7 recent developments in dietary therapies for IBS

A wealth of new data on dietary therapies for irritable bowel syndrome have been recently published in the journals and presented at scientific society meetings.

The low FODMAPs diet, in particular, was a hot topic at Digestive Disease Week and the British Society of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting. More recent data on the role of probiotics and peppermint oil have also been of interest to Healio Gastroenterology readers.

Below, we recap seven popular news articles covering dietary therapies in IBS.

1. Low FODMAP rye bread benefits patients with IBS

Modified low FODMAP rye bread improved symptom control in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in a randomized clinical trial.

“Our study shows that reduction of FODMAP content of a major food staple, such as rye bread, may reduce some symptoms of IBS but is not enough per se to reach adequate overall symptom control in IBS,” Reijo Laatikainen, MD, from University of Helsinki and Aava Medical Center in Finland, said in a press release. Read more

2. Hypnotherapy as effective as low FODMAP diet in IBS

The efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy for treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is comparable to the low FODMAP diet, according to randomized controlled trial data.

“Given the importance of psychological health in patients with IBS, these data in total might be considered to show that gut-directed hypnotherapy is a superior alternative to the low FODMAP diet,” researchers from the department of gastroenterology at Monash University in Australia wrote. Read more

3. IBgard peppermint oil delivery system provides rapid IBS symptom relief

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome experienced rapid symptom relief, high satisfaction and improved quality of life with IBgard, an over-the-counter peppermint oil delivery system, according to the results of a randomized controlled trial and a post-marketing study.

Brooks D. Cash

“The results of these studies, which have received considerable attention and discussion at major scientific gastroenterology meetings, further adds to the body of medical evidence supporting the utility of IBgard [IM HealthScience], a novel formulation of peppermint oil, in improving the symptoms, patient satisfaction and quality of life of patients with IBS,” Brooks D. Cash, MD, AGAF, FACG, FACP, FASGE, professor of medicine in the gastroenterology division at the University of South Alabama, and Healio Gastroenterology Peer Perspective Board member, said in a press release. Read more

4. Probiotic yeast improves abdominal pain, bloating in IBS-C patients

Although the probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-3856 failed to improve symptoms overall in a cohort of patients with irritable bowel syndrome in a randomized controlled trial, subgroup analysis showed it improved abdominal pain and bloating in patients with constipation-predominant IBS.

Amélie Cayzeele Decherf

“Due to the lack of suitable pharmacological treatments, there is growing interest in alternative all-natural solutions for long-term management of IBS,” Amélie Cayzeele Decherf, clinical studies specialist at Lesaffre Human Care, Lesaffre Group, Marcq en Baroeul, France, told Healio Gastroenterology, adding that Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-3856 “may be a new safe strategy to improve quality of life in people suffering from abdominal pain.” Read more

5. Fructose malabsorption, symptom severity, IBS subtype predict response to low FODMAP diet

Irritable bowel syndrome patients experienced greater benefits from a low FODMAP diet if they had a positive fructose breath test, greater symptom severity at baseline and a mixed IBS subtype, according to data presented at the British Society of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting.

Anna Cox

“Hydrogen breath testing can identify those with poor absorption of lactose or fructose, who may therefore benefit more from their dietary exclusion as part of the low FODMAP diet,” Anna Cox, BSc, from University College Hospital in London, told Healio Gastroenterology. Read more

6. VIDEO: Low FODMAP diet improves QoL in IBS-D

SAN DIEGO — In this exclusive video from DDW 2016, Shanti L. Eswaran, MD, from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, discusses the results of a randomized controlled trial that showed the low FODMAP diet improved health-related quality of life among patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

After 4 weeks, the low FODMAP diet and a “common sense” control diet based on NICE guidelines “both ... improved quality of life somewhat, but the low FODMAP diet significantly improved quality of life in a meaningful way that was not seen in the diet recommendations that were based more upon common sense,” she said. “Specifically, we saw improvements in dysphoria, social reaction, body image, and those are things that really affect IBS patients’ lives." Watch now

7. Low FODMAPs linked to altered metabolome, improved IBS symptoms

SAN DIEGO — Patients with irritable bowel syndrome who adhered to a low FODMAP diet experienced reduced symptoms and corresponding changes in the metabolome, according to randomized controlled trial data presented at DDW 2016.

FODMAPs “have been shown in many studies to cause symptoms in IBS but the mechanisms are not completely understood, and it’s becoming increasingly recognized that metabolomic measurements are a valuable tool to understand the impact of diet on the host,” David E. Reed, MD, from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, said during his presentation. Read more

By the Numbers

7 recent developments in dietary therapies for IBS