Butter cream frosting is considered as a pleasant treat but in some people, consuming butter cream frosting can lead to an upset stomach. It is important to note that upset stomach involves nausea, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping. Once the individual develops an upset stomach a few hours after consuming butter cream frosting in a rare episode, it might be food poisoning. If the individual develops stomach pain every time butter cream frosting is eaten, he/she might be lactose intolerant or has milk allergy. Schedule an appointment with a doctor to determine the exact cause of the upset stomach. You can enroll in a course on first aid today so that you know the steps to take whether the upset stomach is caused by food poisoning, intolerance or allergy.
Lactose intolerance
It is important to note that butter cream contains less lactose than regular milk but still capable of causing the symptoms of lactose intolerance if the individual is severely intolerant. Lactose is the sugar present in products made with milk. After the consumption of butter cream frosting, the body could not properly digest the lactose. The inability leads to intestinal irritation, foul-smelling stools, gas, nausea, cramping, bloating, stomach pain and diarrhea. The symptoms can be prevented by taking an enzyme supplement to help the body digest the lactose present in butter cream frosting.
Food poisoning
Food poisoning can occur after eating butter cream frosting if the butter cream was already sour or if the icing has been cross-contaminated by utensils or other ingredients utilized in creating the frosting.
If an individual has food poisoning, the symptoms will develop from 4-24 hours after consuming the tainted frosting. The butter cream frosting that is responsible for causing food poisoning is tainted with harmful organisms such as parasites, bacteria or toxins. The treatment for food poisoning is diet modification and getting enough rest.
Milk allergy
If an individual is highly sensitive to milk, consuming butter cream icing will trigger an allergic response. Milk allergy is due to hypersensitivity to proteins in milk – whey and casein. Take note that these proteins are present in butter cream and will instigate the immune system to attack the proteins upon ingestion. The attack will cause inflammation in the lungs, intestines and the nasal passages. An individual who is already diagnosed with milk allergy must avoid eating butter cream frosting in order to avoid an allergic reaction.
The symptoms of milk allergy can develop within a few minutes after eating the frosting or can take up to an hour to manifest. Remember that milk allergy is a serious health issue that requires assessment by a doctor. A severe allergic reaction can trigger a whole body reaction known as anaphylaxis which can lead to death if not treated properly.