Here are some interesting results of a small, preliminary study published in the Clinical Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The researchers recruited 17 people with moderate to severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Of those, 13 finished the 6-week study. For the first two weeks, the participants ate a "standard diet" of 55% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 15% protein. Then they were switched to a very-low-carb diet for the next four weeks, similar to the Atkins Induction phase. They were provided with the food to eat.Of the 13 people in the study, 10 reported "adequate relief" from their symptoms all four weeks of the study. The other three reported relief on two or three of the weeks. The improvement was evident in Quality of Life measures as well as objective measures of stool frequency, etc.
The study lacked a control group, and was small. But the strong results (virtually everyone who completed the study had at least some relief) are very encouraging. Source:
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When I went on a low-fat, high-carb diet over 2 years ago, I almost immediatly began having bowl issues (constipation). I stayed on the diet a year, all the while sympotons got worse. Went off it – gained all the weight I had lost plus 15 pounds. By the end of a year of the diet, I had to see a specialist and was taking medication every day. Last Christmas decided to eat like I did while pregnant with gestational diabeties – counting carbs, no more than 60 grams of carbs per meal (none at breakfast). Symptons began to lessen. In April, I went moderate low-carb (about 60 grams per day) and only had to take my medication maybe once a week. Went Akins in May – haven’t had to take the medication since and have regular movement.
Anecdotal evidence, I know. But when you’re suffering, you don’t care what the common wisdom is. If it works, you’re grateful. And I am grateful!
I have had IBS all of my 60 years and this time I went on a low carb diet BUT watched the fat content (use fat free cream cheese, egg beaters, very little butter, etc.) and have noticed a HUGE improvement in my IBS. I used to have daily attacks and now they are maybe once every 10 days or so and nothing like they were before (very explosive). I do not have a gall bladder so I know that high fat also triggers IBS but I think now, with low to non fat, and no sugar or flour, perhaps I may have found true relief!
Sue
I developed IBS after having my gallbladder removed in 1996. At the time I had no idea what was going on and had been faithfully following a low-fat diet for years. I lived with my symptoms until 2001 when I discovered Atkins. Within a matter of weeks on induction I was symptom free! Low-carb has been a God-send for me in many ways, this is just one of them.
I’ve had IBS for many years. Altering my diet has helped, and going low carb has helped even more. However, I’m concerned about the study cited. It was partially funded by the Atkins Diet people. This is not to say that the results are invalid, but I’d want to see a larger, controlled study without funding from an interested party before I’d use it as anything but anecdotal evidence. And I think, with all due respect, that this funding should have been mentioned in the blog entry.