Foods that trigger IBS

Published 10 months ago at 07 Apr 2020 by Alexandra Soare

IBS means you have inflammation and short-chain sugars that cannot be absorbed properly. That´s why they end up being fermented. While they usually produce a certain amount of gas, in the case of IBS, the gas levels are really high and they end up creating bloating and pain.

What to do if you have IBS?

In order to stop the inflammation, you should reduce or completely eliminate certain foods rich in FODMAP (Fermentable Oligo-Di-Mono-saccharides And Polyols). The level of reduction depends on your personal case, as not everyone´s gut gets triggered by the same nutrients.

Why does the FODMAP approach work?

In 2010 a group of scientists made an experiment with patients affected by IBS. One group received a diet low in FODMAP, while the other one received a diet high in FODMAP.
Over here you can see how the diet with high FODMAP levels produced almost double levels of gas compared to the one with low levels.
That´s why having the right type of diet it is crucial to stop the inflammation and feel good again.

References: Manipulation of dietary short chain carbohydrates alters the pattern of gas production and genesis of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome

Which types of foods trigger IBS?

Before we talked about the most common group, which is the short chain carbohydrates, it is important to mention one thing. Usually, the most "problematic" element in this group is fructose, but this doesn´t mean you have to say good-bye to fruits!

# 1 glucose:fructose ratio

What a lot of nutritionist and bloggers forget to mention is that is not about fructose itself, but it is about the glucose:fructose ratio. Foods that have a bad ratio, are all mentioned at the end of the article.

#2 lactose

The second group that can trigger IBS is lactose! We lose the ability to digest this sugar because... of evolution. Our body is aware that we need it as infants, but when we start introducing solid foods in our diets, we slowly lose the ability to produce enzymes that can break the lactose bond. Did you know that you can train your body to digest again lactose? Write to me if you are interested in finding out at alexandra@food-on-mars.com

#3 gluten

What is the deal with gluten?

Gluten is problematic for two reasons. Because of its proteins, in some cases, the body detects them as a threat and starts the immune response that can damage over time your intestine.

The grains that contain gluten also have a high amount of starch and sugars that can be fermented by the intestinal bacteria.

#4 others

Something that might be intuitive but many nutritionists forget to mention is the use of certain drinks like sodas or alcohol. Coffee is in a grey area, it can irritate your gut and it stimulates also gastric motility. Nevertheless, some people never notice problems with coffee, so this is very subjective.

Do you feel discomfort after eating the following foods?

Take a look at the following list of IBS triggers. If you feel discomfort consuming any of these foods, contact me at alexandra@food-on-mars.com and you will solve the inflammation once and for all.