DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: The simple drug-free fixes to cure bloating and tummy troubles

People sometimes stop me on the street to talk about a health problem. And because gut health is my favorite topic, they often want to talk about their gut – and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in particular.

That’s not surprising, as as many as one in three of us suffer from it, according to the charity Gut UK.

IBS symptoms – such as cramps, bloating, pain and diarrhea or constipation – normally last for a while, but often get worse when patients are in their 30s, although we don’t know why.

In fact, we don’t really know what causes the condition itself – and there is no known cure.

But more and more research suggests that simple lifestyle changes can help prevent (and perhaps minimize) symptoms.

A study just published in the journal Gut shows that not smoking, vigorous exercise and at least seven hours of sleep per night have the greatest effect – possibly because smoking causes inflammation, while exercise and sleep help regulate gut function and support immunity.

Now, an even more recent study, reported last week, has confirmed the benefit of cutting out certain carbohydrates, showing that it can be more effective than medication.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg randomly assigned patients with moderate to severe IBS symptoms to a low-carb diet; a low-FODMAP diet (where you cut out certain carbohydrates, known as FODMAPs, that our small intestines often have difficulty absorbing); or medications to treat their specific symptoms, such as constipation or diarrhea.

The patients who followed either diet plan fared much better than those who took the medications: 76 percent of the low-FODMAP diet group and 71 percent of those who followed the low-carb diet reported significantly improved symptoms, compared to 58 percent in the medication group.

After six months, while some had returned to their previous eating habits, 68 percent of the low-FODMAP group still reported benefits, compared to 60 percent on the low-carb diet.

At that time, most people who had started taking medications were also following one of these diets and were delighted with the results.

So what’s going on? One of the more plausible theories about IBS is that it is the result of an overly sensitive colon (or large intestine), or possibly a problem with your immune system, both of which could be the result of a previous intestinal infection.

Once your intestines have become susceptible to an infection, there are certain carbohydrates that can trigger an IBS attack.

These are the FODMAPs – or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. The trigger foods vary by individual, but typically include:

• Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream

• Wheat-based foods such as bread, cereal, cookies and pasta

• Beans and lentils

• Vegetables, such as artichokes, asparagus, onions and garlic

• Fruits, such as apples, cherries, pears and peaches

FODMAPs in these foods can be poorly absorbed and thus reach the large intestine largely undigested, where they are fermented by gut bacteria that produce gas and cause symptoms such as bloating.

The low-FODMAP diet was developed about 15 years ago at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and has been shown to improve IBS symptoms and help patients identify its triggers (because it is highly restrictive, it is not intended for long-term use and under the supervision of a medical professional).

The difference it can make became clear to me last year when I made a TV series for Channel 4, Secrets Of Your Big Shop.

One of the people we filmed was 34-year-old Natalie Sharpe, who suffered from terrible bloating and pain caused by IBS. With the help of a nutritionist, we devised a new eating plan for her, cutting out garlic and onions, along with most foods containing wheat or dairy, and switching to a diet that includes rainbow vegetables – for example, peppers, carrots, zucchini and broccoli – that are healthy. fine on a low-FODMAP diet – plus fish and chicken.

Before Natalie started her new diet, we tested her poop to see what was happening to her gut microbiome. There were hardly any good bacteria, especially the bacteria that play a role in calming inflammation in the intestines.

After a few months of following her new diet, Natalie had lost 6kg (just under 1kg) and 3cm from her waist. Her gut microbiome was thriving and her symptoms had all improved.

As she said to me at the time: ‘I just feel really wow to be honest’.

I spoke to Natalie this week and she told me she is now eating some wheat and dairy, but not as much as before. She has lost more weight and still feels great.

If you have severe IBS, talk to your doctor before starting a new diet, and you may want to pay to see a dietitian.

There is a lot of information about low-FODMAP or low-carb diets on the Internet (although it is intended as a temporary measure while you figure out which foods are causing your symptoms). My book, the Clever Guts Diet, is also all about this. Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

Why music doesn’t bring me joy

Many of my friends love music and can hum the tunes and quote the lyrics to hundreds of songs.

Although I love music very much, unfortunately it has never really touched my soul. And when it comes to the music round in pub quizzes, I’m useless.

My musical anhedonia (the term for not getting joy from music) could be because we as a family never really listened to music at home. But there could also be a genetic component, according to a new study of more than 9,000 twins by the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands.

The research showed that genes play an important role in whether you like music, and that this enjoyment does not depend on whether you can play an instrument or sing.

It’s a good thing I haven’t been invited to Desert Island Discs yet.

The exercise that is best for workaholics

We know that one of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke is to get plenty of aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, cycling) and strength-building exercises like squats. These can help, for example, by lowering blood pressure, but they also have a major impact on stress, which is important.

I remember taking a personality test in college that showed I’m a type A – meaning I’m an impatient, driven, high-achieving workaholic. I was also told that stressed Type As are at greater risk of dying from heart disease, so it might be a good idea to slow down and smell the flowers. Now, new research shows that it’s stressed-out Type As who benefit most from being more active.

In a study published this month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 people over a ten-year period. It found that people who did at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week had a 23 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who did not.

But the researchers also found that the people whose brain tests showed they were very stressed benefited from exercise twice as much as their more relaxed counterparts.