Is date sugar low FODMAP?

Q. Is date sugar low FODMAP? If so, in what quantities? I know dates are not, but I’ve seen conflicting information from low-FODMAP sources I usually trust and it’s not on the MONASH app.

A. The short answer: as of this writing, we can only guess about the FODMAP status of date sugar. It probably has a small low FODMAP serving size, less than 2 tablespoons.

Is date sugar low FODMAP?

Date sugar is made from ripe, pitted dates that are dried to a very low moisture content and ground into a powder. Dates are the fruits from certain types of palm trees. But date sugar is not the same as palm sugar, which is made from the sap of palm trees. The Monash University FODMAP lab has analyzed “dried dates” in general, and one specific variety (Medjool), but not date sugar, the packaged sweetener.

We see in the Monash University Low FODMAP app that somewhere between 1 and 5 dates, or .71 oz to 1.06 oz of dates are low FODMAP. It’s difficult to guess how this information equates to date sugar.

Dates vary in nutritional composition

There are hundreds of varieties of dates grown around the world. In Saudi Arabia alone, there are over 300 varieties of dates grown, and they vary significantly in sugar and moisture content. Other countries and regions have their own unique varieties of dates. The variety of date used isn’t usually specified by the manufacturers of date sugar, but the moist varieties meant for snacking on are not likely to be among them. Therefore, It isn’t likely that date sugar has the same FODMAP content as the dates that were analyzed for FODMAPs at Monash.

Serving size estimates

We don’t know how much moisture is lost, or how much the ground dates “fluff up” in the making of date sugar. So if we said, for the sake of argument, that the type of sugar was similar to the dates in the app, we would have to figure many teaspoons or tablespoons of date sugar would equal the amount of FODMAPs in 1 pitted date. My calculations suggest that 2 tablespoons of date sugar has about the same amount of total sugar as one Medjool date.

Effects of ripening and drying

Adding more uncertainty, the final stages of ripening and drying of foods can alter their FODMAP content in unpredictable ways (check out the difference between grapes and raisins, or rice and puffed rice). As dates ripen, much of the sucrose content is “inverted”, or broken down to glucose plus fructose. Does that continue or change during the further drying of dates for grinding? It’s anyone’s guess. To be on the safe side, my guess will be conservative. Pending actual lab analysis of date sugar, less than 2 tablespoons might be low in FODMAPs. Larger servings might be a significant source of sorbitol and fructans.

Conclusion

Like many foods, dried dates can actually be low, medium, or high in FODMAPs depending on the serving size. Dates meant for eating have been lab tested, but date sugar has not. If you’d like to bake with date sugar on your low FODMAP diet, my advice is to make sure there’s less than 2 tablespoons in your portion of the recipe.

Further reading:

AlShwyeh H, Almahasheer H. Glucose content of 35 Saudi Arabian date fruits (phoenix dactylifera L.), Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences 21 (2022) 420-424. Seen at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658077X21001545

Why Not Stay Low FODMAP Indefinitely?

Q. After going low FODMAP a few years ago, I’m still loosely eating that way. I’ve read it is not good to stay on the diet long term but I feel like it really helps me keep IBS undER Control. Why not stay low FODMAP INDEFINITELY when it may be helping?

The short answer is that a Low FODMAP diet may be too limited in some cases. More variety, usually results in a more nutritious diet and promotes a better food quality of life.

In many ways it is so much simpler to just follow the rules and stay low-FODMAP than it is to go through the uncertainly of the reintroduction process. But simple isn’t always easy, is it? In fact, most of my practice these days, almost 15 years into the FODMAP era, consists of helping people take those next important steps toward a varied diet. Why bother?

Ideally, the FODMAP elimination diet is a short dietary experiment. Eswaran SL Curr Opin Pharmacol, 2017

As you have read, low-FODMAP diet is meant to be a short dietary experiement, to get IBS symptoms under control. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t continue it. If it does improve your abdominal and bowel symptoms, it should be followed by a reintroduction process. That is the only way to figure out which FODMAPs are (and are not) symptom triggers for YOU. They are not the same for everyone. This paves the way for you to enjoy a more varied diet.

A Varied Diet is more nutritious

Fortunately, there are good low-FODMAP sources of all nutrients. So if you are willing and able to eat a wide variety of low-FODMAP foods you might not have to worry too much about this one. But, if you add other dietary restrictions, you can find yourself eating a repetitive, short list of foods that comes up short in some areas. For example, it can be difficult for vegans to get enough protein on low-FODMAP diets, if they are used to eating a lot more beans, nuts and seeds. Other people might be at risk for poor intake of certain nutrients even on their usual diets, in ways that have less to do specifically with FODMAPs. For example, people on dairy-free diet rarely get the recommended amounts of calcium from food. People who don’t care for green leafy vegetables or nuts probably aren’t consuming enough magnesium, and so on.

Some FODMAPs are important prebiotics

Fructans and GOS are two of the six FODMAPs that are limited on low-FODMAP diets. They are also well-known prebiotics. Prebiotics are selectively fermented by the “good” bacteria in you gut, to produce beneficial substances like short chain fatty acids. When you are on a low-FODMAP diet you cut back on these a great deal.. Hopefully you are still eating low-FODMAP servings of foods that contain some fructans and GOS, along with good low-FODMAP sources of prebiotics. Choose low-FODMAP servings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. After the reintroduction process, you should eat larger servings of these foods if you can tolerate them, to increase your intake of prebiotics.

Food Quality of Life

Sharing is an important part of “food quality of life”. Photo credit: C. Catsos

Most people find that their food quality of life is better when they are eating a more varied diet. What does this mean? It means being able to share in communal food life and (mostly) eating what is served when dining with friends and family. It means not having to say “no” to everything just because you are following the rules, and not having to bring your own meals to gatherings. It means enjoying occasional restaurant meals with more confidence. It means generally just having a better relationship with food and being less afraid of food and eating.

Be Sure

Your question indicated you “feel like” low FODMAP diet keeps your IBS under control and “may be helping”. You need to be more certain than that to justify the potential drawbacks of a long term low FODMAP diet. Self-knowledge is your ticket forward. Gain it by reintroducing FODMAPs in a structured way, monitoring symptoms, then adjusting your diet as tolerated.

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What Spices Can I Use on a Low FODMAP Diet

Q. What spices can I use on a low FODMAP diet?

A. The short answer if that most herbs, spices, and flavorings can be used on a low FODMAP diet. Don’t worry about spices, except those containing onion or garlic.

Determining the FODMAP Status

Information about the FODMAP content of herbs, spices, and flavorings comes from the FODMAP lab at Monash University. Because they know it’s a tall order to make food without onions or garlic, the Monash team has invested a lot of effort into testing herbs and spices from around the world. Several samples of each individual item are collected, pooled together, and freeze-dried, then tested with specialized laboratory equipment. The results are translated into the Monash University Low FODMAP app where low FODMAP servings are labeled with a green light. You will find that some herbs or spices can be low, medium, or high FODMAP depending on the serving size.

The Alliums

Bulbs of onions, garlic, and shallots are high in FODMAPs.

Onions, garlic, and shallots, members of the allium family, are especially significant sources of FODMAPs. There are no low-FODMAP serving sizes for most of them. It doesn’t matter how little you use! Even onion and garlic powder or flakes should be eliminated on a low-FODMAP diet. Leek bulbs are the exception. They do have a low-FODMAP portion size of 1 tablespoon. Beware of spice blends, which often include onion and garlic pieces or powders.

Ordinary cooking and baking

In the amounts used in the United States for everyday cooking and baking, that vast majority of herbs, spice, and flavorings are low-FODMAP or have low-FODMAP serving sizes. A few herbs or spices are used in larger amounts. Even then, your individual portion of the recipe is unlikely to contain more than a teaspoon of cinnamon, cumin, or chile powder, the typical low-FODMAP serving size for such things. If you cook with or eat entire chile peppers, check the app for details on low-FODMAP serving sizes.

Other flavorings

Fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, and most vinegars are also low-FODMAP when used in ordinary amounts (balsamic vinegar has a limited low FODMAP portion). They can add so much lively flavor to your recipes! The green parts of scallions, leeks and garlic (scapes) are low in FODMAPs, too. Prepared condiment should be considred on a case-by-case basis. Most soy sauces, tamari, prepared mustards, and certain vinegar-chile hot sauces don’t have high FODMAP ingredients. But many other condiments and salad dressings do contain onion, garlic, or high-fructose corn syrup so read labels carefully. Choose brands that don’t have high FODMAP ingredients or those that have been lab-tested to check their FODMAP status. Several brands of low-FODMAP specialty foods are available, with seasoning blends, salsas, and sauces that add lots of flavor to you low-FODMAP diet.

Medicinal use

If you are taking large amounts of an herb or spice for some medicinal purpose, you will have to pay more attention to the limits on the low FODMAP serving sizes. Please refer to the Monash University FODMAP Diet app for specific limits.

Shop for low-FODMAP groceries here.

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