Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), previously termed functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) encompass a total of 33 different disorders according to the Rome IV criteria, which are related to all anatomical regions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract [1]. Typically, DGBI are diagnosed when bothersome symptoms are present in the absence of pathological findings in a routine workup (e.g. limited serological workup, endoscopy etc.). While DGBI are typically not associated with an increased mortality, the symptom burden on patients severely impairs their health-related quality of life, increases their healthcare utilization and decreases their work productivity [2]. Because up to 40 % of patients in the general population fulfil the criteria for one or more DGBI, this poses a significant burden on healthcare systems and society [3,4].

The pathophysiology of DGBI is multifactorial and symptoms may arise as a consequence of disturbed motility, visceral hypersensitivity, altered mucosal- and immune-function, altered microbial composition and altered central processing – or any combination thereof [5]. While DGBI as an umbrella term includes many different disorders with a variety of symptom patterns, symptoms are often linked to food intake. This is well established in the prototypical DGBI irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While IBS is characterized by abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits, and meal-related symptoms are not required by definition, up to 80 % of patients report a link between food intake and symptom occurrence [6]. In a recent worldwide epidemiological study, 11 % of the general population reported frequent meal-related abdominal pain, further underscoring the importance of meal intake in symptom generation [7]. The close relationship of symptoms with meal intake has led to an increased interest in dietary interventions in the management of DGBI. Most notably, in patients with IBS, dietary interventions are appealing options that are preferred by patients over pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy [8].

Most established dietary interventions exclude one or several food groups whereas other interventions lead to a broad adaptation of the diet. In this narrative review, we discuss biomarkers and tools available – either in clinical routine or in research settings - to tailor individualized diets. Thereafter, we summarize the available literature on dietary interventions in patients with DGBI – while most data are available for patients with IBS, we will cover other DGBI and comment on the limited available literature. For established empirical dietary interventions, we will highlight the patient characteristics associated with favourable response.