IBS Diet Advice

Dietary Advice for Management of IBS

If food triggers your IBS symptoms, your doctor or dietitian may give you some general diet and lifestyle interventions to try as a first step. However, up to 50% of people report that this does not result in an improvement of their symptoms. If this is the case, your doctor may also suggest certain medications.

The following dietary recommendations and tips may help to improve your IBS.
 

• Recommendation
  Eat three regular meals a day.

Tip: Avoid long gaps between meals and space evenly through the day. Smaller meal sizes may help symptoms.

• Recommendation
  Try not to skip meals, and avoid eating too quickly or late at night.

Tip: Take time to chew your food thoroughly, and try to relax while during mealtimes.

• Recommendation
  Limit alcohol intake.

Tip: Limit your intake to no more than two drinks per day, and have at least two alcohol-free days a week.
 

• Recommendation
  Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages.

Tip: Limit to no more than 3 cups per day. Switch to decaffeinated or caffeine-free varieties.
 

• Recommendation
  Drink at least 8 cups of fluids per day (1.5-2 litres a day)

Tip: Include more water or other still, non-caffeinated drinks, like herbal teas. Limit carbonated, caffeinated, and alcoholic beverages, as these may worsen your symptoms.
A good way to measure your fluid intake is to check the color of your urine- a pale-yellow color is ideal.
 

• Recommendation
  Cut down on rich or fatty foods.

Tip: In addition to not being as healthy for you, these foods may worsen IBS symptoms. Use less oil, butter, spreads, and creamy sauces and dressings in your cooking, and choose lower-fat alternatives. Include fewer fatty foods in your diet, including fried foods, chips, crackers, cakes, cookies, sausages, burgers, and pastry products. Grilling, poaching, steaming, boiling, and baking are healthier alternatives to frying.
 

• Recommendations
  Reduce your intake of processed foods.

Tip: Cook with fresh ingredients whenever possible.
 

• Recommendations
  Limit fresh fruit to three servings per day.

Tip: A portion is:
- 1 cup of fresh fruit
- 1/2 cup of fruit juice

If this initial dietary advice hasn’t led to an improvement in your symptoms, you may want to try some more specific dietary changes based on the symptoms you have.

• If symptoms include:
  gas and bloating

You could try:
Limiting your intake of gas-forming foods like beans, legumes, cruciferous vegetables, and sugar-free foods (e.g. mints or chewing gum). Oats (preferably certified gluten-free oats) may be helpful to add to your diet. Flaxseeds may also improve symptoms (take up to one tablespoon per day).
 

• If symptoms include:
  constipation

You could try:
Gradually increasing your fiber intake, as any sudden increase may make symptoms worse. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, oats, vegetables, fruit, chia seeds, and flaxeeds. These foods will help soften stools, making them easier to pass. You can start by adding one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds to breakfast cereal, smoothies, yogurt, soup, or salad. Be sure to increase your fluid intake as well to avoid constipation.

• If symptoms include:
  diarrhea

You could try:
Limiting your caffeine intake from tea, coffee, and soft drinks to no more than three drinks per day
Increasing your intake of gel-forming fibers, like oats, flaxseeds, and certain fruits and vegetables
Avoid sugar-free foods containing sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol (e.g. sugar-free drinks, mints, gum)

Probiotics & IBS

Probiotics contain ‘friendly’ or ‘good’ bacteria that can improve the health of your gut microbiota. These are found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt, saurkraut, or kefir, or in supplement form.

If you decide to try a probiotic supplement, take it daily for at least four weeks at the manufacturer-recommended dose to see if it improves your symptoms. Always consult a healthcare provider before trying a probiotic supplement.

Alternative Dietary Advice for IBS – low FODMAP diet

If these approaches does not result in improvement of symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend that you try a diet that is low in short-chain fermentable carbohydrates (also known as the ‘low FODMAP diet’), which evidence suggests can improve symptoms of IBS. This is a complex diet and should only be followed under the guidance of a low FODMAP-trained dietitian.

For more information on the low FODMAP diet click here.