Did you know that 9% – 23% of the world’s population live with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)1, including over 5,000 members on PatientsLikeMe? For IBS Awareness Month, we’re digging deeper into how people are coping with this condition that affects so many.
We asked IBS members for some insight — which foods help and which ones hurt? Here’s what they had to say about their diet do’s and don’ts:
I’ve tried all sorts of stuff and not long ago, I was experiencing much pain so here are the general guidelines:
- No raw food
- No legumes (e.g. lentils, beans, etc.)
- No FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols): that helps to sort all the types of fruit and vegetable (so basically very few fruits)
- Be careful on milk, gluten and soy, depending on the sensibility
- No high-sugar food that can be irritating
- Be careful in the choice of nuts
- No lacto-fermented products
I tend to blend a lot of my food but still make sure I chew! Well, this is kind of restrictive and it depends on the people and the periods of crisis or not. I’d love to hear from others!
– PatientsLikeMe member
For me it’s boiled down to: Nothing raw, certain veggies cooked, no dairy. I can tolerate lacto fermented foods and certain legumes. No red meat. No shellfish. Nothing processed. I used to be the biggest salad lover. Now I love broth and bland foods.
– PatientsLikeMe member
More often than not, it’s down to stress. So, really I only have three categories that are always going to upset me:
- Anything containing lactose. I sometimes *need* ice cream though and I’ll pop a Lactaid tablet. Ben & Jerry’s makes an excellent non-dairy ice cream, too.
- Anything really greasy or fried. If there’s a lot of sugar, it’s a double-whammy. Very sweet by itself doesn’t bother me, it’s always when it’s in conjunction with greasy things. Pancakes and french toast are really terrible.
- And lastly, there’s a certain local restaurant chain that never fails to give me fits.
– PatientsLikeMe member
Are you living with IBS? Which foods have you added or removed from your diet? Share your experience with the community in the forum.
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1http://www.aboutibs.org/site/living-with-ibs/ibs-awareness-month/
