The effectiveness and safety of natural food and food-derived extract supplements for treating functional gastrointestinal disorders—current perspectives.

This article reviews the use of complementary and alternative therapies (CATs), specifically foods and food-derived extracts, in managing functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), as defined by the Rome IV criteria. It summarizes evidence from randomized controlled trials on various plant-based foods (e.g., kiwifruit, Aloe vera, ancient wheat, almonds) and plant-derived extracts (e.g., red pepper, Mentha species, curcumin, boswellia, ginger) as well as non-plant substances (e.g., astaxanthin, cod protein hydrolysate, human milk oligosaccharides, glutamine) that may alleviate FGID symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. While many of these natural interventions show potential benefits with generally good tolerability, the article emphasizes that their efficacy often requires longer-term use, and safety and optimal dosages remain uncertain. It concludes that further large-scale randomized clinical trials and mechanistic studies are needed to better understand and validate these alternative dietary therapies for FGIDs.