New research! Constant intestinal problems? IgG antibody diet can revitalize the intestines

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disease. Patients often experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits, which seriously affect their quality of life. Currently, the treatments for IBS mainly include medication, psychotherapy, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody elimination diets. In IBS research, IgG antibodies are used to detect patients' immune responses to specific foods. By testing the level of IgG antibodies in the blood, it is possible to identify which foods the patient may have an immune response to, thereby providing a basis for developing personalized dietary treatment plans. For example, if a patient has a high level of IgG antibodies to a certain food, it may indicate that the patient is intolerant to this food, and excluding this food may help relieve IBS symptoms.

In previous studies, the IgG antibody-based elimination diet had many limitations, and more scientific and rigorous trials were necessary. Recently, a research team from the University of Michigan Medical School used a new IBS-specific IgG test to evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized dietary treatment strategy for IBS patients using IgG antibody testing.

Research process and findings

The study adopted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of the results. First, a new IBS-specific IgG test was performed on 223 IBS patients to identify the patients' IgG antibody response to specific foods. Subsequently, based on the test results, a personalized elimination diet plan was developed for patients in the experimental diet group, while the placebo group received ineffective dietary adjustments. During the dietary intervention, patients were required to regularly record changes in symptoms and any adverse reactions that may be related to the diet. Finally, data analysis was used to compare the differences between the two groups of patients in terms of symptom relief and improvement in quality of life.

The study data showed that about 60% of the subjects in the experimental diet group had a decrease in abdominal pain intensity of more than 30%, while the placebo diet group was 42.1%. At the end of treatment, 57.5% of the subjects in the experimental diet group achieved adequate relief of IBS, while the control group was 46.8%. There were large differences between the two groups in the changes in average abdominal pain intensity, bloating, and IBS-severity scores, but they did not reach statistical significance.

Research data showed that patients in the experimental diet group were significantly better than those in the placebo group in relieving abdominal pain, achieving a higher remission rate. At the same time, patients in the experimental diet group also showed significant improvements in quality of life scores, including sleep quality and daily activity ability. It is worth noting that no adverse events related to the intervention occurred in either group, indicating that this dietary treatment regimen has good safety. In general, personalized dietary treatment based on IgG antibody testing has significant advantages in relieving IBS symptoms and improving patients' quality of life.

Future Outlook and Dietary Advice

This study suggests that an elimination diet based on a novel IBS-specific IgG test may be effective for IBS patients. However, due to the limited size of the study, the researchers said that a larger study will be conducted to verify the safety and effectiveness of this diet to provide more personalized treatment options for IBS patients.

According to research, IBS patients can determine the foods to be eliminated through IgG antibody testing under the guidance of a doctor and develop a personalized diet plan. At the same time, patients need to pay attention to the diversity and balance of their diet to avoid malnutrition. During the implementation process, it is recommended that patients keep a diet diary and monitor changes in symptoms in order to adjust their diet plan. At the same time, patients should maintain good living habits, reduce stress, and cooperate with dietary treatment to improve their quality of life.

This study provides a new treatment idea for IBS patients, namely personalized dietary treatment based on IgG antibody detection. Although the study is limited in scale, the results are encouraging and lay the foundation for larger-scale studies in the future. IBS patients can try this dietary treatment under the guidance of a doctor in order to relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life.

References:

Singh P, Chey WD, Takakura W, et al. A Novel, IBS-Specific IgG ELISA-Based Elimination Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized, Sham-ControlledTrial. Gastroenterology. Published online January 31, 2025. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.223