2. Pears Can Cause Gas
Gas starts with the fermentation of sugar alcohols, or polyols, in the large intestine, states Carol Ireton-Jones, RDN, PhD, owner of Good Nutrition for Good Living in Dallas. “You may find this more in someone with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than someone without IBS,” she says.
Your body doesn’t absorb polyols well, Ireton-Jones advises. “A little might be okay, but if you eat too much, it’s going to go from the small intestine to the large intestine, where it’s not supposed to be. Here, it can cause things like diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain,” Dr. Ireton-Jones says.
One type of sugar alcohol or polyol is sorbitol, which you’ll find in diet products, candy, medications, and chewing gum, according to Kaiser Permanente. Consuming it can lead to gas, bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, says Elena Ivanina, DO, an integrative gastroenterologist in New York City and founder of Gut Love.
