Low FODMAP Diet? What is that and could it help you get to the bottom of your gut or digestive issues?
FODMAP stands for:
Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (oligo –“few,” saccharide – “sugar”)
Disaccharides (“two sugars”)
Monosaccharides (“one sugar”)
And
Polyols (these are sugar alcohols)
That means FODMAPs are a type of carbohydrate, or “sugar,” found in certain foods. Some people, particularly people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) possibly don’t tolerate foods with FODMAPS well or at least some of them only in small quantities. (1)
Essentially a Low FODMAP diet is an elimination diet that you follow for 3-8 weeks which can help you get to the bottom of digestive issues.
In this blog I will explain
and finish off with some meal suggestions/recipes you can use while you follow the diet.
The majority of FODMAPs pass through most of your intestine unchanged. They’re completely resistant to digestion and are categorized as a dietary fiber. When they reach your colon, they get fermented and used as fuel by gut bacteria.That also happens when dietary fibers feed your friendly gut bacteria, which leads to various health benefits. BUT, the friendly bacteria tend to produce methane, whereas the bacteria that feed on FODMAPs produce hydrogen, another type of gas, which may lead to gas, bloating, stomach cramps, pain and constipation. Many of these symptoms are caused by distention of the gut, which can also make your stomach look bigger. FODMAPs can also be osmotically active, which means that they can draw water into your intestine and contribute to diarrhea.
So to sum it up, in some individuals, FODMAPs are poorly digested, so they end up reaching the colon. They draw water into the intestine and get fermented by hydrogen-producing gut bacteria, which can lead to
Whether your condition goes as far as Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastro intestinal disorder, or you are ‘just’ experiencing some of these symptoms occasionally, don’t go believing that this pain is ‘normal’. Get to the bottom of what exact foods or quantities are triggers and this is where a low FODMAP diet comes into play. Gut health is important for more than just well being. It is linked to basically all functions in our body, for example our immune system, our brain, mood…
Before I get into what foods exactly to avoid, let me clarify that in very few cases or only extreme cases of IBS you need to follow a low FODMAP diet forever. On the contrary, some high FODMAP foods actually have great health benefits (cruciferous vegetables, probiotic yoghurt…) and there is no need to deprive yourself of these permanently.
The idea behind it for most people is to undergo a ‘strict’ low FODMAP diet for a 6-8 weeks in order to give your gut somewhat of a reset and then slowly reintroduce some foods, one at a time, to see what particular ones and what quantity of it caused which symptoms so you can avoid it in the future.
Firstly, here are all carbohydrates that are considered FODMAPS:
Fructans and Galactans Polyols, Fructose, Sorbito, Lactose, Mannitol, Fructooligosaccharides Xylitol, Galactooligosaccharides, Maltitol, Fructose. (2)
In terms of food that means:
(Again keep in mind that many foods considered high in FODMAPs are healthy foods otherwise, so don’t mistake them for foods you should generally avoid. (3))
Remember that these can also be present in things like sauces and dressings and includes things like breadcrumbs, diet sodas, artificial sweeteners in protein powders etc.
As mentioned, in some cases, portion sizes make a difference as to whether a product has enough high FODMAPs to cause symptoms. For example, a serving of almonds is a good choice that is in these short chained carbohydrates, but eat more, and you could have too many.
When it comes to the benefits of a low-FODMAP diet, the effects have been tested in thousands of people with IBS across more than 30 studies (4).
Evidence from four high-quality studies concluded that if you follow a low-FODMAP diet, your odds of improving stomach pain and bloating are 81% and 75% greater, respectively. Some medical professionals argue also, that a diet that mostly includes low FODMAPs also can help ease symptoms from other health conditions, such as autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or eczema), fibromyalgia or migraines.
It is important to note that the diet, like any dietary change, is an involved process. Therefore, I would not recommend trying it for the first time while traveling or during a busy or stressful period.
This stage involves STRICT avoidance of all high-FODMAP foods.
People who first hear of the diet often think they should avoid all FODMAPs long-term, but this stage should only last about 3–8 weeks. This is because it’s important to include FODMAPs in the diet for gut health.
Some people notice an improvement in symptoms in the first week, while others take the full eight weeks. Once you have adequate relief of your digestive symptoms, you can progress to the second stage.
This stage involves systematically reintroducing high-FODMAP foods.
There are a couple of reasons for that:
In this step, you test specific foods one by one for three days each. You need to continue a low-FODMAP diet throughout this stage. This means, even if you can tolerate a certain high-FODMAP food (after you tested it for 3 days), you have to continue to restrict it until stage 3.
It is also important to remember that, unlike people with most food allergies, people with IBS can tolerate small amounts of FODMAPs.
Lastly, remember that even if digestive symptoms can be debilitating, they usually do not cause long-term damage to your body.
This stage is also known as the “modified low-FODMAP diet.” In other words, you still restrict some FODMAPs, but the AMOUNT and TYPE are tailored to your personal tolerance, as identified in stage 2. It is important to progress to this final stage in order to increase diet variety and flexibility.
Many people are surprised to find that the low-FODMAP diet is a three-stage process. Each stage is equally important in achieving long-term symptom relief and overall health and well-being, since no one should be living with more restriction than really necessary.
Throughout the process of a low FODMAP diet is helpful to be
A low FODMAP diet is the most advised diet for IBS, but the idea of an elimination diet is not new and there are many others for different purposes or conditions out there.
Overall, this diet does not need to be over-complicated though and how you go about assembling your meals does not need to change drastically from what you normally do. Simply pick a good quality protein, add low FODMAP vegetables and then fill the rest with low FODMAP carbs and fats as your macros permit.
– Overnight oats with almond milk, egg white or soy protein powder (no dairy or legumes), some chia seeds and oat bran, cinnamon and berries or banana (adapted from this recipe).
– Breakfast Frittata with whole eggs + egg whites, spinach, tomato and turkey bacon on wholemeal sourdough bread (original recipe does not contain egg whites or and asks for prosciutto)
– Banana Nut Pancakes made with gluten free oats, buckwheat flour, bananas, eggs and almond milk (you can also sub some of the flour for egg white or soy protein powder to increase protein content and decrease carbs, just make sure you increase liquid as well)
Other ideas: Peanut Butter and Banana Granola (I would add protein powder to the milk in order to increase protein content or have it with lactose free low fat Greek Yoghurt), Quinoa Berry Breakfast Bake (I would swap 2 of the eggs for egg whites for higher protein content and lower fat)
Not saying these are low in calories by the way 🙂
The low FODMAP diet is an elimination diet that can help you get to the bottom of food intolerances and can therefore help alleviate stomach cramps, pain, bloating and other digestive issues. It is a short term diet (3-8 weeks) that is split into 3 parts – restriction, reintroduction and personalization.
Working with a nutrition coach or dietitian can be helpful when making dietary changes or when trying to get to the bottom of food intolerances.
References: