Developed by an Australian nutritionist, poor diet FODMAPs, stands for F ermentable O ligosaccharides, D isaccharides (lactose), M onosaccarides (fructose) A na P olyols (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol) - the "s "marks the plural) consists in reducing or avoiding the consumption of foods containing so-called" fermentable "carbohydrates, that is to say, rapidly fermented by the bacteria of the colon.

Julie Delorme, dietician-nutritionist ¹ , tells us more about the indications, applications and particularities of this diet.

What is the impact of FODMAPs on our organization?

"Depending on their type, FODMAPs are not at all or only partially digested and absorbed in the small intestine, so a certain quantity passes to the colon where the sugars cause distention of the large intestine via an osmotic effect. (call of water which increases the volume of the stools) and the production of gas (fermentation of the sugars by the intestinal flora) This distension would play a preponderant role in the intestinal pains or the acceleration of the transit. the origin of flatulence. " ²

Who is a poor FODMAP diet aimed at?

It is indicated for people with functional gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable bowel syndrome (also called functional colopathy) or suffering from intestinal discomfort: bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and / or constipation, accompanied by intestinal pain. It also offers good results in people with Crohn 's disease in periods of remission (but avoid during "outbreaks"), or those affected by endometriosis (with associated digestive symptoms). Finally, a beneficial effect has been demonstrated on infant colics when followed by breastfeeding mothers.

What does it consist on ?

"There is a three-step program," explains Julie Delorme, "The first is to diet by limiting her consumption of foods containing FODMAPs for four weeks, during which time she can actually be seen to be effective.

In a second step, we perform re-introduction tests to specify on each of these categories if they are assimilable. In the vast majority of cases, people are able to digest at least one or two categories of FODMAPs. In the end, we know what is digested or not, which allows to know which foods we can allow and which we must avoid. The strict phase is therefore short-lived and enlargement can reintroduce enough FODMAPs into the diet to bring benefits to the intestinal flora. "

On the other hand, if no improvement is noticed after four weeks, our expert advises to consult again a specialist to look for other tracks.

In which foods are FODMAPs found?

FODMAPs are found in a large number of foods, in varying degrees depending on their nature, their portion and the way in which they are prepared.

"The content of FODMAPs also sometimes varies depending on a part of it, for example, the leek white is rich in FODMAPs while the green is much less.There is a variation depending on the quantity also, which complicates the diet.Some vegetables such as beetroot, green beans or avocado contain 'moderately' so if we eat half a avocado or 200gr of beans then we will be rich in FODMAPs. On the other hand, if you go to a quarter, you are poor in FODMAPs, it's just a matter of 'dosing' each food. "

Among the richest (and therefore excluded) foods are milk, garlic, onion, leek, asparagus, beets, cauliflower, legumes (dry beans, peas). chick, lentils), honey, wheat-based foods, Paris mushrooms, artichokes, beer, fruits rich in fructose (pear, apricot, mango, banana -verte-, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum). Are preferred: pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, seafood, orange, potato, banana (blackberry), carrot, meat, fish, eggs, plant milks ...

It is possible to obtain a complete list (re-updated frequently), for a few euros, from a dietitian (n) -nutritionist or on dedicated sites ( fodmap.fr ).

Does it lose weight?

It is neither a dieting nor a health plan since it must be done for a limited period, warns the dietician-nutritionist. However, it can actually have an impact on the weight of some people because it leads to a lot of eviction, forcing them including banish industrial products, and therefore 'better' cooking. In others, it may have the opposite effect, especially for those who have greatly restricted their food intake and are switching to a more varied diet knowing what they can afford to eat again. "

Advantages, disadvantages and contraindications of the FODMAPs scheme

"It's about 75% effective, a percentage better than taking medication, to treat bloating and symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)," says Julie Delorme. if it is done correctly, we can eat everything, it will not eliminate a whole category of food.It will be enough to select within each family those that we support or not.This avoids being deficient in vitamins and minerals .

The main disadvantage: its impact on the microbiota, which is not selective. Bacteria that cause symptoms will go hungry and it's great to kill them, but those that are beneficial will be too. In this sense, this can be problematic. It is therefore strongly discouraged to follow him for more than eight weeks. "

Although it has no real contraindications, precautions are still necessary, especially for people who already have a restricted diet such as vegan . People with eating disorders or with antecedents as well. "When we suffer, especially digestive problems, we can quickly develop orthorexia and after a while we will not eat anything, we will then end up with a relationship to the problematic diet may cause deficiencies and undernutrition, "she says.

1 https://delormenutrition.com
2 Sherpherd SJ, Lomer MCE and Gibson PR (2013) Short-chain carbohydrates and functional gastrointestinal disorders, The American Journal of Gastroenterology; 108: 707-717.