Suffering from IBS? It's time to read up on your microbiome

Those gut bugs are important

 It’s estimated that five to 10 per cent of the global population suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Here’s everything you need to know about the condition and how it’s diagnosed.

According to Crohn’s & Colitis Australia, IBS may affect up to 30% of Australians, though global estimates range from 5 to 10% depending on the population studied. While digestive complaints are common among young adults, not all stomach problems indicate IBS. 

Dietitian Dr Abi Marsh explains to Body+Soul that some clinicians believe IBS may be “a disorder of the gut-brain interaction. It is a diagnosis usually based on exclusion. So it manifests in the form of symptoms”, including bloating, abdominal pain, and altered or mixed bowel habits.

She adds that the syndrome often affects young people. 

What causes IBS? 

While there’s no single cause for IBS, there are a few things that can cause inflammation. 

“With modern lifestyle being very stressful, that can often trigger IBS symptoms”, Marsh says. 

While there’s no single cause for IBS, there are a few things that can cause inflammation. Image: iStock

How is IBS diagnosed? 

There’s no test for IBS, so a diagnosis will be given after inflammatory causes of symptoms are ruled out through testing blood or stool samples, often in addition to additional methods such as colonoscopies or endoscopies. 

The specialist warns that some forms of testing used to help diagnose IBS aren’t particularly helpful for diagnosis, so it’s important to consult with your GP or dietitian.

Gut microbiome testing is a growing area of interest in research and clinical practice, as Marsh notes that some clinicians believe gut microbiome imbalances or parasites lingering long after initial infection could contribute to the increasingly common condition. 

There’s no test for IBS, so a diagnosis will be given after inflammatory causes of symptoms are ruled out through testing blood or stool samples, often in addition to additional methods such as colonoscopies or endoscopies. Image: Supplied

Approaches to IBS treatment

Some are using microbiome data to inform decisions relating to areas including fibre, probiotics or polyphenate compounds.

The dietitian says the gut microbiome is important for brain health, chronic disease prevention and immunity.

“In an average healthy gut microbiome, we want to see at least 180 different species” of gut bugs. Those with significantly less could benefit from a diversified diet.

But symptom management typically revolves around excluding common trigger foods from patients’ diets to determine which irritate the bowel. 

Through the low-FODMAP diet, patients then slowly reintroduce these inflammatory foods into their diets to figure out what their bodies can handle. 

Through the low-FODMAP diet, patients then slowly reintroduce these inflammatory foods into their diets to figure out what their bodies can handle. Image: iStock

Marsh recommends following the diet for six weeks and then “challenging those foods back into the diet”. 

Marsh often sees “in practice a lot of IBS is driven by constipation. So even if people report going to the toilet often, they're usually not completely emptying their bowels.”

“So sometimes by just regulating the bowel and getting that moving, that can be a cause or a treatment.”

The expert also says stress management is an important part of treatment, suggesting:

• Avoiding eating on the run
• Taking three deep breaths before eating to get your brain into rest and digest mode 
• Practicing mindfulness
• Doing yoga
• Meditating

Originally published as Suffering from IBS? It's time to read up on your microbiome