Warning! GI Irritants
These foods and beverages offer no IBS benefits but plenty of risks. Avoid them.
Coffee ~ both regular AND decaf contain an enzyme that’s an extremely powerful GI tract irritant. Go cold turkey today and drink herbal teas instead.
Caffeine is a GI stimulant and should be avoided, especially in higher doses.
Alcohol is a GI irritant and often triggers IBS attacks, especially on an empty stomach (though small amounts of alcohol used in cooking are fine).
Carbonation in soda pop and mineral water can cause bloating and cramps.
Artificial sweeteners, particularly sorbitol, can trigger pain, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Artificial fats, namely Olestra, can cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea in people who don’t even have IBS – imagine what it can do to you.
MSG has acquired lots of ugly anecdotal evidence against it regarding all sorts of digestive upsets. It can simply be avoided, so why take a chance?
While fats and GI irritants are best reduced or completely eliminated from your diet, there’s another crucial component to eating safely for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: understanding the difference betweeen soluble and insoluble fiber.
