FODMAP FOODS, TESTING, and FODMAP FAQs
With information on research, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as FODMAPs intolerance testing.
WTF – stands for What the Fodmap!
Are you that person who wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror to see what we all want to see a ‘flat tummy’ ?
How wonderful, you want to keep this sylph-like look but there’s that nagging feeling that as the day goes on your tummy is going to swell.
By noon you look three months pregnant and by the end of the working day you feel six months pregnant!
Your clothes have to be chosen very carefully as what looked fabulous in the morning now looks tight and frumpy!
There is a very good reason for this: you may be suffering from an intolerance to FODMAP foods.
What does FODMAP stand for ?
The acronym stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
Now don’t worry, you don’t have to try and remember that!
Keep reading and get your journey of understanding the world that is FODMAPs started with our list of FODMAP FAQs. You will also find a concise list of some of the most common FODMAP containing foods which, may be the hidden cause of your gut problems and pain.
Find the answers to your FODMAP FAQs below.
FODMAPs: What are they?
FODMAPs (fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) are naturally occurring carbohydrates, or, sugars found in milk, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, cereals and processed foods.
What are the most common FODMAP sugars to look out for?
Common FODMAP sugars include Fructose, Lactose, Sorbitol, Mannitol, as well as Sucrose. A FODMAPs foods list can be found below.
What happens if I suffer from FODMAP malabsorption and how is it connected to irritable bowel syndrome?
These dietary sugars can be poorly absorbed in the gut, and can cause painful gut symptoms in IBS patients, as well as in some patients with coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
How can these painful symptoms be treated?
Following a diagnosis of FODMAPs malabsorption, a diet with a restricted intake of foods containing FODMAPs has been shown in clinical studies to provide long-term symptom relief in approximately 75% of IBS sufferers. FODMAP sensitivity tests can be purchased from Allergy Testing Online’s online store here.
What are typical FODMAP foods?
As mentioned in our FODMAP FAQs, FODMAPs are present in many common foods. Because of the prevalence of FODMAPs in food, it is important to establish which ones in particular you are intolerant to. The most common are listed in the FODMAP foods list below:
Fermentable
Oligosaccharide
- Artichoke, asparagus, leek, onion, garlic, spring onion, beetroot
- Wheat, rye
- Watermelon, nectarines
- Lentils, chickpeas, beans
- Cashews, pistachios
Disaccharide
- Dairy products
Monosaccharide
- Apples, pears, mango, figs, dried fruits
- Sugar snap peas
- Honey
Polyol
- Avocado, lychee, apricots, blackberries, plums, prunes
- Mushroom, cauliflower, snow peas
- Artificial sweeteners – mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol and isomalt.
Holly and Jennifer - Our Clinical Nutritionists
Allergy Testing on LineThe good news is that with evidence-based FODMAPs testing and elimination protocols, many of these intolerances can be resolved and managed to dramatically improve or eliminate symptoms.
In fact, a FODMAP dietary protocol informed by breath tests has been shown to provide significant long-term symptomatic improvement in 75% of IBS sufferers.
Testing is simple, non-invasive breath testing, suitable for both adults and children, with accurate results that we can utilise to develop an elimination and re-introduction protocol personalised to you.
Available all across Australia.
It does not matter where home is; our service is available across Australia from WA to Tasmania – any city or regional town, any postal address.
So, even if you can’t get in to see us we can send you a FODMAP testing kit to do the test in the comfort of your own home.
Our Clinical Nutritionists Jennifer and Holly are experts at helping people follow a low FODMAP diet. Between them they hold B.Sc, M.Sc as well as FODMAPs certs from Monash University!
We are here to ‘Get Rid of Your Bloat’ so what are you waiting for!
Is FODMAP Malabsorption Weighing You Down?
Take our Hydrogen/Methane Breath Test and Find Out.
Bacteria in the colon (large intestine) produce either hydrogen and/or methane gas when ingested sugars are not completely absorbed in the small intestine.
The gas is absorbed into the bloodstream from the bowel and travels to the lungs where it is expelled though breathing, allowing detection by an analyser.
Breath testing is available Australia–wide from Perth Allergy Clinic or Allergy Testing on Line via a convenient home test kit.
Cost is $175 for one sugar and $100 per sugar thereafter. No other charges, includes all postage and processing.
Scroll down to see our purchase options…
How Does the Breath Test Work?
Common dietary sugars such as lactose and fructose are normally absorbed in the small intestine. However, some people do not completely absorb these sugars and they pass into the colon (large intestine) where they are fermented by bacteria to produce either hydrogen (H2) or methane (CH4) gas, or a combination of both.
In FODMAP intolerance an orally-ingested test sugar will be incompletely absorbed in the small intestine, leading to fermentation and gas production in the colon. These gases are absorbed into the bloodstream and expired via the lungs, allowing detection by breath testing. As these gases are not produced by humans, they are evidence of sugar fermentation by intestinal bacteria and hence breath tests are highly specific.
FODMAP Intolerance and SIBO are indicated by a significant rise in breath hydrogen or methane levels above baseline during the test.
As a quantitative test it can also provide some information on the degree of intolerance.
Why Should I Consider Breath Testing?
Medical studies show professional dietary FODMAP management supported by breath test results provides significant and long-term symptom improvement in 75% of IBS patients. This evidence far outweighs any other pharmaceutical or dietary strategy for IBS management.
You can Beat the Bloat…
Get Answers and Return to Normal !
Take our simple FODMAPs test.
A hydrogen and methane breath test is a valuable diagnostic tool to accurately predict FODMAP intolerance and SIBO. It is useful as part of routine diagnostic workup and to guide a targeted evidence-based dietary approach.
This is a simple, painless and non-invasive test to accurately diagnose FODMAP malabsorption and SIBO.
What happens after I take the test?
Following diagnosis of malabsorption, a diet with restricted intake of FODMAPs has been shown in clinical studies to provide long-term symptom relief in approximately 75% of IBS sufferers.
The process of eliminating (and re-introducing) certain food groups needs to be carefully and professionally planned to not only manage the elimination of certain foods but at the same time to maintain a nutritionally balanced healthy food intake.
We do not recommend patients try themselves to withdraw certain foods from their diet without objective evidence and professional advice.
Treatment to repair the gut lining and gut wall are often an accompanying strategy. Because FODMAPs and gut health often go hand in hand our clinic and practitioners also specialise in gut repair.
Our in-house clinical nutritionists Jennifer and Holly are specially trained to guide you through the complete journey to restored gut health.
Watch the Video
Testing Demonstration
Watch Priya, one of our SIBO practitioners, demonstrate how to take a SIBO test.
Available Tests
Hydrogen/methane breath tests are highly specific and sensitive tools for the diagnosis of FODMAP malabsorption and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
See the table below for the tests we offer and the issues they are designed to address:
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Purchase tests on-line by following a link below…
Discuss options first ?
Book an Appointment by following this link…
( Phone and Telehealth also available )
FODMAPs Testing
FODMAPs are rapidly fermented, poorly absorbed dietary sugars
We can test for the following sugars – click on a tab below for more info.
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