Physician-Recommended Natural Ways That Can Heal Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When it comes to digestive tract ailments that confuse both medical professionals and patients, irritable bowel syndrome has got to be one of them.

Commonly referred to as IBS, the intestinal disorder presents in contradictory symptoms, hence the seemingly unending confusion where the disease is concerned.

Three Types

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, IBS can present in three distinct types. Frequent diarrhea is the hallmark of the first one, while frequent constipation characterizes the second one. The third type is an interesting medical fact, especially because it alternates between both diarrhea and constipation.

Other symptoms of IBS include fatigue, headache, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain, but the doctor says that some of these may be absent. Additionally, these symptoms tend to characterize a huge number of other ailments, hence the need for careful diagnosis.

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As Dr. Weil explains, the root cause of IBS is a miscommunication between the brain and the digestive tract. Although what exactly causes the miscommunication is unclear, it results in unnatural contractions of the muscles along the gut, causing abdominal pain and woes in the bathroom.

Thankfully though, remedies for this condition exist. According to this physician, IBS diarrhea is conventionally treated with loperamide and rifaximin, while the constipation is treated using fiber-based supplements.

As for the abdominal discomfort, the medic recommends anti-spasm drugs and interestingly, antidepressants in low doses.

All the same, Dr. Weil insists that there are natural remedies to winning the fight against IBM, and they all include simple but vital lifestyle changes.

Keep a Food Diary

For starters, he says that you should track whatever you consume. In keeping a food diary, the doctor says that you will discover foods that trigger your intestinal disorder. As he explains it, common causes of IBS flare-ups include soybeans, lamb, pork, beef, and wheat.

Some raw fruits, veggies, as well as beans, he continues, have the tendency to cause bloating and flatulence.

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Secondly, make sure that your diet is big on fiber. As you may have already deduced, a high fiber intake will reduce your chances of suffering from constipation. Dr. Weil recommends high-fiber veggies or ground flaxseed sprinkled in salads and soups.

Are you a big fan of coffee? In this doctor’s book, you are doing yourself more harm than good. He says that caffeine is a bowel irritant, and taking decaffeinated coffee won’t do you any favors either.

And if you want to continue keeping IBS at bay, you’ve got to fall in love with the shouting yellow of turmeric. It’s yellow, right? Basing his recommendation on an already concluded study, Dr. Weil suggests that you should take 300-400 milligrams of turmeric thrice every day.

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If you’ve been keeping count, you’ll have noticed that thus far, the good doctor has offered four solutions. The fifth and final one is slippery elm, a wellness shot he says you should take at least twice every day.

Elm powder is commercially available, and to prepare the shot, take 1 tablespoon of the powder, add a similar amount of sugar, then top up with two cups of hot water.

Before we wrap up, the doctor says that you should not confuse ordinary bowel discomfort as IBS. This, he says, goes away after a few days. Should it persist for over four weeks though, you should seriously query the intestinal disorder and see your doctor.