According to PubMed Health, irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common disorder that affects one in six people in the United States. Irritable bowel syndrome can cause a number of symptoms, including bloating, gas, cramps, and changes in bowel movements. Some people have issues with diarrhea while other may have constipation. Stress can increase these symptoms in some people. Certain foods may worsen symptoms of IBS and avoidance of these foods can improve symptoms.
Food Journal
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms of IBS and not everyone is affected by foods in the same way. Because everyone is different, it may be beneficial to keep a food journal for a couple of weeks. Simply write down everything eaten, and when symptoms occur, use the record to analyze whether certain foods affect you more than others. This can provide you with a good list of foods to avoid or limit in your diet.
Dietary Changes
There are certain food items that tend to be causes of gastrointestinal irritation. These include caffeine, tea, sodas, chocolate, alcohol, and dairy products. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you may see improvements in your symptoms. Eating large meals can lead to gastric upset and should be avoided. Instead, eat four to six small meals and snacks throughout the day. Certain vegetables can be gas producing and you may want to avoid these as well. These include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, or cauliflower.
Fat
High-fat foods are often common causes of IBS symptoms and should be avoided or limited. High-fat food items include whole milk dairy products, fried bread products like donuts, fatty meat products, butter and oils. When cooking foods, choose low fat methods, such as grilling, baking, broiling, or boiling to decrease their fat content. Limiting the amount of butter or salad dressing you add to your foods can also improve symptoms.
Fiber
Fiber can have a significant impact on your bowels. You should be encouraged to increase fiber in your diet to help with symptoms of IBS. It is important to incorporate fiber slowly into the diet because too much, too fast, can cause problems. Increasing fiber can be done by adding in more fruits and vegetables, whole grains or a fiber supplement. Shoot for five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables and make half of your grain servings per day. Whole grains include whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, brown rice, or wild rice. When increasing fiber, it is also important to increase your fluid, or the additional fiber can lead to constipation.
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