The aim of this review was to systematically assess and meta-analyze the effects of a low fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyol (FODMAP) diet (LFD) on the severity of symptoms, quality of life, and safety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were screened through January 19, 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared LFD to other diets were included if they assessed symptoms of IBS or abdominal pain in patients with IBS. Safety, quality of life, anxiety, depression, and effect on gut microbiota were defined as secondary outcomes. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.
Nine RCTs with a total of 596 subjects were included. Three RCTs compared LFD with a habitual diet, two RCTs provided all meals and compared LFD with a western diet, one RCT each compared LFD with a diet high in FODMAPs or a sham diet, and two RCTs compared with other diet recommendations for IBS. A meta-analysis revealed significant group differences for LFD compared with other diets with regard to gastrointestinal symptoms (SMD = -0.62; 95% CI = -0.93 to -0.31; P = 0.0001), abdominal pain (SMD = -0.50; 95% CI = -0.77 to -0.22; P = 0.008), and health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.10-0.62; P = 0.007). Three studies reported a significant reduction in luminal bifidobacteria after LFD. Adverse events were assessed in three RCTs only and no intervention-related adverse events were reported.
This meta-analysis found evidence of the short-term efficacy and safety of LFD in patients with IBS. However, only a preliminary recommendation for LFD can be made until long-term effects are investigated.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 107. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 December 2023.
All research outputs
#493,889
of 34,200,840 outputs
Outputs from Nutrition
#104
of 4,063 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#7,778
of 357,830 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Nutrition
#3
of 46 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,200,840 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 98th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,063 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.5. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 97% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 357,830 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 97% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 46 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 93% of its contemporaries.
