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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

It seems strange that for a problem that is estimated to effect between 35 and 65 million Americans we don’t hear much about this problem on the television, though lately one commercial for a pro-biotic supplement comes close to touching on it. But then, I do understand that people are uncomfortable talking about, and hearing about, things like alternating constipation and diarrhea, gas, bloating and cramping. These are the normal symptoms of this problem. There is another problem that is similar calledIBD, which we won’t touch on today. Its symptoms are somewhat similar, but its causes and effects are slightly different.

What causes IBS?

Modern medicine says they don’t know for sure. This could be due to the fact that there is no well defined test they can pull out and prove this is the one and only cause of the problem. Those that look at histories, diaries, and anecdotal reports have come up with some pretty strong theories. It is anything that upsets the natural functioning of the bowel. That sounds pretty simplistic, so let’s break it down. Parasites that come unbidden with food or water can start the problem. Antibiotics taken to clear up another infection can cause the good bacteria in your gut to be killed, which again can start the symptoms. A yeast infection is also a likely culprit. Food sensitivities and allergies are also a known cause. As you can see there are huge varieties of possible candidates for the ‘cause’ of your IBS.

So, what can we do about it?

The books seem to agree on this one. There are several things we can do, they fall into two categories: elimination and addition. Let’s look at elimination first. If you suspect food allergies you will want to eliminate the things that you are likely to be allergic to. Some of the most common are dairy products, sugar, wheat and corn. You can find out what you are sensitive to in two ways. You can go to your doctor and ask for a food allergy blood test. Not all of them may know what you are talking about. Mine came back with about four pages of things I needed to avoid. The second way is for the do it yourself group. This is to keep a diary of everything you eat and what and when you have symptoms. Remember, symptoms can occur several hours after ingesting a food, so look back to the past the last meal to see if a pattern is developing.

Things everyone needs to eliminate are refined sugar, coffee, gas forming foods, and fatty foods. Refined sugars, and some starches are known to act as fertilizer for a yeast overgrowth. Cutting it out is like cutting off the water to your front lawn. In time they will shrivel up and quit reproducing. Coffee increases the intestinal spasms, increasing the cramping and diarrhea. Foods such as beans and cabbage can cause more than the normal gas, increasing your discomfort. The same goes for fatty foods.

Things we need to increase are fiber, clean water, enzymes, and pro-biotics. Most of us do not get all the fiber we need. Fiber helps the body by scrubbing out the intestines, absorbing water in the intestines and making your bowel movements larger, softer and easier to pass. That is why good clean water is also listed. Many people are constipated because they aren’t getting enough water. We need to be drinking half our body in (measured in pounds) in good clean water (in ounces) every day. A two hundred pound man should be drinking a hundred ounces of water every day.

Increasing our enzymes is easy. We know about Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes. But do we all understand how enzymes affect IBS? When we don’t have enough enzymes in our meals the food does not get broken down far enough and fast enough. When this happens large pieces of food enter our colon. This can cause multiple problems. When food is too large to pass through the colon walls into our blood stream it begins to ferment and become toxic. This increases the amount of bad bacteria in the colon. It also increases the gas and bloating. When it gets bad enough it can cause Leaky Gut Syndrome. This is where the walls of the colon are damaged by the bacteria and toxins from the undigested food. The holes that develop in the colon allow undigested foods, waste materials, bacteria, toxins, parasites and fungi into the bloodstream. If it happens in the large intestine those substances go into the liver and the lymphatic system. This is one of the major causes of food allergies. You can see where it is not good for your overall health.

By increasing your good bacteria you crowd out the bad bacteria. Many doctors recommend acidophilus, but that is only one of many beneficial bacteria strains. Enriching Gifts Pro-Biotic with FOS has acidophilus, but it also has six other beneficial bacteria strains. Included with these bacteria are two ‘foods’ for them to keep them strong until they can establish their colonies within your gut. Along with crowding out the bad guys the good bacteria in Enriching Gifts Pro-Biotic with FOS also help with digesting the food you eat. This again helps to cut down on the bloating, cramping and gas that many people experience with IBS.

Eliminating some of the things we need to get rid of to ease or prevent our IBS is not easy. Our American lifestyles encourage us to eat sugar and other refined foods. Our taste buds have been trained that the greasy burger and french-fries are comfort food. Even adding good quality fiber from fresh raw food will not be easy. Even if you have the time and energy to eat good raw foods you will need to start slowly and retrain your system as to how to utilize it. For some people getting enough water will be a challenge. Our on the go lifestyles are not very conducive to looking for the potty stop more frequently. The easiest part of the solution to IBS is getting enough enzymes and pro-biotics. Thanks to Enriching Gifts International we have a great, convenient, and safe source for both of them.

Sources:

Wholistic Skin and Body Rejuvenation Level One Certificated Course Material by Gloria E. Gilbere, N.D, D.A.Hom., Ph.D, Wholistic Rejuvenist, copyrighted 2008 by Gloria E. Gilbere, LLC.

Enzymes the Fountain of Life by D.A Lopez, M.D., R.M Williams, M.D., Ph.D and K. Miehlke, M.D. copyrighted 1994 by the Neville Press Inc.

Invisible Illnesses by Gloria Gilbere, N.D., D.A. Hom., Ph.D., copyrighted 2nd edition 2005, 2002 by Gloria Gilbere, N.D., D.A. Hom., Ph.D

The Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert, MD. With Mary Colbert, copyrighted 2007 by Don Colbert, MD. Published by Siloam

(This information is not intended to serve as a prescription, or to diagnose, treat or replace the advice of your medical doctor. If you have any medical conditions or are taking prescription or non-prescription medications, consult your physician before altering or discounting the use of them.)

The information contained in the website is not intended to serve as a prescription, or to diagnose, treat or to replace the advice of your medical doctor. If you have any medical conditions or are taking prescription or non-prescription medications, consult your physician before altering or discontinuing the use of them.