FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols: short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and ferment in the large intestine. In people with IBS this can cause abdominal pain, bloating, wind and changes in bowel habits.

Please note: this article is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have gut symptoms, talk to your GP or a FODMAP-trained dietitian.

The low-FODMAP diet was developed by Monash University for people with medically diagnosed IBS. According to Monash, about three quarters of people with IBS improve on the diet, and one quarter do not. That is why it matters to find out whether your symptoms are sensitive to FODMAPs.

"A low FODMAP diet is not an elimination diet. Rather, it is a substitution diet, whereby you swap one food for another." — Monash University, The 3 steps of the FODMAP diet

The three phases

  1. Phase 1: Low FODMAP (2 to 6 weeks). You swap high-FODMAP foods for low-FODMAP alternatives, for example onion for chives. The traffic lights in the Monash app help with this. No improvement after 2 to 6 weeks? Then other treatments may be a better fit.
  2. Phase 2: Reintroduction (usually 6 to 8 weeks). You keep eating low FODMAP and test one FODMAP group at a time, for 3 days each, with a few days' break between tests. This is how you discover which groups you tolerate.
  3. Phase 3: Personalisation. You go back to eating as varied a diet as possible and only limit what really causes symptoms. Tolerance can change, so retest tricky foods after a few months.

Why you shouldn't skip phases 2 and 3

Phase 1 is not the finish line. Monash stresses keeping your diet as unrestricted as possible, so you get enough variety and fibre. Many FODMAP-rich foods, such as certain fibres, are actually good for your gut bacteria.

Don't do it alone

Work with a dietitian. Monash recommends following the diet under the guidance of a dietitian who specialises in IBS and FODMAPs. You can find a list of Monash FODMAP-trained dietitians in the Monash app and on their website. And have IBS diagnosed by a doctor first.

Salamat sa pagbasa, thanks for reading!

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