If you’ve dealt with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may have heard of the low FODMAP diet. It’s known to help with symptoms but can be difficult to stick with. A new pilot study from Michigan Medicine suggests the Mediterranean diet could be a more flexible alternative.
In the study, patients with IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant) or IBS-M (mixed) followed either a Mediterranean diet or the elimination phase of a low FODMAP diet for four weeks. Both diets led to symptom relief, but the Mediterranean group had fewer restrictions.
About 73% of participants in the Mediterranean group reported a meaningful drop in abdominal pain. In comparison, 82% of those in the low FODMAP group saw improvement. While the low FODMAP diet had a slight edge in results, it comes with more limitations and long-term challenges.
“Restrictive diets, such as low FODMAP, can be difficult for patients to adopt,” said Dr. Prashant Singh, lead author and Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist. “In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low FODMAP diet. The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations.”
The Mediterranean diet, already praised for its cardiovascular and brain health benefits, emphasizes vegetables, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins. Unlike the low FODMAP approach, it doesn't require cutting out large categories of food.
“This study adds to a growing body of evidence which suggests that a Mediterranean diet might be a useful addition to the menu of evidence-based dietary interventions for patients with IBS,” said Dr. William Chey, chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan and senior author on the paper.
Although the study was small, with 20 participants completing it, the findings support future research into the long-term effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet for IBS. Larger trials may help clarify whether this more accessible approach can be a new standard in digestive care.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.