IBS - AS I SEE IT:  
PRUNELLA'S TRUTH ABOUT IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME IN A NUTSHELL

• What is IBS?
       Simply put, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a group of symptoms that cause abdominal bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea and/or constiptation as well as mild to severe pain, and affects the gut and the large bowel.  IBS is not a disease, it is a functional disorder which just means the bowel is not working or acting normally.
  
  Symptoms of IBS
  Symptoms range from chronic diarrhea and/or constipation to painful abdominal cramping, painful gas and bloating, sometimes there can be a whitish mucus in the bowel stool - occasionally the discomfort and pain can be relieved by a bowel movement, although at times you may feel you have not finished having a bowel movement. Women with IBS can experience more severe symptoms during their menstrual periods.
  
  What Treatment is Recommended for IBS?
  Changes in diet have been the most successful approach, specifically eating soluble fiber foods as opposed to insolublefiber foods, and eliminating all dairy, caffeine, carbonation, alcohol, red meat, most fats, fried foods, and chocolate (keep a food diary to see if it is really affecting you adversely, if you can't bear the thought of giving up chocolate). There are soluble fiber (they will dissolve in water) over-the-counter treatments and supplements that can help some people like Citrucel and Fibercon (different fiber supplements affect different people differently, be sure to read the ingredients on the labels as some may contain wheat as a whole wheat that is an insoluble fiber - ask your pharmacy or contact the manufacturers for samples of several of them, try them, and see which ones help), and your doctor may discuss certain medicines with you like antispasmodics and antidepressants, that are also known to be helpful in certain cases. 
  
  I have found that the best remedy to keep my gut problems at bay has been very carefully eating, for the most part, foods taken from the lists of foods recommended by Heather Van Vorous on her wonderful site:  
  www.helpforibs.com
   Reducing stress in your life can help too. 
  
    PLEASE SEE MY PAGE 3 FOR WHAT TO DO DURING A SEVERE ATTACK
  
  What is Soluble Fiber?  What is Insoluble Fiber?
  Soluble fiber, when dissolved in water, turns into a "gel" like substance, swelling in size, and is especially helpful to the IBS sufferer's bowel system by absorbing enough water to ease the passage of more normal stools. It is usually listed on food or supplement labels as gums, pectin, and muscilage.
  
  Especially good sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, peeled potatoes, bananas, peeled apples & carrots, beets, corn meal, and barley.
  For those of us who have IBS and are diabetic, soluble fiber can also be beneficial in moderating the amount of blood glucose levels.
  
  Always eat soluble fiber foods first, before any other food, on an empty stomach, to decrease the incidence of abdominal gas!
  
  Insoluble fiber does not disolve in water and cannot be absorbed into water.  It basically passes through our abdominal and bowel systems nearly unchanged, and is usually listed on food and supplement labels as bran, cellulose, and/or lignin, The reason insoluble fibers cause problems for IBS sufferers is that we tend to have bowel systems that cause the insoluble fiber foods to linger, ferment and create gas in our guts, whereas soluble fiber foods hurry waste elimination along.
  Insoluble fiber foods that can cause IBS sufferers a problem:  most raw vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, peppers, most dried beans and peas, celery & onions (unless well cooked), unpeeled fruit, most berries, whole grains, citrus fruits, bran, popcorn, sunflower seeds & most all of the foods with edible seeds in them, and nuts (smooth peanut butter is sometimes tolerated in small amounts) 
  
  Why is Soluble Fiber So Important in the Treatment of IBS?
  Benefits of Soluble Fiber
  Following are the advantages of consuming soluble fiber-rich foods
   as compiled by www.Buzzle.com:
  
• It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides in the body and checks their production in the liver.
• It fights constipation and removes excessive blood fats.
• It renders a feeling of fullness, reduces the absorption of calories and thus aids weight loss.
• Soluble fiber helps in the elimination of toxins and heavy metals from the body.
• It quickens pancreatic enzyme release and activates its production.
• Bowel regularity improves since soluble fiber absorbs water.
• Blood glucose is maintained by soluble fiber by slowing down glucose absorption.
• Soluble fiber protects against heart diseases and is partly responsible to help lower blood cholesterol levels.
• It maintains energy balance in the body by delaying the intestinal absorption of sugar and thus stabilizes our blood sugar levels.
• It is converted into a short chain of fatty acids by the bacteria in the bowel. This provides energy to the body and can serve as a shield against dreadful diseases like cancer.
• It maintains insulin function, which lowers the GI (Glycaemic index) of carbohydrates.
• It increases colonic transit time by speeding the elimination of wastes from the system.
• Soluble fiber soothes the intestines and helps calm irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.
• It helps in increasing friendly gut & bowel bacteria.
  
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  I AM NOT A TRAINED MEDICAL PERSON NOR DO I GIVE OUT PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE - PLEASE SEE YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES IN DIET OR LIFESTYLE