This study of 250 IBS patients, compared two treatments: a diet low in fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs) and, secondly, medication otilonium bromide, which reduces spasms in the gastrointestinal tract.
Strikingly, of the 196 patients on the diet, those carrying defective hCAZyme genes showed marked improvement compared to non-carriers, and the effect was particularly pronounced in patients with diarrhoea-predominant IBS.
In exactly the same way, this pioneering study suggests genetic variations in carbohydrate enzymes (hCAZymes) may affect how IBS patients respond to a low-carbohydrate diet (low-FODMAP).
This could lead to tailored treatments for IBS, using genetic markers to predict which patients benefit from which diets.
Hope now comes in the form of a study showing how people with IBS respond to a low carbohydrate diet.
