New range of FODMAP 'digestive health' foods launched in Australia
Melbourne-based dietitian Sue Shepherd has launched a new range of low FODMAP foods, designed for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)and other digestive health issues.
Dr Shepherd said the launch heralded the beginning of a new segment of the 'free-from' market that – with its explicit promise to improve digestive health – "has the potential to rival gluten-free".
The Sue Shepherd low FODMAP food range includes many of the foods Dr Shepherd identified as problematic for dieters and consists of a Slow Cooked Vegetable Stock; two pasta sauces, two soups, Roasted Pumpkin + a Hint of Sage and Lamb and Vegetable; and two meal kits. The entire range is also gluten-free, made without onion and garlic, with no artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
The FODMAP diet – low in certain naturally-occurring fibres and sugars – was originally developed as a dietary therapy for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The name is an acronym for Fermentable, Oligosaccharide, Disaccharide, Monosaccharide and Polyols and the diet has solid, if somewhat limited, scientific evidence as a treatment for IBS.
These carbohydrates, with specific sugars and fibers, can cause gastro-intestinal distress for some people. All are fermentable foods broken down by bacteria in the large bowel. Oligosaccharides, such as fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides can be found in wheat, onions, garlic, and legumes; Disaccharides or lactose can be found in milk, ice cream and custard; Monosaccharides or fructose in excess of glucose can be found in high fructose corn syrup, honey, watermelon, apple and agave; and Polyols, such as sorbitol and mannitol can be found in apples, pears, watermelon, sugar-free gums and candies. FODMAP molecules are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. They move on to the large intestine, where they are rapidly fermented by gut bacteria causing a variety of unpleasant symptoms for some people.
Dr Shepherd, a digestive health expert in Australia and senior lecturer at LaTrobe University, was the first to tie together many of the issues with FODMAP foods and connect them to IBS. She developed the low FODMAP diet in 1999 to bring relief to patients in both her private and clinical practice. According to Dr Shepherd, results of the diet could be immediate for many patients and the range fulfilled the need to help FODMAP followers find convenient foods that were low in the relevant fibres and sugars. The range is the first that has been developed specifically to meet the needs of a FODMAP diet.
"Many in the food industry view the scientific basis of FODMAPs as controversial," said Julian Mellentin, from New Nutrition Business, which has profiled the diet and the new product range in its June 2014 issue. "Some will deny that it is anything more than a niche medicalised concern of little broader relevance," he said.
"However, gluten-free eating was also – not very long ago – dismissed as just such a niche,"Mr Mellentin said. "Thanks to the web, consumers can do their own research, conduct their own personal eating experiments and find what they believe works for them," he said.
The FODMAP concept has a large potential pool of consumers: in Australia alone, there is an estimated 5 million people with IBS and non-celiac gluten intolerance. Worldwide, the condition, depending on how it is defined, can affect up to 20 per cent of the population, with the highest rates in the United States and the European Union, according to figures from the World Gastroenterology Organization. IBS has traditionally been resistant to treatment, but the success of the FODMAP approach for many people is giving the idea wings.
"These forces might yet make FODMAPS a force to be reckoned with – after all, digestive health has been one of the biggest trends in the business of food and health for over 20 years," Mr Mellentin said.
"Addressing digestive health issues is the basis of successful brands such as Activia probiotic yoghurt," Mr Mellentin said. "Digestive health also lies at the core of why many people choose gluten-free foods. And addressing digestive health issues – IBS – is the aim of the FODMAPS diet. Smart companies will keep an eye on FODMAPS," he said.
