Symptoms of sugars fermenting in the intestines usually manifest as constipation, sticky stools, sometimes diarrhoea. If the gut is damaged (for example from an undiagnosed gluten or lactose intolerance, other intestinal disorder, viral illness or other event) the poisons from this fermentation will leak into the body and cause tiredness, exacerbate illnesses, headaches, inflammation or other problems.

FODMAPS have only frelatively recently been recognised as a cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and this research is in its infancy. They are still testing foods, so the advice on what is high and low FODMAP is not definitive and often misleading, as I have frequently experienced. The most reliable source is Monash University. Here’s the link to check foods, but you will also have to test them on yourself as you get the to understand them and how they affect your body.

Because I was having so many problems, I have gone through this testing period thoroughly and have developed a Safe Food List, which is much easier to use as a starting point and as an aid to brief the chef if you are going out to eat. You can slowly add different foods in and test to see if you are Ok with them. Here is my Super Low FODMAP and Gluten Free Safe Food List.