Many of you may have arrived at this page after watching my recent video on YouTube about bloating.

In this video I briefly describe some common food and beverages that are known to cause GI pain, bloating and discomfort. However the last talking point where I discuss FODMAPs requires a little more explanation.

I do want to point out that not everybody is sensitive to all FODMAPS, so if you are unsure which of these are problematic for you, then I highly recommend getting in touch with me to discuss some quick and easy tests we can carry out to determine which of these cause problems for you.

As you can see this is quite a long list, so the last thing you want to do is avoid everything which is likely very unnecessary.

What are FODMAPS ?

  • Fermentable
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Disaccharide
  • Monosaccharides
  • And Polyols

 

They are short chain carbohydrates which for some people, can be poorly absorbed in the small intestines and are prone to absorbing water and ferment in the colon. This produces gas and may cause digestive discomfort in some people. The reasons are thought to be due to hypersensitivity to luminal distention, but they do not cause intestinal inflammation.

FODMAPs include short chain oligosaccharides polymers of fructose (fructans). Food sources of fructans include leeks, asparagus, garlic and onion (check out my Youtube video description for an exhaustive list).

Galactooligosaccharides, thankfully abbreviated to (GOS) as no one wants to pronounce that! 😂 Due to the configuration of their glycosidic bonds, GOS (stachyose and raffinose) are largely resistant to enzymatic breakdown in the stomach and intestine and are classified as a prebiotics. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria in the colon.

Other FODMAPs include Disaccharides (lactose). Lactose is made up of a galactose and glucose molecule and makes up around 2–8% of milk by weight. This is also known as a lactose intolerance.

Monosaccharides (fructose). Food sources of fructose include fruits, vegetables and honey. Other high sources of fructose include HFCS, agave nectar, molasses, maple syrup, many fruits and fruit juices.

The last group is sugar alcohols (collectively called polyols). This group includes sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol. Sugar alcohols are added to foods because of their lower caloric content than sugars, however they are also less sweet, and are often combined with high-intensity sweeteners. They are also added to chewing gum as they are not broken down by bacteria in the mouth or metabolized to acids, and thus do not contribute to tooth decay.

Listed below are some of the commonly consumed FODMAPs, listed by food group.

Vegetables and Legumes
  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Baked beans
  • Beetroot, fresh
  • Black eyed peas
  • Broad beans
  • Butter beans
  • Cassava
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery – greater than 5cm of stalk
  • Choko
  • Garlic / garlic powder / garlic salt
  • Haricot beans
  • Kidney beans
  • Lima beans
  • Leek bulb
  • Mange Tout
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Mung beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion / onion powder / small pickled onions
  • Peas, sugar snap
  • Pickled vegetables
  • Red kidney beans
  • Savoy Cabbage – over 1/2 cup
  • Soy beans / soya beans
  • Split peas
  • Scallions / spring onions (bulb / white part)
  • Shallots
  • Taro
Prebiotic Foods
  • FOS – fructo oligosaccharides
  • Inulin
  • Oligofructose
Cooking Ingredients
  • Carob powder / carob flour
Meat
  • Deli Ham
  • Chorizo
  • Sausages
  • Deli Turkeys
Fruits
  • Apples including pink lady and granny smith
  • Apricots
  • Avocado
  • Bananas, ripe
  • Blackberries
  • Blackcurrants
  • Boysenberry
  • Cherries
  • Currants
  • Custard apple
  • Dates
  • Feijoa
  • Figs
  • Goji berries
  • Grapefruit – over 80g
  • Guava, unripe
  • Lychee
  • Mango
  • Nectarines
  • Paw paw, dried
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Persimmon
  • Pineapple, dried
  • Plums
  • Pomegranate
  • Prunes
  • Raisins
  • Sea buckthorns
  • Sultanas
  • Tamarillo
  • Tinned fruit in apple / pear juice
  • Watermelon
Drinks and Protein Powders
  • Beer – if drinking more than one bottle
  • Coconut water
  • Cordial, apple and raspberry with 50-100% real juice
  • Cordial, orange with 25-50% real juice
  • Fruit and herbal teas with apple added
  • Fruit juices in large quantities
  • Fruit juices made of apple, pear,
  • Kombucha
  • Malted chocolate flavored drink
  • Meal replacement drinks containing milk based products e.g. Ensure, Slim Fast
  • Orange juice in quantities over 100ml
  • Quinoa milk
  • Rum
  • Sodas containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
  • Soy milk made with soy beans – commonly found in USA
  • Sports drinks
  • Tea:
    • Black tea with added soy milk
    • Chai tea, strong
    • Dandelion tea, strong
    • Fennel tea
    • Chamomile tea
    • Herbal tea, strong
    • Oolong tea
  • Wine – if drinking more than one glass
  • Whey protein, concentrate unless lactose free
  • Whey protein, hydrolyzed unless lactose free
Cereals, Grains, Breads, Biscuits / Cookies, Pasta, Nuts and Cakes
  • Wheat containing products such as (be sure to check labels):
  • Biscuits / cookies including chocolate chip cookies
  • Bread, wheat – over 1 slice
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Cakes
  • bar, wheat based
  • Croissants
  • Crumpets
  • Egg noodles
  • Muffins
  • Pastries
  • Pasta, wheat over 1/2 cup cooked
  • Udon noodles
  • Wheat bran
  • Wheat cereals
  • Wheat flour
  • Wheat germ
  • Wheat noodles
  • Wheat rolls
  • Almond meal
  • Amaranth flour
  • Barley including flour
  • Bran cereals
  • Breads
  • Granary bread
  • Multigrain bread
  • Naan
  • Oatmeal bread
  • Pumpernickel bread
  • Roti
  • Sourdough with kamut
  • Cashews
  • Chestnut flour
  • Cous cous
  • Einkorn flour
  • Freekeh
  • Gnocchi
  • Granola bar
  • Muesli cereal
  • Muesli bar
  • Pistachios
  • Rye
  • Rye crispbread
  • Semolina
  • Spelt flour
Condiments, Dips, Sweets, Sweeteners and Spreads
  • Agave
  • Caviar dip
  • Fructose
  • Fruit bar
  • Gravy, if it contains onion
  • High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  • Hummus / houmous
  • Honey
  • Jam, mixed berries
  • Jam, strawberry, if contains HFCS
  • Molasses
  • Pesto sauce
  • Quince paste
  • Relish / vegetable pickle
  • Stock cubes
  • Sugar free sweets containing polyols – usually ending in -ol or isomalt
  • Sweeteners and corresponding E number:
    • Inulin
    • Isomalt (E953 / 953)
    • Lactitol (E966 / 966)
    • Maltitol (E965 / 965)
    • Mannitol (E241 / 421)
    • Sorbitol (E420 / 420)
    • Xylitol (E967 / 967)
  • Tahini paste
  • Tzatziki dip
Dairy Foods
  • Buttermilk
  • Cheese, cream
  • Cheese, Halmoumi
  • Cheese, ricotta
  • Cream
  • Custard
  • Gelato
  • Ice cream
  • Kefir
  • Milk:
    • Cow milk
    • Goat milk
    • Evaporated milk
    • Sheep’s milk
  • Sour cream
  • Yoghurt
  • Option 19