External Collab - IBS research

IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a digestive condition that affects 10-20% of people living in the UK. Despite it being fairly common, it is not often spoken about and is a largely hidden condition. It can significantly affect the quality of life, as it can stop sufferers from attending school or work. Women tend to suffer more from the condition than men (3:2). 
IBS has no specific cause or distinctive pathology and no one definitive treatment. Some of the triggers for an attack of IBS include diet or a stressful/traumatic event. IBS is a highly individual illness, with triggers and symptoms as well as treatment varying significantly between sufferers. Symptoms of the condition include:

- abdominal cramps
- bloating
- diarrhoea
- constipation
- tiredness
- nausea
- heartburn/indigestion
- headaches
- muscle pains
- anxiety 
- depression

Accompanying illnesses include mental suffering in the form of anxiety and depression, as well as other digestive illnesses such as GERD/GORD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and gastritis. Other linked diseases are ME (chronic fatigue) and fibromyalgia (chronic pain).

Diet is a significant contributor towards the cause as well as management of IBS. Triggers include fatty foods and oils, tea/coffee, insoluble fibres, processed foods, alcohol and dairy
Diets such as a low - FODMAP diet (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) can help to manage the condition and improve symptoms. The diet restricts consumption of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the lower intestine.

Exercise can also alleviate symptoms by providing stress relief. Stress relief can also be achieved through yoga (which can help digestive problems) and meditation techniques.

Natural remedies such as peppermint oil (which is anti-spasmodic) and prebiotics can also help with the condition by altering the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.


Personally, my experience with IBS tends to suffer when I eat garlic, oily or carbonated drinks such as fizzy drinks as well as drinks such as beer or cider which also have a lot of wheat, and coffee and tea, through which caffeine can hit me wrong. I also need to eat regularly, and cannot skip meals or I will feel very sick. I also suffer from GERD, so some nights I have spent with my head over the toilet throwing up stomach acid. I take Buscopan to alleviate cramps and symptoms.

IBS has been described as a manifestation of “derailing of the brain-gut axis” (Gut, 1997; 390-3).