Irritable bowel syndrome, often shortened to IBS, is a common condition that causes abdominal pain and excessive gas. Many people who suffer from IBS don’t realize that a simple change of diet can alleviate or even get rid of many symptoms.
Colleen Francioli joins us today to share how digestive health is important for everyone, even if you don’t have IBS. Colleen is the founder of FODMAP Life, one of the best online resources available about low FODMAP diets, FODMAP recipes, and living with functional gastrointestinal disorders. She is also certified nutritionist and a Digital Marketing Consultant for the Health & Wellness sector.
What is FODMAP?
FODMAPs are a group of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in many of our food and drinks. Adopting a low FODMAP diet has been proven to help the symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders like IBS and overall gut health.
But what does FODMAP stand for? Each letter in the acronym stands for the chemical properties of food to avoid — fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. FODMAPs are highly fermentable and osmotic, which can cause excessive flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain — all reasons to avoid them if you’re suffering from gastrointestinal problems.
Benefits of a Low FODMAP Diet
You don’t have to have a gastrointestinal problem to reap the benefits of a low FODMAP diet — in fact, you may find that you have more energy than you’ve had in years!
When following a low FODMAP diet, high FODMAP foods are eliminated from your diet for a period of about 2-6 weeks. And the results are promising — studies show that about 70% of people who suffer from IBS experienced reduced symptoms. That’s groundbreaking!
To learn more about gastrointestinal health and tasty low FODMAP recipes, follow @fodmaplife on Instagram and Twitter.
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