FODMAP, no I didn\u2019t forget another \u201cO\u201d and misspell this title.\u00a0 The acronym FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols.\u00a0 No wonder we use acronyms, what a mouthful.\u00a0 This is a topic one should consider exploring if they have any intestinal disturbances such as chronic abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, cramping, and stool irregularity.\u00a0 The first recommendation, if someone is suffering from the above symptoms, is to seek advice from their medical provider.\u00a0 It has been estimated that half of all adults who suffer from these symptoms have what is called a Functional Bowel Disorder.\u00a0 That is, a routine diagnostic evaluation fails to reveal any underlying condition responsible for these symptoms and would lead to a diagnosis of a Functional Bowel Disorder, or the other diagnosis people may be more familiar with is Irritable Bowel Syndrome.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In light of the increasing popularity of the gluten-free diet, it is vital that healthcare providers also educate patients on the possibility of a low FODMAP dietary approach to help reduce symptoms related to Functional Bowel Disorder.\u00a0 I am not suggesting that a diagnosis of Gluten-Sensitivity or Celiac Disease is not valid, but for those who choose not to get tested or have been tested for these conditions and the results are not a positive diagnosis, it may be worthwhile taking a look at a low FODMAP dietary approach.\u00a0 This would help to identify foods other than, or in addition to, gluten that may be leading to intestinal discomfort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
FODMAPs are specific carbohydrates found in foods that may not be digested or absorbed efficiently.\u00a0 When this occurs, the remaining carbohydrates in the intestine may pull water into the intestinal tract and\/or become food for bacteria, leading to fermentation and resulting in the offending symptoms of gas, cramping, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.\u00a0 One of the most common FODMAPs is lactose, the natural sugar found in milk.\u00a0 For some, limiting lactose in their diet is effective at limiting the symptoms related to Functional Bowel Disorder, for others it involves the possibility of all the FODMAP carbohydrates causing the offensive symptoms due to their additive or collective effect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This is a brief overview of the FODMAPs that could be present in your diet:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For a more extensive list of foods rich in Fructose, Lactose, Fructans, Galactans, and Polyols, refer to the following web links:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The best way to discover if you are sensitive to a particular food is to keep a detailed food diary that identifies the foods you are eating and symptoms that consistently occur after the consumption of a particular food.\u00a0 This is very useful data for your medical provider and yourself when looking for possible causes of intestinal discomfort.\u00a0 Remember we are all unique, none of us have the same thresholds or tolerance to substances, we each know our bodies best and, we are our own best health advocates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I remember my mother making this statement to me as a child, \u201cI like onions, but they don\u2019t like me\u201d!\u00a0 FODMAPs come to mind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n FODMAP, no I didn\u2019t forget another \u201cO\u201d and misspell this title.\u00a0 The acronym FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6216,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[421,957],"tags":[109,111,427,110,112,4],"class_list":["post-432","newsletters","type-newsletters","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-newsletter","tag-fodmap","tag-functional-bowel-disorder","tag-health-and-wellness","tag-intestinal-disturbance","tag-irritable-bowel-syndrome","tag-nutrition"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newsletters"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16558,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/432\/revisions\/16558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\r\n