Health Report:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diet & Fiber
"A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers..."
By, Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
Updated: 08/30/2009
The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS), DIET & FIBER
An estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population suffers from a complex of gastrointestinal symptoms that are collectively referred to as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable bowel syndrome affects women three times more commonly than men, and has historically been considered a “wastebasket” diagnosis for patients with functional gastrointestinal (GI) complaints when no other specific diagnosis can be found.
While the precise mechanisms underlying IBS are not well understood at this time, various theories have been proposed. These include abnormal responses to infections of the GI tract, abnormal hormonal and neurologic function of the intestines, hypersensitivity to certain types of foods, abnormal motility of the colon, a “hyper-awareness” of bodily functions, and certain psychiatric conditions, in addition to other hypotheses. (It is almost certain, however, that there is more than one cause for IBS.)
Because the true causes of IBS are poorly understood, there have been a wide range of treatments recommended for this syndrome. For example, exercise and other stress-reducing activities may be helpful for some IBS sufferers. Giving up tobacco, and reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption may also help to reduce IBS symptoms, while promoting improved overall health at the same time. Keeping a food diary can also help to identify foods that tend to provoke or worsen IBS symptoms in many patients. Finally, dietary fiber supplementation has been almost universally advocated by most IBS experts. Unfortunately, these and other recommended treatments for IBS are often ineffective in reducing the troubling GI symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome for many patients. Moreover, there have been only a handful of small, prospective, randomized clinical research studies, to date, looking at dietary interventions for IBS. Now, a newly published prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled fiber supplement study offers some helpful new clinical data regarding the treatment of IBS, and this data offers some hope for IBS sufferers.
Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a widely published author, and a Surgical Oncologist at the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system in Orange County, California
(Anticipated Publication Date: March 2010)
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Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
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