Can Your Body Forget How to Digest Meat? More and more people are choosing to eat less meat. Some do this for health reasons, while others want to help the environment. However, when people stop eating meat for a long time and then eat it again, they sometimes feel sick. They may have stomachaches and wonder if their bodies have "forgotten" how to digest meat. Although there is not much scientific research on this, some people believe it happens. Experts say that even if science doesn’t fully explain this, stomach problems can still occur. However, these issues are not caused by an allergy to meat. True meat allergies are very rare. Sometimes, if vegetarians accidentally eat meat, they might feel sick because they believe it will make them unwell. But normally, the body has no problem digesting meat. It produces special proteins called enzymes, which help break down both meat and plant-based food. The human body is very flexible. The enzymes used to digest meat also work for vegetables. If someone eats mostly plants, their stomach adapts to that diet. If they start eating meat again, their body will quickly adjust. It is not true that the body "forgets" how to process meat. When people change their diet, the bacteria in their stomach change too, but their ability to digest protein stays the same. In fact, eating a lot of fiber suddenly can cause more stomach problems than eating meat after a long break. So, there is no need to worry. The body is very good at adjusting to different foods. If someone has stomach problems after eating meat again, the cause is likely something else, not the loss of their ability to digest it. (Adapted from https://www.bbc.com/)