LB046 - COOKING TECHNIQUE AND DIGESTIVE DISCOMFORT IN PATIENTS WITH IBS

LB046

COOKING TECHNIQUE AND DIGESTIVE DISCOMFORT IN PATIENTS WITH IBS

M. Guney-Coskun1,2, E. Kolay3,*

1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics,School of Health Sciences, 2Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye

 

Rationale: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 1 in 10 adults and features chronic abdominal pain, bloating and erratic bowel habits. While dietary counselling usually targets ingredients, many patients report that cooking style provokes flares.  Frying contributes the most fat during meal preparation; we therefore examined whether cooking method predicts symptom flares and food avoidance in IBS.

Methods: In a cross-sectional online survey, seventy-three Turkish adults (aged 18–65) with medically diagnosed IBS recorded gastrointestinal reactions (pain, bloating, stool changes) to four cooking methods: frying, baking/roasting, grilling, and boiling/steaming. The questionnaire also captured demographic information, IBS subtype and duration, and current management strategies, including diet therapy, medication use, and dietitian follow-up. Participants completed the Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Screen (NIAS) and the Visceral Sensitivity Index (VSI). McNemar’s test was used to compare trigger frequencies. All participants provided informed consent online, and the survey was conducted anonymously.

Results: Participants were sixty-five women and eight men with a mean age of 31.6 ± 8.6 years; 45 % had mixed-type IBS and 22 % had diarrhoea-predominant IBS. Almost half (49 %) had previously consulted a dietitian, and  38 % of respondents had already adopted a self-directed low-FODMAP diet. Although 34.2 % of respondents were already on diet therapy and 15.1 % combined diet with medication, 37.0 % reported receiving no treatment at all. Perceived triggers overall were: eating habits 62/73 (85 %); frying 60/73 (82 %); spicy dishes 17/73 (23 %); grilling 4 %, boiling/steaming 3 %, baking/roasting 1 %. Frying was reported more often than any of the alternatives. Participants who reported avoiding fried foods scored 15.8 ± 9.9 on the NIAS and 59.0 ± 13.5 on the VSI, closely matching those who did not report avoidance (14.0 ± 9.6 and 55.5 ± 12.8; p = 0.26 and 0.12, respectively). Participants reporting spice intolerance had slightly higher NIAS scores (16.9 ± 9.7 vs 14.0 ± 9.4; p ≈ 0.05), though VSI scores remained unchanged (p = 0.93). Declaring that “eating habits” triggered symptoms was not associated with higher NIAS or VSI scores (p > 0.55). No significant correlation was found between NIAS and VSI (p = 0.35).

Conclusion: Although fried foods were the most frequently reported symptom trigger among IBS patients, their avoidance was not associated with increased visceral sensitivity or overall food-related anxiety. Spicy foods showed only a modest link to avoidance behaviours. This disconnect between perceived triggers and psychological measures suggests that patient self-management may overemphasise specific ingredients without considering cooking methods. Integrating discussions of food preparation into routine dietary counselling may offer a practical, low-cost approach to individualising care. Future prospective studies should investigate whether substituting frying with lower-fat techniques, such as baking or steaming, can lead to measurable improvements in symptoms and eating-related distress. Cooking methods should be considered to take place in future IBS dietary guidelines.

References: 1. Hayes P, Corish C, O’Mahony E & Quigley EMM (2014) A dietary survey of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl. 2), 36–47. doi:10.1111/jhn.12114.

2. Zickgraf HF & Ellis JM (2018) Initial validation of the Nine Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen (NIAS): a measure of three restrictive eating patterns. Appetite 123(1), 32–42. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.11.105.

3. Labus JS, Bolus R, Chang L, Wiklund I, Naesdal J, Mayer EA & Naliboff BD (2004) The Visceral Sensitivity Index: development and validation of a gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety scale. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 20(1), 89–97. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2004.02034.x.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared