Can a Nutritionist Help with IBS?
At Wellthy Clinic, we offer a range of services to provide a complete natural treatment plan to reduce your IBS symptoms. In the below article we will discuss how this is a complex condition and therefore you need to address much more than just your diet to reduce your digestive problems.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
IBS is a group of symptoms which includes abdominal pain and changes in your bowel habits. It is a diagnosis by exclusion as there are no structural or pathological abnormalities with your digestive tract but yet you are still experiencing pain. Typically it affects more women than men (2:1) and affects people between the ages of 20 and 30 years. Prevalence in the general population is estimated to be between 10% and 20%. Recent trends indicate that there is also a significant prevalence of irritable bowl in older people (NICE 2017). There are 3 main types of IBS; constipation dominant, diarrhoea dominant and mixed (both diarrhoea and constipation).
What Does IBS Pain Feels Like?
Typically, you will experience bloating, abdominal pain and/or irregular bowel movements - either constipation or diarrhoea or a mixture of both. Moreover, you may also experience flatulence, vomiting and nausea. Dehydration, weight loss and mucus in your stools are more severe side effects. Also poor sleep patterns, menstrual difficulties, headaches and lower back pain.
Constipation Type IBS
A person should ideally have 2 bowel movements per day of a good consistency that are easy to pass. A constipated person will typically experience hard painful stools or soft and bulky which are difficult to pass. In severe cases you could experience ulceration of the colon or obstruction in your gut. Moreover, you could experience haemorrhoids, anal fissures or rectal prolapse. Causes include insufficient fibre or fluid intake, decreased liver or bile function, side effects of medications and lack of exercise.
Diarrhoea Type IBS
Typically you can experience frequent passage of loose and watery stools. Other tell tale signs include abdominal discomfort, cramping or pain, flatulence and/or bloating, vomiting or nausea. In severe cases you can loss weight and become severely dehydrated. Causes include laxative abuse, antibiotics, excessive alcohol or caffeine intake. Further causes are infectious, parasitic or inflammatory diseases or failure of your gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to absorb nutrients.
What Foods Trigger It?
The foods that most commonly trigger irritable bowel are dairy, onions, wheat and chocolate. Our advice is to think more about your health and the food you eat. Also caffeine (tea or coffee), eggs, nuts and citrus fruits can be difficult. Furthermore rye, potatoes, barley, oats and corn are not advised.
How do you Relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Diets which are high in processed foods that contain too much sugar, salt and trans-fats are not advised. Foods that are high in refined sugar make your blood sugar levels rise rapidly which can slows down your digestion. Moreover reduce your stress levels, especially when eating, as stress slows down gastric secretions and motility in the gut which is not beneficial for people with IBS.
What Are The Treatments To Help?
Our approach here at Wellthy Clinic would involve reviewing your diet (specifically your unique metabolic needs), lifestyle, family history and environmental influences. We would look at potential triggers to identify clues to understand why you are experiencing your symptoms. Furthermore, we would suggest food and lifestyle alternatives which will better support your digestion and recovery and correct any imbalances with your gut bacteria. Furthermore, we would work to repair your intestinal lining to support your immune system and reduce inflammatory processes. We would look to rebalance your nutrition, sleep, stress levels and exercise to give your body the best chance of long term recovery.
Can a IBS Nutritional Therapist Help?
Yes. It is first important to understand what is causing your gut health issues so we can address the cause of the problem (not just suppress the irritable bowel). This way we can work together to give you a long term advice in how best to reduce your symptoms. We take a holistic and specific approach by addressing your diet, maybe using supplements and looking at lifestyle factors which can contribute to your health. Everyone is different and so are their digestive functions, therefore also their ability to absorb nutrients. This is a complex condition which requires a individualised plan to give the best results. With a bespoke natural nutrition plan the body will quickly begin to heal and repair itself. Small gradual changes will make a big difference to reduce your digestive problems and the advice will improve your overall health and well being.
Does My Health Insurance Cover Nutritional Therapy?
Yes, CIGNA and WPA Health Insurance covers Nutritional Therapy. Our Nutritional therapist is registered and able to deliver sessions to help reduce your IBS symptoms.
IBS Nutritionist London Common Questions
What is IBS?
IBS is an acronym for Irritable Bowl Syndrome.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
IBS is a group of symptoms which includes abdominal pain and changes in your bowel habits. It is a diagnosis by exclusion as there are no structural or pathological abnormalities with your digestive tract but yet you are still experiencing discomfort.
Are there different types of irritable bowl syndrome (IBS)?
Yes, there are many types of, such as Constipation Type IBS, Diarrhoea Type IBS. It effects each person in a different way and thus the advice from the dietitian will be different for each person.
Can a nutritionist help with IBS?
Yes, a registered nutritionist/dietitian can help you manage with a diet specifically designed for you and your needs.
Why does IBS just flare up?
There is no definitive answer at the moment. However it is associated with, stress, poor sleep patterns and food. The foods that most commonly trigger IBS are dairy, onions, wheat and chocolate. Also caffeine (tea or coffee), eggs, nuts and citrus fruits can be difficult. Furthermore rye, potatoes, barley, oats and corn are not advised. The dietitian will give advice on food, possible weight loss to help too improve your health.
IBS Nutritionist London
You can book your initial consultation either face to face at our nutrition center in London or online. We also offer a complimentary 15 minute online nutrition Q&A to discuss your symptoms and answer any questions you may have. Contact us to speak with our nutritionist.
You can also see more about our nutrition plans and what to expect at a consultation here.
References
Florance et al (2012) Osteopathy Improves the Severity of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Sham-Controlled Study European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22546751/
Hajizadeh et al (2018) Low-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise training modulates irritable bowel syndrome through antioxidative and inflammatory mechanisms in women: Results of a randomized controlled trial Cytokine 102 pp. 18-25 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043466617303873?via%3Dihub
Hundschield et al (2007) Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Osteopathy: Results of a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17716344/
Piche et al (2014) Osteopathy Decreases the Severity of IBS-like Symptoms Associated With Crohn’s Disease in Patients in Remission European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25357218/
National Institute for Clincial care and evidence (2017) Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg61/chapter/Introduction
Sadeghian et al (2018) Physical activity in relation to irritable bowel syndrome among Iranian adults PLOS ONE https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205806
Eleonora Sansoni
Eleonora Sansoni is a Nutritional Therapist who graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Eleonora has a specific interest in nutrition for chronic pain and gut health which stems from her own experience with chronic joint pain and acne, the cause of which had been missed by many practitioners. She was able to improve these symptoms by getting to the cause of my issues which was my gut health and digestive issues. Eleonora found that the combined approach of Osteopathy, Nutrition and Pilates is the most effective when helping with chronic pain.