Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

There are things that can only be distinguished from IBS with either a colonoscopy or an endoscopy. Generally speaking a colonoscopy is recommended before a final diagnosis of IBS is made. There is a fairly good overview on the required tests on the main web site

Question. From you previous postings it appears as if you are IBS-D predominant. Is this correct?

1. Some larabars have 7 grams of saturated fat and most contain more than 10 grams of total fat. Also some bars contain 5 grams of fiber most of which is insoluble fiber. If you are IBS-D you might want to treat these with caution. The fat content is quite high. Also, generally speaking IBS-D suffers need more soluble fiber than insoluble fiber with each meal/snack.

2. Some fruit juices are fine as long as you do not have problems fructose - that is with foods that contain more fructose than glucose. Some of us have that problem which means we have to restrict consumption of apple, pear, mango, etc juices and fruits that contain more fructose than glucose. The excess fructose is a known trigger for some IBSers. You can read about it in Heather's newsletter or from the reference article linked to in my signature.

3. Sugar cookies are fine.

4. I cannot drink V8 juice -- too much insoluble fiber for me. However, I believe others on the board don't have problems with it.

5. Small amounts of nut butter are fine

Lettuce, tomato and cucumber can present problems for some while for others they are perfectly fine.

Diary and red meat are interesting. It is unknown why diary present a problem for many IBSers. Dairy is a complex food with many different proteins, fats and sugars such as lactose. Lactose intolerance is a well-known problem for some IBSers. The EFI diet recommends removing all diary. The IBS research shows that the two most common IBS food intolerances are dairy and wheat. However, most health-care providers suggest these foods are something you will have to figure out for yourself if you are ok with them. While some red meat is high in fat some types are not. However, red meat is dense in protein and connective tissue. It takes longer to digest which affects the motility of the gut and thus can impact IBS symptoms. However, I have found that some pork cuts - the other white meat - such as tenderloin are quite tolerable.

Raw fish is easy to digest. And sushi is definitely on the safe list but I am not sure about eel.

I never shop at a whole or natural food store. I find that by reading product labels carefully I can find all the IBS safe foods I need at store like Safeway. However, I do prepare most foods myself and rarely eat prepared commercial foods.

It sounds like from your postings that you are getting a good sense of the diet. Stick with it. Good luck

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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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