What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common functional bowel disorder. People with it have recurring abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habits, without an organic cause being found in the gut. The diagnosis is made by a doctor after other conditions have been ruled out.
What is irritable bowel syndrome?
In IBS the bowel is neither inflamed nor visibly damaged, yet it does not work normally. This is called "functional". Typical complaints include:
- recurring abdominal pain or cramps, often linked to bowel movements,
- bloating and a feeling of fullness,
- diarrhoea, constipation or alternating between the two.
Depending on the main symptom, doctors distinguish diarrhoea-predominant, constipation-predominant and mixed forms. The exact causes are not fully understood. Discussed factors include altered gut motility, heightened pain sensitivity of the gut, the gut microbiome, infections and stress. IBS is unpleasant but not dangerous, and it does not lead to a chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis.
IBS explained: what it is not
Because many symptoms resemble other conditions, medical assessment matters. Blood in the stool, unintended weight loss, symptoms that wake you at night, or fever are warning signs and not part of typical IBS. Similar symptoms also occur with dyspepsia (functional stomach complaints), food intolerances or coeliac disease. So please do not self-diagnose.
IBS and curcumin: what has been studied
There are a few clinical studies on curcumin in IBS, summarised in a meta-analysis (Ng et al., 2018, Journal of Clinical Medicine) of three included randomised trials with 326 participants. They mainly looked at complaints such as abdominal pain and general well-being, and the authors found curcumin safe and well tolerated, but the improvement in symptoms was not statistically significant. The data are limited, though: few and small studies, different preparations and doses, short durations.
This is an observation from research, not a treatment recommendation. Whether and how curcumin can play a role in IBS is not a decision for supplements alone. Larger amounts of turmeric powder can even irritate a sensitive stomach, as we describe in the comparison of powder and extract.
This text reports the state of research and does not replace a medical diagnosis or treatment. For persistent digestive complaints, blood in the stool or weight loss, please seek medical advice.
Frequently asked questions about IBS
Is IBS dangerous? No, it does not damage the gut and does not raise the risk of bowel cancer. It can nevertheless limit quality of life considerably.
How is IBS diagnosed? Doctors ask about complaints and their duration, examine you and rule out other causes such as coeliac disease or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. Self-diagnosis is not sensible.
What can you pay attention to day to day? Many people keep a food and symptom diary to identify triggers, eat regular meals and reduce stress. Individual advice comes from your treating doctor.
What is the evidence for curcumin? There are a few controlled studies. The data do not allow a firm statement.
