31 May 2024 – A new study suggests that a personalized diet, designed through microbiome analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, offers a promising approach to managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This tailored diet leads to enhanced symptom relief and greater gut microbiome diversity compared to the standard low–fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet.
METHODOLOGY:
Research indicates that alterations in the gut microbiome’s composition and function are crucial in the onset and symptoms of IBS. The low-FODMAP diet has been effective in reducing IBS symptoms and improving well-being but may decrease the abundance and diversity of beneficial microbial species over the long term.
The study utilized the Enbiosis personalized nutrition model (ENBIOSIS Biotechnologies, London, England), which employs machine learning to analyze the microbiome and develop individualized dietary recommendations. Researchers compared the efficacy of this microbiome-based AI-assisted personalized diet to the low-FODMAP diet in 121 patients meeting the Rome IV criteria for IBS, with 70 in the personalized diet group and 51 in the low-FODMAP group. The interventions lasted six weeks, with women constituting 60% of both groups. The most common IBS subtype was constipation (IBS-C), followed by mixed (IBS-M) and diarrhea.
TAKEAWAY:
Both diet groups showed significant improvements in IBS symptom severity, frequency, abdominal distension, life interference, anxiety levels, and quality of life scores (P < .001). The personalized diet resulted in significant symptom severity improvements across all IBS subtypes, while the low-FODMAP diet showed similar improvements in the IBS-C and IBS-M subtypes.
Moreover, the personalized diet led to significant microbiome diversity shifts, including increased alpha and beta diversities. There was a notable increase in beneficial Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and a decrease in Ruminococcus species, which are often elevated in IBS. The low-FODMAP diet did not produce comparable positive effects on gut microbiome parameters.
IN PRACTICE:
The study’s authors suggest that individualized dietary recommendations based on symptom profiles and gut microbiome composition can target the specific mechanisms contributing to IBS symptoms, potentially offering more effective relief.
SOURCE:
The study, led by first author Varol Tunali, MD, PhD, of Manisa Celal Bayar University in Turkey, was published online in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
LIMITATIONS:
The study had an uneven distribution of participants, with more individuals in the personalized diet group than in the low-FODMAP group, possibly affecting statistical power. Additionally, 28 participants dropped out, resulting in an 81% completion rate, which could influence data interpretation. The intervention was limited to six weeks, so longer-term studies are needed to assess sustained effects.
DISCLOSURES:
The research did not receive external funding, but microbiome analysis was conducted by ENBIOSIS Biotechnologies. Two authors are affiliated with ENBIOSIS Biotechnologies, which developed the AI-assisted personalized nutrition model used in the study.