IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is a lifelong condition many suffer from, and the best way to manage it is through diet. Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms include cramping, bloating, gas, pain, constipation, or diarrhea. Many IBS patients find that the symptoms and abdominal pain can be alleviated by adopting the following lifestyle tips:
1. Try an elimination diet
Common foods trigger a flare-up of irritable bowel syndrome. Though people vary in how sensitive they are to those foods. Some people may tolerate eating some of the food and have no symptoms. To find out what foods trigger a flare-up, try an elimination diet. Remove foods known to cause flare-ups and slowly reintroduce them. Then, if they cause symptoms, you know that food should be removed permanently from your diet.
2. Low FODMAP diet
A low FODMAP diet is recommended for people that have different types of conditions, but it helps to reduce the symptoms of people with irritable bowel syndrome. Polyols, fermentable monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides can worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A FODMAP diet works by removing foods that contain these carbohydrates. Digestive enzymes have a hard time breaking these carbohydrates down and ferment them instead, which leads to gas bloating and other irritable bowel symptoms.
3. Take probiotics
It’s recommended that people that suffer from irritable bowel syndrome should take probiotics. Probiotics help the digestive system by helping remove harmful bacteria, strengthening the immune system, breaking down nutrients, and protecting the intestinal barrier. The two probiotics that are recommended are bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. It’s believed that probiotics help protect the sensitive ecosystem in the gut, and this ecosystem helps prevent flare-ups if in good condition.
4. Avoid high-fat meals
Fat is a trigger for an irritable bowel flare-up. Eating fried food or food that is high in fat may taste good, but it can trigger a flare-up. It’s best to avoid food with a high amount of fat. Fatty foods are difficult to digest and may cause the colon to spasm. Colon spasms will add to the pain and discomfort during an irritable bowel flare-up. Eating foods that are high in fat can worsen IBS-D causing bouts of frequent diarrhea. If fats have to be eaten, opt for healthy ones like avocado or coconut oil.
5. Consume dietary fiber
Eating fiber can be problematic even though an increase in fiber consumption is recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Insoluble fiber can be food for fermentation and trigger irritable bowel symptoms. However, soluble fiber has been known to help irritable bowel symptoms, and an increase in soluble fiber is often recommended by doctors to their patients. Consuming soluble fiber can regulate stools and stop the pain. Soluble fiber slows down digestion, attracts water, and creates stool that is easy to pass.
