In this blog, we will closely examine FODMAP, a group of small, non-digestible carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small bowel. We will explore its effects on the gastrointestinal tract, its role in digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the purpose and implementation of a low FODMAP diet. We will pose the question on whether chickpeas are low FODMAP.
Author - Greta Daniskova
Greta is a BSc Biomedical Science student at the University of Westminster, London.
Greta used MediSearch to find sources for this blog. MediSearch gives instant answers to medical questions based on 30 million scientific articles. What is FODMAP?
FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, polyols, and carbohydrates that are more difficult to digest and present in many foods. It is a large group of small, non-digestible carbohydrates poorly absorbed in the small bowel [1, 2].
What Does FODMAP Do?
Because of their poor absorption, high osmotic activity and rapid fermentation by colonic bacteria, FODMAPs exert significant effects on the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, often resulting in bloating, abdominal pain, and flatulence in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or resulting in complaints such as diarrhoea in tube-fed patients. In addition to these effects, FODMAPs have demonstrated effects on the microbiome, micronutrient absorption and caloric intake [1, 2, 3].
FODMAPs can exert osmotic activity in the small intestine and colon and function as substrates for fermentation by the gut microbiota, leading to symptoms of abdominal distension, bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, and lose faeces or diarrhoea.
...
