Evaluation of Efficacy of Low Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols (FODMAP) Diet in Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): An Updated Meta-Analysis of RCTs
Ahtisham UL Haq
Quaid-E-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Abida Batool
Dow International Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Keerthi S. Chitneni
Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India.
Maheshwar Dumpala
Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India.
Ashraf Ullah
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA.
Mudit Moondra
Ravindra Nath Tagore Medical College, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Jamil A. Dayo
DIMC DUHS Trauma Center Ojha, Karachi, Pakistan.
Mohd Diya Masmoum
Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Darshakkumar J. Senjaliya
GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Gujarat, India.
Imdad Ullah
Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder causing chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits, with inadequate treatments integrating into daily patient care. The low FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diet has emerged as a dietary intervention to help alleviate IBS-related symptoms. This updated meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of a low FODMAP diet in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms and improving quality of life among patients with IBS. This systematic review and meta-analysis identified 18 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that evaluated primary outcomes, including the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms, severity of abdominal pain, and quality of life. The findings reveal that the FODMAP diet provided greater relief of IBS symptoms, including abdominal pain and bloating, with improvements in quality of life compared to other dietary interventions. Specifically, the meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in abdominal pain (mean difference; -6.86; 95% CI: -9.25 to -4.47; P < 0.05) and an improvement in quality of life (mean difference; 6.61; 95% CI: 3.42 to 8.78; P < 0.05). However, concerns exist regarding long-term compliance and nutritional adequacy. These analyses highlight the need for personalized IBS management and suggest that more research is required to determine long-term outcomes and adherence to a low FODMAP diet.
Keywords: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gastrointestinal symptoms, low FODMAP diet, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), abdominal pain, Quality of Life (QoL), meta-analysis, dietary interventions, long-term compliance nutritional adequacy