Do you suffer from abdominal pain, bloating, alternating constipation/diarrhea with pain, mucous, flatulence or nausea? You could have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common gastrointestinal condition.
IBS is due to the large intestine not functioning properly. It is also known as nervous indigestion, spastic colitis or intestinal neurosis.
The causes of IBS are a variety of physiological, psychological and dietary factors. Therefore, the usual first step is to increase dietary fibre. Although bran is often suggested, I do not advise using wheat bran. Wheat is among the most commonly implicated foods in allergic and malabsorption conditions. Instead use fibre from vegetables, fruit, oat bran, psyllium, ground flax seed and legumes such as beans and peas.
IBS is often connected to food intolerances not picked up by standard food allergy tests. It is better to do an elimination diet or to have VEGA testing done, which measures a patient's electrical response to foods.
Yeast (Candida albicans) in the intestinal tract promotes the development of allergic reactions that contribute to IBS. Candida is usually kept under control by digestive secretions and by friendly bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidobacterium. Therefore, these are important to use after antibiotics to support gut health.
IBS is often also associated with problems such as anxiety, fatigue, hostile feelings, frustration, depression and sleep disturbances. An imbalance in handling stressors affects the adrenal gland. An increased production of cortisol decreases digestion. Biofeedback, counselling, physical exercise and stress handling strategies often help.
Certain herbs have been found to be helpful, including peppermint, ginger, chamomile, rosemary, valerian and lemon balm. These can be made into a tea.
--Dr. Brenda Gill, Natural Choices Health Centre, Rossland (250) 352-3150 and Nelson, BC (250) 362-5035