3 Reasons Why Strawberries Can Cause Gas

Strawberries are a tasty and nutritious fruit. Still, they can cause digestive distress for some. So, do strawberries cause gas?

First, the good news: This red, sweet fruit is a good source of vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber (more on that later), per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

However, if eaten in excess, strawberries are hard to digest for some people, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms like gas and upset stomach. Here are the potential reasons why strawberries cause gas:

Fiber is essential for our bowel health. People often eat more fiber to relieve constipation, and the nutrient can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, per the Mayo Clinic.

And strawberries are high in fiber — just 1 cup of the colorful fruit contains 3 grams of the nutrient, according to the Mayo Clinic.

But adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly — which can happen if you overload on strawberries — can lead to digestive troubles like gas, bloating and cramping.

‌Fix it:‌ Take it slow as you increase fiber intake, per the Mayo Clinic, as easing into it allows your digest system to adjust to processing more fibrous foods. And drink plenty of water, which may help your body better process fiber and minimize uncomfortable side effects.

If you find strawberries do cause gas every time you snack on them, it's possible you have a food intolerance, which is when your body has a hard time digesting certain ingredients, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Signs of a food intolerance include:

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

Sometimes, though, a straightforward intolerance to strawberries isn't to blame. More commonly, people have an intolerance to sugars in the fruit — typically fructose and/or sorbitol.

Per Kaiser Permanente, symptoms of fructose or sorbitol intolerance include:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea

‌Fix it:‌ Talk to your doctor if you suspect you might have an intolerance to strawberries or their sugars. Usually, reducing or eliminating the food from your diet can help you manage symptoms, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Another potential reason for strawberry gas is fructose malabsorption, a condition where the cells of the small intestine can't absorb fructose properly, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

As mentioned previously, fructose is a sugar naturally found in strawberries (along with other fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables and honey), per the Mayo Clinic. And when your digestive system doesn't absorb fructose properly, it can lead to gas, diarrhea and bloating.

It's important to note that fructose malabsorption isn't the same thing as fructose intolerance — malabsorption is when your intestinal cells aren't working properly, per the NLM. Symptoms can include:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Stomach pain

‌Fix it:‌ Talk to your doctor if you regularly experience side effects after eating strawberries to see if you may have fructose intolerance or malabsorption. Limiting your fructose intake and eating lower-fructose foods may help you manage your symptoms, per the Mayo Clinic.