners, any advice on how to make it better?

18

I like extract of goji berry.

1 Like
19

I actually use MyProtein FlavDrops to make the U/U more enjoyable :rofl:
A little ironic, isn’t it.

Could do, depending on what exactly in the goji berries trigger the allergic reactions :stuck_out_tongue:

20

Thanks Chris but I don’t really want to take sweeteners, otherwise I would’ve got a flavoured Huel! Hahah