William Chey, MD: Treating Gastrointestinal Diseases With Diet

Diet might be just as important a treatment for gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as any medication is.

And until recently the advice on diet was a little unclear as there were very few studies proved the value in diet and specifics in diet for this patient population.

But recently there has been more evidence-based research proving the value in diet in not only preventing gastrointestinal disorders, but also aiding patients who have been diagnosed with diseases like IBS.

An example of a diet that has value in this target population is the FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diet.

This diet values whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins like chicken and fish, while eliminating the processed sugars and sweeteners that are prevalent in many diets today.

One of the biggest advocates for this diet for patients with gastrointestinal disorders is William Chey, MD, professor of gastroenterology and nutrition sciences at Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan.

Chey joined the DocTalk Podcast to discuss how diets like FODMAP can be beneficial for IBS patients and how should patients view food trends to avoid falling for faulty information.

He also explained how the COVID-19 pandemic may have been good for some diets, while bad for others.