Patient advice Diet and IBS

Dietary Advice for IBS

 Research is increasingly showing that most people can control the troublesome symptoms of IBS through modification of their diet. This takes some commitment and trial and error, but the results can be very rewarding.

 ►Step One:

 Follow the dietary advice from the British Dietetic Association, by following the guidance in their BDA Food Fact Sheet on IBS

 This advice includes:

·         Cutting down on rich and fatty food

·         Cutting down on some high fibre foods, and especially those which produce a lot of gas such as beans and pulses

·         To eat soluble sources of fibre, such as golden linseeds

·         To try lactose-free dairy products

·         To try some probiotics

 Keep a symptom and food diary, looking to identify the triggers. If no significant improvement after 4 weeks then move to….

  ►Step Two

 This involves paying close attention to altering your diet to reduce your intake of FODMAPS

 FODMAPs are types of carbohydrates which are poorly absorbed and rapidly fermented by gut bacteria to produce gas and other symptoms of IBS. Recent research shows that 86% of patients can control their symptoms by cutting down on FODMAPs, and benefits are seen within 4 weeks.

 

However a low FODMAP diet is not simple to follow, as FODMAPS are found in a wide range of food sources. For example….

Food Group	High FODMAPs examples	Suitable alternatives
Fruit	Apples, Peaches, pears, plums	Banana, grapes, oranges, strawberries
Vegetables	Mushrooms, onions, garlic, cauliflower, asparagus	Potato, tomato, carrot, green beans, lettuce, peppers
Protein	Legumes and nuts	Fresh chicken, pork, lamb, beef, eggs
Breads and cereals	Wheat, rye, barley	Corn, oats, rice
Dairy	Milk, yoghurt, cheese ice-cream	Butter, lactose-free dairy products
Other	Honey, sorbitol, fructose	Golden syrup, regular sugar

 

Ideally, your doctor should be able to refer you to a dietitian trained in this approach. If this is not possible, then the team at Monash University in Melbourne who have developed this research have produced a range of  Information materials on FODMAPS which you can follow. This includes a book you can order, and also an excellent low FODMAP app for iphone and ipad, which can instantly tell you whether any food is high or low in FODMAPs.

There is also an American diet book available Amazon link

 If your symptoms continue, then obviously go back to your doctor.

This approach takes commitment, but if it works (which for most people it will) your IBS will be controlled without needing to take any drugs. Good luck!!