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Dietary Interventions and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review of the Evidence

  • Large Intestine (BD Cash, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the best studied of the functional gastrointestinal disorders. It is a highly prevalent disorder characterized by symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and disordered bowel habits, which may include constipation, diarrhea, or both. IBS has a significant negative impact on patients, both financially and with regard to their quality-of-life. At present, there is no cure for IBS, and while there are a number of pharmacological therapies available to treat IBS symptoms, they are not uniformly effective. For this reason, many patients and providers are turning to dietary interventions in an attempt to ameliorate IBS symptoms. At first glance, this approach appears reasonable as dietary interventions are generally safe and side effects, including potential adverse reactions with medications, are rare. However, although dietary interventions for IBS are frequently recommended, there is a paucity of data to support their use. The goals of this article are to answer key questions about diets currently recommended for the treatment of IBS, using the best available data from the literature.

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Abbreviations

FODMAP:

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols

IBS:

Irritable bowel syndrome

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Correspondence to Shawn L. Shah.

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SLS and BEL declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Large Intestine

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Shah, S.L., Lacy, B.E. Dietary Interventions and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review of the Evidence. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 18, 41 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-016-0517-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-016-0517-x

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