Nutrition

Good medicine and good health are not one size fits all! Nutrient- rich foods contribute to good digestion. Paying attention to foods that cause discomfort and gradually replacing them with foods that work better within your system can help you feel better.

Although raw fruits and vegetables are very healthy, they can induce the formation of gas and then lead to bloating and abdominal cramping. Some of the biggest culprits for painful gas formation are raw carrots, peppers, onions and chickpeas. Cooked culprits include cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Fruits that form painful gas include cantaloupe and Honeydew melons.

Some people cannot digest milk products. Even if you do not see a direct correlation between a milk product that you have eaten the same day you get gas, cramping and maybe diarrhea, realize that it can take 2 weeks for a “milk product” to get through your system. The gas can continue to accumulate in your system and then give you an “attack” several days later.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) usually does not have a specific food that consistently gives symptoms. It is harder to figure out what kind of diet to be on. 

High fiber, no fiber or FODMAP diet?

For most people with IBS, it is better to avoid raw fruits and vegetables and milk products in general. More “gentle” fiber such as whole wheat bread, fiber-rich cereals and even fiber supplements are a better source of fiber.  The caveat here of course is that fiber may make your symptoms worse! Fiber should be slowly increased in your diet. If you were to pick a cereal with fiber, you would pick one with 6-8 grams of fiber to start. Likewise, a fiber supplement should only be started at ONE tablespoon or ONE pill a day and only increase to 2 after 2 weeks.

The low FODMAP diet can be drastic at first but can relieve many of the symptoms associated with IBS.  FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in some people.  This can lead to gas, bloating and abdominal pain. The science behind this diet includes multiple controlled studies that compared this diet to other interventions used in IBS.  When the short chain carbohydrates(sugars) contained in these foods start to pass through your GI tract, they ferment (due to your own body’s microflora) and suck more fluid into your GI tract. This causes increased gas, distention, abdominal pain and changes in stool consistency.  The low FODMAP diet is maintained for a four- week period before individual FODMAPs are reintroduced into your diet. This allows you to see which foods are your trigger.