We have IBS annotated in three different ways:

• Autonomic Manifestations: irritable bowel syndrome
• Official Diagnosis: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Condition: ME/CFS with IBS

I ran each possible combination of the above and Official Diagnosis: Irritable Bowel Syndrome gave the strongest results and this will be reported here. When other things are combined, it is common for associations to become diffused/weaker. This is part of  A new specialized selection of suggestions links.

Study Populations:

Symptom	Reference	Study
Official Diagnosis: Irritable Bowel Syndrome	1122	56

• Bacteria Detected with z-score > 2.6: found 148 items, highest value was 6.7
• Enzymes Detected with z-score > 2.6: found 218 items, highest value was 6.1
• Compound Detected with z-score > 2.6: found No items

Interesting Significant Bacteria

The results are very striking — low bifidobacterium across the board at the top! Almost all of the bacteria associated are low.

Bacteria	Reference Mean	Study	Z-Score
Bifidobacterium gallicum (species)	3741	587	6.7
Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense PV20-2 (strain)	325	62	6.6
Bifidobacterium catenulatum subsp. kashiwanohense (subspecies)	315	62	6.6
Thermosediminibacterales (order)	49	16	6.3
Lactiplantibacillus pentosus (species)	123	28	5
Escherichia (genus)	5983	1397	4.9
Bifidobacterium cuniculi (species)	81	30	4.7
Bifidobacterium angulatum (species)	184	32	4.7

Interesting Enzymes

As is often seen with various symptoms/conditions, the associations are due to insufficiency and not surplus.

Enzyme	Reference Mean	Study Mean	Z-Score
substrate,NADPH—hemoprotein reductase:oxygen oxidoreductase (RH-hydroxylating or -epoxidizing) (1.14.14.1)	51	19	6.1
NADPH:hemoprotein oxidoreductase (1.6.2.4)	51	19	6.1
propanoyl-CoA:oxaloacetate C-propanoyltransferase (thioester-hydrolysing, 1-carboxyethyl-forming) (2.3.3.5)	1480	381	6.1
(2S)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-isocyanopropanoate,2-oxoglutarate:oxygen oxidoreductase (decarboxylating) (1.14.20.10)	131	26	6
(2S)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-isocyanopropanoate,2-oxoglutarate:oxygen oxidoreductase (1.14.20.9)	131	26	6
(2S,3R)-3-hydroxybutane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate pyruvate-lyase (succinate-forming) (4.1.3.30)	1432	375	5.9
ATP:amicoumacin A 2-phosphotransferase (2.7.1.230)	41	18	5.7
(E)-4-(trimethylammonio)but-2-enoyl-CoA:L-carnitine CoA-transferase (2.8.3.21)	1354	388	5.7
gamma-butyrobetainyl-CoA:electron-transfer flavoprotein 2,3-oxidoreductase (1.3.8.13)	1365	390	5.7
L-carnitine:CoA ligase (AMP-forming) (6.2.1.48)	1339	443	5.4
hydrogen-sulfide:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (1.8.7.1)	9912	4683	5.3
NADPH:acceptor oxidoreductase (1.6.99.1)	5684	2284	5.3
(2S,3S)-2-hydroxybutane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate hydro-lyase [(Z)-but-2-ene-1,2,3-tricarboxylate-forming] (4.2.1.79)	1284	407	5.2
S-methyl-5′-thioadenosine:phosphate S-methyl-5-thio-alpha-D-ribosyl-transferase (2.4.2.28)	3638	1668	5.1
acyl-CoA,ferrocytochrome b5:oxygen oxidoreductase (6,7 cis-dehydrogenating) (1.14.19.3)	1062	284	5
butanoyl-CoA:acetoacetate CoA-transferase (2.8.3.9)	3892	2229	5
L-carnitinyl-CoA hydro-lyase [(E)-4-(trimethylammonio)but-2-enoyl-CoA-forming] (4.2.1.149)	1422	362	5

Bottom Line

Looking at the bacteria, the probiotic solution would be:

• Bifidobacterium (a wide variety)
• E. Coli Probiotic (Mutaflor or Symbioflor-2)

Lactobacillus are HOSTILE to E.Coli, so Lactobacillus probiotics should likely be avoided.

Looking at some of the recommendations, we see Human milk oligosaccharides (prebiotic, Holigos, Stachyose) which are known to greatly encourage bifidobacterium. We also see saccharomyces boulardii which is also known to increase Bifidobacterium [2020].

As always, using your own 16s samples would produce the best suggestions.