6 Reasons Your Stomach Hurts After Eating Fruit and What to Do About It

Fruit is nature's sweet treat that's both nutritious and delicious. But it's not so sweet if you feel sick after you eat it. So why do you get stomach pain after eating fruit and what can you do to ease your discomfort?

We've all heard we should eat more servings of fruits and veggies. That's because a diet rich in assorted plants can help lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

On the flip side, it's also possible to experience unpleasant side effects like stomach pain after eating fruit (along with other digestive symptoms). To help you get to the bottom of your aches, here are the potential reasons why fruit makes your stomach hurt as well as remedies to try to help you feel better.

One reason why you might get a stomachache after eating fruit is because your body has trouble digesting fructose.

Fructose is one of the naturally occurring sugars found in fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables and honey, per the Mayo Clinic. When your digestive system doesn't absorb fructose properly, it can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea and gas.

There are a couple types of fructose-related digestive issues you could have. First is fructose malabsorption, a condition where the cells of the small intestine can't properly absorb the sugar, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

It leads to symptoms like:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Stomach pain

Or you may have hereditary fructose intolerance, a genetic condition where you lack an enzyme that breaks down the sugar, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Fructose intolerance shows up during infancy and can lead to serious complications like liver and kidney damage due to the buildup of undigested fructose. It also causes symptoms like:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Low blood sugar
• Seizures or coma (in extreme cases)

Fructose can also cause stomach pain and other symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), who may need to avoid high-fructose fruits — like apples, pears and dried fruit — altogether, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Talk to your doctor if you regularly experience side effects after eating fruit to find out if you have fructose intolerance or malabsorption.

People with hereditary fructose intolerance should completely avoid foods or drinks that contain the sugar, per the Cleveland Clinic. If you have malabsorption, eating lower-fructose foods and limiting your fructose intake can help curb stomach cramps after eating fruit.

Some lower-fructose options to try include:

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Cranberries
• Cantaloupe
• Lemons and limes
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Strawberries

Fiber plays a major role in digestive health. People often turn to it for constipation relief, but the nutrient can also help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease, in addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, per the Mayo Clinic.

Fruit is a major source of the nutrient, although some fruits contain more fiber than others. High-fiber options include:

• Apples with skin
• Bananas
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

But while the nutrient is an essential part of a balanced diet, eating too much fiber too quickly — which can happen if you eat a lot of high-fiber fruit — can lead to distressing symptoms like intestinal gas, stomach bloating and cramping, per the Mayo Clinic.

One remedy for preventing stomach pain after eating mangoes and other high-fiber fruits is to gradually increase your fiber intake over the course of a few weeks.

Easing into eating more fiber helps your digestive system better adjust to the nutrient, per the Mayo Clinic. And be sure to hydrate, as drinking plenty of water can also help minimize stomach pain and other side effects. Aim for about 22 to 34 grams of fiber a day, per the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Another reason why you may feel sick after eating fruit is that you have a food intolerance.

Indeed, people with a food intolerance or sensitivity have a hard time digesting certain foods or chemicals in foods, per the Cleveland Clinic. For example, your body might react to chemicals called histamines that are found naturally in bruits like bananas and pineapples.

Signs of a food intolerance include:

• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Bloating
• Headaches or migraines
• Nausea
• Upset stomach
• Heartburn

In some cases, a particular food — or in this case, fruit — ‌isn't‌ to blame. You may instead have an intolerance to sugars in the fruit, like fructose, as mentioned above.

Your doctor can help you determine if you have a specific food intolerance or sensitivity. Typically, you can manage symptoms like stomach pain after eating fruit by reducing or eliminating the trigger food from your diet, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Though uncommon, another possible reason why you feel sick after eating fruit is that you're allergic. Per the Mayo Clinic, allergic reactions to food, including fruit, can cause the following symptoms:

• Itchy or tingly mouth
• Hives, itching or eczema
• Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, throat or other body parts
• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting

It's important to note that a food allergy isn't the same thing as a food intolerance or sensitivity. Food intolerances tend to result in digestive troubles, while allergic reactions often have more respiratory or skin-related symptoms.

Fruit is also associated with oral allergy syndrome, which is a reaction to pollen rather than to the fruit itself. While it shouldn't cause stomach pain, it can result in an itchy mouth and throat after eating fruit, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Tell your doctor if you experience an allergic reaction eating fruit. If a specific fruit is a trigger, avoiding it altogether can help prevent symptoms, per the Mayo Clinic.

If you have an underlying condition like acid reflux — when acid in your stomach persistently leaks back into your esophagus — certain fruits and other foods can lead to aggravating symptoms, per the Cleveland Clinic.

People with chronic acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, can experience the following symptoms, especially after eating acidic, spicy or fried foods:

• Heartburn
• Regurgitation
• Feeling of food caught in your throat
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Trouble swallowing
• Vomiting
• Sore throat and hoarseness

And a common sensation that comes with heartburn is — you guessed it — stomach pain, per the Mayo Clinic, which may be to blame for your fruit-related upset stomach.

Speak with your doctor if you experience reflux symptoms or need help better managing the condition. Your doctor may prescribe acid-reducing medications or recommend avoiding triggering foods, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Occasionally, raw fruit can harbor ‌Salmonella‌ bacteria, which is a common cause of food poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms such as stomach pain, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea can start anywhere from six hours to six days after you ate the contaminated fruit, so it's not always easy to tell where your symptoms came from.

Food poisoning symptoms usually resolve on their own. In the meantime, make sure to drink plenty of water to replace the fluids you're losing through vomit and diarrhea. Consider adding some electrolytes to your water if you're concerned about dehydration, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Talk to a doctor, per the CDC, if:

• You have blood in your stool
• Your diarrhea lasts more than three days
• You have a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit
• You're vomiting so often you can't keep liquids down
• You have signs of dehydration like feeling dizzy when you stand
• You're pregnant