Here are some words any IBS patient will be overjoyed to hear in the same sentence — “scientific evidence” for a “medication-free approach” to treating this painful and debilitating condition!
If you’ve seen any commercials for IBS meds on TV, like the one for the drug Xifaxan with the pink walking colon (which they actually named “Gut Guy”), you know these are some really risky meds.
On top of that, IBS patients are practically given a speed pass at the pharmacy for all sorts of other drugs from laxatives to ones to stop diarrhea to antidepressants.
But what researchers from Yale are now saying is that you no longer have to throw darts at a moving target to address your gut issues. And by taking an individualized approach to IBS, you can find real relief — and finally toss that collection of pills in the trash once and for all!
‘We didn’t expect results like this’
If you’re new to the world of managing IBS, you may feel like you’ve been given enough helpful advice in how to treat it to fill an encyclopedia.
Perhaps your doctor told you to try and eliminate gluten or foods that are known to cause gas. Or maybe friends advised you to eat more high-fiber veggies and drink plenty of fluids.
But whichever approaches you’ve been given or may have already taken, if you haven’t had a blood test to look for the specific foods that you’re sensitive to, you’re flying with your navigation turned off.
A team of researchers from Yale recently conducted a double-blind, randomized clinical trial (widely considered the “gold standard”) on 58 patients with confirmed IBS.
All were given blood workups to look for reactions — specifically “immune cell activation” after eating different foods. Then, one group was given a diet to eliminate the specific foods they had reacted to, as proven by the blood test, and the other group followed “standard” advice by simply removing common IBS trigger foods (called, appropriately, the “sham group”).
As the lead researcher, who’s also a professor at Yale School of Medicine, put it at the end of the trial, “We didn’t expect results like this.”
And I bet neither did the patients in this study!
While both groups showed progress in managing their symptoms, members of the “real” test group (not the “sham” one), reported much better control of their IBS. And after a mere month, the benefits were crystal clear.
All it took was four weeks for them to have “significant improvement,” especially with abdominal pain and stomach swelling.
Although blood testing for food sensitivities has been around for quite a while, many IBS experts dismiss them as “unclear” or “controversial.” This research, however, is the first time they’ve been “validated by rigorous study.”
Using this kind of testing also means that you won’t be saying goodbye to all the foods you love — just the ones that are causing your IBS to flare up!
HSI panel member Dr. Glenn Rothfeld works with many patients who suffer from IBS — and, over the years, he’s developed a protocol that has shown a lot of success in helping them to control the pain, spasms and alternating constipation and diarrhea.
Some of his recommendations include:
- Peppermint — But it’s not the kind you’ll find in a breath mint or even a cup of tea! To get the full benefits of this herb in treating IBS, you’ll need to take enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules about 30 minutes before eating. (While peppermint oil is extremely safe, those who have gallbladder disease or liver disease or who have had their gallbladder removed should check with their doctor before using it.)
- Probiotics — Everyone can benefit from a quality probiotic, but for those with IBS, it’s essential. And if you’re new to probiotic supplements, don’t be surprised by seeing ones containing from 10 to 100 billion “live cultures.” As Dr. Rothfeld says, “You’ve got a lot of territory to cover in your gut.”
- Food journaling — Dr. Rothfeld also advises to start keeping a food diary, noting what you eat every day and when flare-ups occur.
Another finding to help control the pain and unpredictable nature of this disease is something we told you about a couple of years ago — good old vitamin D3!
A study out of the University of Sheffield discovered that over 80 percent of the IBS sufferers it tested were deficient in that vitamin.
Those researchers are currently conducting a three-year clinical trial to specifically study how IBS patients can be helped with high-dose vitamin D supplements.
Other drug-free treatments that have dramatically improved IBS symptoms include acupuncture, which can help with bloating and pain, fish oils, evening primrose, and borage oil supplements.
And certainly there’s no need to wait on further research to start taking a daily D3 supplement! The amounts used to treat IBS are in the high-dose range, up to 10,000 IU.
But what you should be putting off is starting up on any of those risky meds for this condition. Just a couple of weeks ago I told you how the group Public Citizen added the IBS med Viberzi to its “Do Not Use” list.
With all these recent findings on how to manage without resorting to drugs, however, that should be your response to any and all of them!
“Individualized diets for irritable bowel syndrome better than placebo” Yale University, September 20, 2017, ScienceDaily, sciencedaily.com
