[tomhoward]

Great stuff guys.

I’ve had a look at some of the research papers but didn’t find any detail on these questions:

- Aside from direct physiological response to the hypnosis, is there also evidence of efficacy due through changes in behavior? I.e., greater adherence to diets or other lifestyle changes? I note that some of negative comments in this thread focuses on efficacy relative to diets like low FODMAP, but I can imagine these approaches could be complementary rather that dichotomous.

- Is much known about why it works on a psychophysiological level? I.e., a reduction in cortisol changes the way the digestive system functions, or a change in one’s beliefs about their place in the world leads to a change in the way certain food ingredients are rejected vs accepted by the body?

[alexnaoumidis]

Thanks!

There hasn't been any research that I've found around increasing adherance to diets but it makes logical sense. If hypnosis amplifies CBT and increases the ability to learn then it make sense that it would help changing the attitudes and perceptions around behavior.

For IBS specifically, it's thought to work on the gut-brain axis by improving motility (i.e. the speed of transit of food through the digestive tract) and reducing gut sensitivity (a large portion of IBS patients have visceral hypnersensitivity). It has also been shown to improve psychological functioning by reducing levels of stress, anxiety and depression which often act as IBS triggers and worsen symptoms.