IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: FOODS TO EAT AND TO AVOID

A proper diet, together with better stress control, is the first step to deal better with irritable bowel syndrome. What foods should I avoid in case of irritable bowel syndrome? In addition, what to eat? Let us discover together.

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome, or more commonly "colitis", is a rather widespread chronic disorder characterized by abdominal spasms and pains, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. Despite the extreme spread of this disease - it affects one in five people - the intestinal disorders involved, although treatable and controllable, can become unpleasant in the management of everyday life.

Despite numerous studies on irritable bowel syndrome, the causes are a question mark. According to the most reliable hypothesis, at the origin of the condition there would be abnormal communication between the brain, nerve fibers that innervate the intestines and intestinal muscles. Typical irritable bowel symptoms are pain and cramps in the abdomen, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal swelling, meteorism, and mucus in stool.

Irritable bowel syndrome: foods to eat

For people who suffer from irritable bowel, it is recommended an appropriate IBS diet to reduce the symptoms of this intestinal condition. Unfortunately, the food enemies of the bowel are not the same for all patients. "At-risk" foods should be evaluated by the doctor on a case-by-case basis and depend primarily on individual sensitivity to certain foods. It is, therefore, necessary to do a slow and patient work of "census" about the foods of one’s diet with a work of inclusion and exclusion to detect those causing reactions.

First, small and frequent meals are better than sporadic but abundant meals. In this regard, the ProLon® diet is not intended to cure or treat any pathology but could be useful to improve and change your relationship with food, reducing your food cravings and gaining better portion control. Buy your ProLon kit now.

Then, it will be possible to establish guidelines for a suitable diet starting from the most characteristic irritable bowel symptoms of a specific patient (constipation, for example, or diarrhea). If constipation is prevalent, it is generally recommended to increase the consumption of fibers, where deficient - which, it should be remembered, are not effective against pain, indeed they could exacerbate it - and to increase hydration by drinking a greater amount of water.

Fruits and vegetables, bread, and whole grains are good sources of fiber and can help to keep your bowel a little more relaxed and make your stool more humid. High-fiber diets can cause swelling and gas formation, though some patients report that these symptoms disappear within weeks. If diarrhea is the characterizing symptom, it is however important to hydrate much but better to reduce the fibers and avoid bran.

It is important to eat at regular times and chew slowly, without being in a hurry. Against irritable bowel syndrome, it is better to prefer cooked vegetables, seasoned with raw extra virgin olive oil. As for fruit, seeds and peels can worsen the symptoms of colitis: therefore, it is better to avoid them by cleaning and peeling the fruits properly.

Irritable bowel syndrome: foods to avoid

What foods should I avoid with irritable bowel syndrome? No to dairy products, yes to yogurt. No to legumes, yes to fish as a source of protein. No to alcohol.

In addition to milk and dairy products, some fruits should be avoided, such as peaches, plums, and pears, watermelon, melon, citrus fruits. Sugar is better than lightly sweetened products. No to jam and candy, spices, coffee, tea, and cola; other carbonated drinks. The same for some vegetables (rocket, celery, cucumbers, onion, artichokes, spinach). Other foods are at indirect risks, such as those rich in salt (stock cubes or sausages). It is also good to avoid eating behaviors that facilitate the swallowing of air such as chewing gum and eating too quickly.

Do you want more nutritional information on the IBS diet? Get in touch with our knowledgeable nutritionists.