Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

There are a couple of ways of answering your question.

It is possible to get all of the soluble fiber you need from your diet without taking a soluble fiber supplement. I don't take any soluble fiber supplements and find I can get all of the soluble fiber I need from my diet. However, Heather's acacia is an inexpensive soluble fiber supplement compared with some other brands.

Unfortunately, you have to keep taking a probiotic in order to keep the new flora maintained. So if you quit taking Align you quickly lose the benefits of the probiotic. Align is expensive primarily because it has been tested in large IBS clinical trials. There are alternative Bifidobacterium infantis sources such as Natren Life Start and a NSI product. Like Align both of these contain dairy products and the variety of the Bifidobacterium infantis is different which likely doesn't matter. On the other hand, you could use 2 or 3 Align capsules as a starter to make homemade milk or soy yogurt. It should grow well on milk but I am not sure how well it will grow on soy milk.

Enteric coated peppermint capsules taken regularly on an empty stomach as a prophylactic for IBS pain is much better than peppermint tea. The capsule releases the peppermint in the colon and where it acts as an antispasmodic. The effectiveness of enteric coated peppermint capsules is well researched and it has been shown to be more effective than many expensive pharmaceuticals.

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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS

The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS

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