FODMAPs - Reintroduction and how enzymes can help

As you may already know, a low FODMAP diet consists of several phases. Each of these phases is just as important as the other. They are designed to help you identify your personal thresholds regarding trigger foods and your body's response to different FODMAP groups, and to effectively manage these responses.

The three phases of the low FODMAP diet

1. Elimination phase

Replace high FODMAP foods with low FODMAP alternatives for 2-6 weeks.

2. Reintroduction phase

Test your tolerance to FODMAPs, one group at a time, for 8-12 weeks.

3. Integration phase

Adjust your diet in the long term and find a balance between the level of avoidance and tolerance.

In the long term, it's about striking a balance between the high-FODMAP foods you tolerate and avoiding others.

Why the reintroduction is important

Many of us experience a huge impact on symptoms and overall well-being in the elimination phase, and too many of us choose to remain comfortably in phase one. The problem with this is the social aspect and the fact that you lose important nutrients that are difficult to find in low FODMAP alternatives.

There are several reasons why reintroducing FODMAP is important:

  • Determine your thresholds

You can learn to prevent the symptoms while eating your trigger foods in smaller portions.

  • Take care of your microbiome

Research shows that long-term reduction in FODMAPs can change the environment of your microbiome due to the lack of prebiotics and fiber that feed the bacteria that need to stay in the colon.

  • More variety

Instead of eating below your daily calorie norm, you can get the calcium, iron and fiber your body needs while still meeting your calorie goal for the day.

  • Develop a healthier relationship with food 

Reintroducing some foods can break the barrier to a healthy relationship with food. 

When and how to reintroduce FODMAPs

Once you've learned to control your symptoms, you'll need to maintain the low-FODMAP diet during reintroduction. The secret is to track each challenge and its results, including tolerance levels for each of the FODMAP foods and the symptoms you are experiencing.


Important tips for compliance:

  • Stick to the low FODMAP diet 
  • Try each FODMAP group individually
  • Be careful with FODMAP stacking 
  • Test FODMAP doses within a 4-hour window


    What are the different FODMAP groups?

    It is important to test your tolerance to certain foods that do not contain different FODMAP groups. Examples of foods that do not contain group overlap:

        • Lactose: Dairy products
        • Fructose: Honey
        • Sorbit: Apricots and Peaches 
        • Mannitol: Portobello mushrooms 
        • GOS (Galacto-Oligosaccharide): Almonds 
        • Fructans: (wheat) bread, (fruit) grapefruit, blueberries, apples etc., onion, garlic 

    There's a reason why fructan is one of the most common troublemakers among FODMAPs. Foods can usually contain a mixture of fructans, and it is quite difficult to measure the exact mixture of all types of fructans in a food.

    Integration phase and further steps

    Once you've identified your triggers and thresholds and know how to deal with them, there isn't much advice on how to do this long-term. It's easier for some of us than others, but permanently restricting these food groups can be challenging.

    How enzymes can help us

    Enzymes are highly specialized proteins that act on a specific molecule, the so-called enzyme substrate. An example that some of us are familiar with is the breakdown of the various components of food, such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins, by specific digestive enzymes. This process allows our body to absorb the nutrients it contains and convert them into energy.

        • Prevent effects of FODMAPs on the digestive system such as indigestion, pain or other symptoms
        • They help you preserve the nutritional value of foods you might otherwise avoid
        • Allows gastronomic variety and allows you to remove the restrictions of the low FODMAP diet

    Although rapidly fermentable fiber such as FODMAPs promote intestinal health, they can also cause problems in people with increased intestinal sensitivity. An enzymatic approach can allow people to reap the benefits of nutrition without experiencing digestive distress, pain, or other symptoms.


    The enzyme mixture of FODZYME

    FODZYME® is the world's first enzyme blend that works directly against the FODMAPs fructan, GOS and lactose. In case you're wondering about polyols, researchers are currently working on a novel enzyme that targets polyols. FODZYME enzymes are highly specialized proteins produced by microorganisms that break down specific substrates, in this case FODMAP molecules.

        • Breaks down the FODMAPs when digesting your meal, effectively eliminating the FODMAPs in your intestines
        • Contains fructan hydrolase (acts on fructan), alpha-galactosidase (acts on GOS) and lactase (acts on lactose)
        • Supplied in powder form to ensure maximum integration with FODMAP-rich foods

     

    Science behind FODZYME
    FODZYME® was co-administered with 3g of inulin (a common source of fructan) in SHIME®, a scientifically validated multi-compartment model of the whole human intestine, to investigate the effectiveness of FODZYME's fructan hydrolase in fructan degradation.

    The results indicate rapid degradation of fructan to fructose under gastric conditions, with ~90% of the inulin mass converted to fructose within 30 minutes, demonstrating resilience to both gastric pH and protease activity. The study also showed that 70% of fructose was absorbed during simulated small intestinal transit, reducing bloating.

    For further information please see the clinical brief here .

    If you want enzymes to act on your food, try FODZYME.
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