Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

that you might be able to control the methanogenic bacteria in your bowel - the ones responsible for producing methane that slow peristalsis - through your diet instead of using a strong and perhaps repeated antibiotic treatment.

Some current research suggests that if you reduce the food sources available for methogenic bacteria you can reduce their population in the bowel and therefore reduce the amount of methane they produce.

For example it is known that sugars such as lactose, fructose and sorbitol that are malabsorbed pass through the small intestine into the large bowel. These sugars are quickly digested by methanogenic and other bacteria in the last part of the small intestine and first part of the large bowel.

The secret to this approach seems to be to consider not only the amount and ratio of SF and IF that you eat but also pay attention to the the types of SF and IF you eat.

References
Gibson, P. R., E. Newham, J. S. Barrett, S. J. Shepard, and J. G. Muir, 2007: Review article: fructose malabsorption and the bigger picture. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 25, 349-363.

Goldstein, R., D. Braverman, and H. Stankiewicz, 2000: Carbohydrate Malabsorption and the Effect of Dietary Restriction on Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Functional Bowel Complaints. Israel Medical Association Journal, 2.

Pimentel, M., H. C. Lin, P. Enayati, B. van den Burg, H.-R. Lee, J. H. Chen, S. Park, Y. Kong, and J. Conklin, 2006: Methane, a gas produced by enteric bacteria, slows intestinal transit and augments small intestinal contractile activity. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 290, G1089-1095.

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