IBS and Fodmaps

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms frequently result from imbalanced intestinal bacteria in conjunction with difficulty digesting and absorbing carbohydrates. In susceptible people, bacteria ferment these carbohydrates creating pain (from gas and bloating), constipation or diarrhea. If this occurs in the small intestine, it results from the overgrowth of bacteria, called “SIBO” (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Lactose intolerance is a well-known cause of IBS like symptoms but many other carbohydrates can also be triggers of IBS. These include certain grains (especially wheat), sugars, corn syrup, fruits, and vegetables. These carbohydrates have been named “FODMAPS”, which stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And PolyolS.

Let’s look at examples of each of these carbohydrate groups:

1. Oligosaccharides (fructans in wheat, and galactans in beans and other legumes)

2. Disacchardes (lactose)

3. Monosaccharides (fructose in corn syrup)

4. Polyols found in some fruits and in the artificial sweeteners mannitol and sorbitol

A simple way to see if your IBS is triggered by Fodmaps is to go on a strict diet eliminating Fodmap carbohydrates for 2 weeks.  If your symptoms improve, you can then one by one reintroduce foods to identify which cause the most trouble. After determining the main culprits, avoid these completely. Also, limit the amounts of other Fodmaps to smaller, tolerable amounts.

Fodmap roadmap: foods that you may need to avoid completely

 1. Wheat: bread, crackers, cookies, pasta

2. Dairy: milk, ice cream, yogurt, soft cheeses

3. Certain sweeteners: corn syrup, honey, fructose, mannitol, sorbitol

4. Certain fruits: apples, apricots, cherries, pears, watermelon, dried fruit, fruit juices

5. Certain vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cabbage eggplant, garlic, mushrooms, onions

Fodmap roadmap: safer foods to eat, or ones that you can eat in smaller amounts or less frequently

1. Non-wheat grains: rice, oats, corn, and other gluten-free grains
2. Certain dairy products: lactose-free milk, hard cheeses
3. Certain sweeteners: sucrose (table sugar), maple syrup, molasses
4. Certain fruits: bananas, blueberries, citrus fruit, raspberries
5. Certain vegetables: carrots, celery, green beans, potatoes, squash