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aguas frescas
Beverages
Is aguas frescas high in polyols?
Is aguas frescas high or low in polyols? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
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Compare aguas frescas across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why polyols food checker matters
Polyols (sugar alcohols) are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and are used as artificial sweeteners. They're poorly absorbed and can cause digestive symptoms, especially in IBS sufferers.
- Avoid sugar-free products with sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol
- Stone fruits are naturally high in polyols
- Cooking doesn't reduce polyol content
- Avocado portion size matters - small amounts may be fine
- Cauliflower and mushrooms are common triggers
Sensitivities
What aguas frescas contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where aguas frescas fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about aguas frescas
Aguas frescas are the big glass vitroleros of fruit water sold across Mexico and Central America, and they are a serving format rather than a recipe. Water, something to flavour it and sugar is the whole definition, and the something ranges from hibiscus flowers to rice and cinnamon to tamarind pulp to blended melon. That matters enormously for trigger tracking, because those drinks have almost nothing in common chemically. Our grades reflect a blend rather than a single food: FODMAPs C, excess fructose C, histamine C, salicylates C, sulfites C and fermentability for SIBO C, with unrated columns where the answer genuinely depends on which jar you pointed at. Nothing on the page is graded high, and that is honest rather than reassuring, since a watermelon agua fresca and an agua de jamaica sit at opposite ends of the fructose question while sharing this one grade. The two constants worth planning around are the added sugar, which is generous and adjusted to taste rather than to a recipe, and the fruit choice. If aguas frescas sit badly with you, the useful move is to stop logging the category and start logging the flavour: jamaica, horchata, tamarindo and sandía are four different experiments, not four versions of one.
Watch for
- The category grade is an average of unrelated drinks.Every C on this page is a blend across hibiscus, rice, tamarind and melon versions, so treat it as a starting point and record the specific agua you drank
- Sugar is added to taste, not to a formula, and the servings are large.That is what drives the C for excess fructose and the C for SIBO fermentability, and it is dose led: a small cup and a refilled litre jar are different exposures
- The fruit does most of the deciding.A melon or watermelon based agua brings the fructose load of the fruit with it, whereas agua de jamaica is essentially hibiscus infusion with sugar and carries almost none of it
- Horchata is the odd one out and has its own page.It is built on rice and cinnamon and is very often finished with evaporated or condensed milk, so it can carry lactose and dairy protein that no fruit agua fresca contains
- Sulfites and salicylates both land at C, and the likeliest routes in are the shortcuts rather than the fruit: tamarind pulp, hibiscus and fruit concentrates, and powdered drink mixes used in place of fresh blending
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Polyols Guide
Everything you need to know about polyols sensitivity and smart food choices.
Polyols (sugar alcohols) are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and are used as artificial sweeteners. They're poorly absorbed and can cause digestive symptoms, especially in IBS sufferers.
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 Polyols sensitivity:
View all safe options
These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:
These foods are high in polyols and may trigger symptoms:
View full list
If you're sensitive to Polyols, consider these strategies:
- 1Avoid sugar-free products with sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol
- 2Stone fruits are naturally high in polyols
- 3Cooking doesn't reduce polyol content
- 4Avocado portion size matters - small amounts may be fine
- 5Cauliflower and mushrooms are common triggers
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
Want personalized tracking?
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Get the AppFAQ
Is aguas frescas high in Polyols?
Polyols: higher signal - consider smaller servings or swaps.
Can I still eat aguas frescas if I'm sensitive to Polyols?
Best to avoid or test carefully with a small amount.
What else should I check?
Check AIP, Specific Carbohydrate, and Whole30 next for a fuller picture.