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wasabi

wasabi

Condiments & Sauces

Is wasabi high in gos?

GOS status
Safe

Is wasabi high or low in gos? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.

Sensitivity notes

Why gos food checker matters

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are carbohydrates found mainly in legumes and some vegetables. They're a FODMAP that can ferment in the gut, causing bloating and discomfort in sensitive people.

  • Canned and rinsed legumes are lower in GOS than dried
  • Start with smaller portions and build up tolerance
  • Some people find beano-type enzymes helpful
  • Firm tofu is lower in GOS than silken tofu
  • Sprouted legumes may be better tolerated

Sensitivities

What wasabi contains

FODMAPs

FODMAPsHigh
FructansSafe
GOSSafe
FructoseSafe
PolyolsHigh
LactoseSafe

Histamine & Amines

HistamineLow
Histamine LiberatorsLow
TyramineLow

Plant compounds

SalicylatesLow
OxalatesLow
LectinSafe
NightshadesSafe

Irritants

CaffeineSafe
AlcoholSafe
Spicy FoodsAvoid
Acidic Foods

Additives

SulfitesLow
NitritesSafe
GlutamatesLow

Allergens

Dairy ProteinsSafe
GlutenSafe
EggSafe
PeanutSafe
Tree NutsSafe
SoySafe
FishSafe
CrustaceansSafe
MolluscsSafe
SesameSafe
CelerySafe
MustardHigh
LupinSafe
Alpha-galSafe
NickelLow

Diet fit

Where wasabi fits

Therapeutic diets

Low HistamineFit
Low SalicylateFit
Low FermentationLow
EoE CompatibleFit
AIPAvoid
InflammationFit
Reflux DietAvoid
Specific CarbohydrateCheck
Low FibreFit
Gastroparesis DietCheck

Lifestyle diets

VeganFit
VegetarianFit
PescatarianFit
MediterraneanFit
DASH DietFit
PaleoFit
Whole30Check
KetoCheck
Low-carbFit

Religious diets

HalalFit
KosherFit
Hindu (no beef)Fit
JainCheck
Buddhist VegetarianFit
Orthodox FastingFit
Ingredient notes

What to know about wasabi

Most wasabi eaten outside Japan is not wasabi. Real Wasabia japonica is slow, fussy and expensive to grow, so the green paste in tubes, in sachets and on supermarket sushi is usually horseradish plus mustard, colouring and a binder, with little or no actual wasabi rhizome in it. That matters for a trigger journal, because what you are really recording is the substitute's ingredient list rather than the plant. Wasabi is graded D for FODMAPs and D for polyols here, and prepared paste is a large part of why: sorbitol is a standard ingredient in tube wasabi, used to keep it moist. Everything else sits in the borderline band rather than the high one, with histamine B, histamine liberator B, tyramine B, salicylate B, oxalate B, sulfite B, nickel B and glutamates B.

Watch for

  • Polyols D and FODMAPs D.Check the tube for sorbitol, which is added to commercial wasabi paste as a humectant. If polyols are your known trigger, freshly grated horseradish root has a one-item ingredient list and none of it
  • Read the paste, not the name.Typical tube ingredients are horseradish, mustard, oil, salt, thickener and colours, often a blue and a yellow used together to make green, or spirulina in the natural versions. If you react to azo colourings or to mustard, that is the exposure, not the wasabi
  • The heat is chemically different from chilli.Wasabi and horseradish heat comes from allyl isothiocyanate, which is volatile, so it rushes into the sinuses and fades within a couple of minutes. Chilli capsaicin stays on the tongue and lingers. Streaming eyes and a nose hit are an irritant response and not by themselves an allergic one
  • The borderline grades stack.Histamine B, liberator B, tyramine B and glutamates B are individually mild, but wasabi almost never arrives alone. Soy sauce, pickled ginger and vinegared rice are all on the same plate, and the meal as a whole may be the trigger
  • Freshly grated real wasabi loses its pungency fast, within roughly fifteen minutes, because the compound responsible evaporates.Restaurants that serve the real thing grate it to order, which is a useful tell for what you actually ate
Learn More

GOS Guide

Everything you need to know about gos sensitivity and smart food choices.

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are carbohydrates found mainly in legumes and some vegetables. They're a FODMAP that can ferment in the gut, causing bloating and discomfort in sensitive people.

Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.

These foods are generally well-tolerated for GOS sensitivity:

View all safe options

These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:

If you're sensitive to GOS, consider these strategies:

  • 1Canned and rinsed legumes are lower in GOS than dried
  • 2Start with smaller portions and build up tolerance
  • 3Some people find beano-type enzymes helpful
  • 4Firm tofu is lower in GOS than silken tofu
  • 5Sprouted legumes may be better tolerated

Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.

Want personalized tracking?

Download Triggerbites to log meals, track symptoms, and discover your unique triggers.

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FAQ

Is wasabi high in GOS?

GOS: low signal for most people.

Can I still eat wasabi if I'm sensitive to GOS?

Usually fine in normal portions.

What else should I check?

Check Spicy Foods, FODMAPs, and Polyols next for a fuller picture.