FODMAPS
What are FODMAPS?
FODMAP is an abbreviation for:
F - Fermentable
O - Oligo-saccharides - fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides
D - Di-saccharides - lactose
M- Mono-saccharides - fructose
A - And
P - Polyols - sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol
These are complex names for a collection of molecules found in certain foods which are poorly absorbed by some people.
NB This is a brief overview to FODMAPs. Before attempting to modify your diet, you need to consult with a Dietitian who has an understanding of what FODMAPs are & how they work. It is possible to manage your eating and be free of irritating and painful symptoms.
There is a lot more to know than the brief overview I have given below.
Why are FODMAPs important?
FODMAPs may be a contributing factor in Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS), Inflamatory Bowel Disease - Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and Coeliac Disease where symptoms are unresolved in spite of a strict gluten free diet.
How FODMAPs work - They are poorly absorbed in the small bowel ie they pass right through to the colon. We all differ in our ability to digest and absorb some FODMAPs. None of us can digest fructans and galacto-ogliosaccharides so they are poorly absorbed in everyone.
- They are small molecules and consumed in a concentrated dose and are poorly absorbed. The body tries to dilute them by forcing water into the bowel which can cause diarrhoea and affect the muscular movement of the gut.
- Sugar molecules that haven't been adsorbed in the small bowel reach the large intestine where the bacteria that live there see them as "fast food" and quickly break them down (fermentation). This produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane gases.Gas in the small or large intestine causes bloating, wind, discomfort, abdominal cramps and sometimes, nausea. Gas can slow down movement through the bowel which may lead to constipation.
Common Foods Containing FODMAPs
OLIGOSACCHARIDES:
Fructans:
Cereals - wheat, rye - as found in bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits, crackers, couscous and pasta.
Vegetables - artichokes, beetroot, asparagus, brussel sprouts, onion, garlic, cabbage, fennel, leeks, okra, spring onion ( white part only - green leafy part ok) and shallots.
Fruit - water melon, custard apples and persimmons.
Legumes - chickpeas, lentils, all legume beans.
Drinks - chickory based coffee substitutes, dandelion tea.
Fibre supplements - inulin (sometimes added to low fat dairy products) and hi-fibre or fibre-enriched products eg fructo-oligosaccharides found in drinks designed as nutritional supplements.
Galacto-oligosaccharides:
Legumes - chickpeas, baked beans, red kidney beans and lentils.
POLYOLS
Sweeteners: mannitol (421), sorbitol (420), xylitol (967), maltitol (965) and isomalt (953)
Diet, sugar-free or low carb foods with the warning that "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect"
Fruits - apples, blackberries, pear, apricots, cherries, lychees, peaches, nashi, nectarines, plums, prunes and water melon.
Vegetables - avacados, mushrooms and cauliflower
MONOSACCHARIDES:
Fructose:
Fruit - apples, pears, nashi, mangos, water melon and tinned fruit in natural fruit juice ( this is due to most juice being apple and pear).
Vegetables - sugar snap peas
Sweeteners - fructose, fruit juice concentrate and high fructose corn syrup.
Honey - all types
DISACCHARIDES:
Lactose:
High lactose foods
Milk - cow's, sheep's and goat's milk.
Yoghurt, milk products and icecream
Moderate lactose foods
Cream, soft cheeses eg cottage, cream cheese, ricotta, quark, creme fraiche and mascarpone
Low lactose foods
Hard and ripened cheese eg blue vein, cheddar, colby, edam gouda parmesan etc
Butter.
As stated earlier, FODMAPs can be managed in the diet, they don't necessarily need to be eliminated altogether.There are low FODMAP food alternatives.
Research: Food Intolerance Management Plan - Dr Sue Shepherd and Dr Peter Gibson
Website: http://nutrition.otago.ac.nz
Healthy Food Guide