soluble/insoluble - I'm confused
#78129 - 06/11/04 07:51 AM
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I'm confused. I am an IBS-C ( with very annoying gas) and have enjoyed the book Eating for IBS, but what I don't get is if I have constipation, I feel I should eat more of the insoluble than the IBS-Ds.
In the book it is telling me I should only eat the insoluble in small quantities after a piece of sourdough! I can see how this would work for IBS-Ds but should I tweak the diet a little and up the cooked fruit and veggies and not worry about the food order?
Please help me with this I would hate to be doing the wrong thing...
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Hey Valentine - I think I answered some of your questions in replying to your first post, did you see it?
http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=diet&Number=77937&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1
As for tweaking the diet, no you shouldn't have to. As odd as it sounds it works for both C's and D's. As C's we do need more insoluable fiber to keep things moving along, but after a soluble base, so that we do not get the bloating, gas, etc. This is why soluable fiber works so well for all IBSers:
Why is soluble fiber so special? Because unlike any other food category, it soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. That's right – soluble fiber prevents and relieves BOTH diarrhea and constipation. Nothing else in the world will do this for you.
How is this possible? The "soluble" in soluble fiber means that it dissolves in water (though it is not digested). This allows it to absorb excess liquid in the colon, preventing diarrhea by forming a thick gel and adding a great deal of bulk as it passes intact through the gut. This gel (as opposed to a watery liquid) also keeps the GI muscles stretched gently around a full colon, giving those muscles something to easily "grip" during peristaltic contractions, thus preventing the rapid transit time and explosive bowel movements of diarrhea as well.
By the same token, the full gel-filled colon (as opposed to a colon tightly clenched around dry, hard, impacted stools) provides the same "grip" during the muscle waves of constipation sufferers, allowing for an easier and faster transit time, and the passage of the thick wet gel also effectively relieves constipation by softening and pushing through impacted fecal matter. If you can mentally picture your colon as a tube that is squeezing through matter via regular waves of contractions, it's easy to see how a colon filled with soluble fiber gel is beneficial for both sides of the IBS coin.
I hope this helps a little - let me know if you have any more questions.
P.S - do you take an SFS or any other medications?
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Hey, ibsgrl has given you a great answer, but...
Eating insolubles after solubles is still very important for Cers. You'll probably just find that eating ONLY solubles would set you back, whereas that would be great for preventing D (but not for staying healthy!  ).
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Thanks IBSgirl for all your help, I found that info very informative
Yes, I guess my sticking point is that I understand the whole eating the soluble first and drinking lots of water. I just find that there doesn't seem to be that much talk of upping the veggies.
For the C'ers would you say that cooking the veggies and pureeing the fruit is still as important.?
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Yes I think it is, but it depends on your tolerance level. I can handle cooked veggies better than a salad full of lettuce. The fruit is not as big a problem (in regards to pureeing) as long as you can handle it and you don't have too much at one time. A while ago I made a post "Fruits for C". If you search for it you may find it - some people had helpful info for me!!!
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