As outlined in a 2023 research article published in Cureus, FODMAPs are fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyol carbohydrates that have been linked with uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms due to the fact that they’re unable to be properly absorbed by the intestines. Subsequently, people with IBS are advised to stick to a low FODMAP diet. This means steering clear of avocados, which fall under the category of “forbidden foods,” as highlighted in the research.
What makes avocados a FODMAP food is their sorbitol content, which is a kind of sugar polyol (the P in FODMAP) that the body can only partially absorb. Naturally found in some foods, sorbitol is sometimes alternatively used as an artificial sweetener, which is why it, too, lands on the list of “forbidden foods.” More recently, however, Monash University researchers found that it may not be avocados’ sorbitol content we have to blame for their FODMAP status after all, but rather a different carbohydrate altogether.
