Low FODMAP Diet: Why You Should Avoid Fermentative Foods –

Abdominal discomfort, several trips to the bathroom or constipation, living with gas… If you experience this every time you eat a certain type of food, know that your problem may go beyond lactose or gluten intolerance.

One in seven people in the world suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), according to a research at the University of Monaco, in France. Among these individuals, 75% of those who started a low FODMAPs diet felt relief from intestinal discomfort after a while.

FODMAP, hi? Calm down, we know that the term is still little known. That’s why we talked to Elaine Moreira, a physician and member of the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology, from São Paulo, to help unravel the fermentative items that may be behind your gastric discomforts.

Keep calm, organism!

IBS is an intestinal-functional disorder that, according to the expert, is difficult to diagnose. “The symptoms, which can be mild, moderate or intense, are cyclical, non-specific and also present in other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract”.

The feeling of abdominal pain or discomfort, the diarrheaconstipation and flatulence (gas) can have many causes, but can also signify an increased sensitivity to FODMAPs.

What are FODMAPs

The strange name comes from an acronym that designates carbohydrates short-chain that are poorly digested by the intestine human (oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and fermentable polyols). Because they are small, they attract water molecules in the organ that, together, are fermented by the organism’s bacteria, generating gases. In more sensitive people (with IBS, for example), this process can trigger the aforementioned unpleasant symptoms.

Despite not being a carbohydrate, the doctor warns about the relationship between gluten and symptoms. “It is present in wheat, barley and rye, which fall under the FODMAPs list. Therefore, it should be avoided by those who are restricting these foods”.

But where are FODMAPs found? According to the French university study, they are present in:

Fructose (monosaccharides)

The researchers claim that the fructose is absorbed efficiently up to a certain amount. When you consume too much, the intestine’s absorption capacity loses efficiency.

Fructose-rich foods: honeyfruit juices, apple, pear, watermelon, pea.

Lactose (disaccharides)

What happens, in this case, is that some people do not produce the enzymes that break down lactose in the intestine. And then, you know: IBS strikes again.

Lactose foods: animal milk (according to the species, it can be in greater or lesser concentration) and derivatives.

Polyols

gifts in some artificial sweeteners (such as sorbitol and mannitol) can also be poorly absorbed by some people.

Foods with polyols: apple, apricot, peach, nectarine, pear, plum, cherry, avocado, blackberry, lychee, cauliflower, mushrooms.

oligosaccharides

They are not well absorbed by anyone and therefore it is very common for us to have some gas when we eat them. The problem is that in the most sensitive people, they can cause stronger pain, swelling and flatulence.

Foods with oligosaccharides: canned grains, lentils, bean and whole grain soybeans.

Low FODMAP Diet

There are so many FODMAPs that figuring out which ones are bad for the body can be a difficult task. According to the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology, the secret is to gradually remove the FODMAPs that are part of your diet and, in stages, add food groups.

The secret to identifying the items that are doing you harm is to pay close attention and probably exclude food from your routine. However, the doctor warns: “The low FODMAPs diet is extremely restrictive. When followed for a long period, without adequate guidance, it can generate stressirritability and even eventual nutritional deficiency”.