Dietary intake as a tool to support diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome

Background Dietary habits are closely related to symptom modulation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), yet their characterization remains limited. Understanding habitual food intake in IBS patients may contribute to diagnosis and support personalized management. Objectives To identify dietary patterns associated with IBS and to develop a diet-based score to aid in clinical stratification and nutritional guidance. Methods A case–control study was conducted including 109 participants (53 IBS patients and 56 healthy controls). Dietary intake was assessed using a validated short food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression identified food items that best distinguished IBS patients from controls, which were then used to construct a composite dietary score. Results IBS patients exhibited distinct dietary patterns, characterized by higher intake of carbohydrates and lower consumption of dairy products, while fruit and vegetable intake were similar between groups. A score based on the intake of rice, bread, yoghurt, minced meat, and distilled beverages showed good discriminatory capacity (sensitivity: 85.7%, specificity: 81.1%). Conclusions IBS patients present characteristic dietary profiles that may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications. The proposed dietary score could serve as a complementary tool to support clinical decision-making and guide personalized nutritional counseling. Further research is warranted to validate its applicability in routine clinical practice.