Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Do Rice/Pasta/Bread Really Have Much Fiber of Any Kind?

Hi Ted - Welcome to the board! I've wondered for a while if there isn't something other than soluble fiber in foods like rice, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes, etc. that is also helpful for IBS. I can't find any research on this, though, and I don't know what other elements in those foods could be stabilizing the GI tract. They don't seem to have much in common beyond the soluble fiber, starch, and carbs, and the only thing there that is known to help digestion is the fiber. The carbs in and of themselves have no bulk - that's coming from the fiber.

There are some very interesting studies on soluble fiber supplements (usually guar gum) and IBS, and great symptom improvement was reached with a dose of just 5 grams per day. Typically this amount is spread out over 2-3 doses per day. I agree that this doesn't seem like much of a dose at all - but it would be comparable to the amount of soluble fiber in a meal based on oatmeal, potatoes, rice, etc. Most of the soluble fiber supplements marketed commercially (Citrucel, Metamucil, Equalactin, etc.) also supply about a 2-3 gram dose per serving. It does seem remarkable that dramatic effects could result from such a small amount of soluble fiber.

Something else interesting about the fiber studies and IBS is that when they use wheat bran as the insoluble fiber, the daily dose is 30 grams - that's six times what they're using for the guar gum in the exact same study.

There has really been a great shortage of diet research for IBS, and studies are just now starting to appear on a regular basis. Anything that relates to this subject I'll certainly post on the boards. You can also check for fiber/IBS studies at pubmed.com, or http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

Best,
Heather

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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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