Help For Digestive Problems

Digestive problems are the No. 1 problem in North America. These diseases, encompassing everything from hemorrhoids to colon cancer, result in more time lost—at work, school, and play—than any other health problem. They also appear to be occurring with much more frequency—while many of them were almost unheard of in our grandparents’ times, they are cropping up more and more and at an earlier and earlier age.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common complaint: some 10 to 20 percent of the population experiences the diverse symptoms this syndrome causes. IBS goes by several different names. It is also called spastic colon, spastic bowel, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, colitis, intestinal neurosis, and functional bowel disease.
As its name indicates, it is a collection of symptoms that can appear in any number of combinations. These symptoms include bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and spasms, and nausea. The pain is often triggered by eating, so people suffering from IBS don’t always eat enough, which results in malnutrition.


Most health practitioners agree that there is no set cause of IBS, and that food allergies, medication, stress, hormone changes, low fiber intake, infection, parasites, lactose intolerance, laxatives, and antibiotic abuse could all be involved. In fact, the consensus is that just about anything that disturbs our intestinal bacterial balance—the ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria—could have a hand in causing IBS. IBS is not serious in that it is not life-threatening; however, it makes for a very uncomfortable life.


In IBS, the normal rhythm of the muscular contractions of the digestive tract becomes irregular and uncoordinated—the body’s digestive system usually churns along like a good washing machine, but in IBS, the "wash cycle" is irregular, and this interferes with movement of food and water. This means that the food, instead of "rinsing out" of the body efficiently, accumulates in the digestive tract, which, in turn, leads to the accumulation of mucus and toxins in the intestines. The result of this is that gas and stool do not flow freely, and, viola, the above-mentioned symptoms begin to appear.


Because many of the IBS symptoms are the same as those found in more serious digestive problems (such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), the first thing to do is to eliminate the possibility that the symptoms are related to one of these. After you and your health practitioner are sure that your problem is IBS, action can be taken.


Many health practitioners feel that food allergies are the main cause of IBS and recommend being tested for allergic reactions to foods. Foods that trigger allergies include cheese, milk, chocolate, butter, coffee, eggs, and nuts. Controlling food allergies often controls IBS.


Dietary changes can help relieve symptoms. Avoid animal fat, butter, carbonated drinks, chocolate and candy, dairy products, fried foods, sugar, food additives, alcohol, and tobacco. Most health practitioners recommend a high-fiber diet and supplementing with a bulking fiber like psyllium. Drinking plenty of water is also important.


Helpful supplements include aloe vera, peppermint, chamomile, melissa, valerian, ginger, and chaste berry.