Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is more common than ever, however, it’s a condition that is still not fully understood. For this reason, there is no treatment or drug currently on the market that has has been successful in treating IBS.
The condition affects the gut which is the long tube that runs from your throat all the way down to your rectum. The gut includes the bowels and small and larger intestines. IBS actually describes a functional problem with the gut. For example, the condition could be causing certain symptoms but the gut will not show any physical signs of damage.
As IBS can affect many parts of the body the condition can also cause a variety of symptoms. These range from mild to acute abdominal pains, bloating of the stomach, diarrhea and constipation. The cause of these IBS symptoms is also not clear. However, there are a number of ideas – these include an over activity of the gut muscles, bacterial gut infections and an intolerance of certain food types. For example, gluten is notorious for irritating the gut in many people
Probiotics For IBS
Probiotics describes the process that introduces good or friendly bacteria into the gut in order to balance the digestive system. These probiotics do not occur naturally but are created through a fermentation process. These friendly organisms are then introduced into foods such as yogurt and kefir.
Probiotics are believed to improve the health of digestive system by enabling the stomach to digest and absorb nutrients more effectively. Probiotics are also believed to stem the growth of bad bacteria and pathogens like E. coli which can lead to serious infections and disease.
As one cause of IBS is associated with gut infections it is believed the use of probiotics could help treat the condition. The idea is to introduce more of the good bacteria into the gut so that it overwhelms and destroys the bad bacteria.
There are hundreds of varieties of bacteria but there are only specific strains that are considered friendly and they are:
Jury Still Out On Probiotic Benefits For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
So far, there is no clear evidence that probiotics can actually help or alleviate the symptoms of IBS. In many cases the health claims that have been marketed by many probiotic companies have remained unsubstantiated. There is also the concern about the right doses that should be given and there are no clear guidelines on this issue. So, at this point in time the jury is still our on the real benefits relating to probiotics for IBS.
Many nutritional experts agree that your diet can play a major role in either making the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome better or worse. The reality is that a diet that contains a lot of fat and cholesterol is going to make the your IBS problems worse. Fried foods will only irritate the gut and cause inflammation.
Eating A Pure And Simple Diet
The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome is best approached by easting diet that is simple and pure. This should include vegetables, fish, certain grains that do not include any gluten (this makes your irritable) such as rice, quinoa and corn. How you cook your food is just as important. Avoid frying and stick to steam or grill. When it comes to vegetables cook them lightly.
Stay away from drinks and foods that are going to irritate your gut. These include coffee, alcohol and spicey food. When drinking liquids avoid ice cold drinks as this can bloat the stomach. For example, a warm glass of fresh water in the morning is a great way to cleanse the digestive system after a nights sleep. Drink a glass 30 minutes before your eat.
Prebiotics The Key To Digestive Health
There is growing medical evidence which strongly suggests that prebiotics can help improve your digestive health. Prebiotics occur in nature and our found in raw fruits and vegetables. They are known to help create the optimal environment in the gut for probiotics to survive and flourish.
The only thing is that prebiotics are found in raw foods which can cause digestion problems with people who have IBS. However, a premium prebiotic supplement has recently come on to the market that is already showing impressive results.
The prebiotic supplement is called MX Kiwi Biotic and is produced by one of the worlds leading health supplement companies MaxaLife. What has always impressed me most about MaxaLife is that they are not like other supplement companies who launching new dietary supplements every month.
These guys will only deliver a product to the market after strenuous development and testing. From the positive feedback offered by customers it sounds like all that testing is paying off
Rather than using just probiotics for IBS combine MX Kiwi Biotic with a pure and simple diet to get better results.