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your health.
A low-fodmap diet is a generally
healthy eating approach suitable
for everyone
❑ TRUE ❑ FALSEA low-fodmap diet must be supervised
by a qualified health professional
❑ TRUE ❑ FALSEHigh-fodmap foods are unhealthy
❑ TRUE ❑ FALSEA low-fodmap diet can cure IBS
❑ TRUE ❑ FALSEA low-fodmap diet is one part of a
strategy to treat the symptoms of IBS
❑ TRUE ❑ FALSETRUE OR FALSE?
Over the long term, excluding so
many foods can upset the healthy
balance of bacteria in the gut
and potentially lead to nutrient
deficiencies and lack of fibre.
“I suspect people on these diets
long-term are doing themselves
more harm than good,” she says.
Dr Rossi stresses it’s important to
understand that particular foods
don’t cause IBS, they trigger gut
lining sensitivity; the diet is only
one part of a treatment programme
aimed at desensitising the gut.
“It’s essential to do this under
medical supervision with someone
who is fodmap trained,” Dr Rossi
says. She adds that it’s not suitable
for those with a history of eating
disorders or problems linked to
being underweight.
CAN THE FODMAP DIET DO
MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
Peter Whorwell, Professor of
Medicine and Gastroenterology at
the University of Manchester, says
he’s also seeing large numbers of
patients who have tried the low-
fodmap diet unsupervised. This
might explain why the approach
hasn’t worked for some of them.
“Most patients say their GPs tell
them to Google it and go from
there,” he says. He adds there’s a
shortage of dietitians with training
in the low-fodmap diet, which is
confusing for patients as they don’t
know where to turn for help.
According to Prof Whorwell
there’s no doubt the diet helps
alleviate IBS symptoms for many
people, but it should be part of a
broad treatment programme that
might also include medication and
hypnosis. He’s concerned by some
bloggers suggesting that all high-
fodmap foods should be eliminated
long term. “It’s worrying that people
are now trying the low-fodmap diet
because they think these types of
fermentable carbohydrates are just
‘bad’ for them,” he says. “The diet
is really good for IBS, but if youdon’t have IBS you shouldn’t be
bothering with it.”
There are obvious potential
health hazards for anyone who cuts
out a wide range of foods long-
term. Many high-fodmap foods are
prebiotic – that is, they encourage
the growth of healthy bacteria in
the gut. “We don’t know the long-
term consequences of taking them
out of your diet, and we probably
won’t know this for many years,”
Prof Whorwell says.
Each person with IBS has different
triggers, so it’s not a question of all
sufferers cutting out the same long
list of foods. Ultimately, some people
might have to cut one or two foods
from their diets permanently, others
more. But Dr Rossi says with the
right treatment, many of her IBSIt’s a short-term strategy for people with a specific
medical condition and not for healthy peoplepatients return to a completely
normal diet after 12 months.THE BOTTOM LINE
The low-fodmap diet is a successful
and well-established treatment for
the symptoms of IBS, but it must be
supervised by a qualified medical
professional. The first phase of the
diet excludes a wide range of foods
and should be undertaken for no
more than eight weeks. It’s not a
‘lifetime’ diet and should be part of
a wider IBS treatment strategy.