The impact of diet and lifestyle on managing irritable bowel syndrome

1. Introduction

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders and is estimated to affect up to approximately 20% of the population worldwide. IBS is a chronic disease which requires long-term management and can be associated with a significant detriment in quality of life. Its etiology is complex and symptoms vary greatly between individuals; among those affected, common complaints include abdominal pain, bloating, distention, and excessive flatulence. Other symptoms reported include abnormal bowel habits, intermittent diarrhea, constipation, or mixed bowel habits. A heightened visceral sensitivity is thought to play a role in IBS pathophysiology, where a reduced threshold for discomfort and pain responses of the gut to physiologic stimuli may drive perception of symptoms at a lower threshold in some sufferers. In guiding the appropriate therapeutic decision, it is important to realize that all-symptom population treatments may not address the multifaceted, and often inconsistent, complaints patients have alongside IBS. While a causative agent has not yet been effectively identified, current knowledge in IBS pathophysiology has empowered the development of different treatment strategies which facilitate targeting underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the disorder. While current effective management of IBS looks to combine psychological and pharmacological intervention, particular success has been observed through diet and lifestyle modification for many individuals through the exclusion of different components that are proposed to be triggers of the sufferers' symptoms. This is especially an attractive first-line option to a large patient population and has led to an explosion of interest in this area from both sufferers and researchers alike. One recent meta-analysis estimated efficacy rates as high as >50% in its positive effects on global IBS symptom score through diet in comparison to either placebo or the use of more classic pharmacological methods."This AI-crafted essay is yours, absolutely free.
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2. Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) disorder affecting an estimated 10-20% of adults, predominantly female. The condition is characterized by coexisting symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel habit abnormalities. Although this disorder is not life-threatening, it can significantly affect the quality of life in patients, causing emotional distress and substantial economic burden due to healthcare costs and loss of productivity. The pathophysiology of IBS is not well understood, and it is believed to result from altered gastrointestinal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, gut dysbiosis in combination with low-grade inflammation, increased intestinal permeability, and immune cell activation, thus resulting in an abnormal interaction of the gut-brain axis. Insoluble fiber, fructans, gluten, fatty foods, alcohol, and reduced fluid intake are some of the food factors thought to induce IBS symptoms in some patients. IBS is a multifactorial disorder, and the balance is shifted in patients towards a combination of symptoms by various factors including changes in gut motility, alterations in brain-gut axis signaling, visceral hypersensitivity, low-grade inflammation, gut barrier defects, intestinal dysbiosis, and immune dysfunction. Apart from genetic, psychological, and broader lifestyle factors, the food consumed has been shown to trigger, particularly in some IBS subjects, a variety of symptoms. This review examines the current understanding of the pathophysiology of IBS and a range of nutritional and lifestyle approaches that IBS sufferers can take to improve their symptoms. These dietary and lifestyle modifications include removing the aggravating factors, promoting a beneficial microbial composition, altering dietary components including fermentable carbohydrates, fiber, gluten, diet-specific antispasmodics, and dietary fats including the use of low FODMAP diets. Dietary strategies for managing IBS and preventing recurrence of symptoms are around promoting a healthy and balanced diet in combination with regular physical activity. Dietary support for weight management of overweight and obese individuals with IBS could also be beneficial in improving their symptoms. Practical implementation of these strategies involves dietary assessment and planning and patient education, which can be achieved through individual consultations with clinical nutrition professionals or through group programs and supportive materials.

2.1. Symptoms and Diagnosis

IBS is characterised as the presence of relapsing symptoms including chronic or recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort, bowel pain