Less than 2% of participants reported using a vegetarian or vegan diet for health reasons within the past 12 months. Despite potential benefits of plant-based nutrition, more research is warranted on the actual use and its effects and safety.
This meta-analysis found evidence of the short-term efficacy and safety of LFD in patients with IBS. However, only a preliminary recommendation for LFD can be made until long-term effects are investigated.
Summary
Background
Irritable bowel syndrome is the most frequent gastrointestinal disorder. It is assumed that lifestyle interventions might be a rational treatment approach.
Aim
To examine the effect of a yoga‐based intervention vs a low‐FODMAP diet on patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Methods
Fifty‐nine patients with irritable bowel syndrome undertook a single‐blind, randomised controlled trial involving yoga or a low‐FODMAP diet for 12 weeks. Patients in the yoga group received two sessions weekly, while patients in the low‐FODMAP group received a total of three sessions of nutritional counselling. The primary outcome was a change in gastrointestinal symptoms (IBS‐SSS). Secondary outcomes explored changes in quality of life (IBS‐QOL), health (SF‐36), perceived stress (CPSS, PSQ), body awareness (BAQ), body responsiveness (BRS) and safety of the interventions. Outcomes were examined in weeks 12 and 24 by assessors “blinded” to patients’ group allocation.
Results
No statistically significant difference was found between the intervention groups, with regard to IBS‐SSS score, at either 12 (Δ = 31.80; 95%CI = −11.90, 75.50; P = .151) or 24 weeks (Δ = 33.41; 95%CI = −4.21, 71.04; P = .081). Within‐group comparisons showed statistically significant effects for yoga and low‐FODMAP diet at both 12 and 24 weeks (all P < .001). Comparable within‐group effects occurred for the other outcomes. One patient in each intervention group experienced serious adverse events (P = 1.00) and another, also in each group, experienced nonserious adverse events (P = 1.00).
Conclusions
Patients with irritable bowel syndrome might benefit from yoga and a low‐FODMAP diet, as both groups showed a reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms. More research on the underlying mechanisms of both interventions is warranted, as well as exploration of potential benefits from their combined use.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.