We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Why Trust Us?
If you find yourself experiencing bloating, cramping, and frequent trips to the bathroom, you may be one of the nearly 45 million people in the United States who experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). And like many gut-related diseases, there are foods to avoid with IBS and foods to eat with IBS to relieve symptoms. We chatted with experts to break down exactly how to change your diet for the best IBS relief.
IBS is a chronic condition that affects the large intestine. Those who suffer from it can experience severe stomach pain from foods that many of us eat without problems every day, like pasta and onions. While stress can be an IBS trigger for some people, in many cases, a specific food or food group is the culprit.
There is no official test for IBS, but if you are diagnosed with the condition, “there are a few diagnostic tests that can give some clues as to which foods are responsible for your symptoms,” explains Karen Ansel, R.D.N., C.D.N., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer.
Then, the best course of action is to work with your doctor or registered dietitian to pinpoint the foods that don’t work well for you, because not everyone has the same trigger foods. “Switching up your diet is going to be your first line of defense,” Ansel says. “Because this often involves a lot of trial and error, it’s key to work with a health professional, such as a gastroenterologist or registered dietitian, who can help you know which foods to eliminate, which to reintroduce, and how to fill any nutrient gaps in the process.”
The key here is that following an IBS-friendly diet isn’t a permanent way to eat and shouldn’t be followed forever, explains Lauren Harris-Pincus, M.S., R.D.N., author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook and owner of Nutrition Starring You. This is because many of these foods provide essential vitamins and minerals to your diet and shouldn’t be eliminated unless they’re causing your gut distress. A professional can work with you to eliminate the foods to first reduce symptoms and then slowly add foods back into your diet to evaluate your reaction, she explains.
“Often, avoidance of common trigger foods will lead to a reduction in IBS symptoms. If specific triggers can be identified, someone with IBS might choose to avoid or limit those few foods in the long term,” explains Max Pitman M.D., Medical Director, Salvo Health. “In many cases, though, IBS can improve over time with adequate treatment, including medications, supplements, and diet or lifestyle changes, and after the symptoms are much improved, you might not be as sensitive to certain foods that used to trigger symptoms.”
So, which foods might you be told to keep off your plate? Here are 17 that are known IBS triggers.
1
Wheat foods
People with IBS may experience diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and other stomach problems from wheat-based foods, even if they don’t have celiac disease. This includes foods like cereal, grains, pasta, bread, baked goods, crackers, and granola. Though you very well may have a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, the protein found in wheat products, Harris-Pincus explains that fructan in wheat products may be triggering some IBS issues.
In order to get enough fiber in your diet without wheat-based foods, Ansel suggests reaching for wild rice, millet, buckwheat, and gluten-free oats.
2
Onions and garlic
While onions and garlic add a burst of flavor to just about every meal, they can seriously mess with your stomach. Why? They’re part of a group of hard-to-digest carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols). These FODMAPs are fermentable fibers that tend to cause symptoms in people with IBS, Harris-Pincus says.
Your body may have a hard time breaking down the fructooligosaccharides in garlic and onions, also knowns as fructans. In turn, these carbohydrates end up hanging out in your large intestine, where naturally occurring bacteria ferment them. The result? Bloating, gas, and stomach pain, according to a review of research published in Current Gastroenterology Reports.
3
Legumes
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas may be heart-healthy and good sources of plant-based protein, but they contain galactooligosaccharides. Just like fructans, these carbs may have a hard time making their way through your digestive system, so they set up shop and end up fermenting in your gut instead.
Dr. Pitman adds that though beans and legumes can cause gas and bloat with IBS, they also have a lot of fiber which can help normalize bathroom trips. So, they’re important not to remove from your diet if they’re well tolerated.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
4
Dairy products
Milk, soft cheeses, some yogurts, and ice cream can be a problem if you have IBS, thanks to their abundance of disaccharides (a type of sugar), often in the form of lactose. Because lactose intolerance and IBS have similar symptoms, make sure you talk to your doc to figure out which one you’re dealing with.
“In general, I find that dairy is a more common trigger of IBS symptoms than wheat, but certain types of dairy are naturally lower in lactose like hard cheese or greek yogurt, and these are less likely to cause symptoms,” Dr. Pitman says.
If dairy is the source of your discomfort, getting enough vitamin D and calcium can be tricky, so you’ll want to load up on fortified foods, a supplement, or both, Ansel says.
5
Certain fruits and vegetables
It’s hard to believe that fresh produce may be the source of your digestive woes, especially because they’re so rich in disease-fighting nutrients. Unfortunately, some fruits and vegetables are high in oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols that don’t play nice with your stomach. Here are the common offenders to watch out for:
- Artichokes
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Apples
- Pears
- Cherries
Dr. Pitman adds that less-sweet fruits tend to be better tolerated, like raspberries and blueberries.
6
Sweeteners and sugar substitutes
IBS doesn’t discriminate when it comes to the sweet stuff: honey, agave nectar, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar substitutes like sorbitol and xylitol (found in sugar-free gum and mints) can spell disaster. All of them are packed with hard-to-digest carbs, so they’re also easily fermented by the bacteria in your gut, giving rise to IBS symptoms.
“High fructose corn syrup is high in FODMAPs and should be avoided whenever possible. Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol and mannitol can trigger a lot of symptoms as well,” Dr. Pitman says. He notes that drinks that are sweetened with cane sugar or evaporated cane juice tend to be ok, especially in smaller amounts.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
7
Coffee and alcohol
Food and drinks that contain caffeine stimulate movement within your colon, which is why you’re always running to the bathroom after your morning cup of Joe, according to a 2016 review of research. Coffee is one of the most frequently reported trigger foods in patients with IBS.
co*cktails won’t do you any favors, either. A study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology found that women with IBS experienced more GI symptoms—like nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea—after binge drinking (defined as four or more drinks in one sitting) than women who didn’t suffer from the condition. Drinking too much booze may also damage the lining of your GI tract, which can interfere with your bowel movements.
8
Packaged foods
If you want to get to the bottom of your tummy troubles, you need to read nutrition labels very carefully. Some of your go-to convenience meals and flavorings—like cereal, soups, spice mix, salad dressings, or frozen dinners—may contain FODMAPs in disguise.
For instance, “natural flavoring” or “dehydrated vegetables” in a spice mix may contain garlic or onion powder, while “natural sweeteners” in a dressing could point to honey or agave. If it’s not totally clear what’s in something, try to find an alternative product that’s more transparent about its ingredients.
Alisa Hrustic
Deputy Editor, Prevention
Alisa Hrustic is the deputy editor at Prevention, where she leads the brand’s digital editorial strategy. She’s spent the last five years interviewing top medical experts, interpreting peer-reviewed studies, and reporting on health, nutrition, weight loss, and fitness trends for national brands like Women’s Health and Men’s Health. She spends most of her days diving into the latest wellness trends, writing and editing stories about health conditions, testing skincare products, and trying to understand the next greatest internet obsession.
Arielle Weg
Arielle Weg is the associate editor at Prevention and loves to share her favorite wellness and nutrition obsessions. She previously managed content at The Vitamin Shoppe, and her work has also appeared in Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, and more. You can usually find her taking an online workout class or making a mess in the kitchen, creating something delicious she found in her cookbook collection or saved on Instagram.
