IBS stands for "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" which is a term used to describe a type of digestive disorder characterized by a group of common symptoms.
The most common IBS symptoms are:
Changes in bowel movements, such as constipation and diarrhea.
Changes in stool appearance, including consistency and color, mucus may be present.
Bloated stomach.
Gas and burping.
Abdominal pain, aches and cramps.
Nausea, heartburn or acid reflux.
Early satiety or loss of appetite.
Most people become symptom-free after going to the toilet.
What is the difference between IBS and IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)?
IBS and IBD have certain similarities when it comes to symptoms, but IBD such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis are usually much more serious and more obvious. They are caused by inflammation in the intestine and autoimmune reactions that affect the intestines and stomach.
Why do people get IBS?
There is no specific cause of IBS that applies to everyone, but common factors that contribute to IBS include:
Food sensitivities and allergies (particularly to dairy products and gluten).
Chronic stress or temporarily high levels of emotional or physical stress.
Frequent traveling.
Changes in sleep routine and circadian rhythm.
Hormonal imbalances or changes (menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy can cause symptoms).
What can I do for my IBS?
First, you need to eliminate any bacteria, fungi, or other substances that shouldn't be in the body in excess – for example, candida is one such fungus.
Then you can add supportive herbs, beneficial gut bacteria, hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and other supplements. You may need to repair the intestinal mucosa with aloe vera, B-vitamins, glutamine, or nutritional powders specifically designed for the intestinal mucosa.If there is an imbalance of bacteria, for example too many bacteria (SIBO) that have entered the wrong place, then the intolerance often disappears or decreases if you restore the balance.
80-85% of people with IBS have been shown to have bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in the small intestine according to studies.
With SIBO, you might experience heartburn, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, or excessive burping. If you don't experience these symptoms but only have IBS symptoms like constipation/diarrhea and stomach pain, then it's better to focus on more fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics.
However, it's always good to test for SIBO.
Diet is the most important thing!
It is important to reduce protein and fat intake and increase fiber intake.
IBS patients need more healthy fiber. It is good to eat starchy vegetables in all colors – preferably steamed. Also some fruit, lots of berries, sprouts, vegetable juice, broth, miso soup, white lean protein, quinoa, chia seeds, good fats like olive oil and avocado.
Don't eat too many dairy products, remove yellow cheese, red meat, white sugar, nuts, spicy food, eggs and gluten completely if possible.
Other things that disrupt are too much coffee, black tea, alcohol, carbonated drinks, refined carbohydrates, laxatives and certain medications.
Food allergies
Food allergies are common when you have IBS that you may not know about. It is therefore a very good idea to do food intolerance tests.
Stress
Remember that any stress is also a contributing factor. If you experience stress, it needs to be addressed with relaxation exercises, preferably gentle yoga, walks, relaxing music and meditation, as well as calming herbs such as lemon balm or specially designed supplements for this purpose, such as L-theanine.
In this article we write more about exhaustion that occurs with prolonged stress.
Exercise
Exercise is also very important. Studies have shown that regular exercise helps control stress and can improve digestive health.
Read more about what exercise does for your health here.
Herbs
Herbs such as dandelion and artichoke stimulate digestion.
Other good herbs are oregano oil, olive leaf, wormwood, garlic and turmeric to counteract bacteria, fungi and viruses.
For bacterial overgrowth or candida, you can also drink Pau D'arco tea.
In this article you can read more about herbs.
Supplements
If problems are due to enzyme deficiency, it can often be remedied if you manage to get the body to restore its own production of enzymes through good diet and taking enzymes.
For constipation, Ultratarm or Oxy-Powder is ideal.
Other good supplements are B-vitamins, Magnesium and D-vitamin as well as Probiotics, which are beneficial gut bacteria.
*Many wonder which probiotic strains are suitable for IBS, and Saccharomyces boulardii usually works well, as well as most Bifidobacteria, such as Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium infantis. But for most people, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus also work well.
Preferably Turmeric as a supplement, meaning you want to get Turmeric.
Hydrochloric acid as a supplement can be supportive as it prevents bacteria from entering the small intestine where they shouldn't be, which is common in IBS patients.
Get help from a nutritional therapist
It can be a good idea to book an appointment with a nutritional therapist or a functional medicine doctor who can help investigate IBS symptoms more closely with the help of testing.
They also guide you through a treatment program and perform food intolerance tests that show if there are intolerances to foods that disrupt the intestinal mucosa.
Contact us if you have any questions!
