On
top of it: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Information supplied courtesy of Blackmores
How can you best
deal with IBS? Naturopath Lucy Cannings gets natural about
solutions.
This important food component is a great help when it comes to lowering cholesterol.
Some fibres are better than others – such as water-soluble options like oat bran, psyllium seeds, guar gum or pectin. These form a gel that binds bile and cholesterol in the gut to allow for excretion as part of your bowel motions. They have also been found to decrease the bad (LDL) cholesterol and improve the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.
Stress
Busting
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As a naturopath, I see that stress and anxiety have a
major impact on the function of the bowel. Dealing with
stress and anxiety is critical to helping reduce the
symptoms of IBS. 
I find meditation is a very useful tool to help calm
the mind and body and it helps to re-set the nervous
system to run at a calmer pace. It can be handy to buy a
meditation CD and try to listen to it at least 10
minutes per day.
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Some other stress busting tips
include:
- Limit unnecessary running around
in your life
- Try to actively move more slowly
and calmly through life
- Seek the help of a counsellor or
psychotherapist to deal with anxiety
- Eat well and sleep
well
- Take regular holidays to unwind
- Avoid stimulants such as coffee,
tea, chocolate and sugar, as they overstimulate the nervous
system and the bowel
Fact attack: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
… is a
common condition in which the bowel does not function
properly. The symptoms can be similar to other bowel
diseases but in IBS there is usually no visible change
to the bowel wall. It is sometimes known as ‘nervous
indigestion’ as there is usually a link to stress,
anxiety or depression (1)
Symptoms include:
- diarrhoea
- constipation
- abdominal pain
- gas
- bloating
- nausea
- loss of appetite
- varying degrees of anxiety or
depression
Keep up the fibre
Fibre is important for
bowel health and often improves IBS symptoms. I suggest
avoiding wheat as many people have sensitivities, and there
are loads of good alternatives such as slippery elm and
psyllium husks.
 Water-soluble fibres are ideal
and include fruits and vegetables, oat bran, legumes &
guar gum (1). It’s a good idea to experiment with other types
of breakfast cereals such as quinoa and amaranth.
Having enough fibre in your diet will help to support
healthy bowel movement and also help healthy bowel flora to
flourish.
All about the
flora
Consume foods that promote a healthy gut and
avoid foods that have a negative impact on the gut.
This will help the bowel
flora to be balanced and prevent the overgrowth of pathogens
such as Candida. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and miso soup are a
great way to build a healthy gut environment.
Fibre from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains is
also important. Sugar is the enemy of
the gut so cut it out as much as
possible.
Food allergies or
sensitivities
It has long been suspected that food
sensitivities play a role in IBS. IBS sufferers should pay
close attention to what they eat and note any aggravation of
their symptoms. Keeping a food diary for a couple of weeks may
help you work out what’s not working. Some of the most common
reactions I see are to wheat and dairy.
Household herbs and teas can help
Ginger has long been used as a herb for digestive support
and it can be made into a tea or juice to help relieve nausea.
Ginger is ideal for IBS as it has an antispasmodic effect and
it helps to inhibit diarrhoea. 
Excessive contraction of the intestinal muscles is one of
the primary findings in IBS. Peppermint has antispasmodic and
carminative properties hence drinking the tea can help to
relieve symptoms such as spasms and gas that occur with IBS.
Chamomile is another herb that can be made into a tea to
help reduce spasms in the bowel.
REFERENCES
- Murray M. & Pizzorno J.
Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine, Little, Brown &
Company, 1990, London, P395; 396; 397;
- Murray M. The Healing Power of
Herbs, Prima Publishing, USA, 1995, p282; 138; 136
- Braun L. & Cohen M. Herbs & Natural Supplements,
An Evidence-Based Guide, 2nd Edition, Elsevier, Australia;
2007; p 216
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