Alternative Therapies for IBS (cont.)
You Feel What You Eat
When it comes to eating properly, some people find that cutting certain foods out of their diet helps. What you eat obviously has different effects on your bowel. Fluids also help stool pass regularly. "I always recommend water and soluble fiber -- meaning fibers that are gentle on the GI tract, such as oatmeal, berries, lentils, and split peas," Frissora says.
"Dietary modification, I always tell patients, needs to be individualized," says Philip Schoenfeld, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan and spokesman for the American College of Gastroenterology. "Each patient tends to be a little bit different in terms of food or drinks that tend to spur their irritable bowel syndrome symptoms," he says.
For example, if your worst IBS symptom is pain caused by bloating, eating lots of beans and leafy greens wouldn't be best for you, because they cause gas. But if you primarily have trouble with constipation, then adding fiber to your diet may help. Frissora points out that there is a difference between soluble and "crude" fiber. Crude fiber includes bran and the skins of vegetables such as eggplant and bell pepper. These things can be irritants and don't help.
Other commonly reported triggers for IBS symptoms include:
Probiotics: In With the Good
Some people may begin to have IBS symptoms in the wake of an intestinal infection such as Salmonella. It's not that the infection causes the IBS, but "somehow that seems to affect the normal motility of their small intestine and their colon," Schoenfeld says.
It's possible that an infection changes the types and amounts of bacteria normally present in your intestines, upsetting digestion. Probiotics are natural supplements that promote the growth of healthy bacteria that aid digestion. "Instead of killing bacteria, you're putting something in that will allow healthy bacteria to flourish," Frissora says.
Taking probiotics may help IBS sufferers who can pinpoint the start of their problems on a recent case of food poisoning or gastroenteritis. "That may be where the probiotics are more effective," she says.
Two examples of probiotics are Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus acidophilus. S. boulardii is a yeast culture, sold in capsules by the brand name Florastor. L. acidophilus is a bacterium that can be found in yogurt, and is also available as a supplement in pill or powder form. These probiotics have been widely studied as treatments for various digestive problems, but there have been few studies done specifically for IBS.
Several studies have looked at the use of acupuncture as an alternative way to ease IBS symptoms, and the results have been generally promising. Although it's still not a proven treatment, Frissora says she thinks it is worth trying when all else fails.
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