| Answer: | Bloating, abdominalpain, flatulence, diarrhoea, cramps, depression, anxiety and constipation - these are some of themore common, and unpleasant, symptoms of IBS. In this disorder, the sufferer' s bowel nerves and muscles are highly sensitive; their muscles may cramp up when they have a meal. It' s thought that most cases are caused by food allergies, but it is
not always easy to pinpoint the culprit.
To test thistheory, researchers from the University of York tested 300 IBS suffers for allergies using a highly advanced blood test called IgG ELISA testing. They then gave the patients' doctors either real or faked results. The patients then avoided the alleged allergy-provoking food indicated in the test results for three months. At the end of three months, only those people on the real allergy-free diet showed a marked improvement in symptoms.
Wheat gluten is behindmany cases of IBS. Gluten can also be found in rye, barley and oats, but oats are free of gliadin, a substance in gluten that is particularly allergenic. So if you' ve developed IBS, the first step is to avoid all gluten grains. If after 10 days, say, your condition improves, reintroduce oats and see what happens. If all is well you can keep on eating oats, a useful source of soluble fibre, vitamins and minerals and slow-release energy. But it is important to get yourself tested. We are all different, and you may be reacting to foods you' ve never suspected. |
