Foods to Eat / Not Eat for IBS
For most people, digestion is something they don’t think about much and visiting the bathroom once or twice a day is not a big deal. Most of us can also eat as freely as we like took, and not give much thought to whether what’s on the menu might be the cause of serious gastrointestinal distress after consumption. It’s possible for anyone to get an upset stomach from time-to-time, but people with irritable bowel syndrome life is not carefree in that way. Digestion can be a real difficult time for them, and it can make it difficult to live a normal life. It’s good to know what foods trigger IBS attacks, and what foods aren’t a problem.
IBS sufferers do have it tough, but fortunately there are IBS treatment medications like Linzess that work well to mediate IBS and make the condition much more bearable. IBS medications are effective, but it is usually necessary to make dietary changes in order to have maximum relief from IBS. If you can understand what foods trigger IBS attacks you can avoid them or have them in extreme moderation if it’s something you absolutely have to have.
There’s some nasty stuff that you must cut out entirely, and we’re not talking about it only because we are discussing irritable bowel syndrome treatment. It’s soda, and the negative affects of drinking soda extend to making IBS worse and on to fill a long, long list of reasons why you shouldn’t drink pop. So that’s one area where you can’t even avoid it in moderation and whether you have IBS or not you should just stop drinking sugary drinks entirely. The artificial sweeteners and sugar-free sodas can worsen IBS too.
Sugary alcoholic beverages are a double whammy, when it comes to what can make IBS worse. That’s just the start of what foods trigger IBS attacks and we’ll get to the rest of them here along with some added discussion of other natural approaches you can try to improve the results you get from your IBS medication.
What is a FODMAP?
This big, long acronym may sound like robot technology or something of the sort, but it stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. It’s a term used for a type of carbohydrate in some foods. These carbs are different from regular carbs in that they pull more water into the bowel and push up gas levels to cause pain, bloating, and diarrhea with IBS. As part of what foods trigger IBS, it may be good to know that these foods have a lot of FODMAP carbs in them:
- Fruits like peaches, watermelon, apples, plums, and nectarines
- Wheat-based bread, pasta, and cereals
- Vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, onions, and brussels sprouts
- Legumes like kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils
- Sugar and artificial sweeteners
For a more comprehensive list of FODMAP foods, go here. Let’s add all foodstuffs containing high-fructose corn syrup to the list. Be aware that high fructose corn syrup can promote brain inflammation, and canned soups are one food you might be surprised to learn can have high-fructose corn syrup in them.
Avoiding FODMAP foods or ingredients is very beneficial for people who have gas, pain, and bloating as their worst IBS symptom, and this is all a part of what to eat with IBS attack. It is common for people with IBS to have IBS trigger foods that are the biggest ones for them specifically, and that’s why it’s standard for people with poor digestion to try an IBS elimination diet. You remove a number of different foods that you suspect might be causing IBS and then you add them back into your diet one by one and at intervals, monitoring to see if they cause you to have an irritable bowel.
Drive Thru Less
For more on what foods trigger IBS attacks we also know that fried foods are bad for IBS, and so if you’re in need of a quick meal or snack maybe Burger King isn’t the best idea. The reason that fried foods contribute to bad IBS is because frying food can change the chemical makeup of it and make it more difficult to digest. People with IBS have compromised digestion, and these foods are just that much more difficult for the gut to break down. Chipotle would be a much better choice for most people, but beans and legumes can make gas, bloating, and cramps worse for IBS sufferers too.
Some people have found that a ketogenic diet is helpful for reducing the pain element of having IBS, and enjoyed the weight loss it tends to promote for a lot of people too. A keto diet can be an excellent choice if you have prediabetes too and are wanting to try to reverse it and avoid becoming a diabetic. We know what foods trigger IBS attacks and we know you won’t find them in a Keto diet.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
