Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that affects approximately 13%-20% of people in Canada. Known symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea. It is a chronic health condition, the symptoms of which can be managed with the help of a healthy diet, adapted to each individual, according to the symptoms and personal intolerances.

Who says digestion, says nutrition. Indeed, constipation and diarrhea are addressed in the majority of patients who consult in nutrition. A comprehensive nutrition assessment can determine if your intake of specific nutrients that impact intestinal transit, such as water and fiber, is adequate and make adjustments to your diet if it is not. In addition to helping you manage your symptoms, meeting with a registered dietitian can help you maintain adequate nutritional status and improve your quality of life, by reducing symptoms and the food-related anxiety that often accompanies this syndrome.

When discussing nutrition in relation to IBS, it’s hard to overlook the well-known “FODMAPs”. These nutrients are often poorly tolerated by people with IBS and the basis of their symptoms. Meeting with a registered dietitian can not only help you go through the laborious process of the FODMAP diet, but also identify the foods at the source of your symptoms, always in a personalized way.

In addition, people who suffer from this syndrome are more at risk of developing an eating disorder, because of the anxiety related to the food that it generates. Registered dietitians are sensitive to this issue; nutrition care is always adapted to favor a good relationship with food and your body. Being followed by a nutrition professional ensures that your health and nutrition are in good hands, saving you hours of Google searches on FODMAPs, which would only increase your stress (and possibly your symptoms!)