Irritable bowel syndrome has been found to affect approximately 10% of the population, so it is a fairly widespread disease in the world that, thanks to a special diet, can be partially controlled and cured. Very often, the proposed solution is the FODMAP dietThe acronym they gave to the food rich in Fermentable Oligo, Di, Monosaccharides And Polyol (oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and fermentable polyols).
This diet, however, is also useful for those with other conditions. pathological or inflammatory diseases chronic bowel disorders such as dysbiosis, bloating, intestinal gas, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Many people around the world are looking for a solution to these problems with the FODMAP diet. The aim of this post is to go deeper into what this type of diet consists of and what foods it includes.
What is a FODMAP diet?
The FODMAP diet is a real food protocol, developed by Monash University in Australia, based on the exclusion of foods containing these molecules (e.g. garlic, onions, celery, artichokes) and their substitution with foods that do not alter the gut (e.g. bananas, oranges, courgettes, tomatoes, etc.).
The term FODMAP also refers to the short-chain carbohydrates with high fermentative power that are found in some foods and that can lead to the aforementioned conditions. The fact is that the food we eat nourishes our microbiota, so the microbiota itself can be modified through a particular diet.
It is therefore important, in cases of irritable bowel, to follow a diet that reduces the fermentation process and restores an adequate microbiota. The low FODMAP diet is based precisely on this principle, i.e. eating foods with low fermentative impact, starting with some carbohydrates, contained in foods that we are used to eating on a daily basis, such as bread, pasta, sugars, some types of fruit.
Food that includes
The main characteristic of FODMAP foods is that they are only partially digested before reaching the colon, where they are fermented by the microbiota, releasing gas and attracting water into the intestinal lumen. They are numerous and undergo different fermentation processes, in fact, we can distinguish between high and low grade substances.
The fewer FODMAPs a food contains, the less it will ferment in the gut, but it should be noted that they have no harmful effects. And in those who do not have intestinal disorders, there is no need to eliminate them from the diet or reduce their consumption. The problem arises for those suffering from irritable bowel or other inflammatory diseases for which the intake of these molecules may trigger or worsen symptoms.
These foods even ferment in the same way in healthy people and those with intestinal disorders. The production of gas after ingestion is similar, the difference lies in the effect: healthy people do not feel any discomfort, whereas individuals with intestinal problems suffer from stomach inflammation, abdominal pain and defecation disorders.

These foods are listed below:
High FODMAP food sources
Fructose
- Fruits: Apples, Pears, Peaches, Mango, Watermelon, Honey.
- Sweeteners: fructose, corn syrup.
- Other fructose levels: fruit concentrates, fruit preserves, fruit juices, dried fruits and nuts
Lactose
- Milk: Cow, goat, sheep, ice cream.
- Cheeses: Mild and fresh (e.g. ricotta)
Oligosaccharides
- Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, fennel, garlic, okra, onions, peas, shallots.
- Cereals: Wheat and rye when consumed in large quantities (bread, pasta, couscous, crackers, biscuits).
- Pulses: chickpeas, lentils, broad beans, broad beans.
- Fruits: watermelon, white peaches, persimmons.
Polioli
- Fruits: apples, apricots, cherries, pears, peaches, plums, plums, watermelon, watermelon, etc.
- Vegetables: avocados, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas.
- Sweeteners: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and others ending in -ol
LOW FODMAP Food Sources
Fructose
- Fruits: Banana, blueberry, grapefruit, grape, grapefruit, melon, kiwi, lemon, tangerine, orange, raspberry, strawberry.
- Honey substitutes: Maple syrup
- Sweeteners: All except polyols
Lactose
- Milk: lactose-free, soya, rice milk.
- Cheeses: Hard and aged cheeses.
Oligosaccharides
- Vegetables: Bamboo shoots, celery, peppers, aubergine, green beans, lettuce, chives, pumpkin, green onion, tomato.
- Cereals: Gluten-free and spelt products
Polioli
- Fruits: Banana, blueberry, grapefruit, kiwi, tangerine, lemon, orange, grape, raspberry, strawberry Sweeteners: sugar (sucrose), glucose.
Actual indications for the low FODMAP diet
The FODMAP diet was born from the compilation of studies linking the intake of certain foods to the onset or worsening of intestinal symptoms in many people. These foods were found to have short-chain carbohydrates in common and their elimination led to an improvement in symptoms.
In the cases examined in the studies, the approach was to eliminate a single food or a subcategory of foods (e.g. cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables), whereas the team of academics at Monash University thought it was useful to eliminate all foods rich in these short-chain carbohydrates. This is the original FODMAP diet.
Two aspects need to be taken into account:
- In the FODMAP diet In reality, the list of foods to eliminate is not very extensive, while many sites and articles discussing this dietary protocol recommend excluding large categories of foods, and this is always incorrect.
- The theory of the Monash University researchers has never been validated by other studies and has faced several criticisms from other researchers and nutrition professionals.
The FODMAP diet has recently been theorised to include:
- Restrictions to a few foods (those listed in the previous paragraph).
- Elimination of food for short periods only.
- The gradual reintroduction of individual foods, maintaining restrictions only on those foods with the highest FODMAP content that have proven to be really problematic for that particular person.
Conclusions
The FODMAP diet requires the patient to be followed by an expert nutritionist. Do-it-yourself' should be avoided, because it would be completely useless. In addition to being dangerous, it is necessary to consult a nutritionist who can plan the diet and detect whether or not the elimination of a certain food has had any effect on the body.
If this diet eliminates a vegetable ingredientIt does not make sense to insert foods of animal origin in their place, because the latter contain substances involved in intestinal inflammation. Instead, the nutritionist will be able to plan this type of diet by recommending the preferred plant foods in the different phases.