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While this sounds like a new mapping system or new tech, it’s just an acronym to spot the grub that might be messing with your sensitive belly. If you’re often dealing with gas, bloating, or a tummy that’s just not happy, stick around.
Well, then what does this FODMAP stand for? Let’s break it down.
- Fermentable: This is the stuff that your gut buddies munch on, turning it into gas. And trust me, it’s the kind of party that can clear a room.
- Oligosaccharides: Sounds high-tech, but it’s just plant fibers that your good gut bacteria feast on. Think onions, garlic, beans, and a lot of bread-y things. Some folks have trouble with bread not because of gluten but because of these guys.
- Disaccharides: You’ll find these in dairy, like milk, where the sugar lactose hangs out. A lot of people can’t handle lactose, and it’s pretty common around the globe.
- Monosaccharides: These are in fruits and come as fructose. It’s all sweet and natural until it starts fermenting, and that’s when sensitive stomachs might protest.
- Polyols: Ever seen sweeteners ending in “ol”? Like xylitol or sorbitol? They’re part of this gang and are in lots of plant foods.
So why do FODMAPs and sensitive tummies not get along? These short-chain carbs don’t play nice with our digestive enzymes, so they’re not soaked up in the small intestine. Instead, they pull water into the gut and end up in the colon, where they’re like an all-you-can-eat buffet for bacteria, leading to gas and other fun stuff.
Is this something everyone should take note of? Nope. Most of us have guts that can handle the FODMAP fiesta. So if you’re not sensitive, you probably don’t need to worry about it. Chill and enjoy your food!
However, if you do fall in the other class, you need to avoid these:
| Foods to Avoid | Foods to Enjoy | ||||
| High Fructose Fruits: apple, mango, nashi, pear, canned fruit in natural juice, watermelon. Sweeteners: fructose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey. Concentrated fructose: concentrated fruit, large servings of fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice. | Fructans Asparagus Beetroot Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Eggplant Fennel Garlic Leek Okra Onion (all) Shallots Cereals: wheat and rye in large amounts (e.g. bread, crackers, cookies, couscous, pasta) Fruit: custard apple, persimmon, watermelon Misc: chicory, dandelion, inulin | Polyols Apple Apricot Avocado Blackberry Cherry Lychee Nashi Nectarine Peach Pear Plum Prune Watermelon Vegetables: Green bell pepper, mushroom, sweet corn Sweeteners: sorbitol (420), mannitol (421), isomalt (953), maltitol (965), xylitol (967) | Banana Blueberry Boysenberry Canteloupe Cranberry Durian Grape Grapefruit Honeydew melon Kiwi Lemon Lime Mandarin Orange Passionfruit Pawpaw Raspberry Rhubarb Rockmelon Star anise Strawberry Tangelo | Vegetables Alfalfa Artichoke Bamboo shoots Beat shoots Bok choy Carrot Celery Choko Choy sum Endive Ginger Green beans Lettuces Olives Parsnip Potato Pumpkin Red bell pepper Silver beet Spinach Summer squash (yellow) Swede Sweet potato Taro Tomato Turnip Yam Zucchini | Starch • Gluten free bread or cereal products 100% spelt bread Rice Oats Polenta Other: arrowroot, millet, psyllium, quinoa, sorgum, tapioca |
| Lactose | Galactans Legumes: Beans, baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils | Misc Sweeteners – sucrose, glucose, artificial sweeteners not ending in “-ol”, and sugar in small quantities Honey substitutes – small quantities of golden syrup, maple syrup, molasses, and treacl | Dairy Milk oat milk, rice milk, soy milk Cheeses hard cheeses, brie, and camembert Yogurt (Lactose free) Ice cream substitutes – gelati, sorbet Butter substitutes (e.g. olive oil | ||
- Fruits: Apples, pears, dried fruit, watermelon, mangoes, and cherries are high in fructose and sorbitol.
- Vegetables: Artichokes, garlic, onions, cauliflower, and mushrooms contain high levels of fructans and mannitol.
- Dairy: Products like ice cream, cow’s milk, and yogurt are high in lactose.
- Sweeteners: Sugar-free confectionery often contains sugar alcohols like xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and maltitol.
- Grains: Wheat and rye bread, as well as muesli containing wheat, are high in fructans.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, and pulses are high in GOS.
- Nuts: Cashews and pistachios are high in fructans and GOS.
Remember, getting into a diet plan abruptly can do worse than good. For example, if you suddenly start avoiding all FODMAP foods, your gut bacteria might starve and start producing something more toxic. Also, not everything is irritable to everyone, the first phase of your transition should be to identify what foods create issues for you. In general, it’s always wise to consult a healthcare practitioner.
