Irritable bowel

[sophie]

Please can anyone offer some sound dietary advice on my mothers irritable bowel?

It has plagued her for years and seems to cause her no end of suffering, from bloating to cramping, loose stools to constipation.

She has been on peppermint capsules, and a mix of other mess from the doctors or over-the-counter. All with varying degrees of benefit.

Has anyone suffered this? And can offer any suggestions? :watermelon:

[Kellyjames]

I get this from time to time, the best advice I can offer is to try and avoid those foods that cause the problem. I dont think there is a cut and dry solution to this.

[Yogi001]

Have you tried Aloe juice? This stuff is amazing and very soothing on the gut.

[J-jay]

I get bloating after eating bread, so I only eat it on rare occasions.

Eliminate the foods that cause you problems. Or cut out everything from your diet and start back on very plain whole food. Introduce processed foods back into your diet slowly.

[Dale42]

Try taking a digestive aid supplement, or probiotics. I hear they can work really well, but shop around, because there is a wide variety of quality supplements.

[lucymc]

My mother also suffers from IBS. She always nervous about everything. I often chill her out with a cup of chamomile tea. I read an article about the health benefit of chamomile then found this article https://authorityremedies.com/home-remedies-for-irritable-bowel-syndrome/. It said that chamomile is loaded with the antispasmodic property and rich in the amount of tannins which can excellently provide a great source of relief of IBS symptoms, including diarrhea. This kind of flower also aids in treating both the inflammation in the intestines and abdominal spasms. I usually add three teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers in a cup of boiled water and wait for about 15 minutes to let it steep. After that, I strain it out and add a little amount of lemon juice. You should try make her a nice cup of tea every morning.

[Yogi001]

My mother also suffers from IBS. She always nervous about everything. I often chill her out with a cup of chamomile tea. I read an article about the health benefit of chamomile then found this article https://authorityremedies.com/home-remedies-for-irritable-bowel-syndrome/. It said that chamomile is loaded with the antispasmodic property and rich in the amount of tannins which can excellently provide a great source of relief of IBS symptoms, including diarrhea. This kind of flower also aids in treating both the inflammation in the intestines and abdominal spasms. I usually add three teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers in a cup of boiled water and wait for about 15 minutes to let it steep. After that, I strain it out and add a little amount of lemon juice. You should try make her a nice cup of tea every morning.

This is really interesting, I didn't realise chamomile is so effective. I have read that it is generally good for digestive complaints such as indigestion, peptic ulcers, and bouts of colic.

It's also good to help calm irritability, nervousness, and tension headaches, helping to promote sleep and relaxation. Your mother may find this aspect beneficial too Lucymc.

[lucymc]

This is really interesting, I didn't realise chamomile is so effective. I have read that it is generally good for digestive complaints such as indigestion, peptic ulcers, and bouts of colic.

It's also good to help calm irritability, nervousness, and tension headaches, helping to promote sleep and relaxation. Your mother may find this aspect beneficial too Lucymc.

Yeah me either until I read the article and let her try that method for a couple week. It actually turns out much better! :)

[sophie]

Wow! Thanks for all your suggestions guys, Mum has been drinking organic peppermint tea 3 times a day and she find this works really well too.

[Daisy82]

Mint tea is so soothing, if you have smoothies, throw in some fresh mint.

I hear IBS can be difficult to treat because of the varied causes, so it's often about finding the stimulant and cutting it from your diet.

[guv-ner]

Cut out all known foods to cause irritation. Dairy and wheat is a good place to start, stay off these for a week or two to see how your body reacts, if the problem still continues, then choose other food stuffs to eliminate from your diet. Once you have found the cause, you can start to introduce the foods slowly back into your diet. But not in groups for example wheat or dairy, but in individual food items, i.e milk, yogurt, great, cereal.

Also it is worth seeking out foods that are known to be gentle on the stomach, anti-spasmodic like mint. IBS is painful and can be debilitating, but you don't have to turn to medication for the answers, you can find more natural solutions.
IBS is a symptom that the body is not happy with something. If you continue to eat the foods that cause the problem, but take medication to mask the symptoms you are only causing your body harm.

[Louise]

I think it is worthy noting that low levels of hydrochloic acid in the stomach can give the symptoms of wind, abdominal pain, discomfort and bloating. Similar symptoms to IBS.

It it is best to bring up the levels naturally using fruits and vegetables. Kiwi's and celery juice are very beneficial in maintaining healthy levels of hydrocloric acid. A plethora of amino acids including serine, leucine and lysine all help to raise acid levels, bringing relief.