There’s a common misconception that says foods cause irritable bowel syndrome. It says that the main connection between foods & irritable bowel syndrome is the fact that the illness is caused by eating certain foods. However, this is not true.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder which means that the illness lies in the function of your bowels and not in the food that you eat. In fact, there is still no known cause of irritable bowel syndrome.

This leaves us with the question: what exactly is the connection between foods & irritable bowel syndrome?

First of all, even though foods are not the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, certain foods will trigger its symptoms. This includes abdominal pains, diarrhea or constipation, and sudden changes in stool frequency. Here are foods that can trigger these symptoms:

1) Foods with high fat-content– A person suffering from irritable bowel syndrome should try to keep the fat content of his or her food below 25 percent. This is because fat is simply the best (or worst) stimulant of digestion. When fat is introduced into your stomach, it immediately triggers your colon to start contracting. Since irritable bowel syndrome has more to do with the function of the intestines, this sort of reaction will trigger the symptoms of this illness.

2) Coffee – Don’t think that this does not include decaf! Many people do not know that decaf coffee still contains an enzyme that can irritate the gut. However, drinking regular coffee can be even worse, as caffeine is also an irritant. Put plainly, drinking coffee if you have irritable bowel syndrome would be akin to inviting pain into your life.

3) Alcohol – This is actually okay in small amounts like the amount used for cooking. However, it can be a very effective irritant especially if it is drunk on an empty stomach.

This, of course is not the sole connection between foods & irritable bowel syndrome. If there are foods that trigger irritable bowel syndrome, there are also foods that help minimize the symptoms.

Try eating foods with high soluble fiber content. Eating this type of food would aid the proper digestion of food. Some people are put off by the idea of eating soluble fiber mainly because it is said to be a laxative. However, soluble fiber is actually more of a stabilizer. It helps prevent both diarrhea and constipation.

People often tend to see the negative side of a relationship such as that between foods & irritable bowel syndrome. However, it should be stated that food per se will not trigger the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A person with irritable bowel syndrome only needs to find the right types of food in order to minimize the symptoms of this illness.

Foods & irritable bowel syndrome need balance in order to benefit a person. Take insoluble fiber, for instance: many people know that insoluble fiber is a trigger for irritable bowel syndrome. However, it is also widely known that insoluble fiber can be found in fruits and vegetables –all healthy foods. A person is then faced with the dilemma of choosing between the nutrition provided by insoluble fiber foods and the pain caused by them.

However, by eating these foods with a quantity of soluble fiber, a person can easily avoid the pain of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and still get the nourishment that he or she needs. And that is the connection between foods & irritable bowel syndrome.

However, this notion couldn’t be any more false. The truth is that Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder meaning that the problem lies in your bowels and not really on your food intake. In fact, even until now, no known cause has been pinpointed to trigger this syndrome.

“Now that’s cleared up, most people would be wondering, so is there a connection between food and irritable bowel syndrome at all?”

As a start, some foods do indeed trigger irritable bowel syndrome even though they might not directly cause it. Some of the symptoms that can be triggered include abdominal problems, diarrhea or constipation as well as sudden changes in bowel movement. Below is a list of foods that can trigger these symptoms.

1. High fatty content foods
Avoiding food with high fat content can help avoid irritable bowel syndrome. Ideally, the fat intake should be below25 percent because fat is known to be either a great or worst stimulant for digestion. The moment fat is introduced into your stomach, your colon immediately starts contracting and since irritable bowel syndrome has more to do with intestine function, this reaction thus triggers the problem.

2. Coffee
This included decaf! People think that decaf is so much better, but it actually contains the same enzyme that irritates the gut. Regularly drinking coffee can trigger bowel irritation since it contains caffeine.

3. Alcohol
Okay, so this is an exception. You can take it in as long as it’s done in small amounts. However, it can also function as an irritant especially if it is drunk without taking in food first.

These foods do trigger symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome; however, there are also different kinds of food that help minimize this problem from happening.

Food with high fiber content is essential to keep your digestion steady. Some people refrain from eating foods with soluble fiber content because they think it is a laxative, but the fact is that it is more of a stabilizer. It prevents diarrhea and constipation from happening.

Most people see only the negative and think that the food causes the problem. However, it should be known that food alone does not cause irritable bowel syndrome. A person going through this only needs to look for the right kind of food that helps minimize this problem from happening.

Taking in insoluble fiber can trigger irritable bowel syndrome. However, insoluble fiber can also be found in fruits, which are regular foods that health conscious individuals eat.

So most people will need to choose about the nutrition these kinds of food provide or the pain that they cause.

One way to get around this is balancing your diet. By eating enough food that contains soluble fiber, you can minimize irritable bowel syndrome from happening. Plus, you still get the nourishment that your body needs.

With higher fiber content in your regular diet, your stools are likely to become bulky. So if you are seriously affected with constipation, the best way to combat compacted stool its to induce some volume. That exactly is how fiber works.

Problematic foods, on the other hand, are those known to trigger the symptoms. These are basically those with high fat content since this aids in slower digestion of foods. Fat itself takes much longer time before it is completely dissolved and stored.

One important thing to remember when following a diet for irritable bowel syndrome is the observance of regular meals. Irritable Bowel Syndrome lies in the abnormal function of the intestinal tract, or specifically the colon.

If you would practice eating at the same time everyday, your intestine will get used to the habit, which would regularize the bowel movement and the movement of the intestinal muscles more.

If you have diarrhea-dominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the best diet for you to follow is one that will allow the intake of meals in smaller pieces. And since diarrhea deals more on the presence of water in the stool, it is vital that you follow your dietician’s advice when it comes to the amount of water that must be taken.

In general, it is advisable to take as much fluid as you can. Alcohol works best. Be careful though that you avoid caffeinated drinks, carbonated sodas, and alcohol-based beverages. Caffeine will stimulate the intestines and can result to making diarrhea worse while carbonated drinks produce more gas, which further aggravates the condition.

Dairy foods are also a must-avoid food in nearly all common diets for irregular bowel syndrome. Lactose intolerance is normally associated with IBS. If you are lactose-intolerant it is best that you supplement milk proteins with yogurt. Or better yet, use an enzyme product to facilitate the breaking down of lactose.

You may still continue consuming milk products. However, in some common diet for irritable bowel syndrome, it is suggested that lactose is totally removed. Be sure though that this is properly substituted with products that contain high content of vitamin B, calcium and protein.

This is because the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome call for immediate attention when it is experienced. One way of controlling these symptoms is through a proper irritable bowel diet. Some people may say that “irritable bowel diet” sounds a bit dodgy. So let’s try to give it another name. How about diet for irritable bowel syndrome? It may be a mouthful, but it is okay for the ears.

People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome have these observations about food:

1) Some foods will definitely trigger the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Because of the knowledge that specific foods would definitely make their illness more uncomfortable, people learn how to avoid them.

2) Some foods okay to eat. People who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome try to find foods that do not trigger the symptoms of the illness. People who are able to find such foods do try to substitute these foods for the ones that they had to give up.

3) Some foods are unpredictable. There are instance when eating a certain food will trigger the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. However, there are instances when eating that same food will have no effect at all. People who experience this are left confused and they instantly think that they can rely on luck to help them eat a specific food without feeling anything.

Because of the third category, people are often reluctant to try and find the irritable bowel diet that’s right for them. This is also compounded by the fact that most people have been advised to try and find their personalized irritable bowel diet.

However, people need to understand that there are generic rules that they can follow in finding the right diet for irritable bowel syndrome. These tips will definitely help you find the irritable bowel diet that’s right for you:

1) Soluble fiber – Soluble fiber helps stabilize activities in your gut and prevents both constipation and diarrhea. Some people are reluctant to add soluble fiber to their irritable bowel diets because of the fact that soluble fiber is continually advertised to be a type of laxative. However, you should realize that soluble fiber will stabilize the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

2) Eliminate these foods from your diet:

a) High fat
b) Alcohol
c) caffeine
d) red meat
e) dairy
f) carbonated

If the food falls under one of those categories, do not eat it. It’s not worth the pain.

3) Make eating fun. Do not think of an irritable bowel diet as a prison which confines you. Think of it as your personal universe. Try to arrange and rearrange the different items in your irritable bowel diet to suit your mood. Think of ways you can substitute different foods for the ones that you had to give up. Remember that it is no use to think about the food that you cannot have and such thoughts will only lead you to despair.

4) If you are not sure about a specific food, then do not eat it. You cannot rely on luck to help you cope with the effects of Irritable bowel syndrome. Before you eat something that is not a part of your irritable bowel diet, ask yourself this question: “will the taste of this food be worth the pain of my illness?”