Dietary Intake and Quality in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Comparative Study With Controls and the Association With Symptom Severity

Sanna Nybacka; Esther Colomier; Jóhann Páll Hreinsson; Stine Störsrud; Jan Tack; Hans Törnblom; Magnus Simrén

doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000003249

Dietary Intake and Quality in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Comparative Study With Controls and the Association With Symptom Severity

Am J Gastroenterol. 2024 Nov 27. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003249. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sanna Nybacka¹, Esther Colomier^{1

2}, Jóhann Páll Hreinsson¹, Stine Störsrud¹, Jan Tack^{1

2}, Hans Törnblom¹, Magnus Simrén^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
³ Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA .

PMID: 39601420
DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003249

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often attribute the onset or worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms to intake of food. Hence, to alleviate symptoms, patients with IBS may avoid triggering foods, potentially impacting their dietary intake and diet quality. This study aimed to compare the habitual diet intake and quality of patients with IBS with controls and to explore the association between dietary habits and symptoms in patients with IBS.

Methods: Patients with IBS were included in 4 clinical studies reporting habitual dietary intakes at baseline. Age- and sex-matched controls representing the general population were derived from the Swedish population-based Riksmaten study. Dietary intakes were assessed using 4-day food diaries. Diet quality was measured using the diet quality index-Swedish national dietary guidelines (DQI-SNR), and diet diversity was scored based on the variety of food groups consumed.

Results: The study included 646 patients with IBS and 646 controls (38 ± 14 years, 77% female). Both groups adhered to Nordic nutrition recommendations for macronutrients, except patients consumed fewer carbohydrates. Patients reported eating less carbohydrates, coffee, and dairy products and more fats, lactose-free dairy products, and nuts and seeds compared with controls. Fewer patients had a good diet quality according to the DQI-SNR. In patients, symptom severity and gastrointestinal-specific anxiety were associated with reduced energy and carbohydrate intake, lower diet diversity, and worse diet quality. Poor diet quality was associated with younger age, more severe IBS symptoms, anxiety, and depression.

Discussion: Patients with IBS exhibit different dietary patterns compared with controls, with poorer dietary habits linked to more severe symptoms. Understanding food-symptom associations may enhance the optimization and personalization of dietary management for patients with IBS.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02107625.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02107625