What Causes Nausea and Vomiting After Eating?

Nausea and vomiting after eating can have multiple causes, but the main ones include the following: First, overeating or eating too quickly may trigger gastric retroperistalsis, leading to nausea and vomiting. Second, consuming large amounts of raw or cold food can provoke a protective reflex in the gastric mucosa, which may also result in severe nausea and vomiting.

Third, another protective reflex of the gastric mucosa occurs when toxic substances are ingested—the gastric mucosa reflexively expels these toxins via vomiting. Additionally, certain diseases may cause postprandial vomiting, such as gastritis or benign peptic ulcers.

Impaired receptive relaxation of the stomach—i.e., failure of the stomach to relax adequately in response to food intake—can also lead to vomiting after meals. Finally, gastric cancer—particularly linitis plastica (“leather bottle” stomach)—may cause nausea and vomiting due to impaired receptive relaxation and diminished gastric motility.