If you’ve got a craving for something sweet, digging into a bowl of strawberries may be just what you need. The juicy, sweet fruit can satisfy your taste buds, but for some people, it might also lead to bowel issues — indeed, strawberries can make you poop.
Strawberries’ benefits are numerous, including nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C. Still, they don’t agree with everyone, and for some people, eating too many strawberries can cause gas, diarrhea, and other issues. A serving size of strawberries is about 1 cup, or eight strawberries (depending on their size).
Here are four potential reasons that strawberries can cause bowel troubles, plus what to do about it.
1. Strawberries Are High in Fiber
Strawberries are a valuable source of dietary fiber — 1 cup of them contains about 4 grams of the nutrient.
In general, fiber is great for your health. Eating a high-fiber diet can help:
Normalize bowel movements
Maintain bowel health
Lower cholesterol levels
Control blood sugar levels
Reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers
Enjoying a single serving of strawberries — which is about 1 cup, or eight berries, depending on their size — won’t necessarily result in unpleasant digestive symptoms. But it’s possible for strawberries to make you poop if you eat too many of them, due to their high fiber content. Overloading on fiber can lead to issues like bloating, gas, cramping, and diarrhea.
Fix it: In order to reduce the risk of unpleasant side effects after eating strawberries, make sure that you are sticking to the appropriate serving size.
But don’t cut out strawberries or other fibrous foods entirely — it’s important to get plenty of fiber. According to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim to eat between 22 and 34 grams of fiber per day.
If you’re not currently eating enough fiber, ease your way up to the recommended daily amount. Adding too much fiber all at once can cause gas, bloating, and cramping.
Your body is also better able to digest fiber and other nutrients when you’re drinking enough water, so remember to always stay well-hydrated.
2. Strawberries Contain Fructose
Fructose is a sugar that occurs naturally in strawberries and other fruits, fruit juices, certain vegetables, and honey.
But some people aren’t able to adequately digest fructose. This condition is called fructose malabsorption, and it occurs when the cells of the intestine can’t absorb the sugar properly. It can lead to symptoms like:
Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea
Constipation
Stomach pain
Other people have a genetic condition called hereditary fructose intolerance, which is when your body can’t digest this type of sugar. It causes symptoms such as:
Nausea
Vomiting
Bloating
Diarrhea
Stomach pain
Low blood sugar
Liver or kidney damage (with repeated exposure)
In extreme cases, seizures or coma
And you don’t have to have one of these conditions to be sensitive to fructose — digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can also make it difficult to digest fructose.
People with IBS can have various triggers, but high-fructose foods are a common culprit. Trigger foods like these can lead to symptoms like gas, bloating, and bowel movement changes.
Fix it: If you regularly experience side effects after eating strawberries, talk to your doctor to see if you may have fructose malabsorption or IBS. Limiting your fructose intake may help you manage your symptoms.
If you’ve been diagnosed with hereditary fructose intolerance, you’ll want to avoid fructose-containing foods entirely to prevent health complications and organ damage.
3. You Have a Strawberry Intolerance
A food intolerance may be the reason that strawberries are hard to digest if the fruit regularly causes diarrhea or other bowel issues. A food intolerance is when your body has trouble processing certain foods. It can cause symptoms like:
Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Heartburn
Nausea
Headache or migraine
Fix it: Limiting or avoiding trigger foods — strawberries or otherwise — may help quell your symptoms.
4. You Have a Strawberry Allergy
A strawberry allergy isn’t common, but if you have one, eating the fruit could lead to diarrhea.
Here’s how to tell the difference between a food intolerance and an allergy: Intolerances primarily involve digestive distress, whereas allergic reactions occur when your immune system reacts to a food to produce the following symptoms:
Itchy or tingly mouth
Itching, hives, or eczema
Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, throat, or other body parts
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
Fix it: Talk to your doctor if you experience any of the signs of a food allergy after eating strawberries. If a strawberry allergy is to blame, avoiding the fruit can prevent symptoms.
Some people can have an extreme allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, where your throat swells up and makes it hard to breathe. Seek medical care immediately if this happens to you.
When to See a Doctor
If strawberries consistently cause you digestive distress, limit or avoid the fruit and talk to your doctor to get to the root of your symptoms. You should also seek medical care right away if you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as vomiting, difficulty breathing, or a rapid heartbeat.
The Takeaway
Due to their high fiber and fructose content, strawberries can lead to bowel issues like gas and diarrhea, especially if consumed in large amounts.
Make sure to stick to the recommended serving size of 1 cup to minimize these side effects.
People with a strawberry intolerance might encounter digestive issues when they eat strawberries. These issues could be more severe for those with an allergy, including potential symptoms like itchiness or swelling.
Avoid strawberries and consult a doctor if you suspect an allergy.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press.She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
Tiffany Curtis is Everydayhealth.com's health writer. She is a Philadelphia-based writer and sexuality educator. She has previously written for brands like Cosmopolitan, Business Insider, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Refinery29 and more.
