Mediterranean Diet Provides Some Relief for Nonconstipated Irritable Bowel Syndrome
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) provides symptom relief in adults with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) or mixed bowel pattern IBS (IBS-M) according to a study published online April 24 in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
Prashant Singh, M.B.B.S., from Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a pilot randomized trial to compare the efficacy of the MD to a diet low in fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (low-FODMAP diet [LFD]). Analysis included 20 adults with IBS-D or IBS-M (10 in the MD group and 10 in the LFD group).
The researchers found that 73 percent of the MD group met the primary end point of ≥30 percent decrease in abdominal pain intensity for ≥2/4 weeks versus 81.8 percent of the LFD group. While not statistically significant, a higher proportion of the LFD group reported adequate relief and met the responder end point for IBS-symptom severity score (SSS; 50-point reduction) versus the MD group (54.6 versus 27.3 percent for IBS-adequate relief and 81.8 versus 45.5 percent for IBS-SSS). Over the four-week treatment period, the LFD group also had a significantly greater reduction in IBS-SSS than the MD group (−105.5 versus −60).
"In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low FODMAP diet," Singh said in a statement. "The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations related to a low FODMAP diet."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
Adherence to Healthy Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk, Even Without Weight Loss
WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2025 -- A healthy diet improves cardiometabolic risk factors, even if not associated with weight loss (WL), according to a study published online June 5...
Plant-Based Diet Tied to Weight Loss, Fewer Hot Flashes in Postmenopausal Women
THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 -- A plant-based diet rich in soy, regardless of the level of processing, may benefit both hot flash and weight management in postmenopausal women...
High-Fiber Plant-Based Diet May Be Beneficial for Monoclonal Gammopathy, Multiple Myeloma
WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 -- A high-fiber plant-based diet (HFPBD) can be beneficial for patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.