Campylobacter Enteritis and PI-BD: Dietary Reduction in Carbohydrates
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial of the effect of a diet low in poorly digested carbohydrates on symptoms of post-infective bowel dysfunction
IRAS ID
127673
Contact name
Robin Spiller
Contact email
Research summary
Up to 1 in 4 people report that their bowel habit remains disturbed 3 months after suffering a bowel infection with the germ Campylobacter. This may be because the infection disturbs the microbiota, the bacteria that usually live inside the bowel and are important for bowel function and general health. A major task of the gut bacteria is to deal with food that is not properly digested higher up the intestine, and the type of diet eaten will also affect the kind of bacteria that live in the lower bowel (colon).
The 'low FODMAP' diet restricts the amount of poorly digested sugar that is eaten. It is sometimes used by people with symptoms such as discomfort an bloating when they are diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This study will investigate whether following the low FODMAP diet improves symptoms in people with bowel disturbance after Campylobacter infection, and what effects it may have on the bacteria in the colon.
Participants will only be recruited from a preceding study (called CERAMIC) in Nottingham where they have been followed up since their Campylobacter infection. They will receive dietary advice and be assessed by questionnaires and MRI scans. They will also provide stool and breath samples for analysis of the bacteria. The study is expected to last up to 3 years.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/1006
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion