Is IBS CAUSED BY EATING ANIMAL PRODUCTS?

[Angusross]

Dear All,

Here's a question. Is there a serious Vegan out there who suffers from IBS (either D or C) despite their diet?

I would be very interested to know.

All the best

Angus

[Annie0904]

I know two vegans who suffer with ibs. It is more to do with FODMAP. If you stick to the Fodmap diet you should see improvement.

[Angusross in reply to Annie0904]

Thanks Annie. Yes that's where I am at the moment and there IS good improvement but my family are convinced I could almost cure my symptoms by giving up dairy, meat and fish. Oh and wheat too!

[Anxiouspony12]

First question are you a vegan yourself or considering it?

[Angusross in reply to Anxiouspony12]

No but my daughter is and my wife is a vegetarian. They are both utterly convinced that my IBS would be vastly improved by giving up dairy and meat and fish. I'm not so sure - hence my question.

[Anxiouspony12 in reply to Angusross]

Thanks for explaining. Well I found going vegetarian helped me alot. And I'm going vegan now and that's helping as I'm lactose intolerant and eggs upset my stomach too. I also been told to try to cut down gluten as that can be a culprit. I have to avoid certain fruit and vegetables too. It's good you have family to help you. I decided to go vegetarian for ethical reasons I couldn't eat meat without thinking about the animals. But it has bonus of my IBS improving so much that my dietician discharged me! I also work out at the gym and walk too. I think it can make you more healthy generally as lifestyle! Hope that helps! 😊 But I'd try doing it gradually which is what I did. It could be too much at once! 😊

[nomoreibsc in reply to Anxiouspony12]

Thank you. Will try going vegetarian to improve my symptoms. Going meat free has helped so much although I'm still eating fish. Trying to work out which veggies don't cause a reaction. Have issues with grains, pulses, nuts, Bananas, papaya, mangoes, pineapples, dairy, eggs, nightshades...so going strictly vegetarian is a struggle right now. Be interested to know what you tolerate veggie wise

[Shehangsbrightly]

I am a vegetarian who eats very little dairy (so not quite vegan) and haven't done to 35+ years. I have had IBS for about the past 7 years prior to that I didn't have a problem. To be honest all of the foods that affect me are either fruit or veggies. e.g. cherries, sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, cauliflower, plums etc. I particularly find that I have a problem with Polyols (The P in FODMAP)

[Anxiouspony12 in reply to Shehangsbrightly]

That's interesting. I don't eat those particular fruit or vegetables too often funny enough. I think with me it's definitely citrus fruit as have gastric reflux too. And I can't have cucumbers, garlic or broccoli as that sets that off too. I get it at both ends. Sometimes I think an Iv drip would be good or a liquid could just drink everyday. I have to joke about it a bit, 😊

[Shehangsbrightly in reply to Anxiouspony12]

It is hard work sometimes, isn't it. I have gastric reflux too. Garlic is also a problem for me but I'm fine with cucumber and eat tons of broccoli. The key thing is that everyone is different and if you persevere it is possible to work out what causes it.

[Anxiouspony12 in reply to Shehangsbrightly]

You have it too? Maybe it's not so unusual to have both. Garlic does seem a common culprit. I agree I'll persevere and see what causes it. Thanks it's good to talk to somebody else with similar issues. 😊

[Shehangsbrightly]

I do have it and as some of the trigger foods are the same I imagine a few people have both. My dad and sister both do. (Interestingly, they both have a different list of things that they can't eat to each other and to me)

Some of the symptoms that I thought were IBS, mainly a horrible crampy pain in my stomach, have gone since I discovered I had AR and have been taking Raniditine. Raniditine can cause constipation so that helps my IBSD when i take it (I am trying to manage by cutting out trigger foods rather than take medication so have managed to quarter my dose in the past 8 months or so)

[Kory]

The healthy, organic diet is the key to solve IBS, IBD and the rest of the diseases... it doesn't matter if it's vegan, vegetarian or not, it should be ORGANIC, to give your body the healthy building blocks to regenerate and to heal. Of course there are vegetarians and vegans who develop IBS... because they eat GMO plants, pesticides, herbicides etc. along the fruits and veggies... and their body and digestive system react... it's simple.

Look at this guy, he helped me a lot when I was searching for an answer to my problems: youtu.be/szIUeYWRFN8(Not working as expected?)

[SUE_V]

There's a Facebook group for IBS vegans, and many people on there say that since eating a vegan diet their health and IBS has vastly improved considerably, and in many completely gone.

[WoolPippi]

my IBS has to do with too much fibre Can't have veggies, fruit or wholegrains. I do eat organic though

[Kilgh]

It isn't as simple as that diet wise. For me fat and too much wholegrains are triggers. I feel better eating a diet of lean meats than one of cereals. But I don't eat poor quality meats. None full of chemicals, preservatives or antibiotics and only free-range/grass fed meats. The benefit of a vegan type diet would be you cut out almost all fermentable sugars, emulsifiers and high levels of fat. So it may be coincidental that this lifestyle helps with IBS symptoms. Meat might not be your issue. The sugars, additives and fats in your current diet could be.

[Luisa22]

Yes. I WAS a serious vegan and was doing well...until I got IBS. I was sorry to have to change my diet, but I had to as vegan diet started making me unwell, and I couldn't tolerate it any more. I had to include eggs and fish and included butter too as it suited me but margarine didn't. I couldn't tolerate enough of any other protein to get by. I got flares even after firm tofu and foods I used to love like mung bean dhal or stew which had always been my go-to food when I was a bit unwell. My gut couldn't take those things any more

We are all different though. Investigate the low Fodmap vegan options and try them out. Some might suit you, others may not. You might get by OK without having to eat any animal products. Good luck.

I went vegan for compassionate reasons about 10 years ago. I had been vegetarian before for 25+ years. Not so any more out of sheer necessity.