Dietary fibre modification and the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome–a review

Increasing the dietary fibre intake of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is common practice, even though the therapeutic benefits of this form of treatment have not been confirmed by clinical trials. Studies evaluating the effect of cereal fibre on the symptoms of IBS are analysed critically with particular reference to the methodology. It is concluded that no consensus on the efficacy of fibre treatment in IBS can be reached due to variations in methodology employed and the existence of symptom‐specific sub‐groups of the disorder. Future studies need careful planning and standardisation.