Two dietary patterns often recommended for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients had a greater positive impact than medication on IBS patients’ symptoms over the course of a 4-week treatment period, according to a new study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
 
IBS is a common diagnosis that causes abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, with varying degrees of severity, and treatment often consists of dietary advice, medications, antidepressants, or some kind of combination.
 
Study Details
 
In the present study, researchers evaluated three treatments, two of which were dietary and one based on the use of medications. The 294 participants were adult patients with severe or moderate IBS at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.
 
One group was given traditional IBS dietary advice, focusing on eating behavior combined with low intake of fermentable carbohydrates, known as FODMAPS. These include products with lactose, legumes, onions, and grains, which ferment in the colon and can cause IBS pain.
 
The second group received a diet low in carbohydrates and proportionally high in protein and fat. The third group was given the best possible medication, which was administered to target each participant’s most troublesome symptoms.
 
Of those who received traditional IBS dietary advice and had low FODMAP intake, 76% saw significant reductions in symptoms. In the group which had a low carb, high protein, and high fat diet, 71% saw clinically-significant improvements. The group which had a treatment protocol consisting solely of medication had a 58% rate of experiencing significant improvements. All groups self-reported improvements in quality of life, less physical symptoms, and less symptoms of anxiety and depression.
 
At a six-month follow-up, participants in the dietary treatment groups partially returned to previous eating habits, but still had clinically significant symptom relief (68% in the low-FODMAP group and 60% in the low-carb/high fat/high protein group).
 
“With this study, we can show that diet plays a central role in the treatment of IBS, but that there are several alternative treatments that are effective,” said lead author Sanna Nybacka, researcher and dietitian at the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg. “We need more knowledge about how to best personalize the treatment of IBS in the future and we will further investigate whether there are certain factors that can predict whether individuals will respond better to different treatment options.”