I having been using FODMAP supplements from the brand Intoleran (previously named Disolut) for years and I have written several blogs about them.

I noticed that I frequently get questions about using these kind of supplements and I don’t always know the answers to those questions myself.

Because of that, I have collected your questions about these supplements and one of Intoleran’s dieticans, Anouk Martini, will answer them in this article.

One of the questions that I got was: I want to know more about these supplements, tell me everything.

If you are not familiar with supplements that help break down FODMAPs yet, you can best read the other articles that I wrote about this first:

• FODMAP supplements: what are they and how does it work? 
• Lactase supplements
• Fructase: supplement review
• Quatrase forte: supplement review

The questions below are answered by Intoleran:

Where can you order the Intoleran supplements?

You can order the supplements on the website of Intoleran. Intoleran ships to a lot of countries worldwide. You can read more about shipping costs here.

How can I figure out which dosage I need for the lactase supplements?

Lactase pills and capsules are available in several dosages. The Intoleran lactase pills are available in 2.500 FCC per pill.

The capsules are available in 3.000 and 10.000 FCC. And there are lactase tabs of 20.000 FCC.

The higher the amount of FCC the stronger the dosage.

Which product you can use best depends on the amount of lactose that you want to consume and on how intolerant to lactose you are. Are you lightly intolerant and do you only consume small amounts of lactase?

Then the 3.000 FCC capsules are probably good for you. If you are very intolerant or if you take a large amount of lactose usually, then the stronger capsules (10.000 FCC and 20.000 FCC) are probably the best option for you.

We usually advise to start with the strongest capsules, so you can be sure that you don’t get any symptoms. Later, you can test how you react to a supplement with a lower dosage (for example 3.000 FCC) and see how that works for you.

Because intolerance levels differ per person, you need to figure out with trial and error which amount of lactase you need. You can order a sample of the different strengths to try it for yourself.

How do you know how much you have to take of a supplement? (Fructase, Fibractase, Quatrase)

This is hard to say because it can differ per person. Everybody reacts differently and the tolerance levels for the different FODMAP groups can differ per person. Our standard advice is to take 1-3 capsules per meal.

How much you take exactly depends on the size of the meal (the amount of FODMAPs in it) and how you usually react to these FODMAPs.

If you have been using the supplements for a while, it gets easier to figure out how much you need to take to stay symptom-free after a meal.

We advise to start taking 3 capsules per meal. If you stay symptom-free, you can later test if you can also manage with fewer capsules per meal.

Can you use these supplements only on the prescription of a dietician?

Dieticians and doctors can recommend these supplements to you, but you don’t need a prescription. You can order the supplements yourself.

Intoleran has its own dieticians who can help you to pick the right products and who can also tell you how to use them best. You can also order a sample, so you can first try how the product works for you.

I usually feel obstipated after using these supplements. How is that possible?

The Intoleran supplements have no known side effects, so they shouldn’t be causing obstipation. Obstipation can be caused by many things, such as the amount of fiber that you eat. If you add enough fiber to your diet, you should be able to avoid obstipation.

Try to create a varied diet with enough fruit, vegetables and grains to eat enough fibre. It is also important to drink enough for foods to pass through your gut. Try to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water every day.

Do you still feel obstipated, while you eat enough fiber and drink enough? Then contact a dietician or doctor for a personalised advice.

Is it scientifically proven that these supplements work? For example the fibractase (for garlic/onion).

Our products and the enzymes that are used in it are of course based on scientific research where it has been proven that the enzymes work to break down several fermentable carbohydrates.

For the fructans and galactans specifically, research has been done about the effect of the enzyme Alpha Galactosidase on breaking down fructans and galactans in the gut.

Research has has shown that the enzyme Alpha Galactosidase does help to break down oligosaccharides. Both Galacto-Ologisaccharides (galactans) and Fructo-Oligosaccharides (fructans).

We also learned from the experiences of our customers that this enzyme works for both fructans and galactans in foods.

While there has been less research done on the effect of the enzyme on fructans, we know from the experience of our customers and the literature that the enzyme does also work to break down fructans (for example in onion, garlic, and grains).

Can you take the supplements on a daily basis? Do they have side effects?

Our products contain digestive enzymes that the body usually makes itself. Our products don’t contain any foreign substances that the body could react to.

The enzymes only have one task in the gut: to break down the carbohydrates, so they can be digested by the body.

Because of this, the enzymes cannot have any side effects. We make almost all of our products ourselves, in our production space in Donkerbroek (the Netherlands).

We use pure ingredients as much as possible and leave extra additions out. Most capsules only contain the enzyme and a little bit of filler (such as calcium).

We advise to use 1-3 capsules per meal, up to a maximum of 15 per day.

In short: our products are completely safe to use, have no side effects and you can use them daily and for a longer period.

Can these products be used when you are (trying to get) pregnant?

All of our supplements are safe to use during pregnancy and when you use other medications. If you are in doubt, always contact your doctor.

It is not bad if you get too many enzymes in your body through the capsules. A surplus will naturally leave the body.

How much do these supplements diminish my symptoms?

The enzymes in our products help your body to optimally break down the carbohydrates of the different FODMAP groups in your gut.

Your body can usually not break down certain carbohydrates well. As a result, they ferment in the gut and this can cause symptoms.

The supplements stop the fermentation process from happening or decrease the impact of it. Most people who use our supplements don’t have any symptoms anymore and can enjoy foods without issues.

If you use the right dosage for you, you usually are guaranteed to have a calm stomach after eating. Provided that there are no other factors that are causing your symptoms.

Is it possible for the supplements to work longer than half an hour? For example several hours in a row.

The enzymes in our products work for 30-45 minutes in the gut. After 45 minutes, you will have to take another supplement if you want to eat something that contains FODMAPs that you react to.

After 45 minutes, the enzymes have passed through the gut too far and then they won’t be able to break carbohydrates down anymore.

Our product Intoleran Once-A-Day works during the entire day. This supplement contains probiotics that create the lactase enzyme in the gut.

If you take one supplement daily, your body can break down lactose the entire day and you will be able to eat products with lactose without issues.

If I react to everything a little bit, which supplement can I take best?

In that case, Quatrase or Quatrase Forte is the best option! This supplement contains a combination of enzymes, the enzymes lactase, Xyolose Isomerase, Alpha Galactosidase, and Invertase.

Also if you don’t know what exactly causes your symptoms, you can use Quatrase.

In which product can you use the lactase drops?

Lactase drops can be used to make (sweet) dairy products lactose-free. Such as milk, chocolate milk, whipping cream, cooking cream or mascarpone.

You add the lactase drops to the product, stir it through, leave it for 24 hours and most of the lactose in the product will be gone.

The enzyme does not work in a sour environment with a low PH. Because of that the lactase drops won’t work in sour dairy products, such as buttermilk, yogurt, and quark.

In the image below, you can see in which products you can use the drops and how many drops you need to use.

Why haven’t you clearly stated on the website which product works for what food?

Unfortunately, we have to follow certain claims and laws and because of that, we cannot state on our website which product can exactly be used for what.

We are allowed to tell which enzyme the product contains, but not for what the product exactly works and which foods you can eat when you use the supplement.

This is a huge limitation for us and makes it difficult to provide clear information on the website.

Luckily, we are allowed to answer customer questions.

So if you have a question about how the supplements work or if you want advice on which product you can use best, you can contact us. We will help you and answer all your questions.

Hopefully, this blog has answered your questions about FODMAP supplements! If you have another question, feel free to leave them below or contact Intoleran through the link above for product-specific questions.