If you have IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, the food you eat can have an impact on your IBS symptoms. Some foods can trigger your symptoms, and you should avoid them. The foods that trigger your IBS symptoms may not affect someone else with the condition, however. Talk with your doctor before you modify your diet.
Background
IBS is a digestive condition that causes erratic movement in your colon that results in abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. When waste enters your colon, the muscles that line the large intestine help push it through the intestinal tract until it reaches your anus. Various times throughout the day, your colon contracts and moves stool out of your body. Nerves, hormones and impulses from muscles, controlled by the brain, cause the contractions. Although the cause of IBS is still unclear, it is likely a result of communication breakdown between the brain and the muscles in the colon, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Foods to Avoid
Certain foods, such as alcohol, chocolate, dairy products and carbonated beverages, commonly trigger IBS symptoms. Depending on the nature of your illness, fiber may aggravate or improve your symptoms. If the main symptom of your IBS is diarrhea, you should avoid eating foods that are high in fiber, such as whole grain breads or pastas. You should also avoid gas-forming vegetables, such as broccoli, onions and greens. If you notice that diary products affect you, use milk substitutes, such as soy milk.
Diet Management
Not all foods affect everyone with IBS the same way. Under your doctor's supervision, keep a food journal to help you identify which foods trigger your symptoms. Record what you eat, when you eat it and how it affects your IBS symptoms. Your doctor may also recommend a challenge diet. A challenge diet requires that you remove suspected food triggers from your diet and then slowly add them, one at a time, to see which foods are causing your symptoms.
Dietary Considerations
Plan your meals and eat at the same time every day. Eating on a daily schedule will help your digestive tract remain on a schedule, which can help prevent symptoms from flaring up. If you have diarrhea from IBS, you can become dehydrated, leading to further complications. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and talk with your doctor about a diet that will help the diarrhea subside. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medication to stop the diarrhea to prevent dehydration.
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