What foods trigger IBS?

I love and hate this question. It's the same feeling I get when someone asks, "Can I eat a tomato with IBS?" or "Can I eat a banana with IBS?"

Nonetheless, this is a great question, and my answer might surprise you:

We tend to look for external factors to solve our health issues.

“It must be something I ate.”

That’s where most of us start. Trying to pinpoint the one thing that caused the symptoms, the bloating, the fatigue, the discomfort.

And when we can’t find it, we spiral.

We restrict more foods, overanalyze every bite, and start to feel like our body is working against us.

But here’s what I see:

When you can’t pin your symptoms on just one food, the problem probably isn’t the food.

It’s your body’s ability to process it.

Food is not the enemy

Well, processed and refined foods are... But I'm talking whole foods. Healthy foods that are contributing to that discomfort, bloating, and flare.

What really triggers IBS?

Your body is constantly in conversation with itself. The body systems are not separate from one another, as we see in a human anatomy textbook. Every system, every cell, works together.

So, when that communication breaks down, digestion can’t function the way it’s meant to.

This disruption can happen for many reasons, like:

• Nervous system dysregulation – when the body is stuck in fight-or-flight, digestion slows, and the gut becomes hypersensitive.

• Leaky gut – when the intestinal lining becomes permeable (leaky), allowing undigested food and toxins to trigger immune reactions.

• Chronic inflammation – when the body’s repair system is constantly “on,” leaving little energy for actual healing.

• Toxic burden – when the liver and detox pathways are overloaded, it can lead to sluggish digestion and reactivity.

There are many more possible reasons, and most of the time, it’s a combination of these.

So if you’re wondering what foods trigger IBS, the answer is:

Any food can trigger symptoms when your system is already inflamed, overworked, or undernourished.

There’s no universal list.

Because it’s not about the food; it’s about your body’s capacity to digest, absorb, and integrate nourishment.

For one person, dairy or gluten might trigger symptoms because of gut permeability or enzyme deficiencies.

For another, it might be raw vegetables because their digestion is weak and needs warmth and support.

For someone else, it might be no specific food at all.  Just the stress that comes before eating.

That means it’s not about the tomato or the banana. It’s about the environment that those foods are entering.

When your foundation needs support, even the most nourishing foods can feel like an attack. Not because they’re harmful, but because your system isn’t ready to receive them.

Healing begins with stability.

Think of your gut like a broken bone.

If you fractured your leg, you wouldn’t keep running on it and expect it to heal.

You’d stabilize it, give it the right environment, and allow your body to do what it’s designed to do: repair.

Your gut and immune system need that same kind of care. The kind that focuses on rebuilding, not removing.

It starts with regulating your nervous system so the body can shift out of survival mode.

It continues with lowering inflammation, supporting detox pathways, and nourishing your microbiome back into balance.

When you give your body that environment of safety and support, food starts to feel like fuel again.

Give your body the support it's asking for.

Let's reframe the idea of symptoms.

Your symptoms aren’t punishments; they’re messages.

Your body isn’t fighting you; it’s asking for your attention.

The real question becomes:

What is my body trying to communicate through these symptoms?

When you learn to listen through the lens of compassion instead of frustration, you stop fighting your body and start healing with it.