While incompletely understood, the gut microbiota seems to play an important role in IBS. This, even though an IBS-specific gut microbial signature has not been found. In other words, you can’t tell by looking at someone’s gut microbe test results that they have IBS, but it seems clear that some kind of imbalance in the […]
For a long time, depression has been thought to be a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Only recently experts have begun to realize that another factor is at play – the gut-brain axis. So far, I’ve focused on the gut-brain axis from the digestive symptoms and IBS point of view, here for example. […]
If you have IBS, doesn’t matter which subtype you have, you have undoubtedly been thinking about the foods that you shouldn’t be eating. The ones that might cause or worsen your IBS symptoms. Because food is the thing that you put into your stomach and intestines and for this reason it must be playing the […]
You've probably noticed that I often talk about stress and the gut-brain axis. It's a recurring theme here on the blog and on my social media, and even though I’m risking sounding like a broken record, it's for good reason. Through these discussions, many of you have shared a common experience: feeling significantly more bloated […]
If you thought the answer is “the low FODMAP diet”, you wouldn’t be the only one. Sadly, it’s not as simple as you might expect. As a dietitian, I’ve taken care of a lot of different kinds of people with all kinds of health problems. Everyone is an individual and diet must always be individualized, […]
I was at a networking lunch where the lady next to me, after hearing that I specialize in IBS and gut health, started talking to me about her experience on using Ozempic. You’ve heard of Ozempic, right? With the help of this drug, she lost 25 kg (55 lbs) in a year, but as a […]
The low FODMAP diet has been a first line treatment for IBS for some time now. It makes sense, as there are studies showing that about 2/3 of people with IBS get at least some relief from symptoms (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain) while on the diet. But here’s the truth: food doesn’t really actually […]
In my extensive research on IBS, I’ve come across all kinds of information and claims on the topic. The cause of IBS seems especially debated, some doctors agreeing with me in that stress can cause IBS, while others believing stress has nothing to do with it. The title of this post is an argument made […]
Recently there’s been a bit of a buzz about antihistamines as a treatment of IBS. Let’s find out why! Histamine is a small protein, a biogenic amine that the body makes and uses in many processes. It influences acid secretion in the stomach, it takes part in allergic reactions and in controlling body temperature (to […]
Could the answer to IBS lie in the ancient practice of meditation? IBS is a world-wide problem and the most common gastrointestinal disorder. For a long time, irritable bowel syndrome has just been thought of as a functional problem: there’s nothing measurably, or visibly wrong with the intestines, so labeling IBS as a functional problem […]