David March 30th, 2006

Supplements for the dietary management of IBS can be unbelievably helpful for stabilizing digestion. This is particularly true when they’re used as one of the five key strategies for controlling Irritable Bowel Syndrome (proper diet, stress management, alternative therapies, and prescription medications are the other four).

Soluble fiber supplements, herbs that have medicinal effects on the gastrointestinal tract, heat therapy, probiotics, calcium and/or magnesium, and digestive enzymes are all of proven benefit. Best of all, results are usually felt very quickly - sometimes even immediately.

Most reputable Irritable Bowel Syndrome supplements are very safe and healthy overall (and they’re usually inexpensive as well), so you definitely don’t have much to lose by trying them.

Probiotics, such as acidophilus, are live cultures, and are available as pills or in soy yogurt (avoid dairy yogurt - see dietary trigger foods to learn why). Probiotics occur naturally in fermented foods.

The cultures help normalize and maintain healthy gastrointestinal flora, which can minimize diarrhea, bloating, gas, and painful abdominal cramps. Probiotics are most effective when they’re taken in conjunction with a prebiotic; a prebiotic (such as Tummy Fiber Acacia) is something that encourages the growth of probiotics. Soluble fibers often have a prebiotic effect, as their normal fermentation in the gut causes the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids, which then lead to the growth of good gut flora. This in turn leads to a reduction (sometimes dramatic) in abdominal bloating and gas.

Probiotics are particularly effective when your gut is under assault from antibiotics, though they can also be helpful when taken for daily maintenance. Quite a few research studies have shown that probiotics can dramatically improve irritable bowel syndrome. The problem is that other studies have found that many retail brands of probiotics don’t actually contain any live cultures at all, and are thus worthless. Though probiotic supplements are widely available at drug and health food stores, it can be difficult to know if the brand you’re buying is high quality and really does contain live cultures. Probiotic supplements should be taken with food.

Calcium and Magnesium play critical and antagonistic roles in regulating muscle function. Together they provide the mechanism for muscle contraction and relaxation.

In terms of GI tract function, calcium has a constipating effect, whereas magnesium acts as a laxative. As a result, calcium supplements can be truly beneficial for people with diarrhea-predominant IBS, and magnesium supplements can work wonders for IBS-constipation. Remember that calcium can block iron absorption in the body and contribute to anemia, so women who take calcium supplements may want to take an iron supplement at a different time of day. Calcium and magnesium should both be taken with food.

To take a calcium/magnesium supplement that will keep your bowel function in balance, it’s typically recommended to use a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, as many people absorb magnesium more easily than calcium. I wouldn’t exceed the USRDA for calcium or magnesium, taken either singly or together, without an explicit recommendation from your physician.

Digestive Enzymes can be helpful when taken right before a meal, especially if there is more fat in that meal than is safe for IBS. Enzymes are available at all health food stores and may be of more benefit to older people, as natural digestive enzyme production declines with age.

For gassy foods such as beans, lentils, and many vegetables, there is Beano, a brand-name digestive enzyme. Beano contains the sugar-digesting enzyme that the body needs (and which some people lack) to digest the complex sugar raffinose. If you have trouble digesting raffinose the sugar will ferment in your colon, producing gas and intestinal distress. Beano breaks down raffinose into simple sugars that cause no GI discomfort. Beano is available at health food stores in either tablets or drops, and is simply taken at the beginning of a meal. There are no side effects and the product can be used every day.

Source: http://www.helpforibs.com

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