The role of low FODMAP diet in the management of irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder in gastroenterological practice, therapy for this syndrome remains unsatisfactory. There has been a recent increase in the attention paid to the role of diet in IBS; among the putative dietary factors, fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) are known to be important triggers of functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Emerging evidences have demonstrated the efficacy of a low FODMAP diet in the treatment of IBS. A recent randomized controlled trial demonstrated that scores for overall gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain, bloating, and flatulence were significantly lower in participants who followed low FODMAP diets relative to those consuming typical Australian diets. This study provides high-quality evidence for the efficacy of a low FODMAP diet in the management of IBS and supports its use as a first-line IBS therapy. However, most studies examining low FODMAP diets in IBS have several limitations, which include relatively small sample sizes and short treatment periods. Furthermore, the majority of these studies were performed in Western countries; therefore, as the generalizability of these results may be limited, studies investigating the effectiveness of the low FODMAP diet in non-Western populations are required.