What is the FODMAP diet?
Key takeaways
Supporting everyday gut health may involve a combination of dietary choices, lifestyle habits, and personalised strategies such as clinically proven probiotics.
If you are considering probiotics or the low FODMAP approach, speak with a qualified healthcare professional to determine what works best for your individual needs.
The low FODMAP approach is not designed to be a lifelong restrictive diet.
The diet is intended to help people better understand their personal food triggers and build a more flexible, balanced, and sustainable approach to eating that supports everyday digestive comfort.
What is the low FODMAP diet?
FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates that can be difficult for some people to digest. These carbohydrates occur naturally in many foods and ingredients. Examples include:
- Lactose in milk
- Fructans in wheat, onion, and garlic
- Certain fruits containing excess fructose
- Some sweeteners and legumes
For some individuals with sensitive stomachs, these carbohydrates may contribute to occasional gas, bloating, constipation, or digestive discomfort.
The low FODMAP diet is a structured dietary approach that temporarily reduces foods high in these fermentable carbohydrates to help identify personal food triggers.
Good to know! Of course, not everyone is sensitive to FODMAPs, but if a
gastroenterologist or dietitian prescribes a low FODMAP diet, then their consumption should be significantly reduced.
Who could benefit from a low FODMAP diet?
A low FODMAP diet is usually recommended by a healthcare professional for people who experience digestive discomfort and want to identify dietary triggers in a structured way.
This approach may be helpful for those with a sensitive stomach, especially if they experience occasional bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort after eating certain foods.
These symptoms are often linked to specific carbohydrates that are not well absorbed in the small intestine and can ferment in the large intestine, leading to digestive upset.
People who may benefit from a low FODMAP approach include those who:
- Experience occasional bloating or constipation after meals
- Notice digestive discomfort with foods like onions, garlic, wheat, or certain fruits
- Feel their stomach reacts easily to a wide variety of everyday foods
- Have not found relief from general dietary adjustments alone
A low FODMAP diet is typically used as a short-term elimination and reintroduction process, helping to pinpoint personal food triggers before gradually expanding the diet again to maintain balance and variety.
The 3-step low FODMAP approach
The low FODMAP diet is typically followed in three structured phases designed to help people better understand their individual food triggers and support everyday digestive comfort.
Step 1: Elimination
For a short period of time, foods high in FODMAPs are reduced from the diet.
This may help decrease occasional gas, bloating, constipation, and digestive discomfort.
Step 2: Reintroduction
Higher FODMAP foods are then gradually added back into the diet, one group at a time. This helps identify which foods are well tolerated and which may contribute to occasional digestive symptoms.
Step 3: Personalize
Based on individual responses, a more flexible and balanced long-term eating plan is created. The goal is to expand food variety while supporting ongoing digestive comfort.
The low FODMAP approach is best followed with guidance from a qualified healthcare professional, such as a dietitian.
Daily probiotics and gut health
People with sensitive stomachs often choose to include daily probiotics as part of a regular gut health routine. Scientific evidence suggests that digestive comfort can be influenced by:
- Diet
- Stress
- Lifestyle habits
- Individual food sensitivities
Research also shows that people may respond differently to foods and wellness approaches, which is why personalized strategies are important.
For some individuals, small changes such as improving meal timing, adjusting eating habits, or reducing trigger foods may help support digestive comfort.
BioGaia® Gastrus® PURE ACTION –FODMAP Friendly certified
BioGaia® Gastrus® PURE ACTION is a clinically proven, extra strength probiotic designed for specific digestive issues, with a focus on restoring gut balance and comfort. It is especially suitable for individuals with a sensitive digestive system, offering targeted support when needed.
Certified FODMAP Friendly, BioGaia® Gastrus® PURE ACTION contains carefully selected Lactobacillus reuteri strains that have been studied extensively for their role in digestive wellbeing.
- Designed and clinically proven for specific digestive issues
- Backed by over 30 years of probiotic research
- Proven safe for long-term use
What does FODMAP Friendly certification mean?
Living with occasional digestive discomfort can make everyday food choices feel complicated.
That is why BioGaia® partners with ‘FODMAP Friendly’, a globally recognized organization that helps support people following a low FODMAP approach with greater confidence.
Founded in 2012 and co-founded by Dr. Sue Shepherd, one of the original Monash University researchers behind the low FODMAP diet, FODMAP Friendly is the world’s first low FODMAP certification program. They independently test products in NATA and ISO-accredited laboratories, giving consumers around the world, greater confidence in the foods they choose.
Today, their trusted green certification logo appears on products worldwide, such as BioGaia® Gastrus® PURE ACTION helping make low FODMAP living simpler and more accessible for all.
Best low FODMAP foods
| Food group | Low FODMAP | High FODMAP |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | Aubergine, bok choy, beetroot, broccoli, carrots, corn, tomato, lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, olives, potato, pumpkin, spinach, green beans | Asparagus, artichoke, mushrooms, cauliflower, garlic, onion, shallots, spring onion bulb, leek bulb, peas |
| Fruits | Strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, oranges, unripe banana | Apple, mango, pear, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, watermelon, dried fruit |
| Breads, Cereals, Flours & Grains | Gluten free bread, sourdough bread, gluten free pasta, rice, quinoa, polenta, plain rice crackers, oats/porridge, muesli without dried fruit or honey | Wheat, barley, rye bread, wheat pasta/noodles, couscous |
| Meat, Poultry, Fish, Legumes, Beans & Nuts | Fresh meat, chicken & fish, eggs, tempeh, firm tofu, small amounts of canned lentils, chickpeas and butter beans, macadamias, peanuts, pumpkin seeds/pepitas, walnuts | Crumbed & battered meats, marinades, sauces & gravies with onion or garlic, most legumes/pulses, cashews, pistachios |
| Milk, Yoghurt, Cheese | Lactose free milk, lactose free yoghurt, lactose free cream & ice cream, hard cheese, soy milk & soy ice cream made with soy protein, rice & almond milk | Regular cows milk, yoghurt, custard, ice cream and cream |
| Sugars, Sweeteners & Confectionery | Brown or white sugar, maple syrup, rice malt syrup, stevia, chocolate | Honey, agave, high fructose corn syrup, sugar free lollies/candy, molasses, mints & gum |
