About IBS Diet Foods

Insufficient digestion provides bacteria in the lower gut excessive food, which leads to gas, which in turn irritates the intestines, further inhibiting complete digestion. This self-reinforcing functional failing of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract falls under the blanket term irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and may be mitigated through diet.

Dietary Causes of IBS

• Both food intolerance and allergies can irritate the GI tract, inhibiting complete digestion to produce IBS-type symptoms. For this reason, IBS patients should consider allergy testing. Also, because proteins need a highly acidic environment to be digested while starches (carbohydrates with a low water content) need the opposite, combining the two in one meal ensures incomplete digestion.

Enzymes

• Raw vegetables and fruits are an excellent source of digestive enzymes that an IBS patient's GI tract may produce insufficiently. Digestive enzymes are also available as supplements.

Water

• Excessive water during meals dilutes digestive enzymes and stomach acid during meals, inhibiting complete digestion.

Food Combinations

• Protein can be eaten with fibrous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and greens) and shouldn't be eaten with starchy vegetables. Water and fruit should mostly be consumed separate from other foods; one small glass of water per meal is optimal for digestion.

Implicated Foods

• Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas and rice should be avoided during a high-protein meal. The most common foods implicated in food intolerance and allergies are dairy, soy, wheat and artificial sweeteners.

It Might Not be Chronic

• Once the GI tract is no longer irritated, it is more capable of complete digestion, and dietary restrictions can be loosened. Also, enzyme supplements can help digest recalcitrant foods identified in allergy tetsts.