Grains and cereals are major sources of carbohydrates in the human diet. These carbohydrates are potentially protective factors that are relevant to gastrointestinal health. Some carbohydrate are known as prebiotics, where fructans [fructooligosaccharides (FOS), inulin] and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are the best studied. These and other short-chain carbohydrates (SCC) can also be poorly absorbed in the small intestine (named fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols; FODMAP) and may have important implications for the health of the gut.

Childhood irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder affecting up to 20% of school-aged children and characterised by abdominal discomfort associated with defecation, or changes in stool frequency or stool form. Children with functional GI disorders frequently attribute some of their symptoms to specific foods, which negatively affect their quality of life. Different studies show, that a low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet can ameliorate symptoms in adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) within 48 h. In this study the aim was to determine the efficacy of a low FODMAP diet in childhood IBS and whether gut microbial composition and/or metabolic capacity are associated with its efficacy.

Eswaran et al. 2016 conducted the first randomized controlled trial of the low FODMAP diet in US adults with IBS and diarrhea (IBS-D). The objectives were to compare the efficacy of the low FODMAP diet vs. a diet based upon modified National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines (mNICE) on overall and individual symptoms in IBS-D patients. This was a single-center, randomized-controlled trial of adult patients with IBS-D (Rome III) which compared 2 diet interventions.

To date, it is known, that dietary components can induce gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Particular interest has been given to the so-called FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols). The authors aimed to summarize the evidence from the most common approaches to manage suspected food intolerance in IBS, with a particular interest in the role of FODMAPs and the effects of a low FODMAP diet.

The low-FODMAP diet is a new dietary therapy for the management of irritable bowel syndrome that is gaining in popularity around the world. The benefits of a low-FODMAP diet are now well established, with numerous trials from different countries confirming that the diet improves symptom control in most people with IBS. The Monash University Department of Gastroenterology has performed extensive work for over 10 years to quantify the FODMAP composition of hundreds of foods, so they could establish “cutoff values” to classify foods as low-FODMAP.