Are you looking for help with digestive woes, for yourself or patients? If so, you might take interest in an article on page 24 about a digestive enzyme called FODZYME. This white powder aims to reduce digestive symptoms in people who are sensitive to foods high in FODMAPs. What the heck are FODMAPs? They’re fermentable carbohydrates (sugars) that are found naturally in certain foods.
When people with irritable bowel syndrome consume FODMAP carbohydrates, they may suffer from digestive symptoms. One in seven people are affected by IBS, and 70% to 75% find symptom relief by following a low-FODMAP diet. The diet is helpful, but it can be a drag since it requires an elimination diet of a dizzying amount of foods, many of which are healthy. Once someone understands which FODMAPs trouble them most, it’s suggested that they consume less of them (or none at all). The good news, however, is that if someone wants a solution in addition to avoiding FODMAPs, a digestive enzyme called FODZYME can help.
I’ve long been convinced that I’m sensitive to FODMAPs, so I started to toy with the FODMAP diet. The diet solved some mysteries for me. For instance, I used to make a delicious salad that I felt great about because it was healthy, but I always noticed that within 10 hours or so, I’d feel bloated. Super frustrating, because that salad was completely healthy! Greens, peaches, cherries, almonds and avocado. It blew my mind to realize that almost the entire salad was high in FODMAPS.
I haven’t abandoned any of those foods, but I do reduce them. For instance, I’m a guacamole fiend, but I now consume smaller portions of it. I think these changes helped my digestion, and now I have another tool too: FODZYME. It comes in either a jar or a box full of small, single-serving packets. The powder is sprinkled directly on food, or mixed in. I was skeptical because it sounded unappetizing to sprinkle what I considered to be medicine powder on my food. I assumed it would mess with the texture and would certainly have a taste. Yes, you can put some in water and drink it, but studies show that the enzymes work best when sprinkled onto food or mixed in. So, fine, I tried the stuff.
Guess what? Zero taste. It literally doesn’t have taste. I gave some of the FODZYME to my mom—who has terrible IBS and is a picky eater—and she agrees that there’s no taste. I tried the “put it in water and drink it” approach too, and that’s the only time that it almost has a taste. It makes the water murky too, so no thanks. But on my food, it soaks right in. Even on my beloved avocado. It’s such a small amount of powder for a dose (roughly a quarter teaspoon) that it really isn’t a big deal. Now I sprinkle it on my food as casually as salt. My little daughter asked what it was, and I said it was fairy dust.
But does it work? I think it does. Granted, the results are hard to track. I’m certainly not running a scientific experiment over here—nor is my mom—but we both think FODZYME has reduced our bloating. That was a key symptom for each of us. Now that I know the stuff actually works, I kind of like sprinkling it. How else is my kid going to think I have anything to do with fairies? In this issue there’s also an accompanying article about how to handle spicy foods if you’re following a low-FODMAP diet. Both these methods—the diet and the enzymes—are great tools and can work in conjunction, as well.
