Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common disorder that affects about 1 in 5 Australians. This condition is characterised by a number of gastrointestinal symptoms but with no abnormal pathology (that is no other serious gastrointestinal disorder can be found).

The most common symptoms of IBS include

  • lower abdominal pain
  • bloating
  • wind
  • distension and
  • altered bowel habit (ranging from diarrhea to constipation).

With IBS it is important that other serious gastrointestinal diseases (including inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease and colon cancer) are ruled out before the final diagnosis of IBS can be made. This is why you should not try and ‘self-diagnose’ your own condition and seek medical advice.

To understand this IBS condition more and the role of potential dietary triggers, we need to review how food is digested and absorbed by the body.

What are the dietary triggers for IBS?

A large number of dietary factors have been associated with aggravating symptoms of IBS. The most common ones include; fatty foods, alcohol, some types of dietary fibre and caffeine. In general, however, much of the dietary information has been confusing and unhelpful for people who suffer from IBS.

More recent research in this area has focused on a large group of dietary sugars that can be mal-absorbed by the small intestine. Dr Sue Shepherd's world-leading research has led to the discovery of FODMAPs. FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono saccharides And Polyols. The research by Dr Sue Shepherd strongly suggests that this group of sugars may be major triggers for IBS symptoms. FODMAPs is a registered trademark of Dr Sue Shepherd and Professor Peter Gibson.

FODMAPs are found in a wide range of foods and include; fructose (found in fruit, honey, juices), lactose (found in milk and dairy products), sugar polyols such as sorbitol and mannitol (found in some fruits and vegetables and often added as artificial sweeteners), fructans (which are polymers of fructose and found in wheat, rye, onions, garlic) and galactans (found in some vegetables including legumes such as chickpeas etc)