Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Leeks, scallions, green onions and shallots

Hi - Scallions and green onions are the same thing (and also called spring onions). Leeks are a different item (though they look sort of like giant green onions) and so are shallots (which look like small, pinkish-papered onions). The plants are all members of the lily family like regular onions, garlic, chives, etc.

These foods can cause gas because they contain sulfur, and they're also high in insoluble fiber which can trigger attacks. But - the good news is that cooking them well destroys the sulfur, and also breaks down the fiber. So, once you're stable, you might try adding in small amounts of one of these foods with a low fat, high soluble fiber basis, and see how you do. Something like mincing up a little garlic for a fried rice would be a good test. Most folks are pleasantly surprised to find that these foods are pretty tolerable when they're eaten carefully. And since they do have so many health benefits if you find that you can work them into your diet, by all means do so.

Using Beano can also help make them more tolerable.

But, trust yourself here. Don't try to add them into your diet until you feel safe and sound, and if you do try them and have problems just go back to avoiding them.

- H

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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