IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or Spastic Colon, is a disorder of the intestines that causes discomfort including stomach pain, abdominal gas, trouble with bowel movement,diarrhea, and even constipation. It isn't a life-threatening disease but having said that, it can be severe enough in some patients to interfere with daily functioning and routines.

Although difficult to cure completely, IBS can be managed with some alterations in a person's lifestyle, especially one's diet, which plays a crucial role in easing symptoms and improving the quality of life. Hence, following a dietary regime suited to the IBS system is paramount.

There is no one-size-fits-all, single best diet for IBS sufferers, but one must develop one's own diet plan by carefully observing and monitoring their food intake, whilst taking into account foods that generally provoke symptoms and those foods that are well tolerated.

Firstly, food allergies and intolerances such as lactose intolerance must be considered. Try dairy alternatives like soya milk, oat milk or even yogurt rich in calcium and vitamins.
Other culprits are fatty foods which worsen bowel symptoms as they are difficult to digest. Embark on a low-fat diet which is good for your heart and doesn't irritate the digestive tract's delicate lining. Steer clear of fried foods and instead choose low fat foods with minimal processing.
Should you go for a high fiber diet or a low fiber one? To decide, it's essential to consider which is more suited to your body. For some, a high fiber diet may be beneficial adding bulk to stools enabling a smooth trouble free bowel movement. Fibrous foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. However, if fiber ends up giving you a sense of bloating, include soluble fiber in your diet and limit grains.
Avoid hot, spicy foods, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and sugars: These are known triggers for IBS sufferers, and may stimulate colonic spasms. Eating healthy and getting the right mix of nutrients is essential as one needs to be careful about what his or her stomach can digest. And this makes avoiding unhealthy junk food a must.

Maintaining a food diary to observe and track the impact of different foods can be a good start towards planning a healthy diet.

Best Diet for IBS Patients

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS as it is more commonly known is a problem with the gastrointestinal tract, where, as the name suggests, the bowel is irritated. It is a syndrome, which is a group of symptoms, and not a single issue. The exact cause is still not known, but most people with IBS have higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It is therefore considered a psychosomatic condition, where an unhealthy state of mind is reflected in body symptoms.

Unani also refers to IBS as nervous indigestion, intestinal neurosis, and irritable colon.
Symptoms: 

These are worsened when there is an actual episode, which is usually during increased stress levels.
Altered bowel movement (violent episodes of diarrhoea) alternating with constipation
Severe stomach cramps, which is worsened with eating and better after passing stools
Bloated feeling (stomach full of gas)
Change in stool (flat ribbon stools or pencil stools)
Feeling of incomplete stool emptying
General fatigue and malaise
Diagnosis is confirmed with a combination of symptoms, clinical exam, and investigations including stool tests. The two common findings are altered intestinal motility and increased visceral perception to stimulus.
If a patient presents with constipation, the bowel motility is reduced, and in those presenting with diarrhoea, the movement of food through the colon is very rapid.

While there are no sure remedies for IBS in allopathy, natural medicine systems like Unani have effective remedies. Both single and compound drugs are tried, and in most studies, the results have been very encouraging. The commonly used products are listed below.

Bel (Aegle marmelos): The fruit and leaves of bel are known for their stomach-friendly properties. It is useful in chronic diarrhoea conditions and also during typhoid. Bel juice is available for ready use. Also, the leaves can be boiled in water, and this extract can be stored and consumed over a period of time.
Cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum): This common ingredient in most curries does wonders for the stomach. It is very friendly on the stomach and soothes the stomach lining. It reduces irritation and eases bowel movement. In addition to regular usage, when IBS flares up, cumin seeds can be boiled in water, and this can be cooled and stored for use over a period of time.
Amla (gooseberry) (Embilica Oficinalis): This again is useful in treating diarrhoea and has a cooling and soothing effect on the stomach. This is used in multiple forms   raw gooseberry, boiled, and even juice forms.
These are used either as a single agent or as compound agents for treating IBS. Unani also believes that controlling anxiety and emotional symptoms can help in avoiding flare-ups of IBS.

Irritable Bowel - How Unani Medicine Can Help to Treat It?

The human body with its multiple organs is a highly complicated structure and one or more organs often malfunction for various reasons. However, for some, no reasons are identified for this problem. One such is irritable bowel syndrome or IBS as it is commonly referred to.

It is a common disorder affecting the large intestine leading to alternate bouts of diarrhea and constipation, abdominal cramps and a feeling of fullness. It is common in people younger than 45 years of age, affects women more than men, and though the exact reason is not known, the following are attributed.

Physical/Physiologic reasons:

1. Signal issues between the brain and intestines: For various or even unknown reasons, the brain may not be able to send the right signal to the stomach to process food, making the stomach to be hyperactive and have an increased sense of pain or sensitivity or discomfort. Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals responsible for sending signals to various organs also could be involved.

2. Hormonal connection: Menstrual periods tend to aggravate symptoms of IBS, while postmenopausal women are largely free of IBS symptoms.

3. Genetics: People with a family history of IBS are more likely to develop IBS too.

4. Aggravating foods: Foods rich in carbohydrates, spicy foods, fatty foods, caffeine and alcohol aggravate IBS symptoms. Ability to absorb sugar could be a cause too.

5. Infections: Some people with IBS have certain bacteria identified in their gut which produces excessive gas and this could lead to altered bowel movements.

6. GI Motility Issues: Alterations in the way the food passes through the stomach can lead to either constipation (slow movement) or diarrhea (quicker movement). There could also be spasms and contractions after eating, especially if the stress levels are high.

7. Psychological issues: Panic disorder, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder are common in IBS patients. It is possible that they are not able to express their psychological stress, it manifests as physical symptoms. Stress increases symptoms of IBS and vice versa.

Management:

1. Manage stress: Meditation, yoga, support groups, medication and even hypnosis in severely stressed people helps control stress, providing great relief in IBS symptoms.

2. Lifestyle changes: Reduce alcohol and smoking

3. Dietary changes: Avoid aggravating foods, increase the amount of fiber if you have diarrhea and space out meals to avoid intestinal overload

4. Herbal remedies: Probiotics, peppermint oil and a variety of herbal medicines are available.

5. Symptomatic medications: Based on presenting symptoms, different medications including antibiotics for infections and motility drugs can be used. Anti anxiety and antidepressants are also prescribed to manage the psychological issues.

In terms of causes, symptoms, or treatment, IBS requires a very individualized approach and your doctor is the right person to discuss this with and decide.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Symptoms and Management

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, also called irritable bowel, is a disorder that is striking many more people today than ever. It is basically a gastrointestinal motility disorder with no known cause. Not sure, if it has struck you too? Here are the common symptoms of this scourge. You have abdominal pain followed by severe bloating with abdominal cramps after eating. You also feel that your bowels are always full and you suffer from chronic diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both.

What is the treatment for IBS? 

None or close to none, in allopathy. Doctors will give you medicines to manage symptoms and once the medicines are stopped, IBS strikes again. IBS is called  Grahani  in Ayurveda which is the name given to the small intestine because of its property to store and metabolize food. In the small intestine, which sees a lot of agni or enzymatic activity, food is held for a long time till it is digested. But when agni is weak due to malfunctioning digestive enzymes, the small intestine releases food in an undigested form.

There are 4 different types of Grahani based on the type of dosha which is disturbed.

Ayurveda uses the principle of involvement of doshas to understand symptoms in different types of IBS and also provide a system of treatment specific to that particular dosha imbalance. Ayurvedic treatments encompass herbs, food and lifestyle changes.

The concept of weak digestion or  Mand-agni  is also the key, as it leads to the accumulation of Ama , which causes IBS.
When levels of ama are high, the doctor will treat it with fasting and by giving you digestives and carminatives. He will ask you to drink warm water.
In constipation predominant IBS, the doctor will use digestives like chitrakadi vati and shankha vati to get rid of ama. He will also prescribe medicinal ghee preparations such as dashmuladi ghrita and thryushanadi ghrita.
Emesis (vamana) is used to treat diarrhea-predominant IBS.
The Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery predominant IBS is use of laxatives or virechana and use of herbs with spicy and sour tastes.
Complex IBS is treated with the panchakarma, supported by digestives.
Ayurveda relies a lot on buttermilk to treat IBS as it is digestive, astringent, and light to digest. It is usually given with herbs like asafetida, cumin, and rock-salt powder to control bowel movements. Buttermilk also contains a good amount of lactobacillus bacteria, which help to restore the normal flora of the GI tract.
Doctors will ask you to abstain from vata increasing foods like cabbage and beans, if you suffer from flatulence. Restriction of dairy and fruits like bananas may also be required. You will be asked to take a light diet and do away with cheese, non-veg and hard, cold foods. You will also be eating a lot of ginger, fennel and cumin that stimulate secretion of digestive enzymes for treating IBS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Ways Ayurveda Can Help!

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS includes a group of medical symptoms. These include abdominal pain and changes in the pattern of bowel movements. The symptoms mostly continue for a long period of time and are divided into four types depending on diarrhoea or constipation symptoms.

Irritable bowel syndrome causes several negative effects on our health and should be treated as soon as possible. IBS is caused because of various reasons and factors. They are as follows:

Digestive problems: Food is moved through the digestive system with the help of squeezing and relaxation movement of the intestinal muscles in a certain rhythm. In case of IBS, this process is altered and food moves through the digestive system very fast or very slow. When the food moves too fast, diarrhoea is caused as there is not enough time for absorption of water from food. In case of slow food movement, constipation occurs as a result of too much absorption of water. Disorders such as malabsorption of bile acid may also cause IBS in some cases.
Psychological factors: Psychological factors also play a vital role in IBS. When a person is overtly emotional or is suffering from intense stress or anxiety, then these emotions trigger chemical changes in the body which affect the proper functioning of the digestive system. This is not likely in all people who get IBS. People who did not have IBS before, may undergo changes in bowel movements because of immense stress and tension. Many people who have undergone a traumatic experience such as abuse, neglect or a childhood disease can get IBS. These traumatic events or experiences in the past made these people more sensitive to stress, which may result in IBS.
Several triggers of IBS: There are several food items and drinks, which may trigger the symptoms of IBS in a person. These triggers vary from person to person. The most common ones include alcohol, aerated drinks, chocolates, drinks which contain caffeine like coffee or cola, processed snacks such as crackers and biscuits and fried foods, which contain a lot of fat. You should maintain a food diary for identification of triggers that may lead to IBS in your everyday diet. Stress is also an important trigger which may lead to IBS. You should try to find ways to get rid of stress and must avoid over stressing.
Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS results due to several reasons which may be physical or psychological. If you experience symptoms of IBS, you must try to detect or diagnose the reason and then look for proper treatment while consulting with your physician.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Causes Behind it

Think you may be constipated? For somewhere in the range of, a bowel development each other day is totally ordinary (however, Ayurveda would at present prescribe a few methodologies to expand consistency). For others, only one day without a bowel development is a certain indication of clogging. Likewise with most things in Ayurveda, the setting of every person (and his or her experience of the circumstance) is significantly more critical than any one-size-fits-all meaning of what is healthy or typical.

The Ayurvedic Perspective
As indicated by Ayurveda, blockage happens when vata's cool and dry qualities irritate the colon, repressing its appropriate working. The remedy is to include warmth, oil, and hydration to the framework with a specific end goal to counter the overabundance vata. The accompanying procedures particularly counter vata's cool and dry qualities and can be exceptionally useful in supporting the arrival of ordinary bowel movements.

Drink Lots of Warm or Hot Water and Herbal Tea: Drink no less than 80 ounce of water or natural tea every day. Warm and hot liquids are best since they adjust vata's frosty quality. It's additionally imperative to drink the larger part of these liquids far from dinner, no less than 20 minutes prior, or 1 hour in the wake of eating.
Expand the Quantity of Organic Oils in Your Diet: Top notch oils grease up the tissues so that a fitting measure of oil or fat can stay in the stool. While most oils are for the most part steady, the best oils for vata are sesame oil, ghee and olive oil.
Eat Plenty of Fruit: Natural product is hydrating, sinewy and for the most part assuaging to vata. Particularly strong decisions incorporate ready bananas, peeled apples, drenched raisins, doused prunes, and peaches. Be certain to eat the organic product no less than one hour before or after different sustenance and bite them altogether to get the most extreme advantage.
Drink Some Fruit Juice: Pineapple squeeze and prune juice are especially viable at moving abundance vata in the colon. It is likewise fine to warm or weaken natural product juices with water.

Proper Bowel Movement - Easy Ayurvedic Remedies for it

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