Video Transcript
So, How do irritable bowel syndrome symptoms relate to foods, drinks and substances consumed? Years of field research by nutritionists and dietitians and recent research studies, have proven that there is a definite link between certain foods, substances and IBS symptoms There are two different ways that foods can be ‘IBS triggers,’ and following a special IBS diet is a way of avoiding these triggers. The two main categories of foods to avoid with ibs are:
Gut irritating Foods (and substances)
Food Intolerances or Allergies
Most people will only be sensitive to a few from each category, and a food diary and elimination diet can be used to find them. An elimination diet is when for a period usually of 2 weeks, only IBS safe foods are eaten and all possible triggers or sometimes just the most common triggers are cut out.
In this video, I am going to focus on the role of food intolerance in IBS.
There are certain foods that can cause an intolerance or a kind of allergy in the digestive system. This is different from an anaphylactic allergy, meaning the life-threatening kind of allergy that closes your windpipe. Anaphylactic allergies you can easily test for, in contrast to IBS food intolerances or food allergies that don’t have a really validated test,
There is some new research has started to use a specific type of blood test called Ig G immune system testing to identify these possible food allergies but this testing can be expensive and is still not always reliable. I think it is unnecessary considering you can find out what intolerances you have without spending a dime by doing an elimination diet, which is again where u only eat IBS safe foods for a period of two weeks and then introduce the most common food triggers and intolerance items back one-by-one. I have found from experience this is the best method.
Here is my list of the top Foods that cause intolerances or allergies in people with BS:
dairy products (especially Cow’s milk dairy products like cows milk and yoghurt)
wheat products- such as wheat bread, whole wheat bread, rye, spelt, pastry flour.
gluten – which is a component of the grain in the wheat plant. SO you can look for gluten free products you may have seen before.
corn and corn by-products such corn chips, corn tortillas, cheap vegetable oils and corn syrup which you find in things like soda, candy, snack foods and ice cream.
peanuts
yeast (found in some breads, pastries and hiding in lots of processed foods.)
eggs
shellfish
soy (found in soy milk, snack and energy bars, tofu, fast food items like burgers, some veggie burgers, some breakfast cereals and many breads you buy at the grocery store).
lactose found in milk and dairy products.
I have found that dairy products are enormously common as a trigger for IBS in my patients and that even tiny amounts like milk in tea or coffee can be enough to cause bad symtoms. One of my patients just cut out dairy after we met and her symptoms practically vanished overnight, eliminating the bloating that caused her so much anguish for years. That problem was solved JUST by getting rid of dairy!
Leanring to read food labels is important though if you are serious about controlling your IBS as many of these foods are very common in the standart western or north american diet.
So, Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms can be strongly influenced by what is put into the body: foods, drinks, cigarettes and alcohol can all have a big impact on IBS and finding an IBS Diet that takes into account personal food triggers is crucial to controlling IBS symptoms in the long run.