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It's a pretty darn safe food IMHO...but I guess someone out there is sensitive to EVERYTHING around! 
Beth...don't stress about it. You mustn't be scared all of all foods as no food is also bad! But why do you eat the same thing everyday anyway?
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Sugar post
#164241 - 03/26/05 08:18 AM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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The problem with posting that is that it's a VERY confusing issue for IBSers. Sugar is NOT an IBS trigger. Definitely not. If you have candida overgrowth or a bacterial infection that is SEPARATE to the IBS and should be cleared up anyway  ...these are both things that should be checked for when you are getting a diagnosis. I repeat, candida overrowth and bacterial infections ARE NOT IBS! 
HOWEVER...too much sugar isn't great for you. Some of us are more senstive to it than others (like with everything  ). SO some people can eat a mountain of candy and sugary stuff a day, like to 90 and no health issues...others (like me b/c of my Fibro) get very tired from just one bar of chocolate! It depends. For the vast majority of people it's absolutely fine as a condiment and in a few foods.
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Sugar seems to be becoming a somewhat volatile topic on the Board, so I was glad to see you say that we must all be our own experts. That certainly fits in with the advice I often see here to "listen to your gut". I don't think the correct test, though, is between eating lots of sugar and eating no sugar. "All things in moderation" is a good rule for most of life. I certainly don't think anyone will be harmed physically by eliminating sugar. Neither, however, do I think anyone will be harmed by consuming a reasonable amount of it.
My belief is that the real problem with sugar is that it can drive out foods that contain nutrients. In other words, in order to consume large amounts of sugar without becoming terribly obese, the consumer must give up eating other foods that provide vitamins, mineral, protein, and just about everything else the body needs. Keeping sugar to a moderate level allows room for those nutrients while satisfying a sweet tooth. One can have one's vegetables and eat one's cake, too.
As for IBSers specifically, I think consuming more sugar than might otherwise be considered "reasonable" is competely understandable, especially when first adjusting to the IBS Diet. First, it provides a way to get calories with no risk of triggering an attack. Although I do not have a calorie deficit problem (sigh), a number of people with this condition do. Second, it may well be psychologically important. Because the IBS Diet requires us to give up many familiar and well-loved foods, knowing we can have "treats" may make that process more palatable psychologically. Or as Linz put it more pithily, if sugar is what it takes to get stabilized, then "what the heck".
I could also make the argument that the IBS Diet probably actually cuts down on the amount of sugar we eat, even if we do indulge regularly in "sweet treats". Given the amount of sugar consumed in processed foods on a "normal" diet, cutting out so much of that food quite possibly eliminates more sugar than we add with the sweets consisent with the IBS Diet. As evidence I offer my own triglyceride numbers, which were consistently in the 250-300 range before beginning this diet and stood at 157 in January. And believe me when I tell you, I definitely indulge in sweet treats.
As for yeast, parasites, and unhealthy bacteria, I have not seen a discussion of yeast infections being a factor in, or masquerading as, IBS. I know parasitical infection can be mistaken for IBS, but as Linz says, that's a separate issue and can be resolved by appropriate testing and treatment.
When I first read about the possible relationship between bacterial overgrowth and IBS, I was quite taken with the idea, but later investigation made me less enthusiastic. My understanding is that this theory rests on a retrospective study of patients seen by physicians other than the bacterial overgrowth researchers. Because this was a retrospective study, it lacks the design and controls necessary to insure its usefulness. If there is a more carefully designed study on this, I would really like to see it.
I'm not sure how much of a sense of humor everyone has about this issue - sometimes I'm not sure how much of a sense of humor I have about it, but here's a quote that never fails to make me chuckle. I hope everyone else has the same reaction:
Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, "No, thank you," to dessert that night. And for what! - Erma Bombeck
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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If eating sugar makes people feel better, and not worse, then I'm all for saying "what the heck". That's why I always advocate experimenting and discovering what works for each unique body.
FYI parasitic infections are NOT necessarily easy to diagnose or treat, and therefore it's not always clear whether the symptoms one is experiencing are IBS or something else. In my case, I had SEVEN negative stool test results before finally testing positive for Giardia and E. Histolytica. I've had several treatments over the course of six years and, though recent stool tests have been negative, based on my current health status and previous experience with false negative test results I'm not at all convinced I'm free of these bugs. Western medicine is still quite primitive in this arena.
So... if someone is dutifully following the guidelines of this diet and not seeing any improvement, and things like sugar tend to make them feel much worse, it could be a sign there is something else going on.
In my case, if I eat mostly SF (bread, rice, pasta, etc), the pain/cramps/spasms are reduced but I feel like I got hit by a truck, the constipation worsens dramatically, and I can hardly function. So clearly there's more to it than "IBS", which is by the way a very non-specific diagnosis in the first place.
FWIW...
Chris
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...at least about if the diet really doesn't work, then people should reconsider if it IS really IBS - this is often the point at which different problems are diagnosed.
HOWEVER, eating for IBS isn't as simple as just eating SF! That can help if you only have D and cramps, but many, many people are either A or C. So if just eating SF doesn't solve all your problems that doesn't mean it's not just IBS! I just have IBS (in terms of GI issues) and I have to get IF or I get C...but if I have too much or eat it not safely, then I can get anything from D to gas!
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Like Linz, I agree that if one follows this diet and the symptoms aren't responding - or are worsening - other possibilities should be explored. IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, so it's always open to some question.
I do believe, though, that there is something - or possibly more than one something - that is a digestive problem apart from parasites and bacteria, resulting somehow from problems with the gut's nervous system and/or the connection between the gut's nervous system and the brain's. I don't know if you've run across "The Second Brain" by Micahel D. Gershon yet, but I highly recommend it. I struggled a fair amount with the science, but he writes clearly enough that I felt I got somewhat of a handle on it. With your background, you would have a much easier time of it. I found an article on the Web that seems to summarize some of what he says in his book, but frankly I found it too terminology-dense to follow. You might have better luck:
http://www.hosppract.com/issues/1999/07/gershon.htm
As for parasites, I agree with you there, also. Even the standard, mainline, Quest lab parasite tests state that 3 different stool samples may need to be examined before parasites can be ruled out, so I can certainly believe that tracking them down can be difficult, particularly one like E. Histolytica. And I can certainly understand why you might still think that your IBS-like symptoms could be related to parasites. I would think exactly the same thing in your situation. You might take a look at this thread for a discussion of parasites, IBS, the possible interconnection, and general frustration on getting tested for parasites appropriately.
I had to look up "FWIW", which let me spend a pleasant few minutes reading through my acronym list. IMHBIO () your reminding people that symptom persistence despite following the IBS diet probably means there are other problems at work is quite worthwhile. So is your alert about the possibility of parasites and the difficulty of accurately detecting them.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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It's not just that white rice, bread, etc. make me more constipated - it's that I feel severe malaise. To me that indicates a biochemical problem. Even when my gut is quiet (i.e. no spasms, pain or gas) I feel really, really bad.
Again, everyone is different. But I've read enough posts from enough people who are experiencing similar symptoms to my own that I felt obliged to point out the possibility that IBS may not be the only problem (and thus this diet may not be the only solution) for those folks.
Sand, thanks for the links to the gut/brain article. I've been doing a lot of research on this lately but hadn't come across this particular resource.
Chris
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Exactly
#164301 - 03/26/05 04:52 PM
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I completely trust what research Heather has done as to what helps and hurts IBS. This is an IBS board of course and we are not specifically qualified to discuss and aid any and all GI problems. Sugar does not bother IBS. A person with IBS does not have anything physically different with their digestive tract. Everything looks like a normal tract but it acts irritably for no reason. Our goal is to treat the digestive tract like a crabby child or wild horse and carefully nudge it into working the best it can. By eating foods that will flow through nicely without causing irritation or contractions we keep it as happy as possible and sugar in all natural forms has never been shown to be detrimental to this. I agree with Sand that this diet can cause a person to eat less sugary and processed foods and all around much healhtier. And the diet can be done without sugar, or wheat, or meat, or eggs etc- it is versatile. Being we cannot have pop or alcohol or bought treats we eat so much better. Today for instance I would have had a big bag of m&ms and a giant rice krispie bar and a sugary pop drink if not for knowing about Heather's diet and since I did not but had only a Luna bar and 1t. of sugar in my tea I think I am doing pretty darn well!
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I used to like it but don't anymore BUT Beth there is nothing wrong with squash. I know it is frustrating to not know why you aren't feeling better and if something is causing problems without knowing it. I have never found anything personally that made a difference to me as to specific food intolerances. Hopefully you don't have any but will stabilize gradually but soon! It could just be that your tract is stubborn and not ready to give up its old ways- like a bad hair cowlick. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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...gluten sensitivity, thyroid issues (the standard blood test can be inaccurate), Fibromyalgia syndrome, or a viral infection?
All possibilities that sprang to mind in response to the "malaise"!
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