Five IBS studies from the past few months, quick and interesting hits:
1. A University of Michigan study found distinct gut microbiome patterns that may predict whether someone responds better to the low-FODMAP diet or the antibiotic rifaximin for IBS-D. My take: This will be super helpful, and will likely be a huge help in determining what can help people with IBS-d best.
2. Researchers found that people with diarrhea-predominant IBS and anxiety have consistently lower levels of one gut bacterium, Phocaeicola vulgatus - restoring it in mice improved both digestive symptoms and anxiety-like behavior. My take: This is exciting, because it shows that there very well may be possibilities in the foreseeable future to significantly improve some of the major symptoms associated with IBS-D.
3. A UK biotech just secured $25 million to push its microbiome-based IBS-C pill into a 300-patient Phase 2b trial. My take: This is very exciting, because it shows that there is a promising IBS-C pill reaching the final stages of development, and possibly meaning we could see it released to the general public very soon.
4. Eli Lilly is now running a 342-patient trial for a new injectable IBS-C drug that works through a completely different pathway than existing treatments. My take: This is a very interesting new type of treatment, because it works differently than the existing treatments for IBS-C, and could therefore be much more promising than what we currently have available if these trials go well.
5. A new review found that only three specific probiotic strains actually have reproducible evidence behind them for IBS - most of what's on shelves doesn't. My take: This is major news, because for quite a while now, there have been people on social media, podcasts, blogs, etc. saying that probiotics are “the cure” for IBS, but now we can know which strains actually help (and that most of them don’t).
That's the roundup. See you next Saturday.
Want this in your inbox every week?
Subscribe to the Weekly Update →Gut Gainz is for education and personal support only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. IBS, weight changes, stomach pain, food restriction, or ongoing symptoms should be discussed with a doctor, parent/guardian, registered dietitian, or qualified healthcare professional.