The Nutritional Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

							                     The Nutritional Management of
                       Irritable Bowel Syndrome
 Irritable bowel syndrome is believed to affect between 10 & 20% of the adult population. It is a functional disorder of the large
   intestine and occurs as a result of the normal muscular contraction (peristalsis) in the bowels becoming uncoordinated and
    erratic. This can result in Gas becoming trapped causing Bloating & Pain which is usually relieved by a bowel movement.
     The typical symptoms include: Abdominal Pain, Distension of the Abdomen, Constipation or Diarrhoea or both, (loose,
  frequent bowel movements usually occur in the morning), Relief of Pain with bowel movement, Wind. In women symptoms
  may become worse before and during menstruation. Diagnosis is often made through exclusion of other bowel conditions.
                           IBS is one of the most common causes for sickness absence from work.

Soluble fibre such as that pro-                     WHAT CAUSES IBS?
vided by brown rice, quinoa, oats,                                                                           Some
                                       There is no single cause for IBS. Causes & con-
barley & in the supplement Psyl-       tributing factors vary from person to person & for                  Nutritional
lium Seed Husks for example, are
particularly useful in the treatment
                                       many sufferers more than one single factor con-                     Guidelines
                                       tributes to the development of the condition.
of Irritable Bowel Syndrome be-        However, up to two thirds of people with IBS are
cause soluble fibre ameliorates        found to have a food sensitivity and the most            •Increase intake of soluble fibre
both the constipation & diarrhoea      common culprits include wheat & dairy products,          ie Brown Rice, Oats, Rice Cere-
associated with the condition.         corn, coffee, tea, citrus fruits, and chocolate.         als, Quinoa, Rice & Vegetable
Because soluble fibre can hold a                                                                Pasta or Corn Pasta, Barley &
very large amount of fluid, it can     The most common contributing factors:                    Certain Fruits & Veg
draw fluid into the bowel. If the      ◊ Food Sensitivity                                       •Gradually  increase intake of in-
IBS sufferer is experiencing con-
                                                                                                soluble fibre over time (ie whole-
stipation, the fluid drawn into the    ◊ Lactase Insufficiency
                                                                                                grains, seeds, beans, lentils), &
bowel helps to bulk the stool
                                       ◊ Dysbiosis, Candidiasis, Parasites, GI                  keep a food diary to note any
making it easier to pass. If taken
                                         Tract Infections                                       symptoms.
when diarrhoea is present, solu-
ble fibre helps to absorb the fluid                                                             •Increase  intake of foods rich in
                                       ◊ Increased Intestinal Permeability (leaky gut)
in the bowels and therefore eases                                                               Calcium & Magnesium to sup-
diarrhoea.                             ◊ Stress                                                 port normal muscular contrac-
                                                                                                tions in bowel.
Insoluble fibre includes some          ◊ Low Fibre, High Sugar Diet
very important foods which sup-                                                                 •Ensure adequate dietary chro-
port good health, but which can        ◊ Food Additives (ie Carageenan)                         mium, magnesium & vitamin C to
cause symptoms for those with                                                                   support the adrenal glands, liver
                                       ◊ Processed Foods
IBS. Such foods include for ex-                                                                 & pancreas
ample wholegrain products, all                 TESTS & STRATEGIES TO                            •Reduce stimulants, saturated fat
types of bran, seeds, nuts, beans         IDENTIFY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS                         and sugar
& lentils, & some fruit & vegeta-
bles.                                  Your Nutritionist may recommend certain tests to         •Increase    Essential Fatty Acids
                                       help identify which factors are contributing to IBS      from fish,
                                       in your particular case. For example, if infection,      •Reduce  refined carbohydrates
                                       parasites, dysbiosis or candidiasis albicans is          & high GI foods
These need to be eaten with            suspected the Comprehensive Digestive Stool
                                                                                                •Increaseintake of complex car-
caution if you suffer from IBS.        Analysis test may be recommended. If food sen-
                                                                                                bohydrates & low GI foods
The easiest way to keep track of       sitivity / allergy is suspected IgG & IgE allergy/
                                       sensitivity testing may be advised. Alternatively        •Increase    water intake
which foods cause symptoms is
through keeping a food diary, &        keeping a food diary and excluding certain foods
through gradually increasing           from the diet may be recommended. Often di-
                                                                                                In addition to planning your diet to mini-
those foods which cause the least      gestive enzymes can help with enzyme deficien-
                                                                                                mise the effects of IBS, your Nutritionist
difficulty. Also applying alterna-     cies. Intestinal Permeability screening may also         will also be able to advise which of the
tive cooking methods helps. Your       be recommended.                                          above supplements may benefit your
                                                                                                health based upon which particular fac-
nutritionist will be able to advise    A skin prick test is a valuable first step in obtain-    tors are contributing to your IBS.
you on this.                           ing a simple yes or no response to whether food
                                       sensitivity is a factor.                                 For More Information or to
                                                                                                     Book a Nutrition
            Supplements That May Help Alleviate IBS                                                 Consultation call

          Psyllium Husk Powder                               Gamma-Oryzanol                             Anne-Marie Mizon
                                                                                                MSc BSc (Hons) RN Dip ION mBANT
          Magnesium & Calcium                                   Candistatin
            Pre & Probiotics                                    Vitamin C
           Digestive Enzymes                                Fennel Seed Extract                     0208 789 4362
          Betaine Hydrochloride                             Cramp Bark Extract                 annemarie@well4ever.com