Study of Three Different FODMAP Diets on Gut Health and Symptoms in Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

What this Trial Is About

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders FGIDs, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS and functional dyspepsia FD, affect a significant portion of the world and Malaysian populations, impacting quality of life. Researchers are studying how different diets with varying FODMAP content affect gut microbiota, gut barrier function, symptom severity, psychological status, and quality of life in Malaysian FGID patients. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of a low FODMAP diet, a gentle FODMAP diet, and traditional dietary advice based on NICE guidelines to determine which diet is most suitable for these patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups low FODMAP diet, gentle FODMAP diet, or traditional dietary advice. Each group will follow their assigned diet for two weeks. The low FODMAP diet involves swapping high FODMAP foods for low FODMAP alternatives. The gentle FODMAP diet identifies key high FODMAP foods from food diaries and replaces them with low FODMAP alternatives. The traditional dietary advice group follows healthy eating guidelines including regular meals, fluid intake, and limiting certain foods as per NICE IBS guidelines. During the study, participants will attend a baseline visit for screening, questionnaires, body measurements, and collection of stool and blood samples. They will keep a 4-day food diary before and during the intervention. Stool and blood samples will be collected again after the two-week diet period, along with repeated questionnaires assessing symptoms, quality of life, and psychological status. A phone follow-up will check adherence and answer questions. Researchers will analyze changes in gut microbiota, gut barrier function, symptom severity, psychological health, and quality of life to better understand dietary management in FGID.

Mechanism of FODMAP Restriction on FGID Patients