FODMAP is a specific type of carbohydrate that has recently been marked as very important for various reasons. Areas that have a lot of interest in this family of carbohydrates include fitness, functional medicine, and even a gut health diet. This is linked to the FODMAPs connection to helping people who have gut issues such as diarrhea, gas problems, bloating or other functional disorders that affect the gut.
Due to these reasons, there has been more research on these substances and they concluded that FODMAP foods have a direct impact on the microbiota in our gut. For those who don’t know what gut microbiota is, it’s a group of good bacteria that live in our gut, and these bacteria help our whole digestive tract work properly.
However, FODMAPS are not always good and their effects vary from person to person. It’s important to learn more about them to use them in the best way possible and ensure that your gut stays healthy for years to come.
How can FODMAPS be harmful
These carbohydrates cannot be digested by some people. Unlike regular food, they get to the end of our intestine to the place where most of the gut bacteria is located. When this happens to our gut, microbiota use carbohydrates near them like fuel. In this process, they produce hydrogen gas which leads to all kinds of digestive problems. Additionally, for people who cannot digest FODMAPs, these carbohydrates will most likely bring additional liquid into their intestine and this liquid can cause symptoms such as diarrhea. Not everyone’s stomach is sensitive to these types of food, however, these symptoms are a very common for people living IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). This is a great problem for many as studies have shown that around 14 % of U.S. citizens have IBS, and the majority of these people are unaware of their condition, meaning that they can suffer severe consequences.
Low FODMAP gut health diet for better life
The so-called “low FODMAP diet” was one of the most researched methods of how FODMAP food affects people who have problems with their stomach. Given the fact that there is no concrete evidence of what causes people to have IBS or other similar gut problems, scientists turned to studying how various foods affect these disorders. Stress is one of the factors that can make the problem even worse. When you combine stress and bad gut microbiota with your body being intolerant to FODMAPs, you can create a serious problem that can affect your emotional well-being, as well as your stomach health. However, many studies have shown that around 75% of people who have troubles with IBS can benefit if they adopt a low FODMAP gut health diet.
In most cases adopting this kind of eating regime helped them reduce symptoms of their stomach disease and improve their overall quality of life. There is also proof that people who have gastrointestinal disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases can benefit from this kind of diet.
Low FODMAP diet
If you have any digestive troubles or disturbances, FODMAPs can affect you positively or negatively. In case you are intolerant to FODMAPS, you should look to implement a low FODMAP gut health diet and harness all the benefits.
Benefits include:
– Reduced gas
– Reduced bloating
– Reduced diarrhea
– No constipation
– Reduced stomach pain
This kind of diet can also have a lot of positive psychological effects, since all the troubles in our gut are directly connected to stress levels, anxiety, depression and general mental image. The foods that can be included in a low FODMAP diet include:
– Eggs, fish and meat
– Oils and fats
– Almost all spices and herbs
– Oils and fats
– Fruits including oranges, lemons, grapes, kiwi, lime, blueberries, bananas, cantaloupe, mandarins, raspberries, melons and strawberries
– Maple syrup and almost all artificial sweeteners
– Vegetables including carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, celery, kale, olives, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, water chestnuts
– Tea, water, coffee, etc.
– Grains including rice, tapioca, quinoa, oats, corns, sorghum
From the list above you can see that there are a lot of nutritious foods that can be eaten when on a low FODMAP diet. Bear in mind that this is not definitive and that there might be others as well.
References
The Low FODMAP Diet Approach: What are FODMAPs?
http://www.aboutibs.org/low-fodmap-diet/what-are-fodmaps.html
The Low FODMAP Diet Approach: Guidelines for a Low-FODMAP Diet
http://www.aboutibs.org/low-fodmap-diet/guidelines-for-a-low-fodmap-diet.html
Supporting a Healthy Gut: The Benefits and Drawbacks of FODMAPs
https://www.ornish.com/zine/supporting-healthy-gut-benefits-drawbacks-fodmaps/
A diet low in FODMAPs reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24076059
Studies
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15932367
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21615553