FODMAP diets are a common part of IBS treatment protocols. It, like other elimination diets, makes sense because you want to figure out what might be causing your symptoms. However, a FODMAP diet might not be for everyone. Learn more about the FODMAP diet and how to determine if/when it is right for you and what other options are available for IBS patients. 
What is the FODMAP diet?
The FODMAP diet is a commonly prescribed treatment for patients experiencing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or IBS-like symptoms.
FODMAPs are foods containing potentially difficult-to-digest sugars. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.
Bacteria in our gut ferment these hard-to-digest sugars so they can be broken down correctly. Some people don’t have the right types of bacteria in their guts to do this and therefore struggle to digest them.
Other people have an issue with bacteria being in the wrong place. Typically, gut bacteria belong in your large intestine/colon, where the gut microbiome “lives”. Sometimes people get a condition called small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which happens when bacteria enter the small intestine where they don’t belong. These bacteria then start fermenting the foods in a place that isn’t equipped to handle this type of reaction, causing symptoms like those of IBS.
The FODMAP diet can be prescribed for both IBS and SIBO because their symptoms overlap and they are often diagnosed interchangeably.
The FODMAP diet restricts foods that fall into the FODMAP categories, like onions, garlic, apples, honey, asparagus, wheat, dairy products, cruciferous vegetables (leafy greens), and beans, to name a few. If you’ve noticed, many of these foods are highly nutritional and healthy. So it might make more sense why you don’t want to limit them for very long.
The food list that is safe to eat on the FODMAP diet is quite bland and not very nutrient-dense. However, when people start noticing that their symptoms are improving, they might want to stay on this diet long-term, especially if they were picky eaters to begin with.
This isn’t a good idea, and here’s why.
Why the FODMAP Diet Might Not Be the Answer
FODMAP diets, like other elimination diets, should only be done for a short period of time — the shorter the better.
Elimination diets as a whole should only be followed if you are working with your doctor to figure out what is causing your symptoms.
FODMAP diets restrict a lot of typically healthy foods. FODMAP diets and other elimination diets should only be done with the intention of finding your trigger foods. Once you figure out what foods trigger your symptoms, they should be eliminated quickly.
These restrictive diets should only be done for a short period of time because being on them long-term restricts your nutrient intake. Many of the foods on the FODMAP list contain essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain a good majority of your fiber sources, which many people today (specifically in the Western world) are severely deficient in.
While you are restricting your diet, a doctor or a dietician can help you make sure you are getting enough of the correct nutrients without putting the diet at risk. You can also choose to supplement during this time period if you are struggling with what you can eat, but this, like the diet itself, shouldn’t be a lifelong act of replacing foods you need with a synthetic form. You simply are not getting the correct nutrition.
Even if you are supplementing your vitamins, you’re still starving the healthy bacteria in your gut when you aren’t eating these fermentable sugars. This leads to a serious disruption in your gut microbiome and can promote future flare-ups because of an unfavorable balance of bacteria.
FODMAP diets can also be a problem for people who have a prior history of eating disorders. Eating disorders are not restricted to anorexia or bulimia as many people think. People who have experienced health conditions or mental conditions/abuse may have fears of eating certain foods. This has become even more of a problem with influencers on social media fear-mongering people with certain foods for whatever reason they want to claim.
So putting people in any of these categories on a restrictive diet can trigger these other conditions and make the process and their mental/physical health significantly worse.
IBS Treatment Options That Aren’t the FODMAP Diet
There are a lot of other IBS treatment options out there, and while some are common, others that might not be so common might actually be what you need.
- Atrantil. Atrantil is a natural supplement that was created by a gastroenterologist who was sick of seeing his IBS patients finding no relief with traditional treatment methods. 3 large polyphenols used in the product help to eradicate archaea and bacteria in the small intestine and get it to go back into the colon where it belongs. They also help to reduce inflammation and repair any damage done. In addition, they support and nourish the healthy strains of bacteria, bringing peace and balance back to your gut microbiome.
- Medications. Doctors will often prescribe rifaximin, laxatives, and other medications to try and help with symptoms. Unfortunately, this is a band-aid method of treatment, and most of the time, symptoms return. Rifaximin and other antibiotics should not be overused as they can contribute to IBS problems and dysbiosis.
- Gut-directed hypnotherapy. Gut-directed hypnotherapy is one of those not-so-common treatments. However many studies reported very high percentages of patients experiencing relief. One study found that even though 68% of patients didn’t think it would work, 81% of the people in the study had relief from IBS symptoms.
- Lifestyle changes. Many times lifestyle has a significant effect on IBS and its symptoms. Living a healthy lifestyle and making sure to reduce stress is a major factor in patient relief.
- Gut-brain therapies. Talking to a psychiatrist when you’re dealing with gastrointestinal symptoms may sound like you’re in the wrong place. However, the gut-brain axis controls so much more than you’d realize. Many symptoms of IBS are exacerbated by stress, anxiety, and other mental conditions. Getting to a psychiatrist can help you get to one of the root causes of your symptoms and can help you manage your IBS better.
- Vagus nerve stimulation. The vagus nerve is a major part of the gut-brain axis. Research suggests it can be a major help in treating IBS.
Before you decide to do the FODMAP diet for IBS, SIBO, or anything else, make sure you talk to your doctor about your other options. Getting to the root cause is the most important factor so if an elimination diet will help that then do it. But keep in mind that it should only be a temporary thing, not a lifelong sentence.
