Why You Get Stomach Cramps When Eating Berries
Health ConditionsDigestive Health

Why You Get Stomach Cramps When Eating Berries

Why You Get Stomach Cramps When Eating Berries
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Berries are bursting with flavor and nutrients, including fiber and various antioxidants.

 However, they may sometimes cause digestive issues alongside their many health benefits. Learning about potential causes can help you enjoy these fruits without discomfort.

Fructose Intolerance

Four types of naturally occurring sugars — including fructose, which is found in berries — can cause gas and stomach pain in sensitive people, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.

 Although berries may have less fructose than other fruit, they still contain some. If fruit, including berries, gives you gas or a stomachache, it could be from too much fructose.
People digest this natural compound differently.

 Most people tolerate fructose well, but others have trouble. If you have fructose malabsorption, your body doesn’t properly break down this sugar in the digestive system.

 It then reacts with the natural bacteria in the intestines to cause symptoms such as:
  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Belly pain
Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries have less fructose than some fruit, such as apples, peaches, cherries, and blackberries, but they still have some.

 If you experience stomach pain after eating berries or other fruit, try enjoying these foods in smaller portions. You should see a doctor if you think you may have trouble digesting fructose. Your medical team can help you learn which other foods to limit or avoid.

Digestive Disorders

Several gastrointestinal disorders can cause pain and discomfort after eating berries. For example, the American Gastroenterological Association suggests that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) use a low-fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet to determine what, if any, foods are triggering their gastrointestinal upset.

 Fructose is a type of monosaccharide (sugar).

 Sucrose, another compound found in fruit, is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose.

Several different types of foods contain FODMAPs, including some berries and fruit juices. As such, people with IBS may notice that berries trigger symptoms.

If you have recently had gastrointestinal surgery or live with a health condition such as ulcerative colitis or diverticulitis, you may need to be on a gastrointestinal soft diet (soft food diet).

 This protocol requires patients to avoid many fruits, including all berries, for a prescribed period.

If you believe a digestive disorder could be the reason berries give you diarrhea, a stomachache, or other digestive problems, consult your doctor. You may need additional testing and advice on how to avoid flare-ups. Because every case is different, it's important to get personalized advice from your medical team, which may also include a nutritionist or dietitian.

Foodborne Illnesses

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approximately one in every six Americans gets a foodborne illness in any given year. It’s rare for berries produced in the United States to cause food poisoning, but there are sometimes outbreaks linked to imported fresh and frozen berries.

 The most common types of diseases you can get from berries include norovirus and hepatitis A, both of which can cause abdominal pain and discomfort.
If you have an upset stomach after eating berries, food poisoning may be to blame. It's important to practice good food hygiene when handling and eating produce. The following precautions can help you avoid foodborne illnesses:
  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.
  • Clean utensils, cutting boards, and countertops regularly.
  • Wash all produce before preparing or eating it.
  • Cut off any damaged or bruised areas of berries before eating.
  • Separate produce from raw meats when shopping and storing food in the refrigerator.
  • Never leave perishable produce (such as cut berries) out for more than one to two hours.
  • If berries are exposed to temperatures of 90 degrees F or higher (e.g., in a hot car), refrigerate them within an hour.
  • Chill fruit at 40 degrees F or cooler.
  • Thaw frozen berries in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the counter.

The Takeaway

  • Berries are rich in nutrients, but can cause digestive issues in some people due to factors including foodborne illnesses, fructose malabsorption, and gastrointestinal disorders.
  • Washing and handling fruit safely can help prevent food poisoning, but if you think a food sensitivity or other underlying health condition is causing your discomfort, talk to your doctor.
  • If you have a condition such as IBS or ulcerative colitis, your healthcare provider may recommend changing your diet to avoid aggravating symptoms.
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.
Resources
  1. Pap N et al. Berry Polyphenols and Human Health: Evidence of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Microbiota Modulation, and Cell-Protecting Effects. Current Opinion in Food Science. December 2021.
  2. Foods Likely to Cause Gas. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.
  3. FODMAPs and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Monash University.
  4. Williams A. Fructose Malabsorption: A Beginner’s Guide to Treatment. Diet Vs. Disease. June 24, 2025.
  5. Van Oord G. Low FODMAP Fruits: A List of What You Can and Cannot Eat. Diet Vs. Disease. June 24, 2025.
  6. Chey WD et al. AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Role of Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Expert Review. Gastroenterology. May 2022.
  7. IBS and the Low FODMAP Diet. Gloucestershire Hospitals.
  8. How to Follow a Soft Food Diet. Cleveland Clinic. August 4, 2025.
  9. What You Need to Know About Foodborne Illnesses. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 17, 2025.
  10. About Four Steps to Food Safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 29, 2024.
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Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Julie Cunningham has been a registered dietitian for more than 25 years. She is a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and an international board-certified lactation consultant. She has served as the president of the Foothills Chapter of the North Carolina Dietetics Association (NCDA) and has been a member of the executive board of the NCDA.

Ms. Cunningham received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She subsequently completed a master's degree in public health nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ms. Cunningham has worked in women's and children's health, cardiology, and diabetes. She is the author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes, and she has also written for Abbott Nutrition News, Edgepark Medical Health Insights, diaTribe, Babylist, and others.

A resident of beautiful western North Carolina, Cunningham is an avid reader who enjoys yoga, travel, and all things chocolate.

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