Food spotlight: Are you FODMAP-intolerant?


You’ve likely heard of lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity but do you know about FODMAPs?

FODMAPs, which stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols (we definitely prefer the acronym), are carbohydrates and sugar alcohols in your diet that are poorly absorbed by your body.

If you’re experiencing gas, bloating, abdominal pain or diarrhea and you’re suspected of having Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), high FODMAP foods may be a culprit.

IBS is a disorder that affects 10 to 15% of the population and women more often than men. Reducing intake of foods that contain FODMAPs can help alleviate IBS symptoms as well as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, eczema, fibromyalgia, and migraine headaches.

Foods that should be avoided on a low-FODMAP diet include:

·       Vegetables like onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, artichokes, leeks, celery, sweet corn, brussels sprouts, and mushrooms

·       Fruits including peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, prunes, mangoes, apples, pears, watermelon, cherries, and blackberries

·       Beans, lentils, and nuts

·       Wheat and rye

·       Dairy products that contain lactose

·       Sweeteners including high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, and sorbitol

·       Drinks including alcohol, sports drinks, and coconut water

 Food usually safe to eat on a low-FODMAP diet include:

·       Vegetables like alfalfa sprouts, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, olives, and tomatoes

·       Fruits including oranges, grapes, honeydew melon, bananas, blueberries, kiwis, and lemons.

·       Lactose-free dairy, hard cheeses and soft cheeses like brie, camembert, and feta

·       Beef, pork, chicken, fish and eggs, as well as non-dairy milks like almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk

·       Soy products

·       Grains like rice, oats, corn flour, and quinoa

·       Tea, coffee, and water

·       Nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds

If particular foods containing FODMAPs are suspected of aggravating your IBS symptoms, you may want to try a FODMAP elimination diet, limiting or avoiding certain foods and drinks for 3 to 8 weeks at a time, after which time individual foods are reintroduced to see whether IBS symptoms return. Consult with your doctor for more information.

To learn more about FODMAPs, click here. Do you have IBS or suspect you have sensitivity to foods with FODMAPs? Please share your tips and experiences with the Shop Talk blog community forum.

Did you know: IBS triggers

Beside high FODMAP foods, Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be triggered by stress, anxiety, antibiotics, antidepressants, and menstrual pain.

5 thoughts on “Food spotlight: Are you FODMAP-intolerant?

  1. Have been eating almost all of the items on the “avoidable list” of FODMAP foods as well as those on the “safe foods” list all my life without the signs of IBS. The bloating and gas showed up about 2-3 years ago, about the time I retired. What gives?
    Is age then a factor ?
    Have been using Domperidone (jury still out), Gas X (180mg) without success, but found Phazyme (250 mg) working the best. Unfortunately, for best pricing I have to go to the USA or Amazon. Not available on the shelves yet in Canada.

  2. Had to start Gluten free diet, eating less just from cost of it. Its crazy,if they want a person eat healthier. You got to make it affordable

  3. Thankfully, IBS is not my problem. I have Reflux instead. If I stopped eating the items in the do not eat list I would starve to death. And eating most of the fruits in the *eat* list, will cause my tongue to swell. The ones that don’t give me that reaction are the ones that are lower in acid, in the do not eat list.

    The problem with these all or nothing articles is that only a small percentage of humanity can actually follow. The rest of us can be made to feel guilty over our food choices. I hate these things.

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