Chocolate might also cause acid reflux. More processed chocolate confections have a lot more sugar and saturated fat. Your digestive system produces bile to process the fat in your food, which could make your stomach feel acidic. You’ll also find potential allergens, such as nuts or soy, that could trigger symptoms. Chocolate also has theobromine, which can stimulate your body like caffeine. Eating too much chocolate could make you feel nauseated, especially if you choose chocolate that’s high in theobromine, like dark chocolate (Can too much chocolate kill you? Here’s what we know).
Because 40 grams of a milk chocolate bar can have 3 grams of lactose, eating twice that can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in people with lactose intolerance. People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might also want to steer clear of chocolate. The sugar itself isn’t great for your gut, and milk chocolate has lactose that could aggravate bloating or cramping. Having IBS makes you much more susceptible to the potential gut irritants in food.