The WSJ has a reputation for running drought stories just about the time when a drought is right on the verge of ending, (IOW, some critics claim that they're a little slow to pick up trends, LOL), so this article may mean that the "drought" is about to end for "IBS".
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... smartbriefIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long baffled gastro-intestinal experts. Some think it is caused by imbalances in gut bacteria; others point to psychological stress. Now, a small but growing contingent of specialists is focusing on food intolerances as a possible culprit—and a new dietary approach, called the low-Fodmaps diet, is gaining attention around the world.
The theory is that many people with IBS have trouble absorbing certain carbohydrates in their small intestines. Large molecules of those foods travel to the colon, where they are attacked by bacteria and ferment, creating the telltale IBS symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.
A long list of foods—including dairy products, some fruits and vegetables, wheat, rye, corn syrup and artificial sweeteners—can potentially create such problems in susceptible people. Collectively, they're known as Fodmaps, an acronym that for stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
IOW, IBS is either undiagnosed MC, or an early stage of MC, (IMO).
Also from that article:
Talk about an understatement."We've been missing the boat in not recognizing the role of foods in functional GI disorders," Dr. Chey says. "We'll see much more attention to this in the next few years."
Tex