If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are one person out of between 25 and 45 million people who are also affected in the United States.
If you do have IBS, it would be no surprise to find out that you’ve been recommended a whole host of supplements to help ease an array of symptoms. But do these supplements even work?
Even though IBS can vary in severity, it's not a pleasant condition in any case. So, it’s likely that you want to do everything you can to make it go away, or at least ease the symptoms.
While IBS is not really a treatable condition due to it being such a complex set of symptoms and root causes, there are plenty of ways in which we can manage the symptoms and learn to live with it.
This article explores IBS and some of the best supplements (and natural ways) to help ease certain symptoms!
Firstly, let’s briefly introduce IBS.
What is IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system. This condition causes symptoms such as:
- Stomach cramps
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
The symptoms can often come and go over time, or they can last for longer periods, up to days, weeks, or months at a time.
The symptoms and causes of IBS can vary massively from person to person. Though however mild or severe, IBS can be a frustrating condition to live with and can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life.
There is currently no cure, though diet and lifestyle changes often help, and certain supplements may also provide some relief from symptoms.
How to Manage IBS
When it comes to IBS, or any other health condition or syndrome, it’s important to address your diet first and foremost.
What you consume is largely responsible for your gut health. The way you eat can help you improve bowel movements, nurture a healthy gut microbiome, and calm inflammation. While this doesn’t happen overnight, nor will it fix everything, it’s definitely a good start.
If you suffer from IBS, you may have already been recommended certain dietary changes, such as the low FODMAP diet, an anti-inflammatory approach, or simply eating more plant foods.
Though, when it comes to following specific approaches to eating and trialing excluding foods from your diet, it’s important to do so under the supervision of your doctor or a dietician.
The next factor you must consider before supplements is stress. Due to the much-researched gut-brain connection, stress can really throw your gut health off track. Addressing your lifestyle stressors and attempting to take control of them can make a difference in itself.
The Best 5 Supplements for IBS
1) Psyllium
Psyllium is a seed, also known as ispagula, a highly soluble fiber. If you stir some psyllium husk into a glass of water, it will very quickly form a gel-like consistency.
Consuming this would help thicken up loose stools, as well as add hydration to dry stools. This makes it useful for both diarrhea and constipation.
An additional bonus to this supplement, psyllium is not very fermentable, meaning that your gut bacteria won’t create excess gas from it. Excess gas production is the last thing we want when our gut nervous system is hypersensitized!
In summary, psyllium is a great way to boost your fiber intake in a way that is gentle on the gut. You can take it via a glass of water, or you can stir it into certain foods such as oats, yogurt, or a smoothie.
Start with 1 tablespoon and see how your gut reacts, and ensure you’re drinking plenty of water alongside taking a fiber supplement!
2) Enteric-Coated Peppermint Oil
Enteric-coated peppermint oil, not to be confused with peppermint essential oil, is one of the most researched supplements for IBS.
Peppermint oil is anti-spasmodic, so it’s often helped to reduce the painful spasms associated with IBS. It can help soothe the smooth muscle found in the lining of the digestive tract, and also may help relieve general gut pain and discomfort.
You can find enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules in many health food stores. Also, just to reiterate, enteric-coated peppermint oil is not the same as the essential oil of peppermint, which is not to be consumed internally!
3) Probiotics
The probiotic market is a very big one! This means it can be very difficult to find an effective probiotic that actually does what it says on the tin.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that help populate our gut with beneficial (good) bacteria. A probiotic supplement would essentially mimic the effects of beneficial bacteria already found in our gut.
Nourishing our gut microbiome by taking a probiotic may help reduce inflammation, and reduce gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Probiotics are most effective when taken alongside prebiotics, which is essentially food for good bacteria. This encourages nourishment and growth of the probiotic microorganisms in our gut.
When looking for a probiotic supplement, ensure it has both probiotics and prebiotics. Our top pick is Performance Lab Prebiotic, offering 2-in-1 probiotic and soluble fiber support for healthy metabolic and microbiome performance!
4) Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin needed for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. It also helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.
Vitamin D doesn’t strictly ease IBS symptoms, though it is a vitamin we all need for immune and bone health. Unfortunately, everyone lacks vitamin D in the Western world due to the lack of sunlight throughout the winter months (vitamin D is synthesized through sunlight on our skin).
However, there is some evidence to suggest that those suffering from IBS may have lower vitamin D levels, in addition to it possibly supporting healing and the gut barrier. Though, research in this area is still in its youth!
5) L-Glutamine
While L-glutamine hasn’t strictly been proven to help ease IBS symptoms, it does deserve a special mention.
L-glutamine may support gut barrier dysfunction, particularly for trauma situations such as significant burns. In trauma, the gut uses up a massive amount of the body’s L-glutamine supply.
This is why it’s commonly recommended by health practitioners where gut barrier dysfunction may be occurring, much like irritable bowel syndrome. Though, there is not enough evidence to fully support this just yet.
Conclusion
IBS is a common digestive condition that much of the US. population suffers from.
Unfortunately, IBS is not a treatable condition and is usually something you’d have to live with. Though, there are many ways that can help you manage the symptoms.
Firstly, addressing dietary intake is the most vital first step to controlling symptoms. Adjusting your fiber intake, eating more whole, nutritious foods, reducing intake of triggers, and generally making small improvements to the quality and quantity of the food you’re consuming can make a big difference in itself.
Secondly, addressing certain lifestyle and environmental factors that could be triggering symptoms, such as stress, poor sleep, and lack of physical activity.
Lastly, consider certain supplements that may help reduce symptoms. Some supplements to consider include enteric-coated peppermint oil, psyllium, vitamin D, and a probiotic supplement (one that includes prebiotics).
Remember to first consult your doctor if you suspect you may be suffering from IBS!
