• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Karlijn's Kitchen

  • Start here
    • FODMAP starters guide
    • The low FODMAP diet – basics
    • Create your own low FODMAP recipes guide
    • FODMAP cookbooks
  • FODMAP info & tips
    • Info & tips
    • Food diaries
    • Travel tips & hotspots
    • Reviews
    • Personal
  • Recipes
    • All recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Healthy snacks
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Side dishes
    • Dessert
    • Cakes & sweets
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Spreads & sauces
  • Dish type
    • Potato recipes
    • Rice recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • Noodle recipes
    • Casserole recipes
    • Meat recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Fish recipes
    • Vegan recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
  • Holidays & seasonal
    • Pumpkin recipes
    • Thanksgiving recipes
    • Christmas recipes
    • New years eve recipes
    • Valentine’s day recipes
    • Easter recipes
    • Kingsday recipes
    • BBQ recipes
  • Contact
    • About me
    • Work with me
  • Nederlands
- Home » IBS & FODMAP » Eating garlic and onion again? Supplements for the FODMAP diet

Eating garlic and onion again? Supplements for the FODMAP diet

October 16, 2018 By Karlijn 18 Comments

One of the food supplements that I used first when I started the low FODMAP diet were lactase supplements. Even a bit before I started the FODMAP diet, because I learned that I had a lactose intolerance two years before my IBS diagnosis.

I was ecstatic when I learned of the existence of lactase supplements. With these supplements I am able to enjoy a cappuccino or an ice cream in a restaurant without having to search for a lactose-free option and that is amazing.

Some time ago, I was clicking around on the website of Intoleran, one of the brands of lactase supplements that I use, and I suddenly saw a new category “FODMAP” on their website.

Intoleran added several supplements to their product range that can be used to tolerate foods from several FODMAP groups better! I could hardly believe it at first, would it be possible that we can eat FODMAP-rich foods again without problems?

I contacted Intoleran and they sent me their FODMAP supplements, so I could test them for you.

This blog was written in collaboration with Intoleran (formerly called Disolut). This doesn’t have any influence on my opinion about these products. I have been using Intoleran’s lactase supplements for years and I write about their products because I believe they can be valuable to people with IBS.

The links in this article are affiliate links. That means that I get a small compensation when you order the products through one of these links. 

The FODMAP supplements from Intoleran

Intolean has four different supplements that can help with tolerating FODMAPs:

Lactase supplement (lactose)

Lactase supplements help to break down lactose in your intestines. Most of you will probably already be familiar with this supplement, so I won’t go into depth about it in this blog. If you want to read more about lactase supplements, you can do so in this blog.

The lactase capsules from Intoleran are available in the following strenghts: 

  • Lactase 2.500 – 100 tablets – €24,95
  • Lactase 3.000 – 50 capsules – €16,50
  • Lactase 10.000 – 36 capsules – €23,95
  • Lactase 20.000 – 50 tablets – €24,95

Fibractase supplement (fructans and galactans)

The Fibractase supplements from Intoleran contain the enzym alpha galactosidase. This enzyme helps your body to break down fructans and galactans, two of the most important FODMAP groups.

Fructans are found in garlic, onion, wheat and several fruits. Galactans are found in legumes, several kinds of nuts and several vegetables. Together they form a large group of products and the fibractase supplements can help you tolerate them.

You can buy the Fibractase supplements in two strenghts. Fibractase and Fibractase Forte. 

One capsule of Fibractase contains 500 units alpha galactosidase and one capsule of Fibractase Forte contains 1.200 units alpha galactosidase: 

  • Fibractase – 36 capsules – €23,50
  • Fibractase Forte – 36 capsules – €29,95

Fructase supplement (fructose)

Fructase (previously called Lutomerase) is a supplement that can be very helpful to people with a fructose-intolerance or people who simply don’t tolerate the FODMAP-group fructose very well.

This supplement contains xylose isomerase and this helps to break down fructose.

Fructose can be found in several fruits and vegetables, dried fruit and a lot of industrially processed foods. Fructose is often added to cookies and sweets because it is a cheap sweetener.

For people with IBS, fructose usually leads to problems when the amount of fructose in a food is higher than the amount of glucose in it. Because of that reason some fruits are low FODMAP (because they contain more glucose than fructose) and other fruits are high in FODMAPs.

Processed foods that contain the ingredients fructose, fructose-glucose syrup or high fructose corn syrup are also high in FODMAPs.

Fructase can help you tolerate foods that are high in the FODMAP fructose. Note: when you have a hereditary fructose intolerance, a very rare disease, you cannot use these supplements. 

One capsule Fructase contains 7500 units xylose isomerase.

You can buy the Fructase supplements in Intoleran’s webshop. One package contains 36 capsules and costs €23,50. 

Quatrase

Finally, Intoleran has a combination supplement, that contains all of the supplements mentioned above: Quatrase. The Quatrase capsules contain Alpha galactosidase, Xylose isomerase, Lactase and Invertase.

Invertase is a supplement for a sucrose / sucralose intolerance and helps to split sucrose and sucralose. This is not a FODMAP group, but it doesn’t matter if you take in some invertase with this supplement.

Quatrase is handy when you react to several FODMAP groups because it contains enzymes for 4 different FODMAP groups.

One capsule Quatrase contains:

  • 500 units alpha galactosidase (for fructans and galactans)
  • 5.000 units xylose isomerase (for fructose)
  • 5.000 FCC lactase (for lactose)
  • 250 units invertase (for sacharose)

You can buy the Quatrase supplements in Intoleran’s webshop. One package contains 36 capsules and costs €31.95. 

They also have a stronger version of the Quatrase supplement: Quatrase Forte supplement. This package also contains 36 capsules and costs €37,95. 

One capsule Quatrase Forte contains: 

  • 1.200 units alpha galactosidase (for fructans and galactans)
  • 7.500 units xylose isomerase (for fructose)
  • 10.000 FCC lactase (for lactose)
  • 500 units invertase (for sacharose)

The use of the supplements

For all supplements counts, just as for lactase supplements, that it is important to test for yourself how many supplements you need to not get any symptoms.

This depends on the amount that you eat and also on your level of intolerance for the FODMAP group. This differs per person.

Intoleran advices to take one to three supplements right before your meal.

The supplements work for half an hour, so if you eat several courses in a restaurant for example, you have to take new supplements with every course. You can use several capsules per day, up to 15 per day.

FODMAP supplements - karlijnskitchen.com

My experience with the FODMAP supplements

The FODMAP groups that give me most problems are the fructans and galactans and therefore I tested these groups most extensively.

In the beginning, I was a bit too enthusiastic with the supplements. I thought “Maybe I will suddenly be able to eat everything again, so let’s just try” and I tested a few combinations that were a bit too extreme.

I ate a plateful of pasta (wheat, not gluten-free) that also had some garlic and onion in it. I can tell you, even with two capsules of fibractase, that still gave me a bad stomach ache.

I also ate a big burek, a very big phyllo dough pastry filled with white cheese. This contained both wheat and lactose and also here two pills were not enough.

Some smaller tests that I did went well. For example, I ate a gluten-free bun with filet Americain, a raw beef spread (yes I said raw) that we love in the Netherlands.

It had some garlic and onion in it, but it didn’t give me any problems! And oh man, I loved eating filet Americain again. I used to love it and I didn’t have it for four years.

FODMAP supplements - karlijnskitchen.com

My own experience is that I can tolerate small amounts of garlic, onion, wheat etc. with these supplements. Perfect for when you go to a restaurant and you are not sure if something contains onion or garlic. If you want to put something on your gluten-free sandwich that is not entirely low FODMAP or if you feel like using ready-made pesto in your pasta.

I did notice that I still have to be very careful. My stomach is quite sensitive, if I eat too much in restaurant, I already get stomach problems.

A supplement cannot do much against that. Having these supplements doesn’t mean that I can suddenly eat everything again without thinking about it, but I think that shouldn’t be the goal of using these supplements anyway.

I can recommend to everybody to try the FODMAP supplements from Intoleran.

If you are sensitive to one or more of the 4 FODMAP groups that these supplements are suitable for (there is no supplement for sorbitol and mannitol, the polyols) these supplements can be a lifesaver. If they work well for you, they can make social events a lot easier.

Intoleran sells their FODMAP supplements internationally through their website. 

I am very curious if you already knew about these supplements and if you have tested them! How were the results for you?

 

Together we go for a calm belly!

Subscribe to the Karlijn's Kitchen e-mail newsletter for more tips and recipes and receive the ebook 10 things I wish I had known when I started the FODMAP diet for free!

Success! Check your email for your free ebook!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

You subscribe to the newsletter and email updates from Karlijn's Kitchen. You can always unsubscribe. Powered by ConvertKit

Filed Under: Fodmap info & tips, IBS & FODMAP Tagged With: FODMAP

Previous Post: « Living with IBS #2 – IBS-proof pants
Next Post: Low FODMAP brownies – basic recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Val Rives

    January 18, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    I would like to read the information on the Disolut website but I don’t know this language. How do I change to English?

    Reply
    • Karlijn

      January 26, 2020 at 1:09 am

      Unfortunately Disolut only offers their website in Dutch, it is a Dutch brand.

      Reply
  2. Julie

    November 16, 2020 at 6:01 pm

    Does anyone know if a similar supplement is available in the USA? I’ve long taken Lactaid and Beano but would love to find something for fructans.

    Reply
    • Karlijn

      November 22, 2020 at 11:49 am

      Disolut also ships to the US, so you could give that a try

      Reply
    • Cat

      April 19, 2021 at 2:36 am

      My daughter has fructose/fructan malabsorption and takes Eat Anything RX when she must eat trigger foods. Two pills just before the meal make a huge difference. I really don’t trust supplements because they are unregulated, but we were desperate and these turned out to be a life-changer. They don’t last super long, maybe 30-45 minutes.

      Reply
  3. Leah

    December 30, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    I think I know why they didnt work like you expected. The enzyme that breaks down beans alpha-galactosidase do not break down fructans like the manufacturer claim they do. It digest beans (GOS). Many of the foods we must avoid on this diet is those containing fructans, and there is no enzyme available to digest that, unfortunately

    Reply
    • Robert

      January 29, 2021 at 6:53 pm

      This is absolutely true. There is zero peer-reviewed scientific evidence that it works on fructans. The truth is, nothing does. I miss onions so much!

      Reply
      • William

        June 3, 2021 at 4:08 pm

        Inulinase will work on fructans according to the research I’ve seen. Unfortunately, I have found no products containing this enzyme yet.

        Reply
        • Lori

          October 17, 2021 at 11:46 pm

          I have found two Silver Fern Bloat and Fas Relief and Fodmate

          Reply
    • Leah

      April 24, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      Yes, i wanted to say the same thing. Very bad misinformation actually. Now finally there is a company that makes the enzyme that digest wheat, onions etc. The enzyme is in the product Fodzyme is selling.

      Reply
  4. Casila

    January 2, 2022 at 6:32 am

    Thanks I am looking for something to help with capsicum intolerance when eating out. It seems to be in everything nowadays.

    Reply
    • Karlijn

      January 7, 2022 at 10:29 am

      I think your dietician could advise you on this!

      Reply
  5. carolyn S Barnett

    March 13, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    I really need help in what to purchase and how to take it, I’ve read the blog but need to know if I am making something with a fodmap in it if and when I should take a pill erc

    Reply
    • Karlijn

      March 28, 2022 at 7:09 pm

      I am sorry, I am not sure what your question is here

      Reply
  6. Peter

    March 20, 2022 at 12:37 am

    Hi
    Did you find 3tablets helped with onion?
    Cheers
    Peter

    Reply
    • Karlijn

      March 28, 2022 at 7:06 pm

      For me they do help! I usually still end up feeling a bit bloated, but I have that very quickly. It definitely helps me to get little symptoms instead of a lot.

      Reply
  7. Leah

    April 8, 2022 at 9:03 am

    To my knowledge alpha galactosidase does not digest fructans in onion and garlic, but it digests beans. Beano contains the same enzyme. It is inulinase that digest fructans so no wonder you got stomach pain from eating onion. I just found out that there is a company that sells inulinase now. So it may be possible to eat onion, garlic and brussel sbrout if we get our hands on their product:)

    Reply
    • Cindy

      May 21, 2022 at 2:11 am

      Which company sells inulinase?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Download my free e-book!

Follow Karlijn’s Kitchen

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Footer

.

  • Karlijn’s Kitchen Facebook community
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Collaborations disclaimer
  • The low FODMAP diet – the basics
  • The elimination phase
  • The reintroduction phase
  • My blogging resources – Tips for bloggers

Copyright © 2022 Karlijn's Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme