Foods To Avoid For Women With IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) involves a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including bloating, constipation and diarrhea, pain in the abdomen, and increased flatulence. This is all related to a compromised digestive system, specifically the large intestine. These symptoms occur without visual signs of digestive damage. IBS is a common condition, particularly in women over 50 years old and those with anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorders.

IBS medication includes laxatives and fiber supplements, along with anti-anxiety medication for those who require it. There are other ways to get IBS relief as well, including many natural remedies for IBS diarrhea. A big section of natural remedies for irritable bowel syndrome is diet, especially the foods to avoid.

Products With Gluten

Gluten intolerance occurs fairly often in women who have IBS. This means the body cannot properly process gluten, and this can worsen the symptoms of IBS and cause additional concerns. Gluten, for those who don’t know, is a protein found in whole grains and similar products, such as whole-grain bread and pasta. Specifically, it is found in rye, barley, and wheat.

Sometimes, women can have an allergic reaction to gluten. This is called celiac disease! It has symptoms very similar to IBS, though diarrhea is the most prominent. Yes, both can occur at the same time! Women with IBS are encouraged to go gluten-free for a few weeks to see how their body reacts. If their symptoms improve, it is worth staying on a gluten-free diet!

Spicy Or Fried Food

Spicy foods typically contain something called capsaicin, This substance can burn the lining of the intestines and the stomach. This goes beyond what IBS already does! This means avoiding spicy foods where possible. Besides the capsaicin, spicy foods are known to cause more irritation in the stomach in general. Of course, some spices are typically considered safe for women with IBS, such as cumin, ginger, and turmeric. That said, these should only be added in small amounts to be safe!

Fried food is another trigger for severe IBS symptoms. This is because fried foods are higher in fat, which makes them hard to digest, especially with IBS. Instead, women with IBS should bake, steam, or grill their food to ease digestion. This reduces the oil used, which can also help with IBS symptoms.

Processed Food

Women with IBS can greatly benefit from avoiding processed foods in their diet. Processed foods to avoid include those with added sugar, salt, and other additives that compromise the natural food and make them harder to digest. They are also often irritating to the stomach because of the chemical they contain. In some cases, processed food has been fried and is higher in fat!

Women should avoid french fries, fast food, lunch meats, sausages, chips, and similar processed foods if they have IBS. Instead, the key is to look for foods with short ingredient lists and lots of vitamins. Cooking fresh food at home is a great way to avoid processed foods too!

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are harder for the body to digest. Those with IBS will find because of this, cruciferous vegetables cause more embarrassing symptoms, including more frequent diarrhea and flatulence. This occurs for two reasons. One, this kind of vegetable contains more fiber. Women with IBS must watch their fiber intake carefully and increase their intake slowly to avoid unfortunate side effects. These vegetables also contain indigestible sugars, which cause discomfort when they are eaten in excess, especially when eaten raw. Thus, cruciferous vegetables are best avoided to reduce the severity of IBS symptoms.

Dairy Products

Women with IBS must avoid consuming dairy products for two reasons. The first reason is that dairy products contain quite a bit of fat. For those with IBS, this means increased episodes of diarrhea. The first step would, of course, be switching to low-fat dairy products. If women were drinking 2 percent milk, switching to skim is good.

However, many women with IBS also deal with lactose intolerance. This means their body cannot digest lactose, which is a sugar found in dairy products. These women should cut out dairy products and look for alternatives. Great options include soy, almond, rice, and coconut milk. There are also soy yogurts and cheeses. There’s even cashew cheese!