The Best Diet For People With Sensitive Stomachs

One in 10 people around the world experience abdominal pain during meals, per Healthline. Moreover, 15% to 30% of people in the U.S. have gastroesophageal reflux disease, and over 62 million people are diagnosed with digestive disorders in the country each year. While these are all medical conditions diagnosed by professionals, they all begin with similar symptoms of chronic discomfort.

If you're someone with a stomach that is easily upset — you experience recurring gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and/or diarrhea — you may have a sensitive stomach. According to Healthline, this is a nonmedical way to explain symptoms without pinpointing the cause. Your stomach could be reacting to a certain type of ingredient, habit, or situation, whether it's binging spicy food or cheating on a Dry January attempt. Depending on your symptoms, you may need to consult a doctor to figure out the best diet for you. However, there are certain foods you can include (and exclude) in your diet to comfort your upset stomach.

You first need to analyze your symptoms before you figure out your diet. If you're experiencing acute diarrhea, nausea, or related symptoms, you could pick foods that are easier to digest and have lower fiber content, per Everlywell. This could include foods like scrambled eggs, cream of wheat, and tofu. If you have intense bloating and abdominal pain, you could try a diet that is low in fermentable carbohydrates, which is otherwise known as a low FODMAP diet (via Johns Hopkins Medicine).

You could also follow a generalized set of rules while eating to help with digestion. For example, you could eat smaller portions, eat slower, and hydrate often. Clinical transplant dietitian Rocio Garcia suggests limiting your bread intake, as "certain carbohydrates" can be "hard to digest" (via Jackson Health System). She also says, "High-fat foods can stimulate nausea, indigestion, gallstones, and diarrhea. Reduce fat intake by choosing low-fat dairy products, reduce your intake of cream, soft cheese, and chocolate, have meat-free days, and restrict fried foods." Finally, you should reduce the number of alcoholic drinks you have, as they can mess with your stomach lining. You should end up with a diet that focuses on easy, digestible foods like bananas and yogurt, soothing spices like ginger, and enzyme-rich fruits like papayas (via San Francisco Gastroenterology).