Sugarcane fibre helps IBS patients on a low FODMAP diet

Dr Dan So is lead author on a paper which is
the first to test sugar-cane fibres for IBS patients
on a low FODMAP diet. Link

A low FODMAP diet is used to manage symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) but does not typically improve bowel habits. Specific types of fibre can improve bowel habits, but their tolerability in IBS and the suitability of coadministration with a low FODMAP diet is unknown.

Dr Daniel So recently completed his PhD in the Central Clinical School's Department of Gastroenterology, and now works with Atmo Biosciences in addition to being an affiliate research dietitian in the department. His PhD explored how specific types of dietary fibre could be used to provide clinical value in patients with IBS. 

Dr So is lead author on this paper, the first to evaluate the benefit that a novel fibre, sugarcane bagasse, could offer to patients with IBS, as an adjunct to a low FODMAP diet.

He said, "We found that supplementing specific fibres - sugarcane bagasse with and without a type of resistant starch that resists enzymatic digestions - with a low FODMAP diet was well tolerated by these patients and at the same time, improved bowel habits by increasing stool output and normalizing low stool water content.

"These results indicate that these specific fibres can be used to value-add to a low FODMAP diet to improve bowel habits while providing symptom relief, and may be particularly useful for those with constipation-predominant symptoms."

See full journal article: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1eb5z5UiFSZL2X
Citation: So D, Yao CK, Ardalan ZS, Thwaites PA, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Gibson PR, Muir JG. Supplementing Dietary Fibers With a Low-FODMAP Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Dec 18:S1542-3565(21)01340-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2021.12.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34929392.

Dr So can be followed on Twitter, at @soda_xl