20 percent of Americans have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These people are plagued by uncomfortable and often disabling symptoms like bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and pain.
Many people with IBS suffer without relief. The cause of their illness is never found and they are told to just get more fiber or take Metamucil, or were prescribed sedatives, anti-spasm drugs, or antidepressants.
A landmark paper, was recently published in the prestigious British medical journal Gut that found eliminating foods identified through delayed food allergy testing (IgG antibodies) resulted in dramatic improvements in IBS symptoms.Atkinson, W., Sheldon, T.A., Shaath, N., and P.J. Whorwell. (2003). Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Gut. 53:1459–1464
Another article, an editorial in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, stated clearly that we must respect and recognize the role of food allergies and inflammation in IBS. Shanahan, F. and P.J. Whorwell, M.D. (2005). IgG-mediated food intolerance in irritable bowel syndrome: A real phenomenon or an epiphenomenom? The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 100:1558–1559.
So the research tells us that these are the two main causes of irritable bowel — food allergies and overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine — but there may be others, including a lack of digestive enzymes, parasites living in the gut, zinc or magnesium deficiency, heavy metal toxicity, and more.
It is important to personalize treatment based on the unique circumstances that exist for each person who suffers from IBS
4 Factors in Healing IBS
1. Get tested. Try to get a test for IgG food allergies and eliminate the foods that test positive for 12 weeks. Or simply try an allergy elimination diet for a few weeks.
2. Test yourself. If you can’t afford the test mentioned above, then just eliminate the most common food allergens for 12 weeks — that’s dairy, gluten, yeast, eggs, corn, soy, and peanuts. And then reintroduce them to see if they cause symptoms. This is an effective way to isolate the foods that may be causing you problems.
3. Repopulate your digestive tract with good bacteria. probiotics help normalize gut function.CLICK HERE TO ORDER PROBIOTIC
4. Try digestive enzymes with meals to help break down food while your gut heals. CLICK HERE TO ORDER DIGESTIVE ENZYME
By taking these steps and seeking out the underlying causes of IBS, you can dramatically improve your health and overcome your digestive disorder.
