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IBS: Bin the bran
Got IBS? Bin the bran and start soluble fibre instead, advise Dutch scientists
Psyllium, a source of soluble fibre, is a better bet for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than bran, an insoluble fibre that may even worsen symptoms, according to a study published on bmj.com.
People with IBS, which can cause abdominal pain and is characterised by irregular bowel habits, are often advised to increase their dietary fibre intake. However, up till now, evidence concerning fibre was patchy and sometimes conflicting.
So Dr René Bijkerk, from University Medical Center Utrecht, and colleagues randomly divided 275 IBS patients into one of three groups receiving either 10 grams of psyllium, bran, or a placebo (rice flour) twice a day for 12 weeks.
Relief of symptoms, severity of abdominal pain and quality of life for the patients were measured at monthly intervals during the three-month trial period.
Results revealed that psyllium was the most effective treatment for IBS, with a significantly greater number of patients reporting symptom relief and a reduction in symptom severity. After three months of treatment, symptom severity was reduced by 90 points in the psyllium group.
The bran group’s symptom severity fell by 58 points, while the placebo group experienced a drop of 49 points. However, no differences were reported between the groups in abdominal pain or quality of life.
By comparison, bran showed no clinically relevant benefit. Many patients seemed not to tolerate bran and the dropout rate was highest in this group.
The authors recommend the addition of soluble fibre such as psyllium as an effective first treatment for irritable bowel syndrome but, as bran may worsen symptoms, doctors should be cautious about advising patients to take it, they conclude.
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
