, ,

All About FODMAPs

What is it? 

FODMAPs are a group of small carbohydrate molecules found in food:


Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (are carbohydrates composed of 3 to 9 monosaccharides*)
Disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose)
Monosaccharides (also called simple sugars, are the most basic units of carbohydrates)
AND
Polyols (lactitol, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol)

What do they do?

This video from Monash University explains very well how FODMAPs affect people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):


Why should I care about it?

First of all because they might be the reason why you keep bloating day after day. Besides bloating, they can also cause excessive flatulence, cramping, diarrhea and constipation. People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are unable to absorb those carbohydrates and researchers believe that 15% of the population is affected by IBS! Eating less FODMAP foods might help you reduce bloating even if you aren't affected by IBS. :)

List of High FODMAP food (IBS Diets Org)

Vegetables and Legumes

  • Garlic – avoid entirely if possible
    • Includes garlic salt, garlic powder
  • Onions – avoid entirely if possible
  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Baked beans
  • Bananas, ripe
  • Beetroot, fresh
  • Black beans
  • Black eyed peas
  • Broad beans
  • Butter beans
  • Cassava
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery – greater than 5cm of stalk
  • Choko
  • Falafel
  • Fermented cabbage e.g. sauerkraut
  • Haricot beans
  • Kidney beans
  • Lima beans
  • Leek bulb
  • Mange Tout
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Mung beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Peas, sugar snap
  • Pickled vegetables
  • Red kidney beans
  • Savoy Cabbage
  • Soy beans / soya beans
  • Split peas
  • Scallions / spring onions (bulb / white part)
  • Shallots
  • Taro

Fruit – fruits can contain high fructose
  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Avocado
  • Blackberries
  • Blackcurrants
  • Boysenberry
  • Cherries
  • Currants
  • Custard apple
  • Dates
  • Feijoa
  • Figs
  • Goji berries
  • Grapefruit
  • Guava, unripe
  • Lychee
  • Mango
  • Nectarines
  • Paw paw, dried
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Persimmon
  • Pineapple, dried
  • Plums
  • Pomegranate
  • Prunes
  • Raisins
  • Sea buckthorns
  • Sultanas
  • Tamarillo
  • Tinned fruit in apple / pear juice
  • Watermelon

Meats, Poultry and Meat Substitutes
  • Chorizo
  • Sausages

Cereals, Grains, Breads, Biscuits, Pasta, Nuts and Cakes
  • Wheat containing products such as (be sure to check labels):
    • Biscuits including chocolate chip biscuits
    • Bread, wheat – over 1 slice
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Cakes
    • Cereal bar, wheat based
    • Croissants
    • Crumpets
    • Egg noodles
    • Muffins
    • Pastries
    • Pasta, wheat over 1/2 cup cooked
    • Udon noodles
    • Wheat bran
    • Wheat cereals
    • Wheat flour
    • Wheat noodles
    • Wheat rolls
    • Wheatgerm

  • Almond meal
  • Amaranth flour
  • Barley including flour
  • Bran cereals
  • Bread:
    • Granary bread
    • Multigrain bread
    • Naan
    • Oatmeal bread
    • Pumpernickel bread
    • Roti
    • Sourdough with kamut
  • Cashews
  • Cous cous
  • Einkorn flour
  • Freekeh
  • Gnocchi
  • Granola bar
  • Muesli cereal
  • Muesli bar
  • Pistachios
  • Rye
  • Rye crispbread
  • Semolina
  • Spelt flour
Condiments, Dips, Sweets, Sweeteners and Spreads
  • Agave
  • Caviar dip
  • Fructose
  • Fruit bar
  • Gravy, if it contains onion
  • High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  • Hummus / houmous
  • Honey
  • Jam, mixed berries
  • Jam, strawberry, if contains HFCS
  • Pesto sauce
  • Quince paste
  • Relish / vegetable pickle
  • Stock cubes
  • Sugar free sweets containing polyols – usually ending in -ol or isomalt
  • Sweeteners:
    • Inulin
    • Isomalt
    • Maltitol
    • Mannitol
    • Sorbitol
    • Xylitol
  • Tahini paste
  • Tzatziki dip
For a tasty low FODMAP seasoning try Paleo Powder FODMAP
Prebiotic Foods
  • The follow items may be hiding in yoghurts, snack bars etc:
  • FOS – fructooligosaccharides
  • Inulin
  • Oligofructose

Drinks and Protein Powders
  • Beer – if drinking more than one bottle
  • Coconut water
  • Cordial, apple and raspberry with 50-100% real juice
  • Cordial, orange with 25-50% real juice
  • Fruit and herbal teas with apple added
  • Fruit juices in large quantities
  • Fruit juices made of apple, pear, mango
  • Kombucha
  • Orange juice in quantities over 100ml
  • Rum
  • Sodas containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
  • Soy milk made with soy beans – commonly found in USA
  • Sports drinks
  • Tea:
    • Black tea with added soy milk
    • Chai tea, strong
    • Dandelion tea, strong
    • Fennel tea
    • Chamomile tea
    • Herbal tea, strong
    • Oolong tea
  • Wine – if drinking more than one glass
  • Whey protein, concentrate unless lactose free
  • Whey protein, hydrolyzed unless lactose free

Dairy Foods
  • Buttermilk
  • Cheese, cream
  • Cheese, Halmoumi
  • Cheese, ricotta
  • Cream
  • Custard
  • Gelato
  • Ice cream
  • Kefir
  • Milk:
    • Cow milk
    • Goat milk
    • Evaporated milk
    • Sheep’s milk
  • Sour cream
  • Yoghurt

Cooking ingredients
  • Carob powder

Am I Sensitive to FODMAPs?

Doctors usually use a method to discover out your sensitivity to FODMAPs, the "Elimination Diet". The "Elimination Diet" consists on eliminating all the FODMAPs for a period of time (usually six to eight weeks) and then slowly reintroducing FODMAPs again to discover out which ones may trigger the IBS symptoms cited above. After they discover out which FODMAPs are trigger foods, the pacient must follow a new diet without those FODMAPs that affected her/him.

I decided to write this post because lately I've feeling bloated every single day, I probably have IBS myself and should look for a doctor ASAP. lol 
Comments (0)

You May Also Like

No comments

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)