If you are battling irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), then your next prescription might be found in your kitchen. The medication group received treatments based on their primary symptoms: laxative fiber supplements like Sterculia (karaya gum) for constipation or anti-diarrheal drugs like loperamide (Imodium) for diarrhea. All groups reported improved quality of life, fewer physical symptoms, and reduced anxiety and depression.
However, dietary interventions showed more significant improvement: 76 percent following traditional advice and 71 percent on the low-carb diet experienced reduced symptoms, compared to 58 percent in the medication group. At a six-month follow-up, many participants in the dietary groups maintained significant symptom relief: 68 percent following traditional advice and 60 percent on the low-carb diet still experienced benefits. The human gut poorly digests FODMAP foods, Dr.
Christine Frissora, a gastroenterologist at Weill Cornell Medicine who was also not associated with the study, told The Epoch Times. “The undigested fragments are eaten by gut bacteria, which then produce gas,” she added. This leads to gut dysmotility, impairment of gut muscles that move food, and gastrointestinal distress, she noted.
While dietary changes are critical in IBS treatment, they don’t work for everyone. Many improve on a low-FODMAP diet, but not all, as the study shows, too, Dr. Purow said.
Probiotics: These beneficial gut bacteria help regulate the microbiome, allevi.