Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is something that doctors are seeing more and more in recent years. Now when I think of irritable bowel syndrome, I think of a situation that I once encountered. I went out for dinner with a friend of mine, an acquaintance really, someone that I knew, but didn’t knew her really well. We sat down and placed our order and she ordered a lot of food that I would find difficult to eat, not just because a lot of it was high in fat and high in carbohydrates, but because there’s so much of it.

She had two appetizers, a large entrée, and then a very large dessert, there were a lot of rolls and breadsticks and warm fresh bread on the table. As we were eating she said, “Oh, I forgot something!” And she dug into her purse and took out a little tiny pill box, and I still have the strong memory of reaching in and pulling out the little tiny pill and washing it down with water, and then explaining very seriously that she had irritable bowel syndrome.

I almost had irritable bowel syndrome just thinking about what it would feel like to eat that much rich food in one sitting. Now, it’s not that I’m criticizing, it’s just from the outside looking in, the amount she ate struck me as more food than a person could comfortably handle in the space of time that we sat there and ate.

Since then, and also because of increasing age, I’ve become more aware of the impact of food in how we feel. I have paid more attention to what I eat and what other people eat and how they feel, and how their bowels feel. One of the most important parts of maintaining good health is to maintain good bowel health. A lot of toxins pass through our intestines and the more quickly and efficiently these toxins pass, the easier it is on our system.

First, we should take a look at what irritable bowel syndrome is. It’s a disease of the lower intestinal tract with pain and abnormal bowel movements. It also is affected by stress as well as what you eat. Some people just have very mild symptoms, and some people are in great pain. The symptoms range from abdominal distention, abdominal gas, bloating, pain that comes and goes, constipation, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. There are some tried and true ways of dealing with IBS, and some of the best advice involve exercise, better sleep, less stress, and change in the diet. There’s not a diet that is designated for irritable bowel syndrome, part of this is because the reasons and the symptoms vary from person to person.

Sometimes, IBS is caused by the lower part of the bowel being what they call lazy. The muscles just don’t move in a way that promotes bowel movements. It could also involve an infection of the intestine. Sometimes, the irritable bowel syndrome starts with the infection, and because of the type of food that the person eats, it never really gets cured, it just keeps on causing gas and pain and bloating, and mad dashes to the bathroom.

It’s referred to as the functional disease because it affects the functioning of your bowel. But there’s nothing that the doctors can see. You can’t X-ray it, you can’t even check by taking blood tests. Some of the foods that aggravate IBS, and these may change from person to person, are dairy products, highly spiced foods, fatty foods and beans.

Here is one of the main food aggravators for IBS - artificial fats, Olestra is a typical artificial fat that can cause problems with your bowel. Artificial sweeteners are also hard on the system especially with IBS. Vegetables are usually fairly healthy for people, but there are some vegetables that cause a lot of gas, and this can create some intestinal pain. Insoluble fiber that you get in vegetables and fruits, as well as seeds and nuts, can aggravate your intestines. That’s because the insoluble fiber doesn’t break down until it gets into your intestines.

Red meat is hard to digest, and that can aggravate your intestines. Alcohol is hard on your system too, it dehydrates your digestive tract, and this can cause some problems in your lower intestine. Caffeine and carbonated drinks, and, as already mentioned, dairy products are also very hard on your system.