MRI study shows how reducing carb intake can improve pain and bloating in people with IBS

A new study using MRI to investigate the effects of carbohydrates in the diet on symptoms of patients with irritable bowel syndrome has found they are more sensitive to gas in their bowel. 

The trial has been carried out by the NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Centre and experts at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre at The University of Nottingham. The research is published online in Gastroenterology. 

Many patients complain that certain foods trigger their symptoms. Trigger foods such as pasta, bread and onions all contain carbohydrates that are not easily digested. These carbohydrates, sometimes grouped together under the acronym FODMAP (fermentable oligo-di- & mono-saccharides & polyhydric alcohols), are fermented in the lower bowel, releasing gas. Until now it is has not been possible to investigate how this might cause symptoms but the Nottingham study used cutting edge imaging techniques to observe gas production.