# When Everyday Foods Are Hard to Digest



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

WALL STREET JOURNALHEALTH JOURNALNOVEMBER 8, 2011*When Everyday Foods Are Hard to Digest*GI Specialists Suspect Specific Carbohydrates May Cause Painful Symptoms of Irritable Bowel SyndromeBy MELINDA BECKAs many as 20% of adults at some point suffer from a painful digestive disorder that is difficult to diagnose and has no cure. Treatment is hit or miss, and many sufferers never seek help because they find the symptoms hard to discuss.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long baffled gastro-intestinal experts. Some think it is caused by imbalances in gut bacteria; others point to psychological stress. Now, a small but growing contingent of specialists is focusing on food intolerances as a possible culprit-and a new dietary approach, called the low-Fodmaps diet, is gaining attention around the world.The theory is that many people with IBS have trouble absorbing certain carbohydrates in their small intestines. Large molecules of those foods travel to the colon, where they are attacked by bacteria and ferment, creating the telltale IBS symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.A long list of foods-including dairy products, some fruits and vegetables, wheat, rye, corn syrup and artificial sweeteners-can potentially create such problems in susceptible people. Collectively, they're known as Fodmaps, an acronym that for stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.More >>Copyright ©2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved


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