Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Abstract: very low carb. diet to help IBS-D

Glad to hear a low sugar, yeast and grains diet helps. It could be the FODMAPs in the grains that maybe partly causing symptoms.

In discussion with Dr. Drossman one of the key authors of the first paper, he said he did not recommend this diet for anyone unless they are under the supervision of a doctor. The reason he gave was that the carbohydrate restriction (<20 g/day) is severe and not particularly healthy. In addition the study was done on a very small number of subjects (13).

Regarding the second study and Candida. In 1992 (see reference below) it was conclusively shown that "C. albicans is not involved in the aetiology of the irritable bowel syndrome." A follow-up letter to the editor of said "Middleton and colleagues' are to be congratulated in demonstrating that there is no conclusive link between overgrowth of intestinal Candida albicans and the symptomatology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Sadly, I suspect that the popular health magazines and alternative practitioners who persuade patients that these symptoms are directly linked to the pseudoscience of 'leaky bowels' and candida toxins' are unlikely to alter their views."

Reference
Middleton, S. J., Coley, A. & Hunter, J. O. The Role of Fecal Candida-Albicans in the Pathogenesis of Food-Intolerant Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome Postgraduate Medical Journal 68, 453-454 (1992).

Shepherd, C. The Role of Candida-Albicans in the Pathogenesis of Food-Intolerant Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome. . Postgraduate Medical Journal 69, 80-80 (1993).

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