The diet to relieve irritable bowel symptoms should be poor in substances that aggravate intestinal inflammation or that increase the intensity of peristaltic movements. In this way, one should avoid eating foods with a lot of fat, caffeine or sugar, as well as eliminating alcohol consumption.
It is also important to ensure correct hydration, since water is essential to avoid cases of dehydration, when the irritable bowel causes diarrhea, or to improve the functioning of the intestine when constipation arises.
In addition, eating several small meals throughout the day is better than making a very large meal, as it prevents overwork by the stomach and intestine, avoiding or relieving symptoms.
Foods to Avoid
In order to control irritable bowel symptoms it is advisable to avoid, or withdraw from the diet, foods such as:
- Fry, sauces and cream;
- Coffee, black tea and soft drinks with caffeine;
- Sugar, sweets, crackers, biscuits and candy;
- Alcoholic beverages.
Since nearly half of the cases of irritable bowel syndrome are highly sensitive to lactose, it may be necessary to exclude milk from the diet to see if this food irritates the intestinal mucosa. Likewise, a diet rich in fiber should also be studied because in some cases it can regulate the functioning of the intestine, while in other cases it can worsen symptoms, especially when there is associated diarrhea.
In the diet for irritable bowel syndrome it is important to also control the amount of water ingested. It is determined that the patient with irritable bowel syndrome should drink about 30 to 35 ml of liquids per kg of weight, which means that a person weighing 60 kg should ingest about 2 liters of water. The count is done by multiplying the patient's actual weight, in kg, by 35 mL.
Watch this video to find out more about irritable bowel syndrome and what you should or should not eat:
Example of Diet for Irritable Bowel
- Breakfast and snacks - chamomile or lemonade tea and a French bread with cheese mines or an apple with a yoghurt and two toast
- Lunch and dinner - grilled turkey steak with rice and salad or hake cooked with boiled potatoes and broccoli.
This diet is just one example, and each diet for irritable colon should be prepared by a nutritionist or gastroenterologist.
