Michael Smith managed to get rid of his heartburn and gas symptoms by adopting an elimination diet, which cut out three main things from his daily meals.
The Sheffield Wednesday forward has been playing professional football since 2010, and has played for the likes of Charlton Athletic, Bury, Rotherham United and most recently, the Owls. The 33-year-old boasts quite the scoring record, having found the net 133 times and contributed 19 assists over a span of 528 career appearances.
Most notably, he has scored a few in the League One play-offs and in 2023, he helped Wednesday to a promotion push that saw them head back up to the Championship.
However, Smith revealed while at Rotherham, he had been dealing with a personal health battle behind the scenes for half of his career. The striker states that for at least four years, his heartburn and gas symptoms had been sapping away at his energy levels, and causing him issues on the pitch.
York Test reported that Smith soothed the constant issues with Rennie and Gaviscon tablets, but he eventually decided to find out the source of the discomfort.
Following an inconclusive endoscopy, the footballer undertook a food intolerance test - which revealed a trio of food ingredients responsible for provoking his symptoms. Food intolerances can catch people off guard, as they tend to surface in adulthood after having no problems in previous years.
According to the test results conducted by York Test from 200 options, eggs, yeast, and cow’s milk were pinpointed as the instigators behind Smith's heartburn and gas issues.
Reflecting on the discovery in 2021, Smith said: "This was really hard as the things I am intolerant to are in most things."
Yeast is a common component found in various products, including wine, beer, bread, fermented foods such as pickles and vinegar, and even some fruits.
Milk is a staple ingredient in countless dishes, while eggs are often a crucial part of an athlete's diet to boost protein intake. They also play a role in numerous meals and desserts.
Despite how common these foods were in life, the persistent issues that Smith was experiencing were deemed a bigger issue to the footballer than cutting out some things from his diet.
Following the introduction of an elimination diet, the veteran striker saw a noticeable improvement in his health and energy levels within just two weeks.
The Championship player added: "It's made life much easier. I feel more energetic and less fatigued."
Wednesday fans will be hoping Smith's energy is at a high for their upcoming 3pm home game against Oxford United on Saturday. The team is aiming to break a four-game losing streak at home and keep their playoff hopes alive.
English (United States) ·