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I remember my first bout of IBS as clear as day. I was at high school and ended up in the sick bay with agonising cramps and the school nurse telling me it was probably my appendix playing up. Some twenty years later I can confirm my appendix is just fine right where it is, but my gut is certainly not – I have IBS. And so discovering exactly how to reduce IBS symptoms has become a high priority for me.
IBS - Are You The One Of The Many IBS Sufferers?
Bloating, wind, abdominal cramps, constipation and diarrhoea - IBS symptoms are uncomfortable and painful. And while some people have an almost constant IBS assault, others will suffer from infrequent attacks. Either way IBS is painful, uncomfortable and often embarrassing (particularly when an attack starts in the middle of a restaurant meal with friends).
Considering that one in six New Zealanders suffer from IBS you’d think by now we’d have a solution. Well the good news is, while we can’t treat and fix IBS yet we can reduce the symptoms and make life more bearable; as recent clinical trials have revealed that certain foods may exacerbate IBS symptoms in around 75% of IBS sufferers.
Dietary FODMAPs May Cause Your IBS Symptoms
The problem is that certain foods contain types of short-chain carbohydrates (known as FODMAPs) that aren’t digested in our small intestine and have an osmotic effect. This means they draw water out of our body into our gut and as the FODMAPs travel through our gut into our large intestine they take that fluid with them. What’s more, the FODMAPs are also rapidly fermented by the bacteria found in our large intestine resulting in the production of copious amounts of gas in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. Hence our colon is becomes bloated with gas and fluid, resulting in a painful bloated feeling, cramps and explosive diarrhoea.
The key then is to limit our intake of foods with a high FODMAP content, but this produces two key issues:
1. What foods are high in FODMAPs and must be excluded?
2. How do we ensure we have a balanced diet when excluding FODMAPs?
I’ll describe the various FODMAP-containing food groups and which are the most problematic foods over the next few blog postings. The biggest concern about a low-FODMAP diet, from a nutritionist’s perspective, is the possibility for people to limit the variety of foods they eat so much that it results in nutritional deficiencies. So while it’s great to learn what foods are problematic, it’s equally, if not more, important that you learn what nutritious foods are okay for IBS sufferers and thereby ensure that you eating a balanced diet.
Improve Your IBS Symptoms Now!
 Get individualised nutrition advice from qualified nutritionist Jennifer Bowden with an Individual Consultation.
Read our Client Testimonials about how they improved their diet and health through nutrition consultations with Jennifer. Then phone or email Jennifer today to discuss your needs and book your first appointment.
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About The Author
Jennifer Bowden Nutritionist, MSc (Dist), BSc (Hons) - Human Nutrition
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