In an article published in Salon, experts detailed how social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram may be disseminating misinformation regarding irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treatments. They explained that many users may be trying to capitalize on the platforms’ reach by sharing gut health–related advice and regimens, as well as promoting the use of products such as bovine colostrum, probiotics, and prebiotics that tout beneficial effects for IBS symptoms and the gut microbiome. The experts expressed concerns that the new social media trends may push potentially harmful orthorexia in individuals who haven’t been diagnosed with IBS. IBS has become more prevalent in higher-income countries in recent years, affecting up to 15% of adults. Because the diagnostic process for the condition isn’t straightforward, many patients with symptoms of IBS may lack a formal diagnosis. The experts noted that those with IBS may experience abdominal discomfort, bloating following meals, constipation, or diarrhea and often undergo a series of tests to exclude other diseases prior to their IBS diagnosis. Researchers have estimated that about 60% of cases may be triggered by food poisoning, whereupon toxins induce the production of antibodies that disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to bacterial buildup in the small bowel. Among the approximately 40% of patients with IBS who haven’t experienced food poisoning, the condition may be caused by food sensitivities. Although some supplements may help manage the symptoms of IBS and have antibacterial properties, many of these products have not been vetted by health professionals. The experts underscored that the gastrointestinal system has historically been difficult to study, and that research is continuing to emerge on the connection between the gut microbiome and IBS. “The challenge we have is separating those things that work from those things that we don’t know. [We] need good studies for these things, and they’re not there,” concluded Mark Pimentel, MD, of Cedars-Sinai.