Are you one of the 20% of the population suffering from IBS? Irritable Bowel Syndrome is the ‘umbrella’ name given to a complex range of symptoms including bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, pain, flatulence or feeling of fullness.
It is often diagnosed with the advice to keep a food diary to try and identify food triggers that can be eliminated, or to follow the FODMAP diet – a complicated programme that should be undertaken with the supervision of a healthcare provider who understands the process.
These, however, are not the only options available. As a nutritional therapist practicing Functional Medicine, I work with my clients to identify their unique triggers by looking at lifestyle factors and frequently by using functional tests to identify microbial imbalances or food sensitivities or intolerances.
The causes will vary from person to person, but there are recognised links with IBS: food intolerances are reported in as many as 66% of cases, while imbalances in gut flora or the presence of pathogenic yeasts or parasites are also extremely common.
Stress is also a common factor for many people, with symptoms often flaring up during periods of high anxiety or stress. Identifying the initial causes of symptoms can also be enlightening – many people, for example, cite a trip to an exotic country as the time that their problems started!
If you suffer from abdominal pain, bloating, excessive flatulence, feeling of fullness after eating or feel that some foods may be affecting your health, consider the following tests to help identify triggers:
- Comprehensive Stool testing
- SIBO testing
- Food intolerance testing
And if you also experience lethargy, poor sleep, backache, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, bladder disorders, and fibromyalgia or arthritic pain, these could also be connected to gut disorders so improving your digestive health could have a positive influence on these conditions too.
If you would like to investigate the root cause of your gut issues email me: sarah@goodfoodworks.co.uk.
