Microbiota May Predict Success on Low FODMAP Diet

Two distinct gut microbiota subtypes showed an enhanced clinical response to a low FODMAP diet in an analysis of 41 adults with irritable bowel syndrome.

The onset of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often appears during cancer chemotherapy and it has a significant impact on quality of life.

For some patients, a  low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) diet represents a great relief.  

The low FODMAP diet limits prebiotic fibres which can be detrimental to the gut microbiome.

That is why it is important to reintroduce the FODMAPs back into your diet sooner rather than later to help decrease the chances of making your food intolerances worse.

In research, the low FODMAP diet has been shown to alter the gut microbiota by reducing the number of healthy bacteria and the diversity of bacteria, therefore taking probiotics can help to reduce the impact of the diet on the gut microbiome. 

Probiotics are bacteria that assist with diversifying and increasing the colonies of microbiota in the gut.

Probiotic supplements can be made up of a single strain of bacteria or include several strains. 

Different types of bacteria are helpful for different things. The most common and well-researched are species of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.