A small pilot study from Michigan Medicine has found that the Mediterranean diet may help relieve symptoms for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Researchers compared this popular, heart-healthy diet with the low FODMAP diet, which is commonly recommended for IBS but can be very restrictive.
IBS is a digestive condition that affects up to 11% of people and often causes stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Many patients prefer to manage their symptoms with diet instead of medication.
In this study, participants were split into two groups. One group followed the Mediterranean diet, which includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. The other group followed the low FODMAP diet, which restricts certain foods known to cause digestive issues.
After four weeks, 73% of the people in the Mediterranean diet group reported noticeable symptom relief, compared to 81.8% in the low FODMAP group. Both diets helped, but the low FODMAP diet had slightly better results. Still, researchers say the Mediterranean diet could be a great option for patients who find the low FODMAP plan too strict.
Dr. Prashant Singh, the study’s lead author and a gastroenterologist at Michigan Medicine, explained that the low FODMAP diet can be hard to follow, expensive, and time-consuming. It may also lead to missing nutrients or create unhealthy eating habits. In contrast, the Mediterranean diet is easier to follow and doesn’t involve cutting out entire food groups.
Doctors already recommend the Mediterranean diet for its benefits to heart, brain, and overall health. But past studies on its effects on IBS have been mixed. This new study is the first randomized controlled trial comparing the Mediterranean diet to another treatment diet for IBS.
The study included 20 people with either IBS-D (IBS with diarrhea) or IBS-M (IBS with mixed symptoms). Participants followed their assigned diet for four weeks. Researchers looked for at least a 30% drop in abdominal pain intensity as the main sign of improvement.
The low FODMAP group showed a slightly better improvement in both pain and overall symptom severity. However, the Mediterranean diet group still had good results, and researchers believe it could become a helpful option for patients who can’t stick with more restrictive diets.
Dr. William Chey, senior author of the study and chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan, said this research adds to the evidence that the Mediterranean diet might be another effective dietary choice for people with IBS.
The researchers hope to conduct larger studies in the future to compare the long-term effects of both diets, especially after the low FODMAP diet is personalized to each patient.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about the crucial link between diet, gut health, and the immune system and results showing that Low-gluten, high-fiber diets boost gut health and weight loss.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about Navigating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with diet and results showing that Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
The study is published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
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