UNDERSTANDING FODMAPs
If your IBS is more stubborn and doesn’t respond to limiting and monitoring your intake of trigger foods, it’s worth considering a diet that’s low in FODMAPs
The low-FODMAP diet was first developed by gut experts from Monash University in Australia. It’s backed up by a body of good-quality trials, and has been shown to be successful for around 70% of affected people.
WHAT ARE FODMAPS?
FODMAPs are groups of carbohydrates that we know are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. They are found in a wide range of foods. The term FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are the scientific names given to these groups of carbohydrates based on their chemical structure. The table opposite helps identify them a bit further. Specific types of carbohydrates within each of these groups are restricted during the initial stage of the low-FODMAP diet.