BEAT THE BLOAT
New pill for IBS helps beat bloating by soaking up ‘rotten egg gas’
One in five Brits suffer from the debilitating gut issue and at the moment, there aren't many effective treatments
IF you're one of the millions of Brits who sufferers from IBS, you've probably tried to cut out foods, reduce stress and drugs to calm the symptoms.
But there may be a more effective treatment on the horizon.
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Scientists have come up with a bacteria pill that helps to get to the cause of bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea by soaking up "rotten egg gas".
While the exact cause of IBS is still unknown, hydrogen sulphide is thought to be one of the underlying factors.
Having a load of bacteria in the wrong place in the gut may cause the belly to pump out the gas - resulting in bloating and other uncomfortable symptoms.
IBS is partly caused by bugs being in the wrong place
Scientists have already found that IBS sufferers tend to have different bugs in their gut compared to healthy folk.
And they've now come up with a new pill to redress that balance.
Blautix contains Blautia hydrogenotrophica, a bacterium that takes up hydrogen from the intestines to use as energy to keep it alive.
New pill found to reduce symptoms
Scientists presented the medication at the Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington, claiming that 82 per cent of patients who took the pill showed an improvement in their symptoms.
Now, around 5oo IBS patients are being given the pill at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester and other centres in the US and Europe.
They'll be taking the capsules for the next three months and will be asked to give blood, urine and stool samples to see if symptoms improve.
Dr Jason Dunn, a consultant gastroenterologist, at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said there is much interest in the gut microbiota — the bugs in the gut.
"Recent research suggests patients with IBS do have altered gut microbiota compared to people with healthy digestion," he said.
"Studies in those with IBS have shown proportions of specific bacterial groups are altered. Biodiversity is also reduced.
"So there is great interest in treatments like this to modulate the microbiota, though the current evidence that these are effective in improving symptoms remains limited."
Mental health therapies may also be effective
The potential breakthrough comes as scientists found a link between improved gut health and mental health therapy earlier this month.
They found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) might be a useful way of managing the condition.
Harvard Uni says that a troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain and send signals to the gut.
When you think of eating something particularly delicious, your stomach starts to release acids in anticipation for digestion - even before you've put something in your mouth.
So it stands to reason that dealing with the mind aspect might have some impact on the gut.
Laura Day was one of the IBS patients who took part in the study and she said that it had changed her life.
"I'd had symptoms for as long as I can remember, but was diagnosed officially around the age of 13.
"Now at 31 years old, I barely think about it because I'm symptom-free 98 per cent of the time."
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"I’ve spent my whole life avoiding certain foods, restaurants and situations thinking I was controlling my IBS when I was actually adding fuel to the flame.
“The CBT techniques I learned and the information I was given on this trial gave me real control in a healthy, manageable way.”
So, plenty of IBS sufferers to be optimistic about.
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