Fodmaps: Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monoscaccharides and Polyols.
The theory is that certain carbohydrates are tough for your small intestines to digest. Large molecules of these foods travel to the colon, where they ferment. This causes the gurgling, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. As an on-again/off-again sufferer of IBS, this caught my attention.
Data is sparse and compliance is tough. The “bad” fodmaps include: apples, cherries, pears, watermelon, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, shrooms, onions, wheat, pasta, cookies, milk, ice cream, yoghurt, HFCS, honey, fructose, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, and soy beans. Three-quarters of these were on my short list of healthy foods. Now what?
Okay fodmaps include blueberries, lemons, carrots, celery, potatoes, pumpkin, rice, oats, polenta, hard cheeses, tofu, sugar, maple syrup, and molasses. I’ve been cutting down on potatoes, rice, and hard cheeses because they lead to weight gain.
“Many people who have tried it say they can’t believe how much it’s changed their lives,” says a doctor in today’s Wall Street Journal. He heads up the 45,000-member IBS support group.
This reminds me of a scene in Sleeper, set 200 years in the future:
Dr. Melik: This morning for breakfast he requested something called “wheat germ, organic honey and tiger’s milk.”
Dr. Aragon: [chuckling] Oh, yes. Those are the charmed substances that some years ago were thought to contain life-preserving properties.
Dr. Melik: You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or… hot fudge?
Dr. Aragon: Those were thought to be unhealthy… precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true.
Dr. Melik: Incredible.
This research has been around for a while – it originates in Australia and is going global thanks to the net. Many sites have some info, but it’s clear that the authors do not understand or haven’t read the research thoroughly. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ fodmaps. as stated in your article. Foods either contain fermentable carbohydrates in large quantities or they do not. It’s worth reading the research by Gibson and Shepherd to get a complete understanding of the research. Data is not so sparse – it’s just a matter of knowing where to look. ; )