First off, it’s important to note that garlic and onions can be great additions to a healthy diet; they’re packed with antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, with garlic being linked to lower blood pressure. But while they don’t cause IBS or other gastrointestinal conditions, there’s some evidence to suggest that they can worsen symptoms.

Anyone with IBS has probably come across the low-FODMAP diet. It involves eliminating foods high in FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) for a while, then gradually reintroducing them to figure out which foods are causing problems. Onions and garlic contain high amounts of a type of FODMAP called fructans, and they can be hard for the gut to break down.

“I cooked without onion and garlic for 2 weeks to see if I could improve my IBS – and the results surprised me”