3 common questions I get from my IBS clients
April is IBS awareness month (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) so I wanted to share with you 3 common questions I get asked by my IBS clients.
1. Should I take a probiotic supplement?
Probiotics are live cultures and can be helpful in the management of IBS to encourage the balance of the gut microbiota. However it might not always be the best course of action and knowing which one to take can be a minefield as there are so many different ones on the market.
Not every probiotic would be good for you and it is important to know specific probiotic strains that would be most effective for your symptoms.
For instance, if you have IBS-D (diarrhoea) Saccharomyces boulardii can help reduce this. If you have IBS-C (Constipation) Bifidobacterium lactis can help support bowel movement.
I am giving these examples because these 2 probiotic strains have been researched in clinical trials and science is backing their efficacy. Always do your research before taking a probiotic.
A prebiotic supplement may be more suitable to start with (or in combination with a probiotic) to support microbial diversity and regular bowel movement. Prebiotics are food for probiotics so you want to give them a good environment to live in!
And don’t forget that if you take supplements, adding probiotic and prebiotic rich food to your diet is still very important! If the environment doesn’t change, the microbes will grow back eventually!
2. Should I eat more or less fibre?
Just as a reminder, fibre is found in fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes and wholegrains. It is a type of carbohydrate. Prebiotics, which I just mentioned in the previous question, are types of fibre. There are plenty of different fibres.
Fibre can be a double-edged sword when you have gut issues but in most cases increasing fibre intake has been shown to be beneficial with IBS.
It is true that if you increase your fibre intake, you’ll probably experience more gas and bloating. If that’s the case, try to increase them slowly and your gut will adapt! Everyone is different and some may react badly after eating onion and others would not tolerate lentils.
If you’re having a flare-up, reducing fibre may be necessary to alleviate your symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea but it is important not to do it for too long to ensure you don’t lack important nutrients.
So, instead of reducing your fibre intake dramatically during a flare, you could first focus on choosing cooked over raw foods which are often easier to digest (baked apples instead of a whole apple for instance) as well as removing the skin from fruits and vegetables.
Your gut bacteria feed on fibre and are important for proper colon function. It also helps to increase satiety. Dietary fibre also plays a role in balancing blood sugar levels and normalising serum cholesterol levels. What’s not to love?!
3. Should I follow a low FODMAP diet?
If you’ve been diagnosed with IBS, it is likely that you’ve heard of the low FODMAP diet - a diet low in fermentable carbs. It stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (yes it’s a mouthful!).
Research has shown that a low FODMAP diet can help reduce IBS symptoms but I personally think that before embarking on a restrictive diet it is important to dig deeper into what could be the root cause of your IBS. I talk more about the different root causes in my blog article here:
It is usually recommended to stay on a low FODMAP diet for between 2 and 6 weeks depending on the individual. Staying on this diet for too long can have negative effects on your gut microbiome including a reduction in some beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and short chain fatty acids producing species.
If you want to know more about the FODMAP diet, the Monash app and website is a good place to start! I would always recommend to follow a FODMAP diet with a nutrition practitioner.
I know it can be overwhelming dealing with IBS. Keep making small (or big) changes for your health. - it will never go unnoticed by your gut!
If you need support to deal with your IBS symptoms - book a free initial chat here.