Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that causes pain and cramping in your abdomen, gas and bouts of diarrhea or constipation. While there is no known cause for IBS, it may be triggered by a low-fiber diet, stress or laxative use. IBS cannot be cured, so treatment is focused on alleviating symptoms. Medications are available, but dietary and lifestyle changes can often do the trick. Speak to your physician about increasing your intake of certain vitamins to help manage your IBS symptoms. Vitamin B-6 is a water-soluble vitamin found in avocado, banana, beans, nuts, meat, poultry and whole grains. The recommended dietary allowance for adults is between 1.3 and 1.7 milligrams a day. A study published in 2011 in Nutrition Research asked subjects to document their food intake for seven days. Researchers found that subjects who consumed the lowest amount of vitamin B-6 reported more frequent and severe IBS symptoms. The number of participants in this study was small, and a vitamin B-6 deficiency is not common in the United States, but speak to your physician if you’re concerned.
There is no known cause of IBS, but chronic, minor inflammation in the intestinal wall can play a role in IBS that develops after a gastrointestinal infection. Vitamin D may inhibit these inflammatory mediators, according to a letter published in 2013 in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Results from case reports published in 2012 in BMJ Case Reports showed that out of 37 patients, 70 percent reported that supplementation of vitamin D eased their IBS symptoms. More research is needed on larger groups of people in a controlled setting, but speak to your physician about this vitamin and the dose that may be right for you. Consider taking vitamin C if your IBS is typically accompanied by constipation. With this type of IBS, your gut muscles don’t contract well enough to empty your bowels. Life Extension Magazine recommends either buffered vitamin C powder or effervescent powder. Buffered vitamin C is a combination of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. It should be mixed with a glass of water and taken on an empty stomach.
Effervescent powder is a mix of vitamin C and magnesium carbonate that should induce a bowel movement in 30 to 90 minutes when taken with several glasses of water. Adding vitamins, whether through diet or supplements, may not be enough to combat your IBS. The University of Maryland Medical Center also recommends eating mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eliminate beans, cabbage, broccoli, fruit juice, bananas, nuts and raisins if you’re gassy. Steer clear of refined grains and reduce your intake of red meats, caffeine, alcohol and trans fats. Drink plenty of water and exercise daily. Consider taking probiotics, ground flaxseed or melatonin to reduce your IBS symptoms. Does Eating Yogurt Help Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Foods to Avoid With a Spastic Colon Diet to Help a Spastic Colon Probiotic Yogurt & Irritable Bowel Syndrome Does IBS Cause Low Pelvic Pain? The Best Probiotics for IBS Suitable Diets for Children With IBS Are IBS Symptoms Worse in the Morning?
About Irritable Bowel Syndrome After Pregnancy Flaxseed Oil & Irritable Bowel Syndrome What Are the Causes of Spastic Colon Pain? High Protein Diets & IBS Why Does My Food Go Through My Large Intestine Too Fast? Diet Advice for IBS Can IBS Cause Malabsorption of Nutrients? Yellow Diarrhea After Meals & IBS Cherry Juice & Irritable Bowel SyndromeCan't see this email? IBS Diet Quick Tip! Vitamin and mineral supplements can cause IBS upsets. Ask your pharmacist for the most tolerable brands of vitamins in their store. Prenatal vitamins may be an option - they're often formulated to minimize GI side effects. Chewable vitamins are sometimes easier on the tummy. Ask your doctor about liquid vitamins or vitamin shots if you can't tolerate pills. Watch out for fillers and additives in vitamins - avoid lactose, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, inulin, FOS, and preservatives. Health food stores may have a wider variety of additive-free vitamins than drug stores.
Try two or three smaller-dose vitamin/mineral supplements daily instead of one large dose. This reduces the risk of GI upsets, and aids your body in absorbing the nutrients. Can't find smaller-dose vitamins? Try breaking a regular pill in half. Never take vitamin pills on an empty stomach! Take with a high soluble fiber, low fat meal. For extra GI stability add a dose of your Tummy Fiber to the meal as well. Vitamin C is notorious for causing gas, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. The recommended dose for Vitamin C is generally under 2,000 mg. daily. Over that, and you really risk GI side effects. Unless your doctor has recommended otherwise, don't exceed one hundred percent of the US RDA for Vitamin C. Calcium is constipating, which can be helpful or hurtful depending on your symptoms. Magnesium is a laxative, and this too can help or hurt, depending. If you alternate between IBS diarrhea and constipation, try a supplement with a balance of calcium and magnesium.
If you're prone to diarrhea, try calcium carbonate, which has no magnesium. If you're prone to constipation, try calcium citrate or cal-mag, which contains magnesium. With either form of calcium, there should be Vitamin D included for the best possible absorption. In general, take only 500 mg. of calcium per dose, as your body may not be able to absorb more than this all at once. Iron can cause stomach upsets. Iron blocks the absorption of calcium. If you aren't anemic or prone to anemia, ask your doc if you need an iron supplement at all. Iron in the form of ferrous sulfate can cause constipation. Iron as ferrous gluconate should be non-constipating. Iron is best absorbed in the presence of Vitamin C.Try a multivitamin with C and iron at one meal, and calcium or calcium/magnesium combination with Vitamin D at another meal. It's best to get vitamins and minerals from a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and nuts. There are many nutrients in whole foods that can't be extracted into pills.