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March 2012

GREEN VALLEY ORGANICS LACTOSE FREE YOGURT IS FODMAP-FRIENDLY!

By Tamara Duker Freuman, MS, RD, CDN (www.TamaraDuker.com) 

 

I’ve had FODMAPs on the brain lately. 

No, it’s not a disease.  Nor is it text messaging shorthand.

FODMAPs are a group of poorly-digested carbohydrates that wreak havoc on the guts of many of my patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), triggering episodes of abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea.  Some examples of FODMAPs include:

  • Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, which are found naturally in stone fruits and pears, but also appear in sugar-free “diet” foods and drinks;
  • Fibers like inulin (also called chicory root extract) that are found in energy bars, granola bars, cereals, granolas and even some yogurts;
  • Fructose, a sugar that is found in fruit juices, sodas, sports drinks and natural sweeteners like honey and agave;
  • Lactose, particularly for people with some degree of lactose intolerance.

There’s been some interesting and promising research out of Australia which suggests that reducing the amount of FODMAPs in the diet improves the symptoms of many IBS sufferers.  Based on this research, I’ve been starting to experiment with this diet in my practice as well.  So far, so good!

In researching and compiling a list of FODMAP-friendly foods for my patients, I was surprised to see that only one yogurt on the market makes the low-FODMAP cut: Green Valley Organics Lactose-free, in all flavors except honey.  This is because:

  • Green Valley Organics yogurt is 100% lactose-free.
  • Green Valley Organics is not sweetened with higher-fructose sweeteners, like fruit juice concentrates, agave nectar, honey or high-fructose corn syrup.
  • Green Valley Organics does not contain inulin, an added fiber which many yogurt companies use to give their lower-fat yogurts a creamier texture.  (Inulin is made up of a chain of fructose molecules—it’s very FODMAP unfriendly!)

For these three reasons, Green Valley Organics may be more digestible to folks with more sensitive digestive systems, and can be enjoyed even by people with IBS who are following a low-FODMAP diet.  Spread the word to your FODMAP-ing friends!