How can diet help with your IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS for short is a chronic condition of the digestive system which causes stomach cramping, bloating and wind as well as constipation, diarrhoea or both. It can be a very troublesome condition for many patients who often look for a cure for the disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure and lack of understanding of the main causes of the condition make it very hard to effectively treat. There are a number of medications on the market which may help ease the symptoms such as cramping and bloating but lifestyle and dietary changes have shown to be the most effective way of controlling symptoms.

Here are some important points on how to manage your IBS with dietary and lifestyle changes: 

Keep a food diary

One of the most challenging things about managing IBS is that symptoms differ from person to person and there is a spectrum of severity of the condition. Because of this, it is important that patients who suffer from the symptoms of IBS take control of their own condition and determine the possible trigger factors.

It is recommended that patients should keep a diary of all food and drink which has been consumed over a week period. You should keep a note of the time foods are eaten as well as the quantities and then the symptoms experienced. Other factors should also be considered such as emotional experiences as not all symptoms are related to food.

Knowing and understanding your food triggers can greatly help in controlling your symptoms.

Make some general diet and lifestyle changes

There are some general changes that you can make to your diet which can help combat the symptoms of IBS.

A healthy diet

Ensuring you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet is a basic and important step to help improve the overall health and well being of your gut and to help reduce symptoms of IBS.

Make sure you have the following in your diet:

• Adequate protein such as eggs, chicken and pulses
• 2-3 portions a day of dairy products or soy products if you are known to be lactose intolerant
• Lots of fruit and vegetables
• Lots of starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and potatoes
• Plenty of water- around 2 litres per day

Try to avoid or limit the following from your diet:

• Fatty or processed meals
• Sugary sweets and cakes
• Tea and coffee drinks
• Fizzy drinks

 Eating regularly and at  the correct times

Eating regular meals and not skipping meals such as breakfast is important to help symptoms of IBS. Try to sit down at a dining table when eating meals and always ensure you do not rush your food and take care to chew your food properly. Try to not eat late at night.

Exercise regularly

Make sure you have a regular exercise routine in place, even if this is brisk walking. Any physical exercise can help improve your overall health and well being as well as improve symptoms of IBS.

Make more specific changes to your diet based on your symptoms

How to reduce bloating, cramping and wind

• Avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol
• Eat up to 1 tablespoon of linseeds a day
• Eat oats (such as porridge) regularly
• Avoid foods that are hard to digest – like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, beans, onions and dried fruit
• Consider trying medicines that can help, like Buscopan or peppermint oil

How to reduce diarrhoea

• Consider trying medicines that can help, like Imodium (loperamide)
• Cut down on high-fibre foods, like whole grain foods (such as brown bread and brown rice), nuts and seeds
• avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol

How to relieve constipation 

• Increase how much soluble fibre you eat – good foods include oats, pulses, carrots, peeled potatoes and linseeds
• Drink plenty of water to help make your poo softer
• Consider trying medicines that can help (laxatives), like Fybogel or Celevac

Fibre

This can be a confusing area for people with IBS because some people need to reduce it and some people need to increase it to help control their symptoms.

There are two types of fibre:

Insoluble fibre

This type of fibre does not dissolve in water and is not readily broken down, so it passes through the digestive system mostly intact. It absorbs water, adds bulk to stools (faeces) and allows waste to be passed through bowels more quickly. Reducing this type of fibre may help to improve symptoms of diarrhoea

Food which contains this type of fibre include:

• Corn (maize).
• Skin, pith and pips of fruit and vegetables.
• Wheat and bran.
• Nuts and whole grains.

Soluble fibre

This type of fibre dissolves in water and is broken down by the natural bacteria in the bowels. It softens stools and makes them larger. Increasing this type of fibre may help to improve symptoms of constipation.

Foods containing this type of fibre include:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Psyllium and ispaghula
• Oats
• Barley
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans and pulses

Whole grains (for example, wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta) may also help with constipation. Although increasing fibre may help to improve symptoms, it may also generate gas and cause pain and bloating. Monitoring is important to help identify this and to adjust your fibre intake according to your symptoms.

It is important to note that dramatic increases in fibre can actually make symptoms worse so it is important to introduce high fibre products gradually to allow your body time to adjust.

If nothing is working

If you feel that none of these measures is controlling your symptoms, or if you need to limit a lot of foods from your diet, then it is important to seek advice from a GP. They may consider more specific diets where certain foods are eliminated or other investigations.