Showing posts with label irritable bowel disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irritable bowel disease. Show all posts

Thursday, February 19, 2009

IBS Symptoms, Diet, Treatment

How To Win Your War Against Irritable Bowel SyndromeWhat is IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as the name suggests is a collection of symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and abdominal pain. The symptoms also include mucousy stools, abdominal bloating, and very sensitive digestive system. These symptoms are considered to be caused by nerves and muscles of the bowel and the bowels fail to work well while working in the digestive process.
How To Win Your War Against Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS can be caused without any visible or diagnosed abnormality of the bowels like ulcers, polyps, divertucula, tumors, infections or other disorders. IBS is know to be caused by unhealthy eating styles and enormous stress in the lifestyle. IBS also is known to be caused by anxiety and hence is know to be a type of psychosomatic disorder.


Treatment For IBS
The intensity of the IBS vary from person to person and also vary from time to time. Though there are many medications which help in relieving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Healthy lifestyle with sensible eating habits and regular exercise with relaxation techniques can help in curing IBS.


IBS Diets:
Though there are many diets available for IBS, as the symptoms and intensity differs from person to person and from time to time it would be very prudent to observe your lifestyle and eating habits and to know what triggers these symptoms. As IBS syndrome is chronic condition, you have to plan for a close check on your eating habits and lifestyle modification for relief from this disorder.

IBS diets are mainly prepared with recipes which avoid fats, spicy foods, caffeine, and other gas forming foods. Here is a list of some of the food items given, please observe how your bowels behave when these are taken in high quantities and low quantities and when avoided completely. It would be helpful if you keep a record of this and see that you come with a list of foods to avoid in your IBS diet recipes and list of foods to be taken judiciously and food which do not trigger IBS and can be taken liberally. You can use soluble fibers in high quantity in your IBS diet but when it comes to IBS triggers and insoluble fibers you have to avoid the triggers completely and use insoluble fibers judiciously as they are very useful in keeping your colon healthy.


Some of the IBS triggers
High fat foods like red meat, chicken and turkey along with skin, dairy products, egg yolks, high oil content foods, nuts, nut butter, potato chips and fries, cheese, spicy foods, etc.


Some Of The Insoluble Fibers
Recipes with whole wheat flour, recipes with whole grains, pine apple, cherries, nuts, citric fruits, eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, sprouts etc.

Exercise And Relaxation Techniques For IBS
As it is known that high stress level in the life is an important cause for IBS, regular exercise, yoga, yoga breathing, and other relaxation techniques when practiced regularly significantly control IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic disorder and it is prudent to have a complete modification of lifestyle and eating habits to cure IBS.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Best Probiotic Supplements : For Health And General Wellness

Probiotic supplements are rapidly becoming very popular as an important way of maintaining your natural health. Basically probiotics are good bacteria which naturally occurs in foods or added to food like yogurts and fermented drinks. Usage of chlorinated water, sterilization of food, pasteurization of foods, adding preservatives to the food, and more importantly frequent usage of antibiotics for different reasons in the modern times resulted in continuous destruction of friendly bacteria found in the human gut.

And this destruction of friendly bacteria created a need to supplement them in the form of probiotic supplements. Probiotics are live microorganisms (mostly bacteria), which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Best probiotic supplements are very important for good development of the immune system and protection from disease causing bacteria. Probiotics help in better digestion and absorption of food.

For the general wellness, the person needs to have adequate probiotics in his body. Probiotics are used by people to help in preventing side effects of antibiotics like indigestion, cramping, and diarrhea. Best probiotic supplements are also largely used by people who are intolerant to lactose. Lactose intolerance is a result of inability to digest major sugar in milk. This causes gastrointestinal symptoms, and believed to get relief by taking probiotics.

As an alternative medicine, probiotics are used in treatment of diarrhea caused by infections such as rotavirus. Probiotics are used very effectively to cure infections of the intestines caused by Clostridium difficile. Probiotics are also used in both prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections. Probiotics are used in treatment of infections of female genital tract. Probiotics are used to reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer.

Probiotic supplements also used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics are used in the prevention and treatment of a condition called pouchitis which may occur after surgery for the removal of the colon. Probiotics are also used as supplement when the digestive system is infected by Helicobacter pylori which causes stomach ulcers. Probiotics are used when children are suffering from stomach infections and also used in treatment for traveler's diarrhea and also antibiotic-induced diarrhea.

Other than in treatment as a medicine, probiotics are taken as food supplements with benefits which includes enhancement of functioning of digestive system. These supplements are used lowering of cholesterol and lowering of high blood pressure. Prevention of cancer of the colon is also one of the known reasons for which probiotics are used as a supplement. Probiotics as supplements are used for improvement of absorption of food and also for improving your immune system. Benefits of probiotic supplements also include reducing inflammation and fighting diseases like eczema and candida.

Don't get the word microorganisms mislead you. Though they are called micro, there are trillions of microorganisms in your gut which are collectively called as gut flora making up to 3 pounds of your body weight which gets destroyed by the reasons given above.The importance of probiotic supplements can be found in the meaning of the word probiotic which is "for life". Why not give probiotics supplements a try for your general wellness.