Dr Cameron Schauer
Low FODMAP diet
Fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols
WHAT
Groups of carbohydrates that cause bloating, gas and stomach pain.
Oligosaccharides: Wheat, rye, legumes and various fruits and vegetables, such as garlic and onions.
Disaccharides: Milk, yogurt and soft cheese. Lactose is the main carb.
Monosaccharides: Various fruit including figs and mangoes, and sweeteners such as honey and agave nectar. Fructose is the main carb.
Polyols: Certain fruits and vegetables including blackberries and lychee, as well as some low-calorie sweeteners like those in sugar-free gum.
BENFITS:
Follow the low-FODMAP diet, your odds of improving stomach pain and bloating are 81% and 75% greater, respectively (Eur J Nutr. 2016 Apr;55(3):897-906)
HOW: This is an exclusion then reintroduction diet. It is not to lose weight. There is a trial and error element with regards to approach.
TOP BADDIES:
1. Wheat is one of the single biggest contributors of FODMAPs in the Western diet (bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, biscuits, and pastries)
SWAP WITH: Brown rice, buckwheat, maize, millet, oats, polenta, quinoa
2. Garlic/Onion
SWAP WITH: Chilli, ginger, lemongrass, mustard seeds
3. Fruit: especially apples, pears, stone fruits, watermelon.
SWAP WITH: Kiwifruit, oranges, pineapple, strawberries
4. Vegetables: Asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts,
SWAP WITH: Capsicum, carrot, eggplant, kale, tomato, spinach and zucchini
5. Legumes: baked beans, chick-peas, lentils
SWAP WITH: Tofu, eggs, brown rice, buckwheat, maize, millet, oats, polenta, quinoa
6. Sweeteners: Agave nectar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey
SWAP WITH: Stevia, glucose, maple syrup, sucrose, sugar
7. Dairy: Milk, yoghurt
SWAP WITH: Lactose-free milk, feta cheese, hard cheddar cheese (much of the lactose is lost during the cheesemaking process)
8. Drinks: Chamomile tea, coconut water, dessert wine
SWAP WITH: Black tea, coffee, peppermint tea.
More information on this diet can be gained from: Monash University low FODMAP diet information
Our dietician can provide additional personalised information, insight and assistance with this process.