Sunshine Coast Dietetics (Hannah): Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and FODMAPS

Accredited Practicing Dietitians are one of the most successful practitioners at relieving symptoms from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is a chronic disease which can cause lower abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, wind, alternating bowel habits (diarrhoea to constipation) and distention. The diagnosis of IBS if given by a medical practitioner once other investigations have revealed no abnormal pathologies. IBS affects one in seven Australians, and it can greatly impact your quality of life.

Some sufferers will state that they are anxious about travelling or going to new places where they can’t guarantee they know where the bathroom is, or that the pain is so debilitating that they need to take time off. To make it more difficult, there isn’t a clear cause of IBS, it is very individual as to what the triggers are. The main two candidates are usually stress/anxiety, a dietary intolerance, or a combination of these factors. The combination of dietary management and counselling offered by dietitians helps a lot of sufferers every day to get their lives back.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure or specific medication that helps to alleviate the condition. But this is where dietitians shine. Treatment options include increasing dietary fibre, reducing common gas producing foods, and establishing eating routines. However, a group of carbohydrates called FODMAPs are also strongly linked to symptoms of IBS, and a reduction in FODMAPs under the supervision of a dietitian has yielded many fantastic results.

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. They are a large group of dietary sugars that are found in lots of common foods such as dairy foods, fruits, vegetables, wheat containing products and sweetened products. The low FODMAP diet aims to reduce the total load of FODMAPs for a short period of time (2-6 weeks) at which point each FODMAP is reintroduced slowly to monitor your tolerance. This is best done with your dietitian so you get clear results. You may react to only one FODMAP, or a couple, or find that no one FODMAP is the cause, but rather too much is the issue.

Importantly, the low FODMAP diet is never meant to be followed long term as this can cause nutritional deficiencies. With your dietitian, you can find a balance that enables you to eliminate your symptoms, but still meet your nutrition requirements. Meaning you can live a healthier and happier life.


Hannah Roberton – Accredited Pracitising Dietitian
Sunshine Coast Dietitains
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