Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

You have asked an interesting question. I will see if I can answer it. Let me start by saying that I don't take any supplements other than vitamins D, E and enteric coated fish oil.

While you may make black and white decisions your body and nature doesn't work that way. For example, while whole grains like whole wheat may cause problems it is difficult if not impossible to remove all insoluble fiber from your diet. So while one might decide to eat a diet with no insoluble fiber it would be difficult since nature doesn't produce many, if any, edible plants that contain only soluble fiber and no insoluble fiber.

FODMAPs are similar. For example, while some individuals may be able to eat foods with a small amount of excess fructose (i.e. foods that contain more fructose than glucose like apples and melons) others cannot. Similarly, while some people can tolerate a large amount of fructans in wheat and rye others cannot so they have to limit the amount they eat.

I cannot tolerate any excess fructose, lactose, polyols or galactans (found in things like soy and beans) but I don't have much of a problem with fructans. Similarly, I have difficulties with insoluble fiber but fats/oils are not a big problem. Many people on the board have difficulty with fats/oils and not so much difficulty with insoluble fiber.

Of course the simplest thing to do is to remove all foods with FODMAPs and see if it makes a difference. If it does then you have to experiment to figure out which FODMAPs might not be giving you problems. You could have a lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption breath test. However, the fructose test will only tell you if you can or cannot handle a load of 25 grams of excess fructose. If you are positive it will not tell you if you handle say 5 or 10 grams of excess fructose which is possible. You would have to figure it out for yourself.

I wish I could give you a black and white answer but like all things to do with IBS there aren't any simple answers.

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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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