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.
In this diet, when used to help determine which foods might be triggering symptoms for an individual with IBS, these carbohydrates are considered high FODMAP and restricted in the elimination phase of the diet. The diet restricts high-FODMAP foods until the individual is symptom-free for four to six weeks. Then, the reintroduction phase starts where one group of high-FODMAP foods are individually reintroduced at a time, and symptoms are monitored [4].
What is The Purpose of a Low FODMAP Diet?
A Low FODMAP diet aims to reduce symptoms of some digestive disorders. FODMAPs, short for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols, are carbohydrates that aren’t well absorbed in the small bowel and instead reach the large bowel where they get fermented by bacteria, thus causing symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea and abdominal pain [5, 6].
A low FODMAP diet is helpful for patients with IBS. A high proportion of patients (52%) reported adequate relief of their gut symptoms after a low FODMAP diet compared to a control diet (16%) [7]. A low FODMAP diet may also reduce symptoms in patients with quiescent IBD [8].
The diet is implemented as an elimination phase where all high FODMAP foods are eliminated until symptoms improve or up to four to six weeks [4], followed by a gradual reintroduction phase where each group of high FODMAP foods is re-introduced over time and symptoms tracked [4].
But, a low FODMAP diet isn’t meant to be followed long-term. If not done correctly, a restrictive diet, even under the close supervision of a healthcare professional, can lead to deficiencies [5, 6].
Are Chickpeas Low FODMAP?
The available scientific articles do not mention whether chickpeas are low in FODMAPS (fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols). FODMAPS are a collective term for carbohydrates that are not easily absorbed and are often poorly tolerated in the gut in some people, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
That said, how chickpeas are prepared can alter their FODMAP content. Pickling and canning are examples of food processing techniques that can decrease a food’s FODMAP content [9].
Although chickpeas provide a lot of nutrition (high levels of protein, fibre, and vitamins), [10] the fact that they are a legume – and thus may contain FODMAPs in unknown amounts – may make chickpeas a less desirable choice for someone who has IBS or other digestive sensitivities. If you are concerned about the amount of FODMAPS naturally found in chickpeas, talk with your physician and/or dietitian before making any dietary changes.
Which Foods Are Low FODMAP?
The basis for the low FODMAP diet is to minimise foods high in certain carbohydrates which are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. This diet is commonly recommended for people with IBS who want to manage their symptoms. Low-FODMAP foods include:
- Fish and other meats
- Eggs
- Butter and oils
- Hard cheeses
- Lactose-free dairy products
- Certain fruits, including bananas, blueberries, grapes, kiwis, oranges, and pineapple
- Certain vegetables, including carrots, celery, eggplant, green beans, kale, pumpkin, spinach, and potato
- Quinoa, rice, millet, and cornmeal
- Firm and medium tofu
- Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds [11]
Other foods, including some common in vegetarian/vegan diets, are also low in FODMAPs: canned coconut milk, dulse, nutritional yeast, soy cheese, tempeh, wheat gluten, and wheat grass. No FODMAPs were found in agar-agar, egg replacer, vegan egg yolk, kelp noodles, and spirulina [9].
Other low FODMAP foods include lactose-free milk or other dairy substitutes such as rice or almond milk, skinless chicken and turkey breast, lean fish such as cod and halibut, and vegetables such as carrots, eggplant, green beans, pumpkin and zucchini [12].
Remember that even though these foods are low FODMAP, a large portion can still deliver a lot of FODMAPs. Portion size is vital. Not everyone with IBS is sensitive to all FODMAPs, and many also have sensitivities or intolerances to other foods, so employing the low-FODMAP diet requires the assistance of a healthcare professional [11].