Bloating, abdominal pain, irritable bowel… These digestive disorders ruin the lives of 48% of French people according to a 2017 Ifop survey for the Pileje laboratory.
Stress and gluten are often blamed ... but they do not explain everything.
Several families of sugars fermented by bacteria in our intestines - Fodmaps - are frequently involved, explains Professor Pierre Desreumaux, gastroenterologist at Lille University Hospital, president of the DigestScience Foundation and co-author of the book “Le festin de intestin »In presale on the Ulule platform.
Why do you blame the Fodmaps?
Professor Desreumaux. These different sized carbohydrates, found in many foods, are not digested by the small intestine. When we ingest them, they are then found almost intact in the colon where they are fermented by the bacteria of the microbiota which in return produce a lot of gas and toxins, causing gas and digestive pain. Fodmaps is an acronym which means in English "Fermentable by colonic bacteria Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols". Behind this complicated name hide various sugars: sorbitol found in avocado or apple for example, fructan contained in wheat, barley, artichoke, Brussels sprout, garlic and onion, mannitol from mushrooms and cauliflower,lactose… Drastically reducing the consumption of all these foods brings about a clear improvement in symptoms in 90% of cases.
Doesn't this diet compromise dietary diversity, a guarantee of health?
It is not a question of definitively banishing all the foods which could be problematic. The diet low in Fodmaps is built in several stages: we start by reducing all fermentable carbohydrates to the minimum for four to eight weeks, then we gradually reintroduce them one by one to identify those to which we are sensitive and the maximum amount that we support. The goal is to eventually find a good nutritional balance while eliminating discomfort. Each of us has a different tolerance level. For example, you can not support 100 g of chickpeas, but tolerate 40 g without worry. The same for zucchini: 65 g can pass but not double. The diet low in Fodmaps has proven itself. It has been scientifically evaluated, as a drug,double blind against placebo. But to obtain good results, it is better to be accompanied by a specialized dietician. Those graduates of Monash University, the benchmark in this field, are listed on its site.
Is this diet compatible with the pleasure of eating?
Yes because it is not a question of confining oneself to a sad plate garnished only with rice and ham.
If semolina and white onion are not tolerated, nothing prevents making a tabbouleh made from quinoa, with tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and green stems. new onions.
And if you can't stand wheat pasta, you can turn to buckwheat, rice or corn pasta.
In case of lactose sensitivity, it is better to ban milk, yogurts, cream and fresh cheeses.
But mature cheeses (brie, Comté, Parmesan, Roquefort, etc.) are not prohibited.
They make it possible to reconcile feast in the mouth and feast of the intestine.