In honor of IBS Awareness Month, here is part 2 of our series on managing irritable bowel syndrome. Whether or not there is an ideal diet for people with IBS is debated, but many people suffering from IBS 
find relief when they eliminate certain foods. One diet that has helped many people is a low FODMAP diet. This is one diet that you probably haven’t heard of unless you struggle with stomach issues. Many of the foods in this diet are actually extremely healthy for people who don’t have IBS, so the list can be counter-intuitive. However, if you or someone you know suffers from it, it could be a huge help. Low FODMAP diets may also help people with inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn’s.
What are FODMAPs?
FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-di-monosaccharides and polyols. These are certain types of carbohydrates that can be fermented by the bacteria in the gut, which for some people can cause symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, or cramping.
Some FODMAPs in the diet are:
- Fructose (in fruit, high fructose corn syrup, honey)
- Lactose (in dairy)
- Fructans (in wheat, onion, garlic, inulin)
- Galactans (in legumes)
- Polyols (sweeteners like isomalt, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and stone fruits, including avocado, cherries, peaches, plums)
Elimination Diet
The best way to figure out which, if any, FODMAPs irritate your stomach is to do an elimination diet. To do this, you restrict high FODMAP foods for 4 weeks. If you find that your IBS symptoms significantly improve during this time, you probably have some intolerance of FODMAPs. However, this does not mean you need to eliminate all FODMAPs forever.
Reintroduction Phase
The next step in the process is to reintroduce some FODMAPs, but to do so slowly, and one food at a time, to see which foods cause symptoms. For example, when you are trying stone fruits, don’t add them all back at once. First, try adding half a peach. If you don’t notice any symptoms, later you could eat the other half, and the next day you might try eating a whole peach. If you ate peaches, avocados, and nectarines all on the same day, and you have a bowel flare up, you wouldn’t know which food was to blame.
Eat Low FODMAP Foods and Small Amounts of Moderate FODMAP Foods
You may find that you can tolerate some of the moderate FODMAP foods in smaller doses. For example, a whole handful of almonds might upset your stomach, while 5 single almonds might be fine. Many lists of all the low, high, and moderate FODMAP-containing foods are available online.
Maintain Fiber Levels
Since many of the FODMAP foods are very fibrous, eliminating them might relieve IBS, but cause constipation. To prevent this, ensure that you have low FODMAP, high fiber foods in your diet. For example, oatmeal, strawberries, and blueberries are all low in FODMAPs.
If Necessary, Find Professional Help
A low FODMAP diet is not instinctive. You can’t simply eliminate one component (like all gluten, or all fruits); you have to carefully monitor which foods have the specific types of fermentable carbohydrates, which foods irritate you, and how big of a serving you can tolerate. If going it alone is too confusing or hard, find a nutritionist or dietitian who can help you. If you aren’t ready to see a professional yet, try searching IBS support forums online and keeping a food journal to monitor what bothers your stomach.