The low FODMAP diet supported by a mobile application for functional gastrointestinal and inflammatory bowel diseases

Abstract

Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract such as functional gastrointestinal diseases – including irritable bowel syndrome – as well as inflammatory bowel diseases are on the rise in Hungary. More and more nutritional recommendations are emerging as part of the therapy, but so far there is no uniform recommendation for the dietary management of these gastrointestinal diseases. Among the dietary recommendations that have been made so far, the low FODMAP diet is noteworthy. FODMAP itself stands for the abbreviation of the initials of fermentable, short-chain, poorly absorbable carbohydrates: fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP). The low FODMAP diet is a scientifically and clinically proven therapeutic recommendation, which is supported in Hungary by the Ministry of Human Resources Guideline (2020). Research has shown that the low FODMAP diet has been shown to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms. The diet consists of 3 phases, the first of which is a step-by-step list of trigger and non-trigger foods that the doctor, with the help of a dietitian, determines. As this stage of the diet can be the most challenging, it is worth emphasizing that it should be developed in collaboration with a dietitian. The aim of the diet is to find a balance between keeping symptoms at a low level and expanding the diet. Low FODMAP diet has been shown to be an effective, successful, and accepted nutritional intervention in the management of symptoms of functional and inflammatory bowel disease. Its use can improve the success of pharmacological interventions and increase patient compliance, hence the need to expand the widespread dissemination of the diet. A mobile app developed by a research team at Monash University will support self-management and practical implementation of the diet and increase adherence to nutritional therapy.