What is irritable bowel syndrome?
These muscle spasms in the stomach or intestines are also known as spastic colon, nervous bowel, or simply IBS. The cause is unknown, but stress and depression can aggravate it. It isn’t life-threatening, but it can affect your quality of life.
Who gets it?
About one in five American adults gets IBS. Women and children get it more often than men.
What are the symptoms?
• abdominal cramps and pain
• diarrhea
• constipation
• gas and bloating
• indigestion
Foods that fuel and foil flare-ups
Your best defense against the painful cramping, bloating, and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a low-fat, high-fiber diet. But choosing the right foods can be tricky. Within these food groups are some that ease and others that bring on symptoms.
Find the best fats. Digesting fats can cause bloating and painful colon contractions. So go easy on red meats, which tend to have a lot of fat. On the other hand, fish like salmon and tuna — with omega-3 fatty acids — can ease an irritated bowel. Flaxseed oil, another good source of omega-3 fatty acids, also helps.
Cut back on most dairy. The extra fat found in regular dairy foods can trigger the symptoms of IBS. But after switching to skim milk and low-fat cheeses, you may still experience problems with lactose intolerance. This means you can’t digest the sugar in milk and other dairy products. Eating yogurt with live cultures, however, may make it easier to digest lactose.
Choose vegetables and fruits carefully. The fiber in plant foods helps move everything smoothly through your system. Fresh is best, as prepackaged foods tend to be harder to digest. If you haven’t been eating a lot of fiber, add it gradually to cut down on gas.
You may need to pass on beans, broccoli, and cabbage, which can cause gas. Certain other fruits and vegetables, if eaten raw, may cause distress as well.
Drink plenty of the right liquids. Water helps ease the fiber through your system. Peppermint or chamomile tea can help, too, by soothing muscle spasms.
But carbonated beverages, caffeinated drinks of all kinds, and decaffeinated coffee may bring on gas pains.
Be selective about sweeteners. Sugar-free sweeteners, like sorbitol and mannitol, can give you gas. Sucrose, found naturally in fruits and honey, can also be a problem for some. But for those who can tolerate it, honey may ease constipation and clear up diarrhea associated with IBS.
Avoid fluffy foods. A main cause of gas is swallowed air, so go slow on milk shakes, whipped cream, and soufflés. White bread, by the way, has more air — and less fiber — than whole wheat bread.
© FCA Publishing
