FODMAPs Intake of Korean Adult Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Abstract

ObjectivesIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is accompanied by abdominal discomfort, stomachache, and diarrhea and deteriorates life quality. Limiting intakes such as Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols (FODMAPs) may relieve symptoms. However, studies on FODMAPs intake in Koreans have been conducted very rarely. Therefore, to provide basic data for preparing dietary guidelines for IBS in Koreans, this study was conducted to investigate the FODMAPs intake according to IBS diagnosis. MethodsWe performed an internet-based survey on 1,000 persons in their 20s-40s living in Korea from April to August 2020. Among them, data of 857 persons (428 men (49.9%)) who gave faithful answers were used for analysis. The survey variables are general information (sex, age, weight, height, gastro-intestinal (GI) related medical history), IBS diagnosis (ROME Ⅲ), dietary assessment (Food Frequency Questionnaire, FFQ), physical activity level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), and stress-related questions (Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument-Korean version, BEPSI-K). ResultsAmong the participants, 186 (21.7%) were diagnosed with IBS, and 671 (78.3%) were normal. Among the IBS diagnosis groups, there were 28 constipation type (15.0%), diarrhea type 66 (35.4%), mixed type 63 (33.9%), and unclassified 29 (15.8%). In the IBS diagnosis group, the GI-related disease history (p < 0.001) and stress (p < 0.001) were significantly higher than the normal group. There was no significant difference in total energy intake, but fat intake was 86.6 ± 55.1 g/day in the IBS diagnosis group and 76.9 ± 47.9 g/day in the normal group (p = 0.014). The total intake of FODMAPs was 13.9 ± 9.9 g/day in the IBS diagnosis group and 12.6 ± 9.7 g/day in the normal group (p = 0.030). ConclusionsThere was no significant difference in the intake of total FODMAPs according to the IBS subtype. As a result of this study, it is necessary to control fat and FODMAPs to improve IBS patients’ symptoms in Korea especially. Funding SourcesThis work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea Government (MSIP).