5 Foods Gut Experts Would Never Eat Regularly

Keep in mind that many of these foods may not significantly affect you if you eat them occasionally, says Pratima Dibba, MD, a gastroenterologist with Medical Offices of Manhattan. But when they're a regular part of your diet, they may harm your gut over time.

"Moderation is key," Dr. Dibba says. "The goal is not to restrict completely, but to understand that frequent and long-term consumption of foods that are problematic can damage the gut."

Here are five foods gastroenterologists would never eat regularly.

1. Processed Meats

What’s more, these foods are high in sodium and nitrates, which can be problematic for your health if eaten to excess, says Pranav Periyalwar, MD, a gastroenterologist at National Jewish Health in Denver.

2. Foods Sweetened With Sugar Alcohols

When candy, gum, low-carb protein bars, or other foods are marketed as "sugar-free," it's often because they contain sugar alcohols, a type of carbohydrate that has a similar chemical structure to sugar but with a lower calorie count. Manufacturers use them to create a sweet taste while reducing calories.

• Xylitol
• Sorbitol
• Maltitol
• Isomalt
• Lactitol
• Mannitol

3. Deep-Fried Foods

Options like french fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken are common on restaurant menus, but just because they're easy to order doesn't mean they're gentle on your gut, says Periyalwar.

"Heavy frying saturates food in trans and saturated fats, while stripping away natural fiber," he says. "High-fat meals drastically delay gastric emptying [food emptying from your stomach], forcing your digestive tract to work in overdrive.” This frequently triggers acid reflux and upper abdominal pain, he says.

4. Ultra-Processed Snacks

Snack foods such as chips, cookies, snack cakes, candy, and many sugary cereals are ultra-processed and tend to be detrimental to gut health when consumed regularly, says Johanna Forlivio, a physician assistant who specializes in gastroenterology at Northwell Health's Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.

For gut health, the most problematic item is usually not a single food, but a diet composed primarily of low-fiber, ultra-processed foods, says Forlivio. This pattern matters because the gut microbiome depends heavily on an overall diversity of nutrients, which is difficult to get when ultra-processed snacks are what you reach for most often.

5. Energy Drinks

Although energy drinks are a beverage rather than a food, they’re still potentially problematic for gut health, says Dibba.

"Carbonated drinks, in general, can be an issue for people because they often induce reflux and bloating because of the way air gets trapped in the digestive tract," Dibba says. "They also contain several additives that can irritate the gut lining, such as artificial sweeteners and acids. Energy drinks, in particular, can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms due to additives.”