Q: My doctor says I have IBS. Is there any new info on controlling digestive symptoms? -- Kelly P., Springfield, Illinois
A: IBS -- irritable bowel syndrome -- is a cluster of symptoms such as gut pain, diarrhea, and constipation that are caused by problems with gut-brain axis, a two-way system that allows your intestinal microbiome to influence your mood and thinking and your brain’s signaling to affect digestion.
It’s estimated about 12% of folks in the U.S. contend with IBS. It may be related to stress or a severe infection, but it is often difficult to know why it happens. Fortunately, two new studies offer some clarity about how to best handle the symptoms.
A study in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology found that folks who followed what is called the FODMAPs diet and those on a low-carb diet saw a significant reduction in symptom severity compared to those getting best-case medical care. The FODMAPs diet eliminates hard-to-digest fermentable vegetables like onions, broccoli and Jerusalem artichokes. Fruits like blueberries and watermelon are also avoided, as are wheat and beans. All simple sugars and lactose (in dairy) are also off the table. The low-carb dietary approach lets you eat low-fructose vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, rice and quinoa.
The other study explores a new approach to handling IBS that develops after an infection. Researchers used a personalized combination of antibiotics, prebiotics and probiotics to normalize the gut microbiome after analyzing each participant’s gut bacteria to see what was out of whack. Around 92% of the folks on a personalized plan saw symptoms improve and almost 40% had total remission.
If you’re contending with IBS, talk to your gastroenterologist about getting an analysis of your gut biome and discuss which pre -- and probiotics may help you, as well as how to begin experimenting with the FODMAPs or low-carb diet to see what foods you cannot -- and can -- tolerate.
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Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world’s leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively.
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.