The short answer is no, but the complete answer is a bit more complicated than that. When referring to the strict elimination phase and the logistical reintroduction phase it's not considered beneficial to continue for longer than necessary. Keeping your overall physical and mental wellbeing in optimal health should always take priority.
Overly restricting or limiting foods in your diet can lead to issues in the long term. This includes the possibility of the following:
- adverse changes in the amount and variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut
- vitamin and nutritional deficiencies
- weight loss
- anxiety about reintroducing foods
- negative mindset around food
- social anxiety
- food aversions
- disordered eating
- long term health problems.
Working with qualified health professionals can help you avoid or overcome the likelihood of these issues. [1]
The low FODMAP diet long term
Whilst it's important for our health to acknowledge the short term nature of the low FODMAP diet, how does this work in real life? After all, completing the first two phases of the diet is pointless if you're not going to implement some of what you've learned into your long term IBS management. This means many people will continue to eat their version of the personalised diet for life. If not then at least for as long as they need to help control their symptoms.
IBS is not always constant. Sufferers often experience periods of remission and periods of flare-ups throughout their life. Certain things such as medication, stomach bugs, food poisoning, hormones and stress, to name a few, can disrupt an otherwise settled gut.
Everything from planning a wedding, moving house, travel, expecting a baby, money worries, issues at work, relationship difficulties, bereavement, changes to health and lifestyle and multiple other real-life experiences can all significantly impact our condition. Our current state has a dramatic effect on the time, energy, resources and mindset we have available to deal with how we're feeling. It severely impacts how, if at all, we feel able to help ourselves.
In the long term, using the information you learn about your triggers can help you to minimise the effects of a sudden flare-up. In addition, it can give you the confidence to get yourself back to your baseline quicker.
The whole aim of the diet is to return to as normal an eating pattern as possible. All the while maintaining a level of symptom control. Many people continue to use the general principles of eating low FODMAP in times of acute flare-ups. Other than that let go of the restriction and the idea that they are still "doing" the diet.
I frequently get asked if I still eat a low FODMAP diet after all these years. Watch this short video where I explain more.
How long have you been on the low FODMAP diet been so far?
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