If you have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, identifying foods that trigger your symptoms may require careful monitoring and tracking your responses to food. Although many people with IBS report intolerance to certain foods, clinical evidence hasn't proven that any particular food or beverage causes the condition. Determining which foods you can't tolerate and the best way to treat your symptoms is a highly individualized process.
Significance
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by irregular bowel activity, abdominal cramps, gas and bloating. Because the symptoms of IBS vary from one person to another, the condition may be difficult to diagnose. If you have IBS, your cramps, gas and bloating may intensify after eating certain foods. Determining the foods that irritate your bowel may require keeping records of your symptoms until you can pinpoint your triggers. Although there is no cure for IBS, avoiding the foods that overstimulate your bowel, eating probiotic foods or taking soluble fiber supplements may improve your symptoms.
Misconceptions
A food intolerance in IBS may be mistaken for a food allergy, a more serious reaction. In food allergies, your body produces antibodies in response to certain foods, often causing symptoms such as hives, swelling, dizziness, nausea, cramping and diarrhea. In IBS, certain foods may stimulate the bowel and increase motility, causing muscle spasms in the colon that lead to diarrhea or constipation. According to Keith Holten, M.D. and colleagues, only a small percentage of patients with IBS have an actual food intolerance or allergy, though over 50 percent report that certain foods worsen their symptoms.
Common Foods
Food intolerance is highly individualized in IBS, but some foods and beverages may be more likely to cause distress than others. Dairy products often cause reactions in people with IBS, which may lead you to believe you have a lactose allergy. Wheat, rye and barley products are also common triggers. Foods or beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee and chocolate, stimulate bowel motility and can cause cramping or altered bowel patterns. Many people with IBS are susceptible to fructose intolerance, according to the MayoClinic website, and have gas or bloating after eating fruit or products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Prevention
Although the cause of IBS has not been determined, a bacterial infection or an imbalance in the natural bacterial flora in your gut may contribute to the condition. For some people with IBS, probiotic yogurt and other fermented products that contain beneficial bacteria can help them prevent reactions to dairy products. Psyllium husk is a natural source of soluble fiber that has been used successfully to prevent constipation and control diarrhea in people with IBS.
Treatment
If you can't determine the sources of food intolerance, your health care provider may be able to help you manage symptoms using over-the-counter fiber supplements to control diarrhea or laxatives to relieve constipation. If your symptoms don't improve, your health care provider may prescribe antispasmodic medications to relax your intestinal muscles. Because stress and anxiety aggravate IBS, regular physical exercise and stress-reducing therapies such as massage or yoga may help relieve gastrointestinal distress.
References
- American Family Physician: Diagnosing the Patient with Abdominal Pain and Altered Bowel Habits: Is It Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Keith B. Holten, M.D., et al., May 2003
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- MayoClinic.com: Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergy: What's the Difference?
- MayoClinic.com: Fructose Intolerance: Can It Cause IBS?
