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Irritable bowel syndrome is a complex problem, and can have a number of different causes. It is often confused with other problems such as Crohn's disease and candidiasis. As Crohn's disease can be a more serious problem, a mis-diagnosis could have serious consequences.
 IBS
can be caused
by factors as various as: medications, including
antibiotics, steroids and anti-ulcer drugs, laxatives, candidiasis, lack of
fibre in the diet, food allergies and food intolerances. A major cause, in our
opinion, is poor digestion caused by insufficient stomach acids and possibly
other enzymes, particularly protein digesting enzymes.
It is often thought that stress can cause IBS, and to a certain extent this may be true, due to the adrenal glands reducing digestive acids and enzymes, with consequences as outlined above. It is more likely that IBS reduces nutrient absorption, and causes irritability and depression, rather than the other way around. The symptoms are diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and extra mucus in the stools.
To
treat the problem,
it is necessary to eliminate all problem-causing
foods. This is done by eliminating all known likely problem foods, together with
the foods eaten most regularly. Then re-introduce the foods at intervals of
three days, observing which cause problems.
The
common problem-causing foods are as follows: citrus fruits, dairy products,
alcohol, caffeine, sugar, fried foods, red meats, artificial preservatives and
additives, wheat, shellfish, tomatoes, tobacco, and yeast (if intolerant). It is
often thought that the problem with red meat is mainly caused by lack of
proteolytic enzymes.
Supplements which may help are as follows: ¨ Digestive enzymes, particularly Betaine HCL. ¨ Lactobacillus acidophilus capsules. ¨ Soluble fibre; psyllium is the best, but oatbran is helpful. ¨ Strong multivitamin, containing at least 50 mg of each of the main B vitamins. ¨ L-Glutamine; this amino acid is the main fuel for the replacement of the cells forming the lining of the intestines. These cells are replaced roughly every 72 hours, but if glutamine is in short supply this process doesn’t happen properly, and a “leaky gut” will ensue. ¨ Boswellia; the fastest and most dramatic results of all can be produced by this herbal extract. It is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent, and also has healing effects. A reasonably large dose, say 2x350mg capsules, often produces total relief of symptoms within an hour. To buy any of these products, click this link: www.NationalNutrition.co.uk |
