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Overview

About Pear

Pears are one of the classic high-FODMAP fruits: they carry both excess fructose and sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, which is why "are pears high FODMAP" and "do pears cause bloating or gas" are such common questions.

On the trigger data they are clean for histamine, gluten and lactose and only borderline for salicylates, so if a pear upsets your gut the FODMAP load is almost always the reason.

Sensitivities

How Pear scores

Watch for

What trips people up

  • High in excess fructose, the type of FODMAP that draws water into the bowel and commonly triggers bloating, cramping and diarrhoea in sensitive guts
  • High in sorbitol, a polyol, so pears deliver a double FODMAP hit that a small serving rarely fixes
  • Ripeness matters: the softer and riper the pear, the more free fructose it releases
  • Only borderline for salicylates, so pears are a mild rather than a strong salicylate food

Diet fit

Where it fits

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FAQ

Common questions about Pear

Are pears high FODMAP?

Yes. Pears are high FODMAP because they combine excess fructose with sorbitol, a sugar alcohol. Very few fruits carry both, which is why pears are one of the first foods restricted during a low-FODMAP elimination and a frequent cause of bloating and loose stools.

Why do pears give me gas and bloating?

The fructose and sorbitol in pears are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, so they travel to the colon where gut bacteria ferment them. That fermentation produces gas, and the unabsorbed sugars pull water in, which is what causes the bloating and urgency.

Which fruits are gentler on the gut than pears?

Banana, orange and kiwi are all lower-FODMAP choices that do not stack fructose and sorbitol the way a pear does, so they tend to be much easier on a sensitive gut in normal portions.

References

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Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.