Post by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research

As many as one in ten people in the Netherlands suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In the project Nutrition to Improve Quality of Life, we studied food components that can help reduce symptoms. 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝟰𝟱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🔹 We asked over 1,600 individuals which foods trigger their symptoms. 🔹 In a subset of participants, we analysed the composition of the gut microbiome. 🔹 Subsequently, we developed artificial intestines (in vitro models) to test the effects of 45 food components, focusing on intestinal permeability and inflammatory responses. 🔹 In addition, laboratory studies examined the effects of these components on gut bacteria from a healthy donor. 🔹 Food components that appeared to reduce IBS symptoms were investigated further. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 The research identified which foods reduce symptoms and which exacerbate them, showing that these effects are independent of specific IBS subtypes. The study also revealed that IBS patients often have lower levels of Bifidobacteria in their gut. Probiotic supplements containing Bifidobacteria can help reduce symptoms. Furthermore, the research shows that while probiotics can alleviate symptoms, the use of prebiotics improves bowel movements. 𝗔 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 In this public-private partnership, Wageningen University & Research worked together with 9 companies that supplied the prebiotics, probiotics and other functional food components used in the research. We helped identify food components that reduce IBS symptoms and provided evidence of their effectiveness. For each partner, we prepared a dedicated report on the investigated food components. 👉 Interested in scientifically substantiating the health effects of your product? Contact our expert Nicole de Wit and explore the possibilities together! #IBS #GutHealth #FoodScience