How To Find The Best Probiotics For IBS

By Olivia Cross


Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common problem these days. Many people suffer from crippling symptoms and there is no cure. Lots of different approaches can be tried to relieve the symptoms from psychotherapy to dietary changes. Increasing numbers of people are turning to probiotics for IBS and finding impressive results.

Getting a diagnosis of IBS does not really tell us what is wrong, it is more like a description of a set of symptoms. These include but are not limited to constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas headaches and cramps. Many thousands of people have now been diagnosed.

Doctors do not fully understand the causes yet but some research is starting to point to two main culprits. Food allergies or allergies seem to be playing a part so trying to cut out certain foods or taking an allergy test may improve symptoms. Also, research into gut flora is producing promising results.

This refers to the bacteria within the intestines which help to digest the food we eat. There is usually around three pounds of bacteria in the gut, this is a lot and so they must play an important role in processing food. Thanks to probiotic yogurt we have all heard of good bacteria and bad bacteria and researchers are now beginning to understand they they really do need to be in balance for optimum health.

If you decide to try probiotics then you may need to experiment with different strains of bacteria. Fortunately these are natural products and so do not have side effects and it is safe to try different ones. Make sure to take a reputable brand as not all probiotics are created equally.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome now has sub-divisions according to the most prevalent symptoms. There is IBS-D where the person has intense bouts of diarrhea and this is the main symptom. In this case the recommended probiotic is Saccharomyces Boulardii. It is prescribed in many hospitals for people who are experiencing diarrhea and has shown good results in helping with this type of IBS.

IBS-C refers to those who have chronic constipation as part of their symptoms. Constipation causes a lot of discomfort and is unhealthy in the long term as the body is not expelling waste. Patients with this symptom can try taking Bifidobacterium Lactis. Combined with fibre this has been found to have a high success rate. IBS-A describes those who have alternating symptoms between loose stools and constipation. This can be extremely uncomfortable and can be reduced by taking a combination of the previous two probiotics or a general daily one.

Probiotic treatments are now helping many patients. They are safe and natural so it is fine to experiment with different ones until the most effective is found. A diagnosis of IBS used to mean that people were resigned to a drop in their quality of life but fortunately this is no longer the case. If these do not help then try allergy tests, digestive enzymes or rifaximin which cures an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut.




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