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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects 5% to 20% of the population, is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by relapsing and remitting bouts of abdominal pain and altered bowel movements. Evidence suggests that fiber, antispasmodic agents, and peppermint oil all are effective for treating patients with IBS. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators evaluated the efficacy of these agents.
In 12 randomized controlled trials (591 patients), fiber was compared with placebo or no treatment; in 22 trials (1778 patients), antispasmodic agents were compared with placebo; and in 4 trials (392 patients), peppermint oil was compared with placebo. Persistent IBS symptoms were significantly less common in patients tre…