Dr Tanya Moshkovska would like to see more diet and nutritional information given to patients who have IBS.

Dr Moshkovska, a medical researcher in the digestive diseases centre at Leicester General Hospital, and dietician at Nuffield Health, in Leicester, said: "If patients are given information on diet and products which can help, and why they help, it would make it much easier for them to control conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

"It is a condition which so significantly affects the quality of life that it is important for them to take some control.

"It is only when they understand the problem they can begin to do that."

Dr Moshkovsa believes "nutritional science", which includes information on diet, should run in parallel with medical advice given to IBS patients.

She said: "This would play a big part in helping patients, making them less reliant on medication.

"The problem too with medication is it does become less effective over time.

"With conditions such as IBS, the earlier someone starts making the changes, about 75 per cent will get good results.

"Very often, when people feel better they no longer want the foods that have been causing the problems. Of course, there will always be some complex cases where the results will not be as good."