Chances are if you have been to your doctor to discuss your IBS symptoms, he or she may have told you to eat more fiber. Maybe he or she told you to take Metamucil or Citrucel. 🙄
These fibers often have artificial colors and flavors which are not good for us but they can also be very aggravating for people with IBS.
It would be great if fiber worked as it is touted to – slow down diarrhea when it is present or speed up bowel movements when constipation is present.
However, that is not often the case for those with IBS.
I know because I have lived it, numerous times!
Having struggled with mixed IBS, I was always trying to slow down or speed up my bowels. When I tried psyllium husk, flaxseeds, and modified citrus pectin it was like my gut went on vacation! It stopped moving anything through it and resulted in gas and bloating.
I didn’t understand why this was when I was hearing that fiber is good for IBS! 🤷♀️
It wasn’t until I was a student studying Naturopathic Medicine that I learned about the reasons WHY my gut did not do well with fiber.
I was listening to a lecture about IBS and the doctor asked “Do your IBS patients get worse with fiber? Do you know why they get worse with fiber?”
I sat there hanging on his every word, waiting to hear what he was about to reveal.
The answer was SIBO. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.
We aren’t supposed to have lots of bacteria in our small intestine. We are supposed to have lots of bacteria in the large intestine, but not the small intestine. When those bugs are in our small intestine, the fiber is delicious food for them. They eat the food and produce gases that can cause gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.
That was an “A ha” moment for me and maybe it is for you too!
Not every person with IBS has SIBO though. There are people who benefit from fiber!
Some get the relief that they are looking for – either slower bowel movements if they had diarrhea or more bowel movements if they had constipation.
How wonderful for them!
But this is why it’s important to assess before you jump in with the fiber. Of course, you could use trying out fiber as a clue as to whether you have SIBO.
If you take fiber and feel bloated, gassy, or have worse diarrhea or constipation, it’s probably not for you!
It’s likely that you need to find a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in digestion to help assess whether you have SIBO.
It’s important to work with an expert in IBS if you want to restore health to your body and overcome your IBS. Please don’t wait another minute to take that first step to Freedom from IBS!
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