# Problem Foods - and why they're problem foods



## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

I've put together a list of all known problem foods that can cause IBS. Feel free to add to this if I've forgotten anything.

Grains:

All living things have defense mechanisms. Grains protect themselves from being eaten by the use of prolamines which resist digestion. Grains include wheat, corn, rice, rye and oats. Some pseudo grains like buckwheat also contain prolamines. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects those allergic to the prolamine Gliadin in gluten. All grain prolamines can cause leaky gut symptoms because they are able to get through the tight junctions of the villi in the short intestine. These undigested food particles can cause gut inflammation of the gut wall. This describes a food allergy rather than a food intolerance and is at the higher scale of bowel disorders. RAST and IgE testing should identify if allergens are present. Intestinal permeability can also apply to IBS as many consider IBS to be a low level inflammatory bowel disorder.

There is also a non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity which is a non-IgE-mediated food allergy. All grains contain lectins which also resist digestion and can trigger an autoimmune response. Other foods high in lectins are legumes, nuts, dairy and nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes).

Opioid foods:

Grains and milk are high in opioids. When these opioids are detected, opioid receptors can paralyse the gut. Opioids cause constipation. A2 milk is easier to digest as it doesn't contain the opioid A1 beta-casein.

FODMAPs:

FODMAPs are carbohydrates with β beta linkages. Carbohydrate molecules can be joined by either an α alpha or β beta linkage. Alpha linkages basically mean that electrons in a hydrogen bond are closer together and therefore the structure is less stable and able to be broken apart by enzymes. β linkages are stronger because the electrons are further apart. These linkages are unable to be broken by enzymes and pass through undigested through our colon, causing fermentation by bacteria, and this is true for everyone, even healthy people, although for them the extra gas that is produced doesn't seem to produce symptoms.

Starches:

Starch is the digestible part of carbohydrate. (The indigestible part is fibre. Humans don't have enzymes to break the beta linkages of fibre.) Starch is made of amylopectin, which is digested quickly, and a resistant starch called amylose. Both have α bonds are so are digestible however amylopectin is highly branched which makes it more difficult for enzymes to break up. Resistant starch is similar to fibre, in that the undigested food particles provide food for bacteria in the colon, leading to gas and IBS symptoms.

Cooking increases the digestibility of these starches.

The method of cooking can help reduce starch levels. For instance French fried chips have a higher starch level than mashed potato which has relatively low starch content.

Foods high in starch are all wheat products, rice, legumes, potato. Cereals which are very high in starch include Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, wheat cereals.

Fibre:

We have to eat both types of fibre however soluble fibre is easier to digest.

Soluble fibre is soluble in water and is said to stabilize intestinal contractions.

Soluble fibre is gentler on the colon. Insoluble fibre can be irritating and cause gastrointestinal distress.

Soluble fibre includes: oatmeal, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkins, bananas (these are also safe low FODMAPs).

Insoluble fibre is tough and hard to chew. It includes: whole wheat flour, beans, lentils, stone fruits, greens, corn, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, dates, prunes (safer low FODMAPs are: almonds, green beans, bok choi, citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce)

Indigestible fibre provides food for colonic bacteria which causes gas, which in turn can lead to constipation and / or diarrhea.

All fibre can be broken down so that it's more easily digestible by mashing, pureeing and cooking.

Sulfur-containing food:

Foods which cause gas can affect colon motility. All of these foods are high FODMAP as well as sulfurous:

Garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, Brussels sprouts.

Rice:

Rice contains an opioid peptide called oryzatensin. which is resistant to hydrolysis (digestion). Rice also has prolamines as do all grains.

All rice is high in starch but certain verieties are harder to digest. Basmati rice is higher in resistant starch. Jasmin rice or other sticky rices are higher in amylopectin and so are easier to digest.


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks, Tummyrumbles.

as always, you've put a ,lot of work into your research. thanks for sharing it all with us--i do appreciate it.









have you ever thought of putting all your helpful advice --such as this post, the link to that starch chart, menu plans etc--on a special topic here--or use this one-- so people could come here and read it? that way, it would all be together and easy to access and read. and you could keep updating it... or else maybe you could put it all on your profile so people could go there and see it and read it...


----------



## LindseyJ (Apr 4, 2014)

Very thorough. Thank you! Pls cd u give an idea of what sort of things you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinners & snacks? I'm currently surviving on boiled rice with meat/fish. I'm going down the FODMAP diet and introducing veg v cautiously (so far courgettes,potatoes). I'm allergic to eggs, dairy, all gluten grains, MSG all artificial rubbish. I cook all food from scratch, don't have caffeine or alcohol and have given up totally on fruit. Am absolutely at end of my tether. I have been diagnosed with SIBO, lactose & gluten intolerance & vit D deficient and bile salt malabsorption (I take colesevelam cos can't tolerate Questran).


----------



## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

Thank you Annie7 and LindseyJ,

I'll attach all the links in a separate post under here as there's quite a lot of them. I'll probably just use this thread to post everything.

I don't follow any menu plan as too many FODMAP recipes have non-gluten breads in them and I have trouble digesting starches. When I first followed the FODMAP diet I just ate the veges that I liked from Cassandra Forsythe's link, which I'll post under here.

Lindsey, here's my base, safe diet so I hope this helps you. I'm introducing more high FODMAPs now like peas, corn, beetroot, broccoli but never the legumes as no-one can digest these properly:

Breakfast: Porridge oats (soluble fibre, easy to digest) with A2 milk (you could try almond milk). Hash browns with bacon.

Lunch: salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot (can be gassy), gherkin, 6 black olives, slices of hard cheese. Cheese is OK for lactose intolerant usually.

Dinner: Meat or fish with mashed potato (best), pumpkin, cooked carrots (better than raw), bok choi

Dessert: banana and yoghurt (my daughter is severely lactose intolerant but yoghurt is OK for her. Maybe try a lactose-free, low-fat one)

Snacks: Lollies and chocolates are OK, not too many. Toast with jam. French fries.

This is all low fat apart from the french fries and chocolate.

As you're gluten intolerant the hardest thing for you is finding food that fills you up. You could try a coconut and almond flour bread, both are low FODMAP. This could cause gas because of the fibre content so just be careful and have a small bit first. As you have SIBO the non-gluten breads (potato, tapioca flour etc) are out because of the high starch content. Cooking and mashing can reduce a lot of starch from the veges.


----------



## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

This is a very good link for information on starch:

http://health-diet.us/starch/

This site explains the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre:

http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/fiber1.asp

This is the most complete list of high and low FODMAPs that I've found:

http://www.cassandraforsythe.com/blog/complete+fodmap+list+for+a+happy+gut

The original paper on FODMAPs by Sue Shephard:

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v108/n5/pdf/ajg201396a.pdf

Food opioids:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/do-hidden-opiates-our-food-explain-food-addictions1

Soluble and Insoluble Fibre content in foods:

http://huhs.harvard.edu/assets/File/OurServices/Service_Nutrition_Fiber.pdf

Resistant starch:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread76153-26.html

Alpha and beta glucose molecules:

http://science.marshall.edu/murraye/alpha_amylase.htm

How fermentation of starch affects colonic motility:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2982.2010.01652.x/pdf

How methane (bacterial gas) can slow intestinal transit:

http://ajpgi.physiology.org/content/290/6/G1089


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks, Tummyrumbles!


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i was thinking it would be nice to bump this topic up from time to time just to make it easier for people--especially new people--to find. it'll be at the top of the list that way. i'm going to try to remember to do that.


----------

