Popular Conditions & Diets
You've probably heard of the low FODMAP diet, but do you know what it actually is or whether it could be a good fit for you?
I’m a Registered Dietitian, and I can honestly say that the low FODMAP diet is one of the most complicated, difficult-to-follow diets available.
But it can also be incredibly effective if you use it correctly, at the right time, and ideally with help from a FODMAP-trained dietitian or nutritionist.
FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Fermentable carbohydrates, or ‘FODMAPs,’ either pull water into the bowels or cause bloating and distension that can cause the uncomfortable digestive symptoms that occur with IBS.
The low FODMAP diet is a short-term (4 -6 weeks) elimination-style diet that reduces the overall amount of fermentable carbohydrates you consume. A low FODMAP diet is used to relieve symptoms in those who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The low FODMAP diet has been shown to improve symptoms in approximately 75 per cent of people with IBS (when implemented with support from a professional).
It is essential to understand that foods high in FODMAPS are NOT unhealthy. In fact, these foods are often high in fibre (prebiotics that feed our healthy gut bacteria!) and play an important role in maintaining overall gut health.
The low FODMAP diet aims to eliminate FODMAPs for symptom control and then strategically reintroduce FODMAPs to see which FODMAPs cause your symptoms and at what amount. The long-term goal is to be on the most liberal diet while controlling your symptoms as best as possible.
Ideally, you should experience a significant improvement in your symptoms at least 70-80 per cent of the time. Suppose you do not notice a considerable improvement in your IBS symptoms after following a low FODMAP diet for several weeks. In that case, it’s a sign the diet may not be working for you.
If you decide (ideally in collaboration with your dietitian or nutritionist) that you would like to try a low FODMAP diet to manage your IBS symptoms, you will go through a three-phase diet progression.
First 2-6 weeks of the diet, depending on length of time for symptom resolution.
No foods or beverages containing high FODMAPs should be consumed during this period. Portion sizes of moderate FODMAP foods and drinks should be small.
If this phase does not successfully reduce symptoms, a full return to a regular diet is suggested, and different treatment methods are pursued.
If this phase successfully reduces symptoms, continue restriction and move to the second Reintroduction Phase.
One FODMAP-containing food is reintroduced every three days in gradually larger portion sizes.
Return to a restriction phase for 1-3 days between food challenges.
Symptoms are monitored in response to food reintroduction – if symptoms are present, the food is discontinued again, and foods in the same FODMAP category are also avoided until a future food challenge.
All foods that are successfully reintroduced in the Reintroduction Phase are consumed regularly.
If symptoms begin again, a careful diet evaluation is necessary to determine which newly introduced foods triggered symptoms and should once again be restricted.
It's important to remember that while low FODMAP and elimination-style diets are powerful tools to identify our triggers and the root cause of digestive symptoms, they are meant to be short-term diets.
In general, restrictive diets are terrible for our gut microbiome over time. The greatest predictor of a healthy microbiome is the diversity of plants you include in your diet.
When you restrict certain food groups, you stop feeding the microbes that feed on those particular foods. Instead, use a low FODMAP diet to identify triggers and as a rest period to heal the gut before gradually reintroducing foods into your diet.
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