GutGuard guides
Food-label guides
In short
Use these guides when you have a packet and want to know what the label can reveal, which names or E-numbers matter, and where the evidence stops. They explain clues without turning them into a diagnosis or a universal safe/unsafe score.
Plain-English guides for checking labels for bloating clues, FODMAP ingredients, polyols, inulin and ultra-processing.
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Practical help for the packet in front of you
How to read an ingredient label when bloating is your concern
Start with the amount you actually ate, then use the ingredient list to find fermentable fibres, polyols and other clues. A label can narrow the questions; it cannot identify the cause of bloating.
Read guide →Ingredient familyHow to spot inulin and chicory-root fibre on food labels
Inulin, chicory-root fibre, oligofructose and FOS are related inulin-type fructans, not always exact synonyms. Labels can show that one is present, but usually not its dose.
Read guide →Ingredient familyHow to check a food label for polyols
Use the exact polyol names and E-numbers, the nutrition panel when it lists polyols, and the real portion eaten. Do not assume every ingredient ending in “-ol” is a relevant polyol.
Read guide →FODMAPLow-FODMAP label checking: what an ingredient list can and cannot tell you
An ingredient list can flag likely FODMAP sources. It cannot measure the finished food or replace laboratory-tested certification, serving information and personal tolerance.
Read guide →Food processingHow to identify ultra-processed food from an ingredients list
NOVA classification looks for signs of industrial formulation, including substances rarely used in home kitchens and cosmetic additives. Classification is not the same as a toxicity verdict.
Read guide →Product guideWhy protein bars make you bloated (even the ‘healthy’ ones)
Many protein bars combine three separate bloating clues in one product: an added inulin-type fibre, a polyol sweetener and a gum thickener. The label can show all three are present; it cannot show whether their combined amount matters for you.
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