Recommended Foods For Irritable Bowel
The consumption of some foods can be positive for patients with irritable bowel. Irritable bowel syndrome is an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause a number of problems for those who suffer from it.
Specifically, it has symptoms based on abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea. In addition, it can condition intolerance to certain foods.
However, it is a pathology in which diet has a great influence. Thus, through diet we can significantly alleviate its symptoms and improve its development.
For this reason, we are going to present you a series of foods whose consumption can serve as an adjunct in the treatment of this disease. However, you should not forget to follow the instructions of your doctor and the pertinent pharmacological treatment.
Foods for irritable bowel: what are the options?
As an article published in Gastroenterology & Hepatology explains , food can exacerbate or improve irritable bowel symptoms. Therefore, dietary interventions are considered an important part of the treatment against this disease. What are the recommended foods?}
Probiotics to improve irritable bowel
The scientific literature shows the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of this syndrome. They are, as you already know, bacteria that colonize the intestinal tract causing a series of health benefits.
Every day more applications of these microorganisms are known in the treatment and prevention of diseases. They are traditionally used to improve the symptoms of diarrhea associated with antibiotics.
However, they have recently been found to help dramatically reduce the pain and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. We can find probiotics in fermented milk, yogurt, and kefir. However, one of the main characteristics of this disease is the need to individualize.
Thus, among patients, we can find a number of individuals who reject the consumption of dairy products and foods with lactose. In these types of situations, supplementation is advised.
Fiber can improve symptoms
The intake of dietary fiber is associated with a selective growth of the bacterial microflora. An article published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics suggests that the intake of this substance reduces the problem of this disease.
For this reason, the consumption of foods rich in pectin such as apple and pear is recommended. In addition, the body’s reaction to the inclusion of oats in the diet can be assessed. The intake of beta glucans from this cereal contributes significantly to the improvement of the composition of the microbiota.
In parallel, the incidence of gluten consumption in this type of syndromes is being studied, but no evidence has yet been established in this regard. However, the consumption of whole grains is discouraged in the first instance in order not to produce imbalances in intestinal transit.
Hydration is essential
It’s important to stay hydrated if you have irritable bowel syndrome. The episodes of diarrhea, frequent in this type of pathology, can produce imbalances in the hydric balance. Dehydration can be fatal, especially in older people.
For this reason, we advise you to consume at least 2 liters of water a day. It is important to limit the consumption of fructose, whose digestion is difficult and sometimes annoying. Following this advice, sodas should be avoided.
Alcohol is also an element that should disappear from the irritable bowel patient’s diet. This substance, apart from being toxic, produces imbalances in the water and electrolyte balance that can compromise the health of the individual. Similarly, the consumption of coffee, tea and spicy or irritating foods that make digestion difficult is discouraged.
Food and irritable bowel: what should be clear?
Irritable bowel syndrome is an inflammatory disease that presents a high index of individualization. For this reason, foods that are good for one patient may be bad for another. Products must be tested for tolerance before they are routinely included in the diet.
However, there are some dietary strategies that can significantly improve the symptoms of the disease. Most of them consist of positively modulating the bacterial growth of the intestine.
This is done by increasing the consumption of fermented dairy and soluble fiber. The ingestion of pectin from apples and pears produces fermentation at the intestinal level that triggers the selective growth of certain intestinal bacteria.
From here , the effects of a gluten-free diet in the treatment of the disease are also being investigated. In addition, innovative therapies such as stool transplantation are being put into practice, with promising results in the medium term.
