All about Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterised by abdominal pain, excessive gas production such as ammonia & hydrogen sulphide, bloating, diarrhoea & constipation. Around 10% to 15% of the people globally suffer from IBS globally. About 2/3rd of IBS sufferers are females. Depending upon bowel movement symptoms, IBS can be further categorised into IBS-C( Constipation), IBC-D( diarrhoea) or IBS-M( both). Given that such gas production can lead to chronic inflammation, IBS has also been linked with mental health with 80% of IBS patients also suffering from Anxiety &/or depression. This is attributed to the gut-brain axis, the gut-brain communication through vagus nerves & neurotransmitters. The symptoms of IBS may arise from disturbance in a way the gut, brain & nervous system interact. Although stress does not result in IBS, due to interaction between gut & brain, it can further worsen the symptoms. The impact of IBS can range from mild inconvenience to severe debilitation.

Currently, there is no known reason for disease. However, our genetic profile plays a minor role & as such disease is caused by our nutritional & lifestyle choices. Gut Dysbiosis or imbalance in gut bacteria composition plays an important role in IBS. Empirical evidence shows overdose of antibiotics , post infectious IBS & toxin producing strains of bacteria E.Coli. 

However the main reason for IBS is Gut Dysbiosis which impacts intestinal lining as well as production of neurotransmitters that impacts mental health. This dysbiosis is generally caused by consumption of antibiotics.

With complex diseases such as IBS, the more we know about our gut health, dysbiosis, the better it is! Since IBS can be caused by a lot of factors, there is no one solution to hack this pro-inflammatory disease. How we  assess & evaluate our gut health goes a long way in improving & personalising our diet to overcome this chronic disease. Given that this disease is around for sometime now, physicians & health professionals suggest different diets which may relieve symptoms in some patients. However, this cannot be regarded as “ THE SOLUTION” for IBS. The most famous diet recommended by a lot of physicians is the low FODMAP diet. However, this diet is very difficult to maintain even if some people follow it. Some health professionals have also recommended fecal microbiota transplants to cure IBS. 

While probiotics may work in curing IBS, they work in case of some patients with uncertain long term implications.This happens because probiotics are chosen based on physicians opinion. Although probiotics do help in balancing the gut microbiome & curing IBS, a personalised approach has to be adopted. This means that people suffering from IBS have to be given a very specific diet that will ensure effective colonization of right bacterial strains & proper functional composition of gut bacteria.

Low FODMAP diet has shown very limited success in curing IBS specifically in case of symptoms such as abdominal pain & diarrhea. Besides, most of us find it challenging to maintain a low FODMAP diet. Increased fibre intake is said to cure IBS or improve IBS systems(atleast). However, there is no universally specific diet that is useful to cure IBS given that the gut microbiome is each individual differ from others. Everyone needs to consume a personalised & customised diet that can eliminate the gut imbalance & stops feeding pathogens.

Learning about gut bacteria can help you overcome & prevent occurrence of IBS.Take our gut intelligence assessment & fix up free discovery call to know more.