FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. They are known to cause GI discomfort in susceptible individuals and more and more research has been proving that a low FODMAP diet has widespread application for managing functional GI disorders such as IBS and IBD.
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To give you some background, here are posts I’ve written on the subject:
Let’s talk FODMAPs – the diet details
Stay tuned! I have more coming soon…
I just was put on the fodmaps diet and do not know where to begin. Help!!!!
Posted by karolina | March 21, 2012, 2:01 pmjust posted the full list of FODMAPs foods here: http://fodmapsdiet.com/2012/03/26/a-complete-fodmaps-food-list-as-i-know-it/
Posted by elise | March 27, 2012, 7:41 pmIs there a test that can been done to confirm this on an individual? Or is it just trial and error? I have a son who has struggled for years with no diagnosis of anything. Foods are a main cause to his issues. Currently has been termed to food allergies but he can eat the foods with out any immediate danger. His list of foods seems to be a moving target and we don’t have a link to them as of yet.
Posted by Cassie Niego | April 20, 2012, 8:15 amhi cassie. theres no black and white test for fodmaps sensitivity, but a trial with the elimination diet should be pretty clear because the improvement will be immediate (it was for me at least). trial and error with differing groups and amounts of fodmaps will be harder to figure out though. i am still learning myself!
you could have your doctor conduct a breath test to see if your son has FM (fructose malabsorption), fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, or SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth)…its not overly helpful though because even if he gets a positive hydrogen or methane reading, it doesn’t necessarily help point out what the cause is. assuming he does have fodmaps sensitivities, lactose and fructose not properly absorbed in the gut will lead to fermentation which releases gas and acts as a perfect site for bacteria to flourish (hence the positive breath test results).
if you can try a very controlled elimination phase, followed by challenge phases for each group (only one at a time), you may be able to better pin point his most problematic categories. from there, its trial and error in figuring out the amounts that will cause symptoms (vs the amounts he can eat and still tolerate).
Posted by elise | April 24, 2012, 12:17 pm