"Low carb and low FODMAP diets both better than medication for irritable bowel syndrome
Nutrition and Health News This Week by Nina Teicholz and Gary Taubes 20.4.24
What’s the Best Diet for IBS?
A clinical trial (see here) in Sweden published this week in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that a low-carbohydrate diet was just as effective as the “low-FODMAP” approach for reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and both were more effective than drug treatment.
Widely considered the standard of care for IBS, low-FODMAP diets restrict nuts, most dairy products, and several types of “fermentable” carbohydrates such as wheat, legumes and many fruits. The approach is usually combined, as it was in this trial, with general IBS dietary advice: to chew food thoroughly, eat regularly, and avoid excessive fat.
For the Swedish subjects, food was delivered to their homes for a month. The results were impressive for both diet groups: 71–76% of participants reported significant improvements in their gastrointestinal symptoms. Only 58% did in the drug treatment group. Six months later, the diet-group participants still had fewer symptoms than they did at the start of the trial, even though they followed the diet less closely.
The fact that both dietary approaches had similar benefits raises new research questions. FODMAP stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols,” all short-chain carbohydrates that are absorbed poorly by the small intestine. These are thought to be the cause of IBS, yet people in the low-carb group continued to consume some fermentable carbs while still experiencing significant improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, they increased their fat intake, which is believed to exacerbate IBS.
The trial was funded by the Dietary Science Foundation, a Swedish non-profit whose mission is to fund clinical trials on diet and health (more details here). Since our own government has largely abandoned funding meaningful clinical trials on this important topic, grassroots science is now our best bet."
What’s the Best Diet for IBS?
A clinical trial (see here) in Sweden published this week in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that a low-carbohydrate diet was just as effective as the “low-FODMAP” approach for reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and both were more effective than drug treatment.
Widely considered the standard of care for IBS, low-FODMAP diets restrict nuts, most dairy products, and several types of “fermentable” carbohydrates such as wheat, legumes and many fruits. The approach is usually combined, as it was in this trial, with general IBS dietary advice: to chew food thoroughly, eat regularly, and avoid excessive fat.
For the Swedish subjects, food was delivered to their homes for a month. The results were impressive for both diet groups: 71–76% of participants reported significant improvements in their gastrointestinal symptoms. Only 58% did in the drug treatment group. Six months later, the diet-group participants still had fewer symptoms than they did at the start of the trial, even though they followed the diet less closely.
The fact that both dietary approaches had similar benefits raises new research questions. FODMAP stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols,” all short-chain carbohydrates that are absorbed poorly by the small intestine. These are thought to be the cause of IBS, yet people in the low-carb group continued to consume some fermentable carbs while still experiencing significant improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, they increased their fat intake, which is believed to exacerbate IBS.
The trial was funded by the Dietary Science Foundation, a Swedish non-profit whose mission is to fund clinical trials on diet and health (more details here). Since our own government has largely abandoned funding meaningful clinical trials on this important topic, grassroots science is now our best bet."
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All the best Jan
All the best Jan
22 comments:
Very interesting article Jan.
Very interesting information. I've known several people who benefitted from the FODMAP plan.
I need to study this more....it is interesting. I have a friend that is on a very strict diet because of IBS.
Gracias por los consejos. Te mando un beso.
Interesting. I tend to get reflux if I eat very many carbs or even too much fiber.
Interestng. And valuable. Thank you.
Interewsting read Jan.
This is a fascinating piece of research and could give relief to thousands.
As ever, what suits one will not suit another. Avoiding medication is generally a good idea until alternatives have been tried.
Eventually natural raw foods are just better. No refined sugars
Great information and post.
Take care, have a wonderful day!
...a problem that I have never had, thankfully.
IBS must be just awful to live with...
hugs
Donna
Thanks for sharing.
I can attest to this one. I have both IBS and IBD (Chron's Disease) and although I still have to take medication for the Chron's, changing my diet has made it so that I only need a couple of mild pills instead of infusions. The difference is incredible. It wasn't easy to get used to it, but once I did... it was worth all the work.
Thank so much for sharing, Jan.
Very interesting information.. happy week
I've never heard of the FODMAP diet.
Thanks for sharing this. Very interesting!
Interesting. I'm currently in the elimination phase of the Low Fodmap diet and it's not easy. Thanks for sharing, this is encouraging!
I am lucky not to have IBS, just lactose intolerance. I avoid dairy completely though and have done for a long time. It is good to read that changing eating habits helped more than meds! I think low carbs is good for so many other things too.
Siempre interesante. Besos.
My hubby tried that diet for a little while many years ago when he was having troubles, we think at the time his troubles were from high stress, took that away and he got better
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