Back to Polyols food checker
bean sprouts

bean sprouts

Vegetables

Is bean sprouts high in polyols?

Polyols status
Safe

Is bean sprouts 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.

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 bean sprouts contains

FODMAPs

FODMAPsLow
FructansSafe
GOSSafe
FructoseSafe
PolyolsSafe
LactoseSafe

Histamine & Amines

Histamine
Histamine LiberatorsSafe
TyramineSafe

Plant compounds

SalicylatesLow
Oxalates
LectinAvoid
NightshadesSafe

Irritants

CaffeineSafe
AlcoholSafe
Spicy FoodsSafe
Acidic FoodsSafe

Additives

SulfitesSafe
NitritesSafe
GlutamatesSafe

Allergens

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

Diet fit

Where bean sprouts fits

Therapeutic diets

Low HistamineFit
Low SalicylateFit
Low FermentationSafe
EoE CompatibleFit
AIPAvoid
InflammationFit
Reflux DietFit
Specific CarbohydrateCheck
Low FibreAvoid
Gastroparesis DietAvoid

Lifestyle diets

VeganFit
VegetarianFit
PescatarianFit
MediterraneanFit
DASH DietFit
PaleoCheck
Whole30Check
KetoFit
Low-carbFit

Religious diets

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

What to know about bean sprouts

Bean sprouts look like a plain salad vegetable, but a sprouted mung bean is still a legume, and the grades show it. They come back high in lectins, the one criterion where sprouts genuinely stand out, because germinating a seed does not remove the lectins it carries and eating sprouts raw skips the heat that breaks them down. They also grade moderate for nickel and borderline on FODMAPs, so a tangle on top of a bowl of pho is a very different exposure from a raw plateful. Everywhere else they are clean: no gluten, no lactose, no polyols or excess fructose, and nothing flagged for nightshade, sulfite or glutamate.

Watch for

  • Graded high in lectins.Sprouting is often sold as the thing that removes them, but raw sprouts never get the cooking heat that actually breaks lectins down, so a quick blanch or a hard stir fry is the difference if you are on a lectin-restricted plan
  • Raw sprouts are the produce item food safety agencies single out.Seeds are germinated in warm, humid conditions that suit Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria as much as the sprout, and they have caused repeated outbreaks. Cooking removes the risk, and people who are pregnant, older or immunocompromised are advised to skip raw sprouts entirely
  • Moderate on nickel, which is worth knowing if you have systemic nickel allergy, since legumes and sprouted seeds sit in the middle of the nickel range rather than at the clean end
  • Borderline rather than clean on FODMAPs, so garnish volumes behave differently from a full plate.In practice the stir fry sauce brings more garlic and soy than the sprouts bring FODMAPs
  • Histamine and oxalate are unrated for sprouts in our data, so treat both as unknown rather than assuming they are safe
Learn More

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?

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

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FAQ

Is bean sprouts high in Polyols?

Polyols: low signal for most people.

Can I still eat bean sprouts if I'm sensitive to Polyols?

Usually fine in normal portions.

What else should I check?

Check Lectin, AIP, and Low Fibre next for a fuller picture.