Your doctor may diagnose you with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, if you commonly experience digestive problems such as cramping, bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although IBS isn't thought to permanently damage your colon, it can be debilitating if you don't know how to keep it under control. Some dietary strategies, such as consuming probiotics, may help problems commonly associated with IBS.
Function of Probiotics
Probiotics are helpful bacteria that reside in your small intestine. These bacteria are considered healthy because they aid you in digesting and eliminating foods and can crowd out less healthy bacteria that lead to intestinal problems such as bloating, constipation and gas, according to Health Services at Columbia University. Though your gut was sterile at birth, it began to accumulate probiotics from milk and other foods until it had a full range of good colonies that could outnumber and fight off harmful ones. Consuming probiotics helps reinforce the fighting power of the healthy colonies.
Research
Various research projects that were shown at the American College of Gastroenterology's 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting drew a link between consumption of probiotics and reduced IBS problems. In one study, IBS patients who took a multistrain probiotic every day for 28 days had fewer diarrheal episodes than IBS patients who consumed a placebo for the same period of time. In another study, children and teenagers who had IBS were significantly less likely to experience bloating, abdominal pain and stool dysfunction when they consumed a probiotic agent than when they didn't.
The Consensus
Some probiotic strains have been linked to increased bowel transit time in those who experience occasional constipation, while other strains may specifically help people who have frequent diarrhea due to IBS and other bowel disturbances, according to the American Dietetic Association. Research is still in its preliminary stages and not enough evidence is out there to determine which probiotic or combination of probiotics -- if any -- is ideal for IBS sufferers.
What to Do
Probiotics are in foods such as yogurt, miso, certain juices, soy drinks and fermented and unfermented milk, according to the MayoClinic. A product contains probiotics if its label mentions "live and active cultures." If you have IBS, you may find through trial and error that certain probiotic foods help alleviate your symptoms more than others do. Have a conversation with your doctor or with a registered dietitian if you're considering trying a probiotic dietary supplement or if you want to use probiotics as your sole treatment for IBS. She can help you sift through the existing research on probiotics and is likely to recommend well-studied types, such as Lactibacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. She can also give you helpful pointers on taking the product you choose.
References
- ScienceDaily: How Effective Are Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome?; October, 2008
- Mayo Clinic: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Mayo Clinic: Probiotics: Important for a Healthy Diet?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
- ResearchPennState: What are Probiotics?; Pallavi Eswara
- Health Services at Columbia University; Will Probiotic-Enriched Yogurt Aid Digestion?
- American Dietetic Association: Probiotics and Digestion
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