Thanks to y’all
This helped in my assignment.

Glad we could help, Jenny. Basically, if you are willing to take time with your Challenge Phase – and break things down into more, individual tests – you will come out with more info on how your body reacts, which is what is important!

Thank you for such a comprehensive response! I have been planning to test xylitol early in the maintenance phase but I’m only just starting reintroductions, so I need to follow the Monash for those first. I stopped the Smints when I first started the diet and I substituted that medication with a equivalent OTC one when I realised it contained xylitol. Fortunately there is one which doesn’t contain any FODMAPs.

I was mainly concerned about the stacking of polyols, which confused me. I’ve been treating mannitol and sorbitol as separate categories for stacking, but now I’ll treat all the polyols as one category until I’ve done the two Monash challenges (and xylitol).

Thanks again! I’ve found this site such a help already.

Hi Jenny, you are right that mannitol and sorbitol are now individual listings in the app and the best case scenario is that you have challenged yourself in both of these polyols to understand your tolerance with each. If you have not, then I would look at polyols as one big thing. If you have, yes, you can consider mannitol and sorbitol separate when you’re looking at stacking. Of course, what the app says and what lab tests say can still be different from what your body reports back to you.

Xylitol is unfortunately found in a lot of things including medications. If you’ve been taking the medications with no ill effects then most RDs would suggest just proceeding as you have been. If you absolutely love something that contain xylitol, like your mints that you mention, then why not use the mints as a challenge and see how you do. Then you would know for sure whether the mints work for you or not. We also have an article on low FODMAP mints

Erica Ilton RD also wanted to point out that the most tolerated polyol tends to be erythritol. Perhaps choosing a mint sweetened with erythritol would allow you to leave xylitol for the medication you have to take?

Also, I am particularly interested in xylitol as I have a prescription medicine which contains it (2 large chewable tablets a day), and my favourite mints (spearmint Smints) are 88% xylitol. I haven’t tested polyols yet but when I do I’m not sure how the results for sorbitol and mannitol will relate to xylitol.

Hi Diana, I am so sorry to hear about your situation but thank you for sharing. The good news is that you can get help. Even more then gastroenterologist, it is the Registered Dietitians who can make all the difference in the practical everyday needs and approaches that one needs to adopt to get better. And, the good news is that there are dietitians who specialize in IBD and IBS. I suggest you reach out to one of our Success Team RDs, Colleen Webb, and have a chat. You can read about her HERE.

You are thinking along the right lines. Monash has lab tested vinegar pickled onions and they have a low FODMAP serving size, so, in theory, the answer to your question is yes. But what the FODMAP reduction would be is not known without lab testing. Something to try when you are stable and in your Challenge stage.

Hi Marv, prebiotics and probiotics can help overall gut health and can be used to great effect, but Monash researchers (the developers of the diet) and RDs do not recommend their use during Elimination or the Challenge Phase as their inclusion can cloud the results you are looking for from eliminating or introducing FODMAPs. Once you know what your individual triggers are post Challenge Phase, then judicious use of supplements can take you even further. This article might be of interest for you on probiotics and we also have one on enzyme supplementation.