Why Do Grapes Make Your Stomach Hurt?
Health ConditionsDigestive Health

Why Do Grapes Make Your Stomach Hurt? 5 Possible Causes

If grapes cause stomach pain, diarrhea, or constipation, issues like IBS or food intolerance may be to blame.
Why Do Grapes Make Your Stomach Hurt? 5 Possible Causes
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Grapes are packed with vitamins and minerals. But they’re also high in certain nutrients that can be a source of digestive discomfort for some people. If grapes make your stomach hurt, here are some possible culprits and what you can do about it.

1. Fructose Intolerance

Stomach pain from grapes may be due to fructose malabsorption, a type of dietary intolerance where your gut can’t adequately process the sugar in fruit. In addition to stomach pain, you may experience symptoms like:

  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
Hereditary fructose intolerance is a similar but more serious inherited condition where you lack an enzyme needed to break down fructose. It can cause your blood sugar to drop and lead to dangerous buildup in your liver and kidneys. Besides stomach pain, other symptoms include:

  • Convulsions
  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Irritability
  • Jaundice
  • Vomiting

Fix It

In both cases, it’s best to limit or skip grapes and other high-fructose foods that cause stomach upset.

If you have a dietary fructose intolerance, work with your doctor or dietitian to try an elimination diet. You’ll avoid and then slowly reintroduce fructose to determine which foods and what amount of fructose leads to stomach pain.

2. Trouble Digesting Fiber

Even if you don’t have fructose malabsorption, eating a lot of grapes at once can still cause gas. That’s because fruits like grapes contain fiber, a nutrient your small intestine can’t digest.

 One cup of grapes contains about 1 gram (g) of fiber. That might not sound like much, but it can add up if you eat more than one serving.

And while fiber is good for your digestive system overall, eating a lot in one sitting can cause some serious gas as the bacteria in your large intestine breaks it down, especially if your body isn’t used to that much fiber. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should eat between 28 and 34 g of fiber a day.

 But most people don’t eat enough fiber. On average, people in the United States get about 16 g per day.

Increasing your fiber intake is a good goal, but if you do so too quickly, it can lead to stomach discomfort, cramping, burping, or passing gas.

Fix It

If you’d like to increase your fiber intake, do so gradually to allow your body to adjust. Also, drink plenty of water, which helps the fiber work better in your body.

3. Grape Allergy

Your stomachache may be the result of an allergy to grapes, grape proteins, or grape products like wine.

 An allergic reaction to grapes can cause stomach pain, along with other symptoms including:

  • Tingly or itchy mouth
  • Skin rashes like hives and eczema
  • Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, or throat
  • Wheezing or trouble breathing
  • Congestion
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness or fainting

Fix It

If you suspect you have a grape allergy, see your doctor or an allergist, who can run some tests to make sure. In the meantime, it’s best to avoid eating grapes. If you experience symptoms of anaphylaxis after eating grapes — a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction where your throat swells shut and makes it hard to breathe — seek emergency care immediately.

4. Sensitivity to Salicylates

Grapes may make your stomach hurt if you have a sensitivity to salicylates, a chemical found naturally in certain plants that protects them from fungus and disease.

 Along with stomach pain, salicylate sensitivity can also cause:

  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Asthma
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
Grapes are high in salicylates. Other foods high in salicylates include:

  • Berries
  • Cherries
  • Dried fruits
  • Pineapple
  • Plums

Fix It

If you’re sensitive to salicylates, it’s best to limit or avoid foods high in salicylates like grapes.

5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It may be harder for your body to digest high-fructose foods like grapes if you have a digestive condition like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As a result, stomach pain and other symptoms can ensue, including:

  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation

Fix It

With the help of a doctor or dietitian, it can be helpful for people with IBS to try a low-FODMAP diet to reduce and prevent symptoms. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, and fructose is considered a FODMAP.

The diet temporarily limits difficult-to-digest foods like high-fructose fruit, dairy products, and cruciferous vegetables in favor of lactose-free dairy, gentler veggies like eggplant, and low-fructose fruits like berries, and then gradually reintroduces those foods to identify which ones may be causing digestive distress.

The Takeaway

  • Grapes, while nutritious, can cause stomach discomfort for some people due to factors such as fructose intolerance, sensitivity to salicylates, or increasing fiber intake too much at one time, among others.
  • A grape allergy could also cause stomach pain. If symptoms like severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis occur after eating grapes, seek immediate medical attention to ensure proper care.
  • If you have a digestive condition like IBS, identifying potential dietary triggers like grapes with a healthcare professional through methods like a low-FODMAP diet can help manage and alleviate 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. What Is Fructose Intolerance? Cleveland Clinic. March 1, 2021.
  2. Hereditary fructose intolerance. MedlinePlus. April 24, 2023.
  3. 10 Health Benefits of Grapes. Cleveland Clinic. November 15, 2021.
  4. Nutrition Facts Grapes, red or green (european type varieties, such as, Thompson seedless), raw, 1 cup, seedless. University of Rochester Medical Center.
  5. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. December 2020.
  6. Eat more fiber-rich foods to foster heart health. Harvard Medical School. February 5, 2024.
  7. Gas and gas pains: Symptoms & causes. Mayo Clinic. January 6, 2022.
  8. Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
  9. Wüthrich B. Allergic and intolerance reactions to wine. Allergologie Select‌. September 2018.
  10. Food allergy: Symptoms & causes. Mayo Clinic. August 30, 2024.
  11. Yeasmin F et al. Natural Salicylates and Their Roles in Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences‌. 2020.
  12. Salicylate Sensitivity. Cleveland Clinic. June 25, 2025.
  13. What to Eat (and What to Avoid) When You Have IBS. Cleveland Clinic. April 9, 2025.
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Roxana Ehsani, RDN

Roxana Ehsani, RD

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Roxana Ehsani, RD, is a Miami-based licensed dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, and content creator for food and nutrition brands. She is an adjunct instructor for sports nutrition at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

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