The low fodmap SIBO diet can feel quite restricting and is often high in fat and animal protein which can also be problematic foods for those with low stomach acid or a sluggish gallbladder.
For this reason, I love to focus on incorporating low fodmap vegetables into the SIBO diet.
Many people following the low fodmap diet or SIBO diet often have a high-fat diet since fats are not fermentable the way vegetables can be.
But if a sluggish gallbladder and poor bile flow are one of the underlying causes of your SIBO symptoms, a high-fat diet is not exactly beneficial either.
Fats will place an extra burden on the gallbladder and liver which need liver cleansing vegetables to function optimally. The increased intake of pro-inflammatory saturated fats can also be problematic if inflammation is present alongside SIBO.
Eating low fodmap vegetables is extremely beneficial for anyone suffering from SIBO or IBS symptoms associated with a sluggish gallbladder.
These low fodmap vegetables will help provide the liver and body with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbohydrates without causing the excessive bloating and IBS symptoms associated with high fodmap vegetables such as onion, garlic, and asparagus.
Low FODMAP Vegetable List
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Bok choy
- Red bell pepper and green bell peppers
- Carrot
- Chives
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Silverbeet
- Rocket
- Romaine Lettuce
- Baby spinach and English spinach
- Spring onion (green tops)
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Canned or pickled beetroot (or 2 slices of beet)
- Radish
- Green Beans
- Bean sprouts
- Red cabbage and regular cabbage
- Oyster mushrooms
- Celery (medium fodmap)
- Rhubarb
- Okra
You can also enjoy fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, turmeric and ginger as herbs to spice up the low fodmap diet.
High FODMAP Vegetables
- Whole artichoke
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms (button, white, shitake)
High fodmap vegetables will often trigger digestive symptoms such as bloating and IBS but they are prebiotics for healthy gut bacteria as well.
While following the low FODMAP diet for a short time is beneficial for someone with IBS or SIBO, the low fodmap diet can do more harm to the gut microbiome in the long term.
A very strict low FODMAP diet has been associated with a reduction in the abundance of beneficial bifidobacteria species and butyrate-producing bacteria.
An increase in mucus degrading bacteria has also been noted among people following a very strict low fodmap diet (which should only be done for 2-6 weeks).
While the FODMAP diet has a purpose when dealing with IBS and SIBO it is not a diet that should be strictly adhered to for the long term due to disruption in the microbiome.
I find identifying trigger foods and reducing or eliminating high fodmap trigger foods to be beneficial and more sustainable for the long term as the ultimate goal when dealing with SIBO is to reduce the excessive amount of bacteria in the small intestine so that fiber and fodmap foods can then be tolerated.
Once SIBO had been reduced, slowly reintroducing and bringing back the fiber and high fodmap foods in small amounts are beneficial for a diverse healthy microbiome.
So, I will leave you with 2 questions.
Which high FODMAP foods do you notice are trigger foods? 1, 2, or all of them?
And which low fodmap vegetables do you love eating?
Need some low FODMAP recipes?
Try this SIBO friendly vegetable stirfry or low FODMAP Chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390324/
The FODMAP app
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