A frustrating part of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is that it can’t really be treated — only managed through careful and deliberate lifestyle changes. Eating small and frequent meals, limiting certain foods, and managing stress can all improve IBS symptoms.
But an even more frustrating part of IBS is that the foods that trigger IBS symptoms are not so clear. A food can cause a riot in your colon one day, and be perfectly fine the next. As you try to figure out what’s “safe” and what’s not, each meal can feel like walking through a minefield. Enter: The low FODMAP diet. This dietary plan “helps manage symptoms of digestive distress — gas, bloating, pain, and alteration in bowel habit,” says Kate Scarlata, RDN, LDN, and author of The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step.
References
Catsos, P. (n.d.). The low FODMAP diet approach: dietary triggers for IBS symptoms. International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Harvard Health Publishing. (2022). Try a FODMAPs diet to manage irritable bowel syndrome.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2017). Eating, diet, & nutrition for irritable bowel syndrome syndrome.
Whelan, K., et al. (2018). The low FODMAP diet in the management of irritable bowel syndrome: an evidence-based review of FODMAP restriction, reintroduction and personalisation in clinical practice. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
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