The exact cause is unknown – it's been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, oversensitive nerves in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.
You can ease your IBS symptoms by eating a balanced diet that is low in FODMAPs and saturated fat. These include lean meats, eggs, fatty fish, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fruits that are lower in sugar. Fermented foods may also be good for the gut flora in you have IBS. National Institutes of Health.
While we don't know what causes IBS, we do know that flare-ups are often triggered by food, caffeine, stress, carbonated drinks, artificial sugars, or infectious diarrhea. The more IBS episodes you have, the more sensitive your gut becomes to triggers.
Studies and clinical trials have shown that active culture yogurt can help many people with IBS control symptoms, reduce pain, and have a better quality of life. Yogurt does not work for everyone with IBS, and it may be a poor choice if you are extremely sensitive to lactose.
Probiotics have also proven beneficial in IBS patients by slowing down the transit time of the colon, reducing the average number of bowel movements per day, improving stool consistency, overall symptoms, and above all, the quality of life in these patients.
The two things most likely to make your IBS symptoms worse are the foods you eat and having emotional stress. Diet. Eating makes your colon muscles move or contract. This normally gives you an urge to have a bowel movement 30 to 60 minutes after a meal.
Increase the amount of fibre in your diet, for example: cereals, e.g. All Bran®, Bran Flakes®, Weetabix®, muesli, fruit and vegetables and brown bread. You must however drink plenty of water: 1-1½ litres a day. Eat your meals slowly and chew food thoroughly.
Diet Triggers for IBS Constipation
Some foods can make IBS-related constipation worse, including: Breads and cereals made with refined (not whole) grains. Processed foods such as chips and cookies. Coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol.
The final word: Are eggs good for IBS? Dr. Lee emphasizes that eggs can be an ally for most people with IBS, so try to incorporate them into your diet as tolerated. “Eggs are a powerful, low-carb, protein-packed and nutritious food with good fats that your body needs.
While everyone's tolerance is different, most individuals with IBS are able to handle small amounts of low-lactose dairy products. This means that the best cheese for IBS is low lactose cheese.
If someone with IBS tolerates dairy products, plain and unsweetened Greek yogurt is a nutritious dietary addition. Greek yogurt contains live probiotics—bacteria that offer many health benefits, including for gut health. If you are lactose intolerant, you might still be able to enjoy Greek yogurt.
Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea From IBS. The BRAT diet is often recommended to help bind loose or watery stools. 5 BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
Avocados contain FODMAPs that can trigger IBS symptoms and may be high, moderate, or low in FODMAPs depending on how much you eat. In terms of portion sizes, 1/8 of an avocado is considered low-FODMAP and should be safe to eat if you have IBS. Some people may be able to tolerate more.
According to both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly, cherry tomatoes are low FODMAP and you can safely enjoy them 45g (3 tomato) serves (1 4). Just keep an eye on portion sizes as they do contain moderate amounts of fructans in 60g serves (1).
Unfortunately, you cannot self-diagnose IBS. However, there are some online IBS diagnosis questionnaires that you can take to assess your current condition. Nevertheless, these quizzes are never a substitute for a diagnosis from a doctor, as each IBS diagnosis and treatment plan is individual.