4.     Beans

When it comes to beans, we’ve all heard that infamous jingle. “Beans, beans the magical fruit…the more you eat, the more you toot.” There’s more than a little truth to this old rhyme.

This puts beans front and center when it comes to foods to avoid if you’ve got IBS. But just why do beans produce this effect?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “legumes or beans are often called the ‘musical fruit’ because they contain indigestible saccharides.” Foods like baked beans, chickpeas, lentils, and soybeans land at the top of this list.

So no chili filled with beans, folks. Make this mistake and you’ll surely regret it later. If you feel the need to make this beloved dish, do it sans the beans. Just add extra spices to doctor it up. And if you feel that your chili is bland, consider serving it over rice or wheat-free pasta.

5.     Sugar Substitutes

In the day and age of sugar-free everything, it’s easy to feel the need to choose these options. But think twice before purchasing that fave pack of sugarless gum or any other sugarless option. While this may make for a tasty treat, it could make your symptoms associated with IBS worse.

There’s a good rule of thumb when making these choices. That’s to steer clear of anything that ends in “ol.” These are called polyols, and experts say that polyols are bad choices when it comes to IBS. These can include: sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and xylitol. In addition, avoid isomalt.  

Instead, consider a moderate amount of real sugar. But don’t go overboard, as excess sugar consumption can add a range of new health risks including: prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Other IBS-friendly options are: NutriSweet, Splenda, and honey.