Following on from my overview on IBS, a lot of current advice is to treat the symptoms individually. One first line treatment is dietary management. Manipulating your fibre intake, and the type of fibre you include within your diet is part of that.
It’s been ages since I talked about fibre, so a quick recap. Fibre is important for bowel health, and also helps keep things regular. The UK recommendation is for adults to have 30g a day, however most people get less than half that! Eating a high fibre diet is associated with a lower risk of diabetes, CVD and colorectal cancer.
However, fibre can be a trigger for IBS sufferers. In that circumstance adjusting your intake, or looking at the type, can be help reduce symptoms. Soluble fibre is soft and sticky and it attracts water. This type of fibre slows digestion/transit time. Insoluble fibre adds bulk (roughage) to your stool. This enhances (speeds up) the transit time through your gut.
IBS-C is when the irregular bowel habits are predominantly constipation, and IBS-D is more diarrhoea dominant. Depending on whether a sufferer has more of one or the other, the treatment is different. It’s probably prudent to note here that this can be trial and error with individuals reacting differently, so look to find what works on that individual level.
The recommendation for constipation is to increase soluble fibre. This includes; oats, barley, rye, fruit, root vegetables, and golden linseeds. Adequate hydration is also important.
For diarrhoea the recommendation is to reduce insoluble fibre. This includes; wholegrain bread, bran, cereals, nuts and seeds (not golden linseeds). Other potential treatments are to reduce caffeine and polyols, and to implement stress management.
The next step may be looking at FODMAP intakes. But this should be done with the help of a dietician who is trained in that area. When trying any options be mindful to note the symptoms and anything that helps. Look for patterns of what works for you.
Reference: Mac Nutrition Uni
(Reposted from Instagram)
