Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal disorder. In between 20 to 25% Americans suffer from it. It has been observed that women are more prone to IBS.

In most cases IBS causes severe cramping in the abdomen, severe pain in the abdomen, bloating, and constipation/diarrhea. Many fear leaving the house because of the severe pain, uncomfortable feeling, and sudden attacks of diarrhea. Sometimes IBS causes severe constipation, making it very strenuous to pass stools, resulting in severe cramping.

The colon is primarily responsible for most cases of IBS. The colon is the part that connects the small intestine to the rectum. The function of the colon is to absorb the nutrients and water present in the partially digested food as it leaves the small intestine and passes through it. This matter has to be pushed out of the colon by contractions into the rectum to pass out of the body. The problem begins when the colon is not able to pass out the food matter due to various reasons.

Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Some common causes of IBS may include the following.
-- Eating in large quantities
-- Being on too much medication that interferes with normal digestion
-- Eating too much chocolate, milk products like cheese, and wheat can cause IBS in some persons
-- Consuming too much alcohol
-- Too much tea or coffee
-- Being constantly stressed
-- Many women are normal throughout the month but have symptoms of IBS during their menstrual periods

Diet that Helps Ease/Cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome
In a maximum number of cases the cause of IBS is food related. The normal diet for most Americans today consists of junk food. Burgers, pizzas, pastries, chocolates, interspersed with bouts of tea and coffee drinking, eating meats cooked rare, and consuming excess alcohol all add to an extremely strained digestive system. Smoking in many just worsens the symptoms.

Whenever you eat your food, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything in between, be relaxed while eating. Chew the food properly. Many just don't chew their food. They find it too time consuming and unnecessary, and just gulp down their food. This is the cause of many gastrointestinal problems.

A diet that will help one may not be as effective for the other, but following certain basics will help.
-- Never skip your meals, especially breakfast. Eat small quantities at regular intervals. People who skip meals put on more weight since they tend to overeat.
-- Reduce your fat intake.
-- While eating meat, make sure that it is lean and without any fat.
-- Before cooking chicken and any bird remove skin and trim excess fat.
-- Processed meats should be avoided as much as possible.
-- When cooking meat and poultry make sure that you cook it till it is tender. Never eat meat that is undercooked. It will cause you a lot of digestive problems.
-- Fiber, fiber, more fiber. It will work wonders if you have IBS.
-- Avoid fried food, fat laden fast food, and foodstuff made of refined flour. Opt for wholegrain flour instead.
-- Limit your intake of sugar.
-- Limit your intake of salt. Processed foods contain high levels of salts and preservatives.
-- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Raw if possible, if not they should be lightly steamed.
-- Keep drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Drinking too little water will surely make you suffer.
-- Limit alcoholic drinks. Never snack on salted and oily snacks while having a drink. Snack on a fresh vegetable salad instead.
-- Limit your intake of tea and coffee. Fruit juices must be prepared fresh and without sugar. Avoid fruit juices available at the supermarket. They are loaded with sugar and preservatives.

Following these rules will surely have beneficial effects. Adding more fiber in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits will not only be helpful for curing the IBS symptoms, but will also make you healthier.

Consult your physician when signs of IBS first appear. What you think is IBS could be something more serious.

Following all of the above mentioned points are not meant only for IBS sufferers. Even a perfectly healthy person should follow them. What it will ensure is that you live a healthier life and may never ever suffer from IBS.