Strawberries are a tasty and nutritious snack. This red, sweet fruit is a good source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber. But strawberries don’t always sit well with everyone, and they can cause gas or digestive upset for some people.
Here are three potential reasons strawberries can cause gas and what to do about it.
1. You Could Be Eating Too Much Fiber at Once
Fiber is essential for our digestive 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.
Strawberries are high in fiber — just 1 cup of the colorful fruit contains 3 grams of the nutrient.
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim to eat between 28 and 34 grams of fiber each day. But if you’re not used to eating that much fiber, adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly — which can happen if you eat a lot of strawberries in one sitting — can lead to digestive troubles like gas, bloating, and cramping.
Fix It
If you’d like to increase fiber intake, take it slow. 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.
2. You Have a Food Intolerance
If you find strawberries do cause gas every time you snack on them, it's possible you have a food intolerance. That’s when your body has a hard time digesting certain foods or ingredients. Symptoms of a food intolerance may include:
Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea
Headache or migraine
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 or sorbitol. 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. If your doctor diagnoses you with a food intolerance, reducing or eliminating the food from your diet can usually help you manage symptoms. It can also help to consult with a registered dietitian-nutritionist, who can help you navigate any new dietary restrictions.
3. Your Body Can't Absorb Fructose
Another potential reason for gas after eating strawberries is fructose malabsorption, a condition where the cells of the intestines can't absorb fructose properly. Fructose is a sugar naturally found in strawberries (along with other fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables, and honey).
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 MedlinePlus. Symptoms can include:
Passing gas
Bloating
Constipation
Diarrhea
Fix It
Talk to your doctor if you regularly experience side effects after eating strawberries to see if you may have fructose malabsorption. If your doctor diagnoses you with fructose malabsorption, limiting your fructose intake and eating lower-fructose foods may help you manage your symptoms. You may also want to talk to a registered dietitian-nutritionist, who can help you navigate any new dietary restrictions you may have.
The Takeaway
Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber, but their high fiber content can cause gas if you consume too much too quickly.
If you notice that strawberries consistently upset your stomach, you might have a food intolerance, particularly to the sugars in strawberries like fructose or sorbitol. Consulting with a healthcare provider can help you diagnose any potential food intolerances.
Fructose malabsorption is a condition that could lead to gassiness when eating fruits like strawberries, as it affects your body's ability to absorb certain sugars. If you suspect fructose malabsorption, talk to your doctor about your 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.
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.
She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.
Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
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.
