Stomaching the Pain
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects somewhere between 15% - 20% of
the U.S. population. We’ll never know exactly how many because most
choose to live with their discomfort rather than seeking medical attention.
For them, IBS is just too embarrassing to talk about.
The good news is there are numerous measures you can
take on your own in an attempt to alleviate your symptoms.
Following Your Gut
One of the chief frustrations in treating IBS is that it’s proven
difficult to diagnose. Stress and other psychological issues were originally
cited, but medical researchers are now attempting to include specific
food allergies as culprits. This additional focus stems from number of
cases where symptoms have diminished when certain foods were removed from
the diet. It appears individuals suffering from IBS have hypersensitive
nerves sending an increased number of intestinal-related pain signals
to the brain.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of
10 tips to help you combat the pain:
- Keep a food journal. Record what you eat as well as the resulting
symptoms. Patterns will emerge to help you identify certain trigger
foods, including:
- Fatty foods that can cause exaggerated contractions in your colon
and provoke abdominal cramps.
- Sugars found in fruit juices, dried fruits (fructose) and dietetic
foods containing sorbitol or mannitol. These sugars can be difficult
to digest and as a result, they can produce intestinal gas. One particular
study shows how eliminating these sugars led to a reduction of symptoms
in 40% of IBS patients.7
- Pasteurized milk products, casein, and whey contain lactose. This
poses a problem if you’re lactose intolerant. Try raw milk instead.
While it still contains lactose, it also contains lactase enzymes,
which help digest lactose. You may also want to consider supplementing
with a digestive enzyme containing lactase.
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,
kale, etc.) and beans may be good for you, but they can also make
you gassy. Eat them in small quantities.
- Caffeine, alcohol, and sweets sometimes alter intestinal motility
and cause diarrhea.
- Carbonated drinks and chewing gum have been known to contribute
to intestinal bloating.
- Increase your soluble fiber. Fiber leads to satisfactory bathroom
breaks. Make sure you’re getting 25-30 grams per day through
foods like bran, bread, cereal, beans, fruit, and vegetables. (If
you’re gluten intolerant, choose fiber sources that don’t
contain gluten, such as flax seed) It may take a few weeks for your
intestines to adjust, but your persistence will pay off with relief
from diarrhea and constipation.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking 64 ounces of water or decaffeinated
beverages each day helps digestion tremendously. The specific amount
isn’t as important as making it a habit to drink water whenever
you’re thirsty.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Large meals may cause cramping
and diarrhea. Try eating four or five small meals a day instead of
three big ones.
- Chew your food. Speed-eating can cause increased gas and bloating
due to the air swallowed while wolfing down food. Slow it down and
chew everything thoroughly. Saliva enzymes are a critical first step
in breaking down food. Put your fork down between bites if it helps
you moderate yourself.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise improves regularity and relieves stress.
Try to do something in this arena between three and five times a week.
If you can’t get to the gym, find another way to stay active.
A good walk after a meal helps keep gas from accumulating in your
body.
- Learn to de-stress. Stress is known to increase the symptoms of
IBS.8 Reducing stress can include anything from relaxation to behavior
modification to psychotherapy. Studies have shown that hypnosis can
dramatically relieve IBS symptoms for some people.9,10,11
- Increase your probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that
live in the gastrointestinal system. They do battle with infection-causing
bacteria. Research suggests that an imbalance of bacteria in the stomach
provokes gastrointestinal distress and causes infections. Probiotics
are naturally occurring in yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, tempeh, miso,
kimchi, sauerkraut, and other cultured and fermented foods. They’re
also available in supplement form for easier, more controlled dosing.
Find out more about how probiotics play a key role in healthy digestion.
- Take digestive enzymes. Enzymes are critical to healthy digestion,
and different enzymes are needed at different points throughout the
gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, the enzymes have already been
cooked out of most processed and convenience foods. This forces your
body to rely on its own supply. Consider adding a healthy dose of
a digestive enzyme blend to treat your discomfort.
- Test betaine hydrochloride. Most gastrointestinal products (including
antacids) seek to reduce the level of hydrochloric or stomach acid
in an attempt to ease discomfort. This is exactly what you don’t
want to do. Many people already suffer from too little stomach acid,
which kills off their probiotic bacteria. Without these ‘good’
bacteria, pathogens multiply and infect your system. Antacids also
raise homocysteine levels, contributing to inflammations associated
with IBS and other digestive disorders. Betaine hydrochloride raises
stomach acid levels to give probiotic bacteria a healthy place to
thrive.
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