The science of gut health and why it matters

Nutritional advice as backed by science - Managing IBS

On this page, nutritionist Emma discusses what evidence the science brings to light, when it comes to managing the symptoms of IBS.

@emmatalksnutrition

Nutritional advice backed by science: IBS edition ? IBS can be a tricky one to get under control and we might not know where to start. Here I summarize what the research is saying: - Fibre & FODMAPs – the science shows that restricting certain fibres called FODMAPs can be effective for the treatment in IBS ? My take on it? When we say treatment – this is in the short-term which the science confirms. Is this just a plaster for symptoms, rather than treating the underling cause? Absolutely. And arguably this approach isn’t suitable in the long-term if it hinders bacteria diversity… More on IBS causes coming up from me, as this is a whole separate topic on its own. - Probiotics – yes, absolutely favourable on the whole! but I would add to get prebiotics in, in combination (symbiotic effect) and support your stomach acid secretions first, for even better results ? - Mediterranean diet with its favourable components – Huge yes. Anti-inflammatory elements as backed by research include – omega-3 rich foods and supplements, vitamin D rich foods and supplements, eating smaller meals rather than overloading our system, plenty of water between meals, and opting for nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory wholefoods ? - Limiting processed foods – the polar opposite of Mediterranean-style eating. The research shows that processed foods, poor quality fats, fizzy drinks, artificial sweeteners, excess caffeine and alcohol can all be detrimental ? Ultimately, it’s likely that a multi-disciplinary approach in terms of understanding your own individual causes and triggers, plus a number of different tactics – diet, how you eat, lifestyle plus digestive remedies is going to be the way to go, and this is where nutritionists can help bring this together for you ?✨

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What does the science say? Advice around fibre first...

Science is a little mixed about the effects and take on fibre. Is it benefical or troublesome? Should our intake be increased or reduce? How is fibre cateogorized and what are the different the types to consider. The findings are somewhat mixed, and some might say confusing - but here I explain why this is - because managing IBS is individual, to some degree - so fibre may impact different people differently.

However, some conclusions can be drawn, in that, FODMAPs are the most readily studied groups of fibres when it comes to IBS and the overiding advice seems to be to reduce the intake of FODMAPs if you suffer from IBS.

However, whislt removing fibre may be seen as 'helpful', the bigger debate is - is this a long-term tactic? Is it actually helping to get to the root cause? and the answer is no. Plus, the research suggests that the long-term results may not be favourable, which makes perfect sense if it negatively impacts your gut bacteria over time.¹

Are there any other conclusions from the research?

Probiotics – a resounding, yes. However, I'd add to this that the research about combining probiotics with prebiotics is even more convincing, so always take something like a daily source of L+ lactic acid alongside your probiotics.

2. Artificial sweeteners /fizzy drinks / processed foods - a big no - these will upset your balance of bacteria, reduce their diversity and promote inflammation.

3. Unhelpful fats – including trans fats, or saturated fats, will risk promoting inflammation in the gut and affecting the diversity of gut bacteria.

4. Mediterranean style diet - a big yes, with the following themes fitting into this style of diet:

Eat smaller meals throughout the day and avoid overloading the digestive system at any one time.
Drink plenty of water, at least 1.5l daily, but apart from meals to protect gastric juices.
Avoid foods that trigger your symptoms (in the short term - long term we hope to improve digestive resistance).
Limit alcohol - this is proinflammatory, can negatively impact gut bacteria diversity and intestinal permeability.
Limit caffeinated drinks - again, research is a little mixed on caffeinated drinks, including coffee. The antioxidant capacity is key whilst the caffeine portion may be less helpful. Therefore energy drinks are unhelpful, good quality coffee may be classed as more neutral, whereas options like green tea, or antioxidant rich fruit juice options (taking sugar into account), may be more helpful options.