People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome may be having heightened food specific antibodies to some foods.
Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions. It is a chronic disease with symptoms like abdominal pain and changed bowel habits with no particular reason. Often there may not be any long-term cure for the condition.Scientists from St. George's Hospital in London who had been conducting the research had found during a blood test that certain food-specific IgG4 antibodies commonly found in beef, pork, lamb, soya bean, wheat etc. are more in patients suffering from the disease.
The research results show that hypersensitivity to certain types of food may be playing an important part in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome, in all the three groups of patients suffering from the syndrome tested. These three groups of patients were divided as per the symptoms of diarrhea, constipation and alternations, for the research.
Previous researches have shown that food sensitivity affects about 5% of the general population and about 65% of the patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome have reported some sort of food allergies.
Researchers also report that preliminary study going on to provide a diet to these patients that excludes the foods that cause hypersensitivity is showing encouraging results.
Reference: American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 2005
