ibs diet
IBS diet - what should we eat? What should we avoid?
Unfortunately, there are no set answers to these questions. Unlike, say, celiac disease sufferers, who are categorically told to avoid gluten, there is no one diet which will help all IBS sufferers. We all react differently to different foods, and as some of us suffer from diarrhea and some from constipation, that adds another area of difficulty.
However, dietary modifications can still prove very useful for IBS and give some decent relief from symptoms. Here are some ideas to help you find the IBS diet that is right for you.
Exclusion diets
Going on an exclusion diet is probably the most common way to identify food triggers. Basically, certain foods or groups of foods are excluded from the diet for a short period of time. You note down which foods you are eating alongside any IBS symptoms you are experiencing, and then cut out a different food and repeat the process.
Exclusion diets can be so useful because they are like small scientific experiments with your body. If the only factor you have changed is the food you are eating, and your symptoms change dramatically, then there is a good likelihood that that food is causing the change.
The problem with a diet like this is that is does take time and commitment. To really test all foods groups may take up to eight or 10 weeks, and like any diet it can be difficult to stick to. If you find that your symptoms improve, however, that could give some real motivation!
Some of the most common foods which are tested by this kind of diet are wheat and gluten-containing products such as bread and pasta, and dairy products. You may even find that simply cutting out gluten or dairy improves your symptoms so significantly that there is no need to test other foods.
It is also worth mentioning that the support of a qualified nutritionist is always valuable when undertaking major changes in your diet, especially if you are intending to cut out a whole food group from your diet long-term. The nutritionist can help you make sure that you are not missing out on any vital nutrients and give you some ideas on how to replace common foods such as bread if necessary.
Trigger foods
If you find that an exclusion diet identifies certain foods that make your IBS symptoms worse, they are often called 'trigger foods' (because they 'trigger' the symptoms). You may notice that some foods cause immediate symptoms and so can also be identified as trigger foods. For example, some sufferers find that eating fatty or fried foods can cause diarrhea directly after the meal.
Trigger foods will vary from person to person. However, there do seem to be some foods which are identified by many sufferers as being problematic. These foods include:
- wheat and/or gluten (gluten is found in wheat, oats, barley and rye)
- citrus fruits
- bran
- coffee
- foods containing artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or sorbitol
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and unfortunately every IBS sufferer will have to spend time working out which, if any, foods give them the most problems.
Eating for IBS diet
This diet was developed by Heather Van Vorous, and is based on using soluble fiber foods to form the main part an IBS sufferers' diet. She provides an explanation of her diet and many recipe ideas in her book Eating for IBS. The program has proved useful for many sufferers.
IBS diet resources
Use the free IBS Tales food diary to record your symptoms.