How to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome Naturally
I have had IBS for years. It started during college and then worsened after the birth of my first child at the age of 26. Â Now many people, expecially the “experts” would look at the events surrounding when my IBS began and worsened and attribute it to stress. But stress really only exacerbated the problem, it didn’t cause it. The main reason my IBS is better now is that I avoid very specific food chemicals that cause it to flare up. The main chemicals to avoid are MSG, and aspartame (or any artificial sweetener). But all artificial food chemicals contribute to IBS.
The reason these chemicals trigger IBS is that most of them are very concentrated forms of excitatory amino acids. And for people who get IBS (most of which also get migraines) their bodies are not able to metabolize excitatory amino acids very well. Why can’t some of us metabolize certain amino acids? Well that is where lots of theories come into play.
I believe that many metabolic defects occur as a result of our bodies being over burdened with new chemicals to process, and over time the enzymes needed to break down these chemicals get depleted , resulting in metabolic disorders. So, by avoiding the chemicals that deplete these enzymes, over time we can build up that system and metabolize better. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize this and by the time we make these changes, irreparable damage may be done.
I had IBS for years before I made dietary changes, and I was able to improve my IBS attacks. I still get flares occasionally (mostly during hormonal ups and downs- another trigger). But if you remove most artificial chemicals from your diet, you will find much relief from IBS, as well as many other problems that ail you. Also, try adding digestive enzymes and probiotics, and you should be IBS-free in no time.