Fodmap diet shows benefits for children

AN innovative study shows that a specialised diet, low in carbohydrates, is an effective treatment for children and adolescents with gastrointenstinal problems.

Study lead author Andrew Day, of the University of Otago’s Christchurch campus, said the diet — called a low Fodmap diet — was a safe and effective way to alleviate bowel symptoms in adults.

However, there was little data on the benefits and safety of such an approach in children.

Fodmap stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.

They are found in many foods in varying amounts, and examples in each category are wheat, milk, figs and blackberries, respectively.

The study was believed to be ‘‘the only one to report efficacy and safety data for the low Fodmap diet in children with functional bowel disorders’’ in a realworld setting, Prof Day, a paediatric gastroenterologist, said.

The low Fodmap diet is low in carbohydrates that trigger digestive symptoms like bloating and stomach pain.

The Otago research involved 29 children from Christchurch Public Hospital aged 417 who were following the low diet.

Given increased numbers of children worldwide with functional bowel disorders, more studies were needed to determine the efficacy and safety of the diet in children, Prof Day said.

More than half of children who completed the diet and reintroduction process had ‘‘complete resolution of symptoms’’, particularly those with lower gastrointestinal symptoms, he said.

The results were similar to those shown in adults, and most benefit was gained for participants with flatulence, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and distention.

The research was recently published in the science journal,