Exclusion diets in irritable bowel syndrome: are they worthwhile?
Forty patients with irritable bowel syndrome received an antigen-exclusion diet identical to that previously reported to be highly effective in this condition. Only 15% of the group as a whole showed evidence of food intolerance manifested by an improvement in their irritable bowel symptoms. In a further 12.5% only well-being improved and this did not seem to be related to the exclusion of any particular food. Patients whose bowel dysfunction was characterized by diarrhea responded the best (3/8) whereas those with constipation consistently failed to improve.
McKee
A M
AM
Department of Medicine, University Hospital of South Manchester, England.
Prior
A
A
Whorwell
P J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged