FODMAPS

Please click on the links below to read our articles. If you are interested in research findings, click here for links to research reports.

Are FODMAPS – the gasifying foods – your problem? Margaret Moss explains. March 2018

Low Fodmap Away from Home. Drawing on his new book Alex Gazzola gives some tips for sticking to a low FODMAP diet when you are out and about. November 2017

FODMAPS for the frightened FreeFromer. Helpful article on a simple approach to a FODMAP diet from What Allergy? December 2015

Could FODMAPs be masquerading as NCGS? Article by Tom Vierhile in Natural Products Insider. December 2014

Melbourne dietitian launches first freefrom FODMAPs food range which is also gluten free. June 2014

Article in Bodywork suggesting that it is the exclusions of FODMAPS in a gluten free diet which leads to weight loss. May 2014

From Fibre to Fermentation; The FODMAPs Revolution. Dr Nick Read, Medical Adviser to The IBS Network. January 2014

Dietary interventions for recurrent abdominal pain in childhood. March 2017
Treating recurrent abdominal pain in children, where no known cause for the symptoms can be identified, is a tricky matter. Here authors review 19 studies of interventions in such children, in order to see which treatments seem to be the most successful in reducing pain. They find some evidence to support the use of probiotics in such children as being beneficial for pain reduction. There was a scarcity of studies looking at exclusion diets, including the low FODMAP diet, which are much needed in this age-group.

The evidence base for efficacy of the low FODMAP diet in irritable bowel syndrome: is it ready for prime time as a first-line therapy? March 2017
This review suggests that the FODMAP diet is effective in reducing symptoms in approximately 70% of patients with IBS and is therefore an appropriate first-line therapy for such patients.

The clinical value of breath hydrogen testing for FODMAP sensitivity. March 2017
This article discusses the usefulness of breath testing for identifying patients who are sensitive to high FODMAP foods (including fructose and lactose). It is suggested that many patients experience symptoms when consuming fructose and lactose that can’t be detected using the breath testing. This questions the validity and usefulness of such tests for the diagnosis of functional bowel disorders.

Low FODMAP in 2017: Lessons learned from clinical trials and mechanistic studies. April 2017
This review article highlights the mounting evidence supporting use of the low FODMAP diet in patients with IBS. There are still many unknowns though, regarding any short or long term effects it may have on important factors such as gut bacteria and overall nutrition.

The Low FODMAP Diet: Many Question Marks for a Catchy Acronym March 2017
This review article (full text available) questions the reliability of some of the evidence supporting the low FODMAP diet and also questions whether it may result in nutritional deficiencies due to reduced intake of fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, folate, B and D vitamins, and natural antioxidants. Clearly more investigation in this area is needed.

How to institute the low-FODMAP diet. March 2017
In implementing the low FODMAP diet, many prebiotics are restricted. This means that the good bacteria in the gut may not be fed sufficiently and this may impact negatively on the diversity of healthy gut bacteria. It is therefore suggested, in this article, that once symptom relief is achieved with this diet, the re-introduction of pre-biotic foods should be attempted and dieticians should be encouraging this in their patients.

Effects of varying dietary content of fermentable short-chain carbohydrates on symptoms, fecal microenvironment, and cytokine profiles in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Oct 2016
The findings of this study support the efficacy of a Low FODMAP diet in alleviating IBS symptoms, and show changes in inflammatory cytokines, microbiota profile, and SCFAs, which may have consequences for gut health. The diet induces improvement in IBS symptoms according to self-report and the biological measures may shed some light on the mechanisms behind how the diet may produce these benefits.

Irritable bowel syndrome and diet. Jan 2017
This article reviews the available dietary interventions for IBS and will considers the evidence for nutrition-based therapies (including the low FODMAP diet) to treat this condition.

Low FODMAP Diet for treating IBS
October 2016
The low FODMAP diet has been increasingly used in recent years to treat patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and those with multiple food intolerances and unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms. The low FODMAP diet restricts the consumption of fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs). This study compared the efficacy of the Low FODMAP diet to the modified National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines (from the US) on symptoms in patients suffering from IBS and diarrhoea. The low FODMAP diet led to significantly greater improvement in individual IBS symptoms, particularly pain and bloating.

Exposure to Giardia infection was associated with perceived food intolerance 3 years after giardiasis. Perceived intolerance to high FODMAP foods and low FODMAP foods were both statistically significantly associated with exposure to Giardia infection. November 2015

FODMAPS diets hold great promise in treating IBS patients in East and Southeast Asia. This review highlights how the diet is implemented, its efficacy, and troublesome ingredients frequently used in Asian dishes. September 2015

Does a low FODMAP diet help IBS? August 2015

Increasing evidence for using a low FODMAP diet in the management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms where food intolerance is suspected December 2014.

Norwegian medical researchers show that FODMAPs foods increase the amount of fluid in the intestines of IBS patients. October 2014

A diet low in FODMAPs reduces the symptoms of IBS. January 2014

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