FODMAPs and Misinformation

As a sufferer of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), I've recently come across a thing called the "FODMAPs" diet - which is meant to relieve some of the symptoms of IBS.  Something that none of the many treatments for IBS that I've been prescribed have managed.

Everything that I've read recommends consulting a nutritionist before starting on a FODMAPs diet - but that's a sensible step for anyone considering an exclusion diet.

So what are FODMAPs?
Fermentable Oglio-, Di- and Mono- saccharides, And Polyols.

You can see why they made an acronym.

These are foods that are only partially digestible, they pass through our small intestine and are used as food by bacteria in the large intestine.   The theory is that an overpopulation of such bacteria in the large intestine produce too much gas which is responsible for some of the IBS symptoms.

Searching the internet reveals conflicting information on what is or isn't a FODMAP food - probably through confusion between IBS, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, and other kinds of exclusion diet (like the Candida diet, which stems from alternative medicine ideas).

So I've gone back to the source... the original research was conducted as Monash University, and they have their own chart of low/high FODMAPs foods.  They also have an app - but I think that's most useful for IBS patients in their own treatment program - and it costs $10.

So you can see that the "gassy" foods - onions, beans, cabbage, are high in FODMAPs, with some surprises in there too (soy beans are out as a legume, but tofu is ok).

In the case of the FODMAPs diet, you are meant to exclude the foods entirely for a few weeks to achieve a baseline - and then you can reintroduce them one at a time to establish "tolerance levels" of each food.   This process is where you will need the help of a qualified nutritionist/dietician.

I foresee a lot of rice and baked potatoes in my future ;)