Comprehensive Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet and its Relationship to Inflammation

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet Plan

This page adopts an irritable bowel syndrome diet plan to reduce or eliminate symptoms of IBS. We are going to get into the deeper causes of IBS to discover lasting relief once and for all.

In the United States alone, 10 to 20 percent of the population is affected by irritable bowel syndrome. There are currently 40-60 million people in the United States that have IBS. These numbers continue to rise. Inflammatory bowel disease or IBS contributes to lost time from work, disruption in the social life of the sufferer, and can put a serious damper on the ability to lead a normal life.

Physicians are unable to admit a sense of helplessness with regards to how to cure IBS. This feeling of helplessness happens because many times, when a physician examines the intestinal wall, it appears normal. Many patients are misdiagnosed over and over until their doctors reach the diagnosis of IBS.

To add to this problem, oftentimes, many patients are given antidiarrheals, antispasmodics, or even anti-depressants that may make the problem worse. Medications can cause iatrogenic illnesses or disease. Iatrogenic means illness or sickness caused by a doctor or drug therapy.

Irritable bowel syndrome diet intervention is often not even a part of many physicians' treatment.

Many individuals suffering symptoms of IBS become frustrated with a medical establishment that does not fully understand this disease. IBS is a disease that is considered idiopathic. The term idiopathic means that the cause is unknown.

Although the root cause of IBS is unknown, nutritionists agree across the board that an irritable bowel syndrome diet will offset this disease and drive it into remission.

Understanding IBS

IBS has an interesting history. In the 1970s, it was actually called spastic colon or spastic bowel. As doctors became more sophisticated, the name evolved to irritable bowel syndrome.

There is solid information that parasites or worms can cause irritable bowel syndrome. There are very simple irritable bowel syndrome diet therapies that include papaya seeds and honey. Simple natural remedies can be used to paralyze and starve parasites, including woodworm teas.

Dr. Mark Pimentel, M.D., author of A New IBS Solution, writes that irritable bowel is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria, and can be cleared up with an appropriate dose of antibiotics. Dr. Pimentel has had tremendous success with this treatment. Dr. Pimentel states that a specialized breath test can detect this bacterial overgrowth. Patients can be treated and go on to live normal lives.

What Exactly is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome falls under the category of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases includes disorders like Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are actually under the same umbrella. These diseases are known to cause swelling and inflammation within the intestines.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet
The Function of Inflammation & Food

It is important for irritable bowel syndrome sufferers to understand the role of foods and inflammation. Inflammation plays a significant role in the prevention of IBS. In order to control IBS symptoms, we are going to go step by step to unravel the sometimes mysterious causes of Inflammatory bowel disease.

Eighty percent of the immune system is contained within the bowels. The bowel wall is the first line of defense against harmful viruses, fungi and bacteria. Some foods we ingest can be seen by our immune system as hostile.

These foreign food substances are attacked with systemic inflammation to drive these unwanted substances out. Some common, everyday seemingly harmless foods can trigger massive inflammation within the bowels, causing severe distress, even hospitalization, bowel resection or death.

Our bodies have a profound wisdom that is beyond our understanding. When food is eaten, from the time food enters into our mouths until it passes completely through and exits the intestinal tract, our immune system has the essential task of deciding whether or not that food is hostile.

Our gut immune system plays a very important role in determining whether or not a food is beneficial or dangerous. When a food is introduced that our bodies have not adapted to, our immune systems can trigger an inflammatory response as a protective mechanism. This inflammation response is designed to protect us.

Click here to learn more about an anti-inflammatory diet.

How is Irritable Bowel Related to Leaky Gut?

The term leaky gut is not recognized by the medical community as an actual disorder. The term gut permeability is more commonly used. Gut permeability means that unauthorized particles of bacteria or pathogens are seeping through the gut. Leaky gut is caused by a thinning of the lining of the gut. The thinning of the lining of the gut is caused by overgrowth of bacteria, infection, or even the use of antibiotics.

Click here for more information on the causes of leaky gut.  This article for Dr. Oz's website lists many different causes and symptoms of leaky gut.

Your body is protected by only a microscopically thin layer of membrane.

This membrane is your gut lining. When there is massive inflammation to the inner walls of your intestines, this can cause ulcerations that create tears in the bowel wall. These ulcerations allow for the passage of unauthorized pathogens and food particles into the bloodstream. Fungi, bacteria, undigested protein and fat particles are allowed to pass unrestricted.

The immune system does not recognize these foreign materials, and sets off systemic inflammation within the bowel. This inflammation is designed to protect you. This inflammation can increase the likelihood of inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and other bowel disorders.

Once the offending pathogen or food is removed, the gut can heal and health can be restored.

Listed Below are Very Common Irritable Bowel Symptoms:

• Abdominal cramping
• Abdominal spasms
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Flatulence (gas)
• Low grade fever
• Nausea
• Night sweats
  
• Parasitic infections
  
• Vomiting
  
• Weakness or fatigue
  
  
  

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet Control: Foods to Avoid

You can begin by eliminating these common problem foods all at the same time. Keep a food journal and keep track of your symptoms as you re-introduce them one by one.

• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners
  
• Chocolate
  
• Coffee
  
• Corn
  
• Eggs
  
• Fast foods
  
• Fructose
  
• Gluten
  
• Heavy fats
  
• Nuts
  
• Peas
  
• Processed foods
  
• Sodas
  
• Soy
  
• Spicy foods
  
• Sugar rich foods
  
• Food additives
  
• Milk or dairy
  
• Wheat

Eliminate Milk

For irritable bowel diet prevention, eliminate milk and dairy. Milk or dairy has the strongest link to IBS. Humans are the only animals that continue to drink milk past adulthood.   Milk is listed as the top food to avoid for effective irritable bowel syndrome diet control.

Avoid sweeteners like fructose, mannitol, sorbitol and lactose.

Here Are Some Tips to Relieve IBS Symptoms

• Avoid a high saturated fat diet
• Avoid diet sodas (artificial sweeteners fuel bacteria)
  
• Avoid dried fruits (concentrated fructose)
  
• Cooked vegetables are easier to absorb than raw
  
• Eat easily digestible foods
  
• Drink two cups of water with each meal
  
• Opt for foods containing Omega-3s and Omega-6s such as avocados, nuts, seeds and fish

Control Irritable Bowel Using These Expert Techniques

Controlling stress is important to reduce Cortisol. Stress produces a flood of Cortisol. Cortisol is a very powerful inflammatory, and can lead to bowel disorders. Emotional anxiety has a strong connection to bowel disorders as well. It's not so much that IBS is caused by emotional disorders, but it is well documented that emotional disorders can accelerate the symptoms of IBS.

Digestive disorders can be calmed by using a variety of methods. One of the most important things you can do to control IBS symptoms is to introduce friendly bacteria into your intestines. Your body's intelligence understands these friendly bacteria and will grant entry. Probiotics improve gut flora and help to alleviate symptoms.

IBS Increases the Risk For the Following:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and/or inflammatory bowel disease causes damage to intestinal villi. These villi are responsible for absorbing nutrients from foods.

Your irritable bowel syndrome diet needs many macronutrients. The malabsorption of key nutrients can lead to other issues like hair loss. The term malabsorption means the inability to absorb nutrients.

Malabsorption of nutrients from IBS can cause bone loss. Read our osteoporosis diet section for extensive information on osteoporosis prevention.

IBS is linked to a higher incidence of colon cancer. Special attention to diet is required to eliminate the risk for colorectal cancer.

Link here to American College of Gastroenterology is for IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They have up-to-date information on the latest research. IBS is explained very clearly for easy understanding.

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