For adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), combining a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) and a gluten-free diet (GFD) appears to improve clinical symptoms and reduce anxiety and depression, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
Across several studies, the combined diet improved quality of life and reduced bloating, stomach pain, and the severity of IBS symptoms, lead author Jing Zhang of the Yangzhou University School of Nursing in Jiangsu, China, and colleagues found.
“Dietary therapies have attracted a lot of interest lately as a possible method to control IBS symptoms. Among these, the low-FODMAP diet has shown especially great promise,” the researchers wrote.
The GFD also has become a potential dietary intervention for certain IBS subtypes. Some studies have looked at the combination of both for IBS management.
However, the “small and inconclusive” nature of existing research prompted their review of the efficacy of a low-FODMAP combined with a gluten-free diet (LF-GFD) in adult patients with IBS, the authors wrote.
The study was published online in Digestive Diseases and Sciences.
Analyzing RCTs and Cohort Studies
Zhang and colleagues analyzed data for 437 patients with IBS (221 on a LF-GFD and 216 on a GFD) across four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and four cohort studies.
The research team evaluated the efficacy of an LF-GFD in reducing symptoms using measures such as the visual analog scale for bloating and pain, IBS symptom severity scale, and IBS quality of life questionnaire, as well as self-reported depressi