Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: back to basics or continue?

There is no question that stress can exacerbate IBS symptoms. While stress may be a facilitator there is no evidence that it is the cause of IBS.

Unfortunately, currently there are no tests to determine if the gut flora is abnormal causing IBS. Up until recently researchers thought there were about 500 different bacteria in the colonic flora. Recent DNA tests show that there are many many more bacteria than they thought - perhaps as many as 1100 to 1200 different bacteria. At this point in time they have no idea which of the gut bacteria may be involved in IBS. In fact one of the speculations is that stress may alter the gut flora which changes the mucosal barrier allowing bacterial byproducts to past the barrier increasing visceral hypersensitivity causing IBS symptoms. In fact this has been shown to be the case in some animal models. Such findings are one of the reasons they call IBS a 'stress sensitive disorder'.

The partial reduction in symptoms in some people with IBS from taking certain probiotics or getting temporary relief when taking some kinds of antibiotics are some of the clues that lead to the suspicion that IBS may be caused by a problem in the gut flora. It will likely be a few more years before these findings lead to any clinically useful tools.

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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS

The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS

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