As if constipation, reflux, diarrhea and other digestive disorders weren’t bad enough, many people with these problems also struggle to get to the root of their symptoms. Some may have eased symptoms by giving up gluten or dairy, or by taking a probiotic. But for others, relief may seem forever out of reach.
Fortunately, that’s changing.
Researchers have discovered that, for some people, FODMAPs — an acronym for a collection of short-chained carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in some foods — can cause serious tummy troubles. That’s because FODMAPs are not absorbed completely by the human body and, thus, are easily fermented by gut bacteria. All of that fermentation can cause significant gastrointestinal problems as a result.
[See: How Often Should I Poop? And Other Toilet Topics.]
If you’re continuously suffering from one of these digestive issues and can’t seem to figure out the cause, FODMAPs may be the problem:
1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
For the past several years, many people have blamed gluten for IBS and other digestive issues, but avoiding gluten is not always necessary or appropriate for every IBS sufferer — or for anyone without celiac disease, for that matter. There is data, however, supporting a low-FODMAP diet for the management of IBS symptoms. One 2016 review in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, for example, found that up to 86 percent of patients with IBS find that their symptoms — think abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence and abdominal distention — improve when following a low-FODMAP diet.
2. SIBO
SIBO is an acronym for “small intestinal bacterial overgrowth,” and describes excessive bacteria in the small intestine. While bacteria are naturally present throughout the digestive tract, the highest concentrations are supposed to be in the colon, not the small intestine. When the reverse happens, as is the case with SIBO, people can have trouble absorbing important nutrients — namely fat-soluble vitamins and iron — because the bacterial overgrowth interferes with the digestive and absorption process when food passes through the small intestine. Eliminating FODMAPs might help alleviate SIBO symptoms because these foods can feed the bacteria that’s already overgrown.
3. Bloating
Bloating is often caused by built-up gas in your digestive system that makes your stomach uncomfortably protrude, and it can sometimes signal serious health problems lurking below the surface. If you have trouble absorbing FODMAPs properly, eating them can cause bloating. Whether your bloating is a symptom of IBS or something else, there is evidence that a low-FODMAP diet can help.
[See: Foods That Cause Bloating.]
4. Excessive Flatulence
It’s totally normal to pass gas occasionally, but some people deal with excessive flatulence that becomes pretty embarrassing. Flatulence is caused by the internal buildup of gases that are formed during the process of digestion and respiration. Excessive flatulence can lead to gas pains and bloating, which can be caused by certain foods in your diet that are irritating your gut or digestive organs. Again, a low-FODMAP diet seems to help: One study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, for instance, found that 72 percent of the 90 patients studied were satisfied with their improvements in flatulence and other GI issues after dropping FODMAPs.
[See: 10 Weird Things That Can Make You Poop.]
To ease these (and related) GI problems, I recommend trying a FODMAP elimination diet for two weeks. At that point, you should be able to re-introduce one FODMAP at a time to see which foods go down smoothly, and which trigger symptoms. To get started, get to know this list of high- and low-FODMAP foods:
High-FODMAP foods:
— Fructose: apples such as apples, pears, watermelon, mango and cherries, as well as honey and high-fructose corn syrup
— Lactose: dairy products such as cow’s milk and yogurt
— Fructans: wheat, garlic, onion, inulin and more
— Galactans: legumes such as red kidney beans, baked beans, lentils and soybeans
— Polyols: sweeteners containing isomalt, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol, as well as stone fruits such as avocado, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums
Low-FODMAP alternatives:
— Fruit: banana, berries (except boysenberries and blackberries), grapes, orange, kiwi, pineapple, lemon, lime and honeydew
— Vegetables: bok choy, green beans, parsnips, cucumber, celery, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and yams
— Dairy products: almond milk, rice milk, raw cheese and feta cheese
— Sweeteners: maple syrup
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Should You Try a Low-FODMAP Diet? originally appeared on usnews.com
