Sand - I just returned from a wonderful driving holiday to the West coast. I read your informative and well written enabling posting. It is apparent that you are frustrated with postings of new comers that don't know the EFI diet. I empathize with this frustration.
Before making any observations I would like to correct the comments you made specifically about me.
I am a he not a she. It strange how some people on this board make assumptions without checking the facts.
Syl would not have said there is no evidence that dairy is a problem. He would have said there is limited evidence that proteins or other ingredients in dairy other than lactose is a problem for IBS suffers (e.g. see this message).
Syl would never have felt that the best way to do that is to clear up the pesky little unscientific problems with Heather's otherwise helpful approach. In fact, he feels that EFI diet is a wonderful place to begin to learn to manage IBS symptoms because generally speaking it follows the research finding. I always point IBS suffers that I meet on my travels to the EFI diet. However, IBS research has progressed and some new understandings have emerged. For example, limiting the consumption of IF is as beneficial for IBS-C as IBS-D. And IBS suffers have more problems with some short chained carbohydrates such as fructose and sugar alcohols that was originally thought to be the case. The later is evident from the number of IBS new comers to this board over the past year that have reported positive fructose malabsorption tests.
It is wonderful that there is a research library on this web site. Unfortunately, many members of the board don't have the training or knowledge to understand much of the material. It is important to interpret the library postings and other research findings even if they contradict the EFI guidelines so that each person can make up their own mind if they wish to use or ignore the new information.
Unfortunately, at least for me, if I had adopted the it works if you work it! without removing high fructose fruits, soya and a few other ingredients from the EFI diet I would still not be stable. And if I treated the EFI diet as a rules instead of guidelines I would not have experimented with a probiotic that contains a very small amount milk which over the past four weeks has made yet another remarkable improvement in my IBS symptoms. I will write more about it in a posting I will make later.
Keep up the great posts. However, please ensure you know the facts before you make comments about me and my position on the EFI diet.
Thanks Syl
-------------------- STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS