What is the low FODMAP diet?

The FODMAP name comes from Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols. They are a group of dietary sugars that are poorly absorbed in the gut. These sugars can trigger IBS symptoms. The point of the low FODMAP diet is finding out the foods that trigger your IBS symptoms and then avoiding eating them. This diet was developed by an Australian research team.

The idea of the low FODMAP diet

The idea of this diet is that during the first weeks (about 2-6 weeks) you replace all the high FODMAP foods with low FODMAP foods. So, you aren’t supposed to follow the elimination phase of the diet for the rest of your life! We are all different and have different triggers, so it’s important finding the foods that are causing your symptoms.

Then comes the reintroduction phase. You take one FODMAP at a time and increase the amount of eating it and see how your stomach reacts. This phase will take many weeks. Finally comes the FODMAP personalization phase which means that you will know the foods that don’t cause symptoms and the ones that do. More info about the diet can be found on Monash University´s website. They also have a great app ”Monash FODMAP diet”. There is a huge amount of information about IBS and the low FODMAP diet in the app. The app shows in traffic lights which foods are safe to eat and also tells which amounts of foods are high-FODMAP and which are low-FODMAP. It can especially be helpful in the first stage of the diet. I still use the app every now and then to check out how big portions are low-FODMAP.

It is important to talk first with your doctor or dietitian before doing any changes to your diet. Keeping food diary can also be helpful, then you’ll see what causes the pain and what doesn’t. We all have different kinds of triggers, so it’s important finding the foods that are causing your symptoms!