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Digestive discomfort and IBS

Many people find they have trouble digesting foods. You may feel bloated and gassy and have pains and cramps. This may be followed by bouts of diarrhoea or your digestive system may be slow leading to constipation. Some people find they alternate between these two conditions.

These problems often increase with age. You may find that foods you could eat when you were younger now upset your digestive system.

Pay a visit to your GP

If any digestive problems persist long term or there is serious pain involved, you should always discuss the matter with your Doctor. If you see blood in your stools or bring up blood with reflux, you should visit your doctor promptly.

Though unpleasant, digestive conditions are not usually serious or life threatening.  However, very occasionally, there may be a more sinister underlying condition that is causing digestive symptoms. Your GP is qualified to assess your condition and determine whether further investigation is needed to rule out or discover and treat more serious conditions.

Many people visit the Doctor and, sometimes after further investigation, are told they are suffering from IBS. This is a good outcome as more serious problems have been ruled out. Though your GP may not be able to offer you much help, it is likely that you may be able to find ways to reduce your symptoms yourself, or with the help of a qualified Nutritional therapist.

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So what is IBS ?

IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It basically means that your digestive system has become sensitive and is irritated by certain things.

There are many factors that can lead to a person developing IBS Everyone is different but some of the main contributory factors are:

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  • Imbalance of gut bacteria

  • Low levels of digestive enzymes

  • Insufficient stomach acid

  • Stress

  • Food sensitivities

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The symptoms can often be alleviated

by dietary control, supplementation and

lifestyle changes.

 

Imbalance of gut bacteria

Our digestive system contains billions of bacteria. Some of these are believed to be beneficial to our health while others are harmful. The beneficial ones help to ‘crowd out’ the harmful ones creating a healthier balance. Taking antibiotics, steroids and high sugar diets can lead to an overgrowth of the harmful bacteria.  Cutting down on sugar and other refined (white) carbohydrates and increasing the amount of fibre in the diet encourages a more healthy balance of gut bacteria.

 

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Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria that are considered beneficial to human health.

Many people find that taking a regular probioticcan help to reduce symptoms. Probiotics are especially useful during and after a bout of diarrhoea or a course of antibiotics. They can help to restore the balance of the gut flora. Several studies have shown a reduction in antibiotic induced diarrhoea when probiotics are administered in between antibiotic doses.  Taking a probiotic regularly can help to reduce the numbers of unhealthy bacteria in the gut providing a more beneficial balance of gut flora. 

Digestive enzymes and stomach acid.

Digestive enzymes or stomach acid can be low because of vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to a nutrient poor diet. Also our body may become less efficient in producing enzymes as we age. If levels are low then we are less able to absorb nutrients from our foods so it can become a downward spiral.

Increasing the (non starchy) vegetable content of your diet is always a good idea especially salads. Raw Foods are rich in natural enzymes and may help digestion and may help reduce symptoms. Increasing the raw food content of your diet can also add to the fibre content. This should help to reduce constipation.

HCL (stomach acid) and digestive enzymes such as amylase and lactase can be supplemented. Click here for further advice on digestive supplements.

Food and Herbs that may help

Certain foods and culinary herbs and spices can aid digestion and often help reduce digestive symptoms. See articles ‘Foods to Promote Digestive Health’ and ‘ Herbs and Spices to Aid Digestion’

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Food sensitivities

You may find that certain foods trigger symptoms and attacks can be reduced by avoiding these triggers.

The most common food triggers are wheat, gluten (in wheat and many grains), dairy and preservatives such as sulphites, nitrates and nitrites. But everyone is different and any food has the potential to be a trigger. Often it is a food you have daily and the only way to find out if it is a trigger is by cutting it out for a while to see if it makes a difference.

Keeping a food diary may help to discover what your triggers are.

 

​Stress

Stress can trigger the fight or flight mechanism. In the short term this can cause the digestive system to evacuate, leading to diarrhoea. Stress reduces blood supply to the digestive system, re-routing it to the muscles where it may be needed. This means that less nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream and may slow the system down leading to constipation. Long term stress also down regulates the immune system. This may lead to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut. If stress is a trigger for you, therapies such as CBT, mindfulness and yoga may be helpful. Several studies have demonstrated a positive reduction of symptoms when IBS sufferers have undergone a course of CBT .

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Conclusion

So you can see that there are many ways you may be able to help yourself to reduce your symptoms. This article may have given you some ideas of changes you can make to try to bring your digestive system under your control.

If you still feel you need help and guidance, contact me for a nutritional consultation or look at the BANT register to find a qualified Nutritional Therapist in your area.

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