Monash Uni Low FODMAP Diet app launched for Android users

An Android version of the highly successful Monash University FODMAP smartphone application is now available, see link.

Last December the FODMAP app for the iPhone platform was launched by the research team at the Department of Gastroenterology at Monash University, providing accurate information about foods that trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for the first time using this technology.

One in seven adults suffers from IBS, a condition characterised by symptoms such as gastrointestinal wind, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. Although more women than men are affected by IBS, the condition is common throughout the world.
The best way so far known to alleviate IBS symptoms is to avoid foods containing a family of carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) which are poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. The research on a FODMAP diet was undertaken at Monash University, led by Professor Peter Gibson, Director of Gastroenterology at The Alfred Hospital and Monash University and Dr Jane Muir, Head of Translational Nutrition Science.
“Our FODMAP data is evidence-based and peer-reviewed so health professionals and the general public can be confident in its reliability,” said Dr Muir. “We want to ensure this information is accessible to as many people as possible and believe that offering the app on the Android platform will help.”
Since its launch last year, the FODMAP app has consistently ranked in the top five in the iTunes’ Health and Fitness section, and from June has held the number one position in the Medical section. “Almost 20,000 people worldwide have purchased the FODMAP app since its launch and just over half of these downloads are from Australia,” said Dr Muir. “The app is also proving to be very popular in the US, UK and Denmark.”
“As well as providing accurate information to health professionals and IBS sufferers around the world, the app has been a real commercial success for Monash University,” said Professor Gibson, Director of Gastroenterology at The Alfred Hospital.  “All proceeds from the sale of the application go to the Department of Gastroenterology at Monash University to fund further research.”