Learn about fodmap - News Boss - Insurance Finances

FODMAPs are associated with common gastrointestinal symptoms that are now becoming more common. They create unnecessary anxiety for us. Which brings us to the topic: FODMAP. Many studies show a strong link between FODMAPs and digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. A low-FODMAP diet would provide significant benefits for people with 'common digestive disorders'.

What is FODMAP? Why should we care about it?

You are viewing: What is Fodmap

FODMAP is an acronym for "Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols" (fermentable saccharides and alcohols), which are short-chain carbohydrates that "some people can't digest". instead, they go all the way to the end of the intestinal tract, where gut bacteria live. The gut bacteria then use these carbohydrates as fuel to produce carbohydrates hydrogen and cause gastrointestinal symptoms. FODMAPs also trap fluids in the intestinal lumen, which can cause diarrhea.

While not everyone is susceptible to FODMAPs, it is very common in people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. About 24% of the US population has IBS, and most go undiagnosed, so its effects are huge.

Common FODMAPs include:

Fructose: A simple sugar found in many fruits, vegetables, and sugars.

Lactose: A form of carbohydrate found in dairy products.

Fructane: Found in many foods, including gluten grains such as wheat, spelled, rye, and barley.

Galactan: Found in large amounts in legumes.

Polyols: Alcoholic forms of sugar such as xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol and mannitol. They are commonly found in some fruits and vegetables, and are often used as sweeteners.

What happens when we eat them?

Some people cannot digest FODMAPs, so it reaches the end of the intestinal tract producing hydrogen gas that causes digestive problems. Starch, the most common form of carbohydrate in the diet, consists of very long chains of glucose molecules. FODMAPs are often referred to as short-chain carbohydrates, which means they only have about 1, 2, or a few sugars linked together. For some people, these carbohydrates pass through most of the gut unchanged. Once they reach the end of the intestinal tract, they are used to ferment the bacteria that live there.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and in fact, dietary fiber boosts good gut bacteria, providing quite a few benefits.

However, good bacteria tend to produce methane, while FODMAP bacteria produce another gas, hydrogen (4). As they produce hydrogen, this can cause gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and constipation.

Many of the above are caused by bowel disturbances, which can also cause the abdomen to enlarge (5).

FODMAPs are also “osmotic,” which means they can trap water in the intestinal wall and cause diarrhea.

Hot: What is Underemployment? Forms of underemployment

Benefits of a low-FODMAP diet

The low-FODMAP diet has primarily been studied in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is a common digestive disorder that includes symptoms such as gas, bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea and constipation.

FODMAP improves irritable bowel syndrome and some other digestive symptoms

IBS has no obvious cause, but we do know that what we eat has a significant effect. Stress can also be a major cause.

According to some studies, about 75% of IBS patients get improvements from a low-FODMAP diet. The low-FODMAP diet is also effective for other gastro-intestinal disorders (FGIDs for short), an umbrella term for all digestive problems.

There is also some evidence that it may help people with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (12).

As you may have noticed, FODMAPs have quite a bit to do with the symptoms of common digestive disorders.

If you have an intolerance, benefits from a low-FODMAP diet include:

Less farting.

Less stomach fullness.

Less diarrhea.

Less constipation.

Less stomach pain.

This diet also offers many psychological benefits, because digestive disorders cause stress and are strongly linked to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression (13).

Foods high in FODMAPs

Bread contains a lot of FODMAP

Below is a list of some common foods and ingredients that are high in FODMAPs.

Fruit: Apples, apple sauce, apricots, blackberries, hybrid raspberries, cherries, canned fruit, dates, figs, pears, peaches, watermelon.

Sweeteners: Fructose, honey, high-molecular corn syrup, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol.

Dairy products: Milk (from cows, goats and sheep), ice cream, yoghurts, sour cream, fresh and soft cheeses (cottage, ricotta..) and whey protein supplements.

Vegetable: Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, beets, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, cauliflower, garlic, fennel seeds, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, beans, shallots.

Pea's tree: beans, chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, baked beans, soybeans.

Wheat: Bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, tortillas, waffles, pancakes, cookies.

Other grains: Barley, rye.

Drinks: Beer, wine (fortified wine), drinks with high molecular weight corn syrup, milk, soy milk, fruit juice.

Hot: Status Verb (Stative Verb) – Definition, classification, usage

Foods you can eat on a low-FODMAP diet

We should remember that the main goal is not to completely eliminate FODMAPs, as this is extremely difficult. Simply reduce, limit them to relieve digestive symptoms.

High-protein foods contain a lot of FODMAPs

Foods that can be eaten on a low-FODMAP diet

All meats, fish and eggs, unless they have added high-FODMAP ingredients like wheat or high-molecular corn syrup.

All types of fats and oils.

Herbs and spices.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds (including pistachios because it is high in FODMAPs).

Fruit: Banana, blueberry, cantaloupe, grapefruit, grape, kiwi, lemon, lime, tangerine, melons (except watermelon), orange, passion fruit, raspberry, strawberry.

Sweetener: Maple syrup, molasses, stevia and artificial sweeteners.

Dairy products: Lactose-free dairy products and hard cheeses (such as brie and camembert).

Vegetable: Alfalfa, bell peppers, bok choy, carrots, celery, cucumber, eggplant, ginger, green beans, kale, lettuce, shallots, olives, turnips, potatoes, radishes red, spinach, scallions, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, tubers, tapioca, zucchini.