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While many people think of diets as something used to lose weight, there are so many other types of diets. Some diets, for example, are used primarily to relieve uncomfortable symptoms someone may be feeling, and diets can help with anything from headaches to digestive issues. The FODMAP diet is a diet that is meant to be used temporarily to soothe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS.)
FODMAP is an acronym used to identify short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that, in some people, are absorbed poorly in their small intestines (1). These sugars can cause IBS due to an irritation of the intestines.
The University of Virginia outlines the acronym as follows:
F: Fermentable (creates gas)
O: Oligosaccharides (a type of fiber found in wheat, onion, garlic, and beans)
D: Disaccharides (refers to lactose, a commonly malabsorbed sugar found in some dairy foods)
M: Monosaccharides (refers to fructose, found in certain fruits and many processed foods)
A: And
P: Polyols (refers to sugar alcohols added to sugar-free gum and candy and naturally found in certain fruits and vegetables) (2)
Some people are more sensitive to FODMAPs than others, and it is unusual for one person to be set off by all the foods encompassed in the FODMAPs acronym. The FODMAP diet actually refers to a diet where little-to-no FODMAPs are eaten, and it is not a diet recommended for everyone.
The FODMAP diet is “designed to help people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) figure out which foods are problematic and which foods reduce symptoms” (1). It is not a weight-loss diet, and it is not a diet for everyone.
Because there are so many high FODMAP foods, the diet is highly restrictive, and it is only used as a temporary diet to identify “trigger foods.” Because different foods may trigger IBS for different people, the diet utilizes a “guess and check” method.
Eliminate all high FODMAP foods for 2-6 weeks.
Reintroduce high FODMAP foods back into your diet one by one. Every three days, a new food can be reintroduced to see how your body reacts to that particular food.
Identify which foods trigger symptoms, and avoid/limit eating those foods long-term.
By the time the diet is done, the individual should have a new understanding of what foods trigger their symptoms, and from there they can avoid only those particular foods, while still enjoying the freedom of eating all other FODMAP foods.
Foods low in FODMAPs that can be enjoyed throughout the FODMAP diet include:
Meats, fish, and eggs
Nuts and seeds (peanuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, and sesame seeds)
Fruits (cantaloupe, oranges, kiwi, lemons, strawberries, passionfruit, and unripe bananas)
Vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, kale, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, zucchini)
Grains (corn, oats, rice, quinoa)
Other (fats and oils, most herbs/spices, stevia, hard cheeses, coffee, green/black tea)
Foods high in FODMAPs should be completed avoided during the elimination phase of the diet, and can be reintroduced one by one:
Dairy (ice cream, most yogurts, soft cheeses, sour cream, whey protein)
Fruits (apples, apricots, berries–excluding strawberries, cherries, dates, grapes, figs, peaches, pears, plums, watermelon)
Vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, squash, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, mushrooms, onions, peas)
Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils)
Wheat/other grains (bread, cereals, crackers, pasta, tortillas, barley, rye, amaranth)
Sweeteners (agave, fructose, honey, molasses, xylitol)
Beverages (fruit juices, kombucha, oat milk, soft drinks, soy milk, chai/chamomile tea, coconut water) (3)
Always consult your doctor before starting a diet, and for a more extensive list of high and low FODMAP foods.
The health benefits of the FODMAP diet are to help relieve symptoms of IBS and SIBO. The FODMAP diet can reduce high levels of intestinal bacteria. It will help identify which foods are a trigger of symptoms to determine which foods need to be avoided, ultimately relieving IBS symptoms in the long run.
The FODMAP diet is not exclusively alkaline or acidic, as it involves a mixture of alkaline and acidic foods. For example, fish, meat, and eggs are all low in FODMAPs (and therefore encouraged) throughout the FODMAP diet, and all of these foods are acidic (4). Oatmeal is also considered slightly acidic, as is olive oil. Other fats and oils, however, are considered neutral.
That being said, other foods encouraged in the FODMAP diet are alkaline, and these can be eaten to offset some of the highly acidic foods. Vegetables, including celery, spinach, and kale, are highly alkaline, as are citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Sunflower and sesame seeds are also alkaline, in addition to being packed with fiber and healthy fats.
While the FODMAP diet is not exclusively alkaline or acidic, it does benefit people that struggle with irritable bowel syndrome or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. For those who are trying the FODMAP diet and still want to ensure their diet is high in alkalinity, steering into allowed fruits and vegetables will help offset the acidic meats and other foods. To boost your alkaline intake further, consider investing in an alkalizing water pitcher by Seychelle. By adding alkaline water to your diet, you can balance out any acidity in your body to keep it functioning optimally.
Is low FODMAP alkaline?
Not necessarily. The low FODMAP diet contains a mixture of alkaline, acidic, and neutral foods, so the amount of each food you eat determines the alkalinity of the diet.
What are the negatives of the FODMAP diet?
The FODMAP diet is highly restrictive, which is why it is not sustainable in the long-term. It deprives your body of certain nutrients and fiber solely because those foods contain FODMAPs, which is why the diet is supposed to be used temporarily to identify trigger foods for an individual.
Who should avoid the FODMAP diet?
Anyone who does not struggle with IBS orsmall intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) should avoid the FODMAP diet.
References
Hazel Galon Veloso, Johns Hopkins Medicine,https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know
University of Virginia Health System,https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2023/12/Low-FODMAP-Diet-and-Instructions-2023.pdf
Jerlyn Jones,Healthline,https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fodmaps-101
Jared Meacham,Healthline,https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/the-alkaline-diet-myth#alkaline-foods
