Leading nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert has revealed a common mistake made by sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—and it’s a trap many others fall into as well – they turn to Google for a diagnosis.

Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right podcast, Rhiannon highlighted the increasing prevalence of IBS, pointing the finger at contemporary lifestyle factors as culprits, saying: “Lack of sleep, stress – it’s so hard in today’s society.

“The amount of ultra-processed foods you eat, the tight clothing…” Rhiannon also stressed the importance of seeking proper medical advice, advising, “Ultimately,” she says, “if this is causing you severe pain and discomfort, go to your GP.”

And if you don’t have any luck there, Rhiannon adds, “go and see a registered dietitian or nutritionist”. With stark frankness, she continued: “You can only manage so much at home,” emphasising that serious cases require expert intervention.

“Don’t just google a FODMAP diet and jump on the diet for IBS, get the advice first.”

She also cautioned against relying on health tips from online influencers, warning that less than 2 per cent of gut health advice on platforms like TikTok is accurate.

Rhiannon acknowledged that pinpointing the specific triggers for individual IBS can be challenging and revealed a bleak reality about diagnostic tests: “When it comes to gut tests, there’s not really any accurate ones.”

She explained that due to the unique nature of everyone’s gut microbiome, no universal remedy exists.

The Sunday Times bestselling author emphasised that the only real test is an elimination test. This involves cutting out certain foods for a period of time to determine if they’re causing the problem, before moving on to another one until the culprit is found.

She expressed her scepticism about the various online tests available. Online kits promising to identify which foods you should and shouldn’t eat based on blood, saliva or even hair samples can cost hundreds of pounds, but Rhiannon isn’t convinced by any of them.

“They’re preying on vulnerable people,” she says. “They’re just taking your money. We just do not have concrete research there. They’re not evidence-based, they’re the biggest con out there.”

The only reliable tests of that kind, Rhiannon stresses, are for lactose intolerance.

If you’re going to spend that kind of money, it’s worth paying an actual registered nutritionist.