Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I presume this RD is trying to use the notion of the "degree of polymerization" of fructans as those with a lower degree are more problematic. You can read a bit more about this in Barrett's article Malabsorption of Fructose and Other Short-chain Carbohydrates. As you can see the degree polymerization is not a hard and fast rule for determining if a fructan is problematic.

My general rule of thumb is to look at what the original researcher's of the FODMAP diet have to say. I have found that too many RDs and other sources put their own questionable spin on the FODMAP diet.

Gibson and Shepherd, are the original researchers. In their article (the 2nd link in my signature). They say in Table 1 "Cereals: wheat & rye when eaten in large amounts" should be avoided. In the text they go on to say "In practice, many patients will manage, for example, occasional ingestion of wheat or rye breads, garlic as a minor ingredient and small serves of broccoli or cauliflower. Testing of tolerance is a vital stage of the dietetic process to ensure maximum variety in the diet."

Also, if you check their write-up in the IFFGD newsletter you will see they say "Rye and rye products (e.g. rye bread, rye crackers); Wheat and wheat products (e.g. wheat bread, pasta, cous cous, wheat bran)" are best avoided. They go on to say "The low FODMAP diet is low in rye, wheat, and barley as these grains contain fructans. While following the low FODMAP diet, it is not necessary to follow the very strict "gluten-free" diet required by individuals with celiac disease."

I doubt that the fructans in rye are better tolerated as a general rule but they maybe better tolerated by some individuals. You will have to experiment to figure out where fructans fit in your dietary management plan.

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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS

The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS

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