what is fodmap diet

A FODMAP diet is a three-step diet used to help manage the symptoms of medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) . FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and are prone to absorb water and ferment in the colon. The low FODMAP diet is designed to help people with IBS and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) figure out which foods are problematic and which foods reduce symptoms. The diet restricts certain carbohydrates, but it only eliminates high FODMAP foods and can be individualized so that only those that trigger symptoms are restricted. The diet is very restrictive and is not intended to be a long-term diet, but rather a temporary approach to help manage symptoms while identifying specific FODMAP triggers. The diet has been found to reduce symptoms in up to 86% of people with IBS and SIBO. The aims of the diet are to learn which foods and FODMAPs you tolerate and which trigger your IBS symptoms, and to assess whether your IBS symptoms are sensitive to FODMAPs.