If you’ve been diagnosed with IBS or struggle with ongoing digestive issues, perhaps as part of another condition like long COVID, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome, there’s a good chance someone has recommended the low FODMAP diet. It’s often positioned as a go-to solution, and for some, it can bring welcome symptom relief. But here’s the important part: the low FODMAP diet is not a cure!
IBS is More Than a Gut Issue
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can significantly affect your quality of life. Its not just about occasional bloating or discomfort…many people live with daily unpredictability, food fears, and the constant worry of needing to find a bathroom at a moment’s notice. Over time, this can take a toll not just physically, but emotionally as well.
Why the Low FODMAP Diet is Commonly Used
The low FODMAP diet works by reducing specific types of fermentable carbohydrates that can cause bloating, gas, and changes in bowel habits. It’s often recommended for IBS, and sometimes for gut-related symptoms linked with chronic conditions like long COVID or fibromyalgia.
The aim is to give your gut a break, reduce symptoms, and help identify individual food triggers.
It’s Not Meant to Be Long-Term
Here’s where things get tricky: while the low FODMAP diet can be helpful in the short term, it was never designed as an ongoing solution. It’s difficult to sustain long-term as it restricts a wide range of healthy foods, many of which feed beneficial gut bacteria. Over time, following the diet strictly without proper guidance can negatively impact your microbiome and nutritional status.
More importantly, it doesn’t address the root cause of your symptoms.
What IS the Root Cause?
While certain foods can trigger symptoms, the underlying problem is often the gut environment – not the food itself. Common root causes in IBS include:
- SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) – which is present in a large percentage of people with IBS
- Dysbiosis – an imbalance in the normal gut flora
- Intestinal inflammation or increased gut permeability (”leaky gut”)
- Visceral hypersensitivity – where the gut is overly sensitive to normal digestion
- Nervous system dysregulation – changes in the gut-brain axis that affect motility, pain perception, and digestion
Why I Rarely Recommend Low FODMAP as a First Step
As a practitioner, I don’t usually start with the low FODMAP diet. When I do use it, it’s for a short, focused period with a clear plan to reintroduce foods. That reintroduction phase is crucial—without it, you’re simply stuck in a restrictive pattern without knowing what your true triggers are.
This process should always be guided by a practitioner who understands the nuances of gut health.
So, What Does a Holistic Approach Look Like?
Managing IBS effectively means addressing the underlying drivers of your symptoms…not just removing foods. Because no two people are the same, your treatment plan should be tailored to you.
Some of the ways I support my clients include:
- Targeted testing – such as SIBO breath testing or microbiome stool analysis to get a clear picture of what’s going on
- Identifying and addressing food triggers, with the aim of reintroducing foods over time
- Restoring microbial balance – using specific, evidence-based probiotics and/or prebiotics based on your IBS type and symptom profile
- Supporting the gut lining – reducing inflammation and hypersensitivity
- Strengthening the gut-brain axis – through lifestyle strategies, herbal medicine, relaxation techniques, and nervous system support
The Bottom Line
The low FODMAP diet can be a helpful tool, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. It’s not a cure, and long-term restriction isn’t the answer.
If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated with managing IBS or ongoing gut symptoms, there are other options that produce better lasting outcomes, and you don’t have to figure it all out alone. I work with clients to take a holistic, personalised approach to digestive health so they can feel better and eat more freely again.
If you’re ready to move beyond restrictive diets and start treating the root cause of your symptoms, let’s talk. Book a free introductory call to see what’s possible.
