Common Food Triggers for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

There are certain foods that cause problems for lots of IBS sufferers. Knowing what these foods are and realizing that you probably don't have to give up all your beloved foods for good is a great first step to make.

Typical traits of foods that cause IBS symptoms are foods that are one or more of the following:

High in fat (fried foods, junk foods, etc.)

Acidic (tomatoes, orange juice, etc.)

High in insoluble fiber (often produce gas and are hard to digest- broccoli, nuts, etc.).

You may be thinking, "Wait a minute. My doctor told me I should increase my fiber. How can broccoli be bad?" It's true that you should get your daily allowance of fiber, but you need to be careful how you get it.

If you eat a big plate of steamed broccoli, you're probably going to be running to the bathroom not much later. I personally love broccoli with cheese melted on top. If I eat more than a tiny amount of it at a time, say more than ten small florets, I almost invariably get gas and/or diarrhea.

The thing with insoluble fiber is that your body can't digest it. It adds roughage that can help alleviate constipation, but in many people with IBS it also triggers problems such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea because it can't be digested.

There are many foods high in insoluble fiber that are great for your body and that taste great too. The secret to enjoying these foods are: quantity and variety. You shouldn't have more than a small portion at a time of these foods until you can tell whether or not they are going to cause a reaction in your system. Also, you shouldn't have more than one of these types of food in a meal. If you have brussel sprouts and broccoli together in a meal you will more than likely have symptoms.

Another tip when eating these foods is to eat slowly and chew them well. If you don't chew up the food enough that can cause more stress on your intestines as they try to process bigger, more fibrous pieces of the foods.