How the FODMAP Diet Can Change Your Digestion—and Your Life

Photo by Stephanie Studer on Unsplash

Many of us suffer from stomach problems, particularly from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). While there are a lot of nutrition and lifestyle tips that can help lessen the symptoms and discomfort of IBS, there is one particular approach that is becoming more and more popular.

This approach is known as the FODMAP diet. It is not new, but it is slowly gaining more attention as more and more IBS sufferers turn to it and find their lives and discomfort completely turned around.

The FODMAP diet stands for “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols”. Catchy, right? But all this means is that it helps you understand and limit which foods are harder for IBS suffers to digest, and how to avoid them.

The diet encourages you to avoid what is known as “high-FODMAP” foods, as these tend to bring on more symptoms. In learning which foods are high- and low-FODMAP, any IBS sufferer can find a great deal of relief as they understand exactly what foods do and don’t work best for their body.

Interestingly, contrary to what you might think, high-FODMAP foods include staples such as lentils, beans, and legumes. Even though these items are generally super-healthy, for IBS sufferers they can cause greater discomfort due to the energy it takes to digest them.

Ask family doctor today whether the FODMAP might be right for you. There is also a huge amount of info online, including a variety of apps that help you understand the ratings of different foods.