Everything You Need To Know About The Low-FODMAP Diet
Researchers have investigated the link between environmental factors and gastrointestinal symptoms for decades. In 2004, a group of scientists at Monash University was the first to use the term “FODMAPs” to describe a specific group of carbohydrates that includes Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. These researchers proposed the “FODMAP hypothesis”, which associated FODMAP intake with the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease. (9) Since then, a low-FODMAP diet has been considered a first line of therapy in functional gastrointestinal disorders and has been shown to improve gastrointestinal symptoms by approximately 70% in certain individuals. (15)
Read on to learn about the low-FODMAP diet, as well as which health conditions may benefit from the diet.
What is the low-FODMAP diet?
The low-FODMAP diet, sometimes referred to as the FODMAP diet, is a dietary intervention that restricts foods containing highly fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These short-chain carbohydrates and polyols are poorly absorbed in the digestive tract and reach the colon where they are fermented by bacteria, a process that may result in certain gastrointestinal symptoms including gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. (1)(3)
