Why you should avoid the FODMAP diet

I often get phone calls from clients saying their GP has asked them to see a dietitian and get help fixing their gut using a FODMAP diet. That is poor advice which will not address your problem but only make it worse. Yes by all means see an integrative dietitian, but don't ask them to put you on a FODMAP diet... and let me tell you why.

There are a few causes why you gut is not working:

• you eat, on the go, with bad posture and don't chew your food properly
• you are not producing enough acid and enzymes due to stress, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation just to mention a few
• you have been eating poorly, drinking to much coffee, alcohol and are smoking
• are sleep deprived and don't exercise
• have bacterial overgrowth and gut inflammation
• your are experiencing brain degeneration which has a direct impact on your digestion function
• your spine is misaligned and the innervation on important nerves which innervate your digestive organs is changed
• your vagus nerve is impacted due bad posture, toxins, injury etc
• you are breathing through your mouth, fast, shallow and in your chest
• ...  and the list can continue but i think you get the gist.

Before you start elimination foods from you diet you need to ensure you know what is contributing to your poor digestion and "intolerance" to  FODMAPS. There is an obvious cause why you suddenly struggle with foods you were once able to enjoy. Your body is giving you clear feedback that something is not working. So rather than following a strict, hard and unnecessary elimination diet how about your address the root cause and fix you digestion so you can enjoy all food again. That sounds much better right and it makes sense!

FODMAPs is a band aid. And even the proponents of this diet trend will recommend you eliminate these foods only between 4-6 weeks, after which you need to reintroduce these. They recognise eliminating FODMAPs long term can damage your health. The reason why is that all FODMAPs (legumes, wheat, apples, cherries, asparagus, artichokes, etc) contain important prebiotic fibre which feeds you gut bacteria which further strengthen your digestion.

As such if you are serious about gut health and your health overall, then deal with the root cause and find out why your gut is not working. Then select a strategy tailored for you to fix this (rather than a generic elimination diet). Working with an accredited practising dietitian, one that is preferable a holistic and integrative dietitian and nutritionist will be you best bet... and please ask them if they can help you find the root cause. If they can't then move on.

Hope this helps.

Anca Vereen is a Integrative Accredited Practising Dietitian, Nutritionist, Psychotherapist, Breathing Coach and La Trobe Nutrigenomics Lecturer who specialised in gut health and fixing the gut. She works holistically with the whole of you and can create a personalised lifestyle solution to your health concerns. To book please visit https://www.ancavereen.com/gut-health

For more details pls visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know