Currently, there is a diet that is specially designed for people who have conditions related to the digestive system: conditions such as irritable colon or Chron’s disease. We talked about the FODMAP diet, a food plan whose name is made up of acronyms that respond to terms such as Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Fermenteable Polyoles.
The basis of this diet is to eliminate the consumption of carbohydrate-rich vegetables and which are of short fermentation, as these foods are difficult to digest and metabolize by the body. In this article we will discover the benefits of the FODMAP diet to get acquainted with it.
What is the FODMAP diet?
The FODMAP diet is specially designed for people with conditions such as:
– Crohn’s disease
– Irritable bowel syndrome
– Ulceral colitis
People with these conditions don’t metabolize well-rich foods in carbohydrates, and so this diet is based on eliminating them from day to day. It is important to remember that, although it is a diet, the objective of it is not to lose weight, but to improve health.
Benefits of the FODMAP diet
The FODMAP diet is a diet that, although it may seem a little restrictive, is very beneficial for the body. Here we leave you the most interesting benefits that this food method brings us:
– Reduces symptoms related to irritable colon by achieving an improvement of more than 70% in patients who follow this diet.
– Minimizes the appearance of stomach gases, as well as pains typical of the above conditions. This is due to the elimination of the diet of foods that cause fermentation in the intestine.
– People with Crohn’s disease will improve their symptoms because this diet regulates prebiotics in the body.
– Reduce chronic fatigue. It is common for people with intestinal problems to feel fatigue, however, when making the FODMAP diet they will reduce this feeling and feel more energetic and vitality.
Prohibited food
If you’re planning on this diet, first of all, you should consult your doctor. A health professional is the most suitable physician with proper follow-up.
The FODMAP diet is based on eliminating foods from the diet, and therefore, the foods you can NOT take are:
– Legumes
– Wheat
– Rye
– Garlic and onion
– Sweets and light products
– Honey
– Jams
– Syrups
– Food with lactose
Food allowed in the FODMAP diet
And, on the other hand, there are a series of foods that you can consume during the FODMAP diet and that are highly recommended for your body’s health. They are the following:
– Dry fruits
– Natural oils
– Natural sweeteners (e.g., stevia)
– Natural seasonings
– Whole grains: oats, quinoa, brown rice…
– Meat and derivatives (be careful of processed meats because, often, they are rich in lactose)
– Fruits
Although it may seem difficult to carry out, the truth is that this diet can be simple when you get used to it. The recommended thing is to go to a doctor to help you design a personalized menu and so that you know what to eat every day without getting bored and without falling into monotony.
Bibliography
– Canicoba, M., & Nastasi, V. (2016). The reduced diet in FODMAP: advantages and controversies. Clinical nutrition in medicine, 10(1), 20-39.
– Diaz, C. – A., Rojas, B. R., Bolaños-Ríos, P., & Jáuregui-Lobera, I. (2017). The Low-FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Is it currently an ineffective nutritional treatment? Symptomatic improvement. Journal of Negative and No Positive Results, 2(10), 435-461.
– FIGUEROA, C. (2015). Low diet in FODMAP diet in irritable bowel syndrome. Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes, 26(5), 628-633.
– I know, F. – L. S. (2018). FODMAP Diet for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietetics, 22, 9-10.