Differences in dietary habits of people withvswithout irritable bowel syndrome and their association with symptom and psychological status: A pilot study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that dietary factors are involved in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the role of diet was evaluated mostly based on food frequency questionnaire. Whether food categories, quantity per time, and intake frequency are different between IBS patients and non-IBS individuals has not been clearly clarified. AIM To explore differences in dietary habits of people with vs without IBS and their correlation with symptom and psychological status. METHODS A total of 220 questionnaires were administered in a community population and the Rome IV criteria was applied to diagnose IBS. The dietary questionnaire used in this study was multidimensional from food categories, quantity per time, and intake frequency, in contrast to “yes or no” classification used in previous studies. Questionnaires including IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS), IBS quality of life, visceral sensitivity index, hospital anxiety and depression score (HADS), and gastrointestinal symptom rating scale were used to assess the participants. Rank sum test was used to compare the quantity per time and intake frequency between IBS patients and non-IBS participants. The correlation between psychological factors and diet was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the possible dietary risk factors for IBS. RESULTS In total, 203 valid questionnaires were collected (response rate 92.3%). Twenty-five participants met the Rome IV criteria for IBS, including 15 (60.0%) women and 10 (40.0%) men. Compared with the non-IBS group, the quantity per time and intake frequency of soybean and its products, spicy food, and dry-fried nuts were statistically significant in IBS participants ( P < 0.05). They were positively associated with IBS-SSS and HADS anxiety and depression scores ( P < 0.05). Besides, seafood, soft drinks, vegetables, and fruits differed only in quantity per time. The intake frequencies of egg, barbecue, and coarse grain were statistically significant in IBS patients ( P < 0.05). We also found that the frequency of soybean and its products (≥ 7 times/week, odds ratio = 11.613, 95% confidence interval: 2.145-62.855, P = 0.004) was an independent risk factor for IBS. CONCLUSION Both quantity per time and intake frequency, especially soybean, differ between IBS patients and non-IBS participants. Dietary habits might play potential roles in the pathophysiology of IBS.

Exploring the potential causal effects of food preferences on irritable bowel syndrome risk: A two‐sample Mendelian randomization study

“…Studies have shown that high‐frequency consumption of seafood decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, 31 diabetes mellitus, 32 inflammatory diseases, 33 cancers like gastrointestinal cancers 34 and prostate cancer 35 . However, the association between seafood and IBS has been poorly studied, and a study performed by Meng et al 36 found only intake of seafood differed between patients with and without IBS in quantity per time, and no evidence of a relationship was found between them. Nowadays, there remains a lack of research on the causal associations between seafood preference and health outcomes, and our study was the first to reveal that preference for seafood like salmon could be a protective factor for IBS, while sardine‐liking was suggested to be a risk factor, the specific mechanisms should be explored further by more studies.…”