To Your Health
October, 2024 (Vol. 18, Issue 10) |
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A Simpler Diet for IBS?
By Editorial Staff
If you've been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or know someone who has, you're probably familiar with the acronym FODMAP: Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. FODMAP is recommended for IBS sufferers, and FODMAP, in layperson's terms, is all about limiting / avoiding certain foods that contain short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) the small intestine has difficulty absorbing.
The FODMAP list of food to avoid is a lengthy one, including dairy products, cereals, bread, crackers, beans, lentils, and certain vegetables and fruits. It excludes gluten and lactose, and is a strict diet recommended to be adhered to consistently. But what if there were a simpler diet for IBS? There is, according to research, and it's as simple as avoiding sugar and starches.
Researchers investigated how SSRD – another acronym that stands for Starch and Sucrose-Reduced Diet – compared to FODMAP by randomly assigning 150 patients to either the SSRD or low FODMAP diet for four weeks. Participants were required to initiate a diet for their IBS during the study, meaning they had not been tried SSRD or FODMAP before.
Patients were allowed to choose how strictly they followed either diet; regardless, IBS symptoms improved in 75-80% of patients, and weight loss was greater in the SSRD group. Even more revealing, participants who tried both diets after the study period reported favoring SSRD over FODMAP.
IBS symptoms – bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and more – can markedly impact quality of life, which makes these findings significant, not only because they suggest an alternative to current recommendations (FODMAP), but also may be more easily adopted and maintained. Ask your doctor about how to manage your IBS symptoms with diet and other non-drug interventions.
