Is Olive Oil Low Fodmap? [Including Infusions]

Olive oil has many uses like cooking, drizzling, finishing, or dipping. But is it low FODMAP?

Oils and fats are generally low FODMAP which makes pure olive oil also considered to be low FODMAP. It has little to no carbohydrates which make up FODMAP foods or beverages. However, flavored and infused olive oil needs more research. 

What about those infused with herbs? Read on to find out!

Is Olive Oil a Low FODMAP Food? 

Oils and fats are considered to be low FODMAP food items. Pure olive oil is also generally low in FODMAPs.

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These are all fermentable carbohydrates. 

Fermentable, meaning, they can be chemically broken down by microorganisms to make them have longer shelf lives or turn them into new marketable products (source: Chegg).

Oils and fats are naturally low in FODMAPs because they have little to no carbohydrates. But remember that oils and fats can affect movement in the gut. When you have too much of them, they can trigger digestive symptoms or gut problems in some people.

Sauces, salad dressings, and condiments based on oils or fats might have other high FODMAP ingredients such as garlic and onion, so you need to be careful.

To decrease the chances of getting sick from chronic illnesses, it would be best to limit the consumption of oils and fats high in saturated fat like palm oil, butter, and coconut oil (source: Monash University).

What About Infused or Flavored Olive Oils?

It’s possible that infused olive oil may not be low in FODMAP. Garlic, onion, and shallots are high FODMAP foods (source: Academia). When olive oil is infused with any of these spices, it is likely to become high FODMAP as well.

Olive oil infused with herbs are far safer, as many herbs are low FODMAP. These herbs are cumin, paprika, chilies, black pepper, thyme, parsley, basil, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, lemongrass, five spice, curry powder, saffron, nutmeg, fennel, mint, and others on this list.

While these herbs are low FODMAP, you might have noticed that some of them are spicy, even hot. This might cause irritation and discomfort to people with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Some people are also sensitive to spices even if they don’t have any gastrointestinal conditions. 

With all these said, some research also suggests that garlic-infused olive oil is low in FODMAP content. This is because FODMAPS are water-soluble but not in oil. The only thing taken from the garlic steep, using cloves of garlic in oil, is its “garlic” flavor (source: Fun Without Fodmaps). 

Olive oil can also be flavored with truffles. Truffle is a mushroom and not all mushrooms are low FODMAP. In fact, they can be high up the list (source: Gastroenterology and Hepatology). 

However, truffles are low in FODMAP according to a study (source: Nutrients). We advise talking to your doctor about whether you can take olive oil flavored with garlic, onion, truffle, or other spices.  

What To Look for When Choosing a low Fodmap Olive Oil 

When it comes to flavored or infused olive oil, we recommend avoiding those infused or flavored with garlic, onion, and shallots, including hot and spicy spices like chilies or peppers to be entirely sure. But we also highly advise asking your doctor about this.

Pure olive oil is inherently safe. This can be from brands like Filippo Berio, Pompeian, Partanna, Terra Delyssa, California Olive Ranch, Iliada, Cobram Estate, or Vignoli, Frantoio Grove.

These brands are not marketed as low FODMAP oils, but they are pure olive oils.

While pure olive oil can be safe, flavored and infused ones have differing research. We recommend talking to your doctor to know if you can take them. 

We hope you find this article about olive oil being low FODMAP helpful!