IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, is a functional disorder of the intestinal tract rather than a disease. Although the cause of IBS is unclear, health experts have developed a diet plan that may help to alleviate symptoms of the disorder.
Background
Irritable bowel syndrome is a group of symptoms that frequently occur together, giving the disorder its "syndrome" title. The most common symptoms of IBS are cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation, as reported by the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NDDIC.
Diet plans created for the relief or prevention of IBS are centered on determining what foods and eating habits cause your particular symptoms.
Treatment
The NDDIC identifies three main treatment modes: "diet changes, medicine and stress relief."
Diet changes may become permanent, or you may find as time progresses that some foods you are unable to tolerate now without causing IBS symptoms may be something that, in time, your digestive system will tolerate.
Features
The diet plan for IBS includes what may be a change of eating habits for you. Health Castle recommends eating small, frequent meals; drink 8 to 10 servings of fluids daily and avoid chewing gum.
The registered dietitians at Health Castle also suggest the use of peppermint, which naturally relaxes spasms of the digestive system. Enteric-coated peppermint supplements are recommended for those people in whom peppermint causes heartburn.
Considerations
The NDDIC includes gas-forming vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts as good sources of fiber for the IBS diet, but Health Castle advises people with IBS to avoid these same types of foods due to their gas-forming properties.
Fine-tuning your IBS diet plan won't happen in one step. You will experience trial-and-error along the way because each individual's response to various foods is unique. You may find you are able to tolerate cruciferous--gas-forming--foods and will be able to include them in your diet plan.
Inclusions
Physicians and dietitians often recommend a high-fiber diet to individuals with IBS. You may be able to ease your symptoms through dietary additions of fiber alone, or your health-care provider may recommend the use of a fiber supplement.
The NDDIC cautions to add fiber slowly to your diet in order to allow your digestive system to get used to it. Too much fiber in the diet may cause increased gas and abdominal discomfort.
Exclusions
Some foods and beverages are known to make IBS symptoms worse in many people. The NDDIC lists these foods to avoid: "fatty foods, milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeinated drinks and carbonated drinks."
Expert Insight
In the long run, the correct IBS diet plan for you includes the foods and beverages you can tolerate and does not include those that cause or aggravate your symptoms. The NDDIC suggests keeping a food diary of the foods and beverages you consume. In this manner, you and your health-care provider can most easily determine how to formulate your IBS diet.
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