As a functional medicine practitioner my aim is always to get resolutions and improvements of symptoms through finding root causes(s). This also just makes a lot of sense to the practical me!
Below are the 4 main areas that I usually look at with IBS
Digestion : Have you got low stomach acid and not producing enough digestive enzymes ? this can lea to indigested food in your stools and bloating as well as some gut infections further down the digestive tract. Remember stomach acid is also critical to sterilize your food.
Gut flora imbalance : Your gut contains 100 trillions of bacteria and different species but these can get out of balance through diet, stress, antibiotics. Often with IBS you may be lacking important species such as Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus leaving space for parasites, SIBO, candida to grow and take too much space. This is called dysbiosis. If this is the case it is key to rebalance this ecosystem
Intestinal permeability and inflammation : Your gut is lined with tight junctions that can allow nutrients to have access to your blood stream. However, when the lining is damaged or compromised this can lead to the immune system activating inflammation. This inflammation can lead to the gut being hypersensitive and create pains.
Stress can be a huge contributing factor to your IBS. But stress can also be a gut infection , or a blood sugar imbalance imbalance that needs to be addressed in order to improve your resilience..
So what can we do? IBS is not something that you need to put up with , here are my top recommendations:
Get a proper diagnose. If you are getting digestive symptoms you may be worrying about the cause and this could be playing on your mind contributing to symptoms
Work on optimising digestion : Eat slowly, chew your food saliva will help to break down your food, be mindful and be mindful, take the load out of your digestive tract. Basic but SO important. Do not eat if you are stressed and wait or go for a walk, talk to a friend.
Keep a food diary : This will give you a clearer picture on how your symptoms vary and help you identify stressful events that might be playing a role. At the end of everyday fill out a dairy and write as much details as possible. Did you experience a stressful event today? What were the physical sensations when it was happening. Did you notice any changes in your symptoms? . This exercise may hep you to identify situations or events that nay exacerbate your symptoms and take steps towards changing those situations and how you react.
Look at your diet : A food plan is a simple way to reduce expose to problematic foods and ease your symptoms . This phase should only be followed for a period of 4 weeks and ideally under the supervision of a Health professional. At the end of the 4 weeks period slowly re-introduce each food items one at the time and pay attention to how your Digestive tract feels. It is important to note that the food is often not the problem it is more so the imbalance in the bacteria that live in your gut.
Common problem foods include :
Sugar and refines carbohydrates that fed bag bacteria
Caffeine
Alcohol
Gluten
Dairy
Soya
Eggs
Fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower
Vegetables that can lead to the production of gas in the digestive tract : onions, garlic, leeks, Legumes such as chickpeas and beans can also be irritant to an already over sensitive gut.
Watch the size of your meals and avoid snacking all the time.
Leave at least a 12 hours window between your dinner and breakfast to allow your gut to repair and heal.
Prebiotic fiber are critical for the health of your gut as they fed the gut bacteria. You can find fiber in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and grains. Fiber such as Onions, Leeks, cooked and cooled potatoes, flaxseeds, green bananas are particularly good at feeding our gut bugs.
Fiber can sometimes be an issue when you suffer form IBS but a gut healing protocol will work on ensuring that over time you are able to tolerate those.
Add fermented foods to your diet: These food contain live bacteria that can help to re-populate your gut. Include live yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi, unpasteurised cheeses and kefir.
Address your stress. CBT( ask your GP for a referral) and Yoga have both been shown in studies to greatly alleviate symptoms.
Finally ask for help, you do not need to put up and live with IBS.