Researchers studied 328 young adults to see if cooking skills could help reduce stomach issues like pain, reflux, and diarrhea. They found that people with better cooking skills reported fewer stomach problems. The study also showed that people with stomach issues weren’t eating enough protein, fiber, and certain vitamins. This suggests that learning how to cook healthy meals at home might be a simple way to feel better if you struggle with digestive discomfort.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether people who know how to cook well have fewer stomach problems like belly pain, acid reflux, and diarrhea
  • Who participated: 328 young adults between 18-35 years old (mostly women, about 84%), who answered questions about their cooking skills and stomach symptoms
  • Key finding: People with better cooking skills reported fewer stomach problems. Those with stomach issues weren’t eating enough protein, fiber, and vitamins B6, B12, and C
  • What it means for you: If you have stomach problems, improving your cooking skills and learning to prepare nutritious meals at home might help reduce your symptoms. However, this study shows a connection, not proof that cooking skills directly cause fewer stomach problems

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers looked at a group of people at one point in time rather than following them over months or years. The researchers talked face-to-face with 328 young adults and asked them questions about their cooking abilities, what they eat, and what stomach symptoms they experience. They measured cooking skills using a special questionnaire that looked at things like knowing how to prepare food, plan meals, read nutrition labels, and use different cooking methods. They also measured stomach symptoms and tracked what foods people were eating.

This type of study is useful for finding connections between two things (like cooking skills and stomach health), which can help researchers plan bigger studies in the future. By looking at real people’s actual habits and symptoms, the researchers could see patterns that might explain why some people have fewer stomach problems than others.

This study has some strengths: it included a decent number of people and asked detailed questions about both cooking skills and diet. However, because it’s a snapshot in time, we can’t be sure if better cooking skills actually cause fewer stomach problems or if people with fewer stomach problems are simply more motivated to cook. The study also included mostly young women, so the results might not apply as well to men or older adults.

What the Results Show

People who reported more stomach symptoms had lower intakes of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins B6, B12, and C. This suggests that nutritional gaps might be connected to digestive discomfort. People with better overall cooking skills reported fewer stomach problems in general. Specifically, those with belly pain had lower cooking skills scores, especially in knowing how to prepare food and plan meals. People with acid reflux also had lower cooking skills, particularly in cooking methods and meal planning. Those with diarrhea had difficulty reading and understanding nutrition labels on food packages.

The study found that different stomach problems were connected to different cooking skill gaps. Belly pain seemed most connected to not knowing how to prepare food and plan meals. Acid reflux was linked to not knowing cooking methods and meal planning. Diarrhea was specifically linked to not being able to read nutrition labels. This suggests that different cooking skills might help with different stomach issues.

Previous research has shown that cooking skills help people eat healthier, and this study adds to that by showing a possible link to stomach health. The finding that people with stomach problems eat less protein, fiber, and certain vitamins matches what other researchers have found about digestive health. This study is one of the first to directly look at whether cooking skills might help reduce stomach symptoms.

This study only shows that cooking skills and stomach symptoms are connected—it doesn’t prove that cooking skills actually prevent stomach problems. People with stomach problems might avoid cooking because they feel sick, rather than having stomach problems because they can’t cook. The study included mostly young women, so we don’t know if the same results would apply to men or older people. The study relied on people remembering what they ate and honestly reporting their symptoms, which can be inaccurate. Finally, many other factors affect stomach health (like stress, sleep, and genetics) that this study didn’t measure.

The Bottom Line

If you have stomach problems, consider learning basic cooking skills, especially meal planning and food preparation. Focus on eating enough protein, fiber, and foods rich in B vitamins and vitamin C. Learn to read nutrition labels to understand what you’re eating. Start with simple, easy-to-digest recipes and gradually expand your cooking skills. These suggestions are based on moderate evidence from this study and should be combined with advice from your doctor.

Young adults (18-35) who experience stomach pain, acid reflux, or diarrhea might benefit most from this research. People who eat mostly processed or restaurant food could especially benefit from learning to cook. However, if you have serious or persistent stomach problems, talk to a doctor first—cooking skills alone may not be enough. People with certain digestive conditions may need special diets that a doctor or dietitian should recommend.

You might notice improvements in stomach symptoms within 2-4 weeks of consistently eating better-prepared, more nutritious meals. However, some people may take longer to see changes. Building cooking skills takes practice, so be patient with yourself as you learn.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your daily cooking activities and stomach symptoms together. Log which meals you prepared at home versus bought prepared, note your stomach symptoms (pain level 1-10, reflux yes/no, digestion quality), and track protein, fiber, and vitamin intake. Look for patterns over 2-4 weeks.
  • Set a goal to cook 3-4 meals at home per week, starting with simple recipes. Use the app to learn one new cooking skill per week (like meal planning, food prep, or reading labels). Track which cooking skills you’re practicing and how your symptoms change.
  • Create a weekly check-in where you rate your overall stomach comfort, review what you cooked, and note your nutrient intake. Compare weeks where you cooked more with weeks you cooked less. After 4 weeks, review your data to see if there’s a pattern between your cooking and your symptoms.

This research shows a connection between cooking skills and stomach symptoms but does not prove that cooking skills directly cause symptom improvement. This study was conducted on young adults and may not apply to all age groups. If you have persistent or severe stomach problems, consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before making major dietary changes. This information is educational and should not replace professional medical advice. Individual results may vary based on underlying health conditions, medications, and other factors not measured in this study.