Moderate levels of resistant starch are not a problem for most healthy people, but consumption of large amounts of resistant starch, particularly in people with underlying digestive illnesses, increases the risk that malabsorbed starch will fuel the overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, or SIBO.

Low-FP foods include low-amylose rice and potatoes, cheese, meats, tofu, some simple sugars (but not lactose and fructose), nuts, watermelon, berries, some types of bread, crackers, eggs, cream, lactose-free milk, dry wines, light beer, and non-starch vegetables.

Cook starchy vegetables well, because steaming, boiling or cooking starchy foods longer reduces the amount of resistant starch. This is important for potatoes, pasta, rice, and grains. You don't need to do this with non-starchy vegetables.

One piece of good news: Foods that don't contain carbohydrates, such as meats, fish, cheese, etc., have an FP value of zero and are not limited by the diet. Also, non-starchy vegetables (refer to Table 9 in Appendix C for a list of over 50 vegetables) have very low FP values – you can eat more of these foods more often!

Avoid consuming whole grain products, as they are high in RS, and consider limiting or eliminating wheat products entirely until you determine their effect on you in a controlled manner (starting after your symptoms improve).

Fructose makes up 50% of the sugar in sucrose and honey and just over half of the sugar in high fructose corn syrup. Glucose represents the balance of the sugar in these sweeteners. Other sweeteners containing fructose include maple syrup, molasses, and corn-based sweeteners. Fructose is also found in a wide variety of foods including candy, fruit,

While sugar alcohols have not been definitively linked to heartburn symptoms, the fact that these sweeteners cause bloating, cramps and diarrhea as well as excessive fermentation suggests that any diet for GERD, a condition that is often linked to other GI symptoms, should limit these sweeteners.

oats, wheat, potatoes, corn, and beans contained 10 to 20 percent malabsorbed, fermentable material.

If you consume legumes, even in smaller amounts, you might consider taking Beano, a product that contains the enzyme alpha-d-galactosidase, before meals. This enzyme breaks down the complex sugars raffinose, stachyose and verbascose present in legumes down into simple sugars and sucrose that can be more efficiently digested and absorbed.