A study conducted by a team of researchers from Sweden found that exercise can help alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel movement.

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a health condition that is commonly associated with diarrhea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and frequent cramping in the stomach area. Though IBS does not lead to serious diseases and cause permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the illness results to a great deal of distress and discomfort. Some cases of IBS can easily be managed through prescribed medication, stress management and diet. But some worse cases can be disabling and can, in fact, hinder a person from going to work, travel short distances or attend social events.  According to statistics, approximately 1 out of 5 Americans suffer from IBS; thus, the disorder is considered to be one of the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal conditions by medical specialists.

Causes and Symptoms of IBS

The symptoms of IBS can easily be mistaken as symptoms of other digestive disorders. The main symptoms are discomfort, bloating and abdominal pain. But this can differ from person to person. Some people with IBS may experience difficulty eliminating waste, others may have uncontrollable bowel movement and diarrhea, while some people will experience an alternation of diarrhea and constipation. In some cases, the symptoms of IBS can stop for a few months but others may experience continuous and worsening symptoms.

There are a few theories explaining the cause of IBS. One theory explains that the disorder is caused by the colon and large intestine’s sensitivity to stress and certain types of food. There may also be a link between IBS and the immune system. One study conducted to investigate the root cause of IBS found that bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal tract may be causing the disorder. Despite numerous studies, the real cause of IBS is still an open subject.

The Effects of Stress to IBS

Stress, as well as troubled, overwhelmed and angered feelings can result to spasms in the colon area. The colon has numerous nerves that connects to the brain and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. These nerves are responsible for the normal contraction of the colon when the person suddenly feels stressed and nervous. In IBS cases, the colon becomes over-responsive to stress which then results to the symptoms of the disorder. For people whose IBS triggered by stress, the appropriate treatment is stress reduction, adequate sleep, stress management, and support and counseling.

Traditional Treatment for IBS

Around 70 percent of people with IBS are not getting medical care in order to treat their conditions. People will often resort to over-the-counter medicines which are limited to providing temporary relief. And since the cause of the disorder is yet to be discovered, available treatment for IBS can only deal with the relief of symptoms. Treatments include medication, diet changes and stress management. Medical experts will often suggest dietary modifications such as BRAT for diarrhea (banana, rice, applesauce and toast) and fiber supplementation for cases of constipation.

The Benefits of Exercise to IBS

A study conducted by a team of Swedish researchers found that exercise can significantly help people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. The study was conducted primarily at the Alingsas Hospital and the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburgm, Sweden. The researchers gathered a group of 102 study participants diagnosed with IBS and divided them into two groups; half of them served as the control group and were asked to maintain their usual lifestyle while the other half was given exercise programs which increased their daily physical activities. The two groups received calls from a licensed physiotherapist to assist them with their condition. Lead researcher, Elisabeth Johannesson, said that the active group was asked to perform moderate to vigorous exercises between three to five times a week for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

At the beginning of the study, the study participants were asked to provide relevant information regarding their IBS conditions including the intensity of the discomfort, stool problems, abdominal pain and quality of life. The same procedures were also conducted at the end of the 3-month study period. Senior physician, Riadh Sadik, was responsible for determining the results of the exercise program. He said that the control group had an average symptom decline of 5 points while the active group experienced a 51-point reduction.

The researchers also reported that only 8 percent of the study group felt worse after following the exercising program. 23 percent of the control group, on the other hand, experienced deteriorating symptoms. Sadik concluded that the slightest increase in a person’s physical activity can significantly help alleviate the symptoms of IBS. The study was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Natural Ways to Alleviate IBS

IBS can be treated naturally – and this starts by knowing which factors are triggering the disorder. More often than not, IBS is caused by an overly sensitive colon. In this case, stress management and restricted diet can help alleviate the symptoms. To start with, stress management has been the most common approach for IBS patients.

Stress plays a major in triggering IBS and has been found by different studies to be one of the most probable cause of the disorder. Though further studies are still needed in order to better understand the relationship between stress and IBS, researchers had found that symptoms tend to worsen during periods of anxiety. Stress management programs and relaxation exercises can help relieve the symptoms of IBS. People suffering from the disorder can seek the advice of a qualified stress therapist.

A study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that people who practice mindfulness meditation to overcome stress can reduce flatulence by up to 22 percent and improve bloating and diarrhea symptoms.

Dietary change is one of the best ways to relieve the symptoms of IBS. Avoiding certain foods that trigger IBS is the most practical and cost-effective approach to the treatment of IBS. Knowing which food types to avoid will help minimize the occurrence and intensity of the symptoms. Examples of foods to avoid are carbonated beverages, high-fat foods, artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame and sorbitol), fried foods, alcohol, gluten and caffeine.

Eating foods with fiber helps normalize bowel movements. Medical experts say that fiber helps decrease abdominal spasms and push waste out of the body. Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and oats are the best natural sources of fiber.

Sources
digestive.niddk.nih.gov
eurekalert.org
wellbeing-nutrition.com
findarticles.com
quickcare.org

The unpredictability of your job may affect your risk for irritable bowel syndrome.

It’s said that the only constant thing people can expect in life is change, a frustrating fact of life for we are creatures of habit.

While change is almost always uncomfortable, change, for the most part, is a good thing.  It enables us to grow.  It enables us to adapt to circumstances both within and beyond our control.

Knowing that change is a good thing doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, though.  In fact, even small changes, like never having a consistent work schedule, can really throw off the body’s body clock.

All of us have an internal body clock.  We all develop patterns of behavior that our body remembers, where we wake around the same time every morning, go to bed around the same time every night, and eat around the same time for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Where we also develop patterns is in our bowel habits.

If you’re anything like me, you tend to use the facilities around the same time every day (yes, I know that’s too much information, but there’s a point to my mentioning this).   Here, a lack of change is a good thing because it indicates that you’re getting a good amount of fiber in your diet and that you’re staying “regular.”

But according to researchers, a work schedule that’s constantly in flux spells bad news for your bowels by putting you at risk for irritable bowel syndrome.

Researchers from the University of Michigan discovered this after evaluating 400 people whose profession epitomizes unpredictability:  nurses.

About half of the participating nurses had the fortune of working pretty consistent schedules, but 75 of them had very irregular schedules.

After taking into account potential contributing factors for IBS diagnosis (e.g. gender, stress levels, age, etc.), they found that the nurses whose schedules were constantly in flux were far more likely to have IBS.

They found that about 50 percent of the nurses who had rotating shifts reported symptoms indicative of IBS, which is a stark contrast to the 40 percent of nurses with IBS on the graveyard shift and the 31 percent that work dayside.

This is an interesting finding because even though the rate is highest among those working the unpredictable shift, it’s a high rate of IBS among all three groupings, especially when you compare their rate of IBS to the country at large (about 20 percent of the population has IBS, or 1 in 5).

Then again it’s not too surprising the rate of IBS was high among all the groupings when you factor into the equation that most of the participants were young women (IBS is more common among women, especially those who are in their 20s and 30s).

The study was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

If these nurses’ situation is in anyway similar to yours, ask your boss if you can work a more regular schedule.  It may be embarrassing for you to explain why you want a regular schedule, but keep in mind that IBS is an extremely common condition that LOTS of people have.  Plus, if your work schedule is causing your IBS, a steadier work schedule will enable you to work more effectively and efficiently—a win-win for your employer!  A 1995 Mayo Clinic study found that IBS costs the economy $20 billion every year in lost work productivity.

If your work schedule isn’t the cause of your IBS, it may be your diet.  There’s no such thing as a food that fixes or causes IBS, as the cause of IBS flare-ups tend to vary from person to person.  It may be because your diet’s too low in fiber or you’ve started to eat a food that you haven’t eaten in a while.   Take inventory of your diet.

Then again, your IBS may be a result of your emotional state.  Have you been feeling a lot of stress at work lately?  How’s life been at home with your spouse or your kids?  Stress plays a significant role in IBS onset, so do everything you can to de-stress your life (e.g. start an exercise routine, do yoga, or get a massage).

A gastroenterologist will be able to identify if you have IBS, but there are some all-natural supplements you should consider if you’d rather not deal with the doc.  You can learn all about those here.

Sources:
health.google.com
newsmaxhealth.com
webmd.com
reuters.com

St. John's wort has long been considered effective for treating mood disorders. So why would it all of a sudden be considered effective for treating gastrointestinal disorders?

Sometimes I’m amazed at what makes health headlines.  For instance, if an herb, supplement or medication is disproved as an effective treatment for a certain condition, after years of being considered effective, then that warrants a story.  But if an herb or supplement is tested to treat a condition that it was never meant to treat, and that herb turns out to be ineffective, is that really worthy of a news story?

Perhaps an explanation will better explain what I mean.  According to a new study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, St. John’s wort is an effective herb in the treatment of IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome.

And?  You mean, that’s it?  That’s what the news is—that St. Johns wort shouldn’t be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome?

What will they tell us next—that sticking your hands in the snow doesn’t relieve frostbite?  That the Double Cheeseburger Diet doesn’t trim the waistline?  That candy isn’t good for your teeth?  That the best way to reduce stress is to seek out stressful situations?

St. John’s wort has never been used to treat gastrointestinal problems.  Never. Hundreds of studies point to its effectiveness in treating mood and behavior disorders (like depression and ADHD), but it’s never been considered effective for treating gastrointestinal problems.

It’s like going to see a podiatrist for a broken nose, or a proctologist for an ear infection.  It doesn’t make sense, so why do it?

Now, granted, supplements, herbs and medications are tried and tested on various conditions all the time.  It’s part of the process of elimination in widdling down what supplements do and don’t work for various conditions.  But some things should be clear at the outset that they won’t be effective for a certain treatment.  And the notion that St. Johns wort would be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome—call me crazy—is a bit of a stretch.

That’s not to say St. John’s wort is an ineffective herb.  It’s a very effective herb for depression, as noted by scientists in the prestigious Cochrane Report and several other respected journals.  But irritable bowel syndrome and depression are apples and oranges in how they impact the body and what supplements are considered effective for treatment.

For irritable bowel syndrome, you want to take supplements that improve digestion and absorption.  So concentrate on things like L-glutamine, fiber and peppermint.  For depression, concentrate on taking things that naturally stimulates a greater production of serotonin and dopamine.  These things include—you guessed it—St. John’s wort, but also 5-HTP and Nicotinamide, or NADH.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
prnewswire.com
en.wikipedia.org
Balch, Phyllis A.  “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.”  4th Edition.  2006.  Avery:  New York