Low-carb diet

[winfong]

Here's something that says that a low-carb diet may be helpful for IBS:

npr.org/sections/shots-heal...

I've been following one for other reasons, and it seems to be working pretty well for me. Anybody else ever given it a try?

[Luisa22]

No, I haven't tried it, winfong. I have to get as much food as possible as I am quite skinny and even more than I should be over the past 10 years. Carbs are friendly to me (as far as I know) and helpful for me to get the calories I need. I haven't seen any evidence with myself that carbs are harmful or make my IBS worse.

I try to eat all sorts as much as possible, in decent balance: proteins, carbs, good fats, veggies etc. And I just make sure I eat "friendly" foods for me that keep up my calories without bad effects.

But that's maybe a different story with other IBS sufferers so I don't know.

[buggins55 in reply to Luisa22]

your comment is interesting as over the last couple of years (IBS has considerably worsened as has my anxiety! ) I've become a skinny old thing and do exactly the same as you regards food ( my flare ups now last longer and I'm often completely wiped out, exhausted and on top of that losing weight just makes me worry more so it's good to hear from someone else that is "skinny"

[Luisa22 in reply to buggins55]

Yeah...when I was younger I had a nice slim figure, was fit as heck, but couldn't gain much weight and could eat what I liked. Since my mid 60s I have somehow lost a lot of the bit of "padding" I used to have, lost my bum, my legs are like bird legs. Weirdly my muscles are still hard and strong (probably because I use them so much! haha)

I still eat what I like, but sadly there are so many treats and nice foods I can't have now.. But thank God for carbs! I'd slip down a drain grid without them!

[Luisa22 in reply to buggins55]

It makes me wonder if you might have some kind of malabsorption (?) Like you aren't getting as much benefit from your food that you should? If you often pass undigested food, that is likely. I would say ask the doctor if you suspect it. It could definitely contribute to the feeling of being wiped out because you'd be low on vitamins and minerals, and lots of other nutrients.

If there was any help for that it might not stop you being skinny. It might help with the exhaustion though. A vitamin and mineral supplement might also help but it would be best to get malnutrition at its source.

But I am pretty sure I don't have malabsorption and my food seems pretty well digested (bearing in mind all the things that go with IBS!) but my tendency all my life to stay nice and slim, has now with age, changed into being a stringy old woman! Perhaps some of us just go that way?

Still a force to be reckoned with though! Nothing worse than a stringy old woman with nothing to lose and a pea shooter! haha

[buggins55 in reply to Luisa22]

Thanks Luisa 22 to be honest i think its just sheer exhaustion from feeling unwell for a long time and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with it (which doesn't help with the weight) In between bouts I feel like i could take on the world (with 69 year old restrictions !) I must get a pea shooter!!😀

[Luisa22 in reply to buggins55]

I don't actually have a pea shooter, but don't you remember those? Such fun!

Yes, exhaustion can really burn up calories, and take every bit of nutrition we manage to get inside us because the body is fighting to just keep a balance when tired out.

Stress also can burn a lot of calories

[buggins55 in reply to Luisa22]

Yes i do and spud guns ! seriously though thanks for that I needed reminding of those things good to hear from someone that understands

[Luisa22 in reply to buggins55]

Oh! Spud guns! Do I remember those? Such fun. Building bush shelters and forts and making camp in the woods, roast potatoes on the embers of a fire....

It was no fun to be accidentally shot by a spud gun though!

[benmaise in reply to buggins55]

Have you been tested for Coeliac ? I suffered for years before I was diagnosed . I was never off the toilet. And very skinny whatever I ate.

[buggins55 in reply to benmaise]

Thanks for your reply I have IBSC most of my adult life ( ive gradually lost weight over the last couple of years as IBS and anxiety have considerably worsened since covid and vaccinations) before this weight was stable although would drop when i had bouts of anxiety and depression have ruled out any food triggers seems to be the gut brain connection is awry ever sine i had a severe stomach infection many years ago

[xjrs]

I haven't had a chance to read the article, but from my research, low carb (which may also mean low fibre) might provide initial relief perhaps by reducing FODMAPs. However, fibre and wholegrains (carbs) are essential for feeding the microbiome and gut health in the long run. A depletion of this could lead to a depletion of good bacteria in the gut, which help to balance out the bad bacteria - if bad bacteria dominate, this can lead to IBS symptoms.

I am a prime example of this, since I went low FODMAP for years - although this helped initially (since I wasn't feeding the bad bugs), in the end my symptoms got worse (due to alterations in gut flora).

There is also scientific evidence that low fibre and high protein diets cause inflammation in the body (since good bugs help to control inflammation). Again, I am a case in point since my calprotectin levels were normal. I was then put on a very low carb diet for months by nutritional therapists (I'd never use them again), I lost loads of weight and became very ill. When the NHS retested me for calprotectin inflammation marker - at the end of that regime, it was through the roof literally in a matter of months. They were so worried about me that they got me in for an emergency colonoscopy - everything was fine, but I only put 2 and 2 together after doing a course in the microbiome. Everything fell into place.

The microbiome is so important not just for IBS, but health in general (heart health, mental health, immune system - the list is long), so needs to be treated with kid gloves. Part of keeping this in top top shape is a wide variety diet including fibre (carbs).

[winfong in reply to xjrs]

Definitely read the article and let me know what you think

[xjrs in reply to winfong]

Hi winfong, I've just read the article. The initial results study was 4 weeks. I would expect IBS symptoms to die down in this time, since you are not feeding the bad bugs (but you are also not feeding the good bugs).

Regarding the six month mark:

After six months, study participants had resumed some of their previous eating habits, but a majority continued to report fewer IBS symptoms.

The important thing here is they had resumed some of their previous eating habits (but not all), which means to an extent they continued with the regime. Again symptom relief would be expected due to not feeding the bad bugs.

This is what really bothers me:

And the study informed her that a low-carb diet, high in protein and fat, could reduce IBS symptoms.

This is equivalent to the Atkins diet. Firstly, this diet does not provide enough calories. Many people with IBS can struggle to keep their weight up. I followed such a diet and lost one stone and became a shadow of myself - everyone I knew was worried about me (including me).

Secondly, this may give initial relief, even for a couple of years or so, but in the long run bacterial diversity will decrease. Bacterial diversity is really important in helping to guard against IBS. This article may explain things:

gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/...

In my research I found a diet high in animal protein, high in animal fat and low in fibre leads to:

- a decrease in total bacteria in the gut

- a decrease in diversity of bacteria

- a reduction in beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium and Lactobacillus

- an increase in bad bacteria such as Bacteroides and Enterobacteria

- an increase in cancer-promoting nitrosamines; for example, high protein consumption may produce toxic by-products related to diseases such as colorectal cancer

- an increase in inflammation in the gut; long term inflammation can lead to higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cancer, dementia and potentially type 2 diabetes and obesity

- the utilisation of intestinal mucus as gut bacteria’s main source of energy related to compromised gut barrier integrity

- reduction in the manufacture of health promoting short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut

There is clear research which suggests that these types of diets are bad for you, but not one scientist raised this as part of the article or bothered to find this out prior to conducting the study.

There is so much repeated research around. I am currently analysing all the registered clinical studies on IBS recorded globally and FODMAPs are way up there with scientists repeatedly testing for the same thing.

FODMAP elimination and reintroduction has its place, though. From my research my approach would be to firstly try to improve tolerance to different foods - rather than using dietary restriction as the treatment from the get go. For instance probiotics, medications etc., anything that gets things stable enough to widen the diet. Then apply FODMAP elimination and reintroduction to uncover any remaining food intolerances and since IBS doesn't have a cure, there may still be some hanging around.

BUT, keeping the microbiome in shape, requires increasing tolerance to fibre. Bifodobacterium can help digest complex carbs - Alflorex has this and now allows me to eat a vast quantity of fibre (which I was unable to before) which helps to feed my good bugs. I aim to eat more than 30 types of plants a week, which is the gold standard for bacterial diversity. I am still intolerant to quite a few veggies, but I try to make it up by eating different fruits (as well as as many veggies as I can) and rotating these over 4 days. Rotation might help, since eating a very restricted diet and too much of the same thing all of the time can increase food intolerance in the long run. This is due to the lack of diversity in the diet equalling lack of diversity in the microbiome.

The above approach may not work for everyone. Unfortunately there may be a multi-faceted reasons for IBS and for someone else there may be a different reason. IBS research should be focussing on finding out ALL these reasons and then working on a test and a cure (or at least management) of each. There is too much stabbing around in the dark, coming up with 'solutions' for a condition that even the scientists don't fully understand. Whatever gets spin up from research often has saleable money making 'products' connected with it - such as here is my new line of low FODMAP foods...

[Mimired in reply to xjrs]

Increasing my fibre intake has had a massive beneficial impact on my symptoms. I had no idea quite how much fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, beans one needs to eat to hit the recommended fibre intake. I was already all in on ditching ultra processed foods but now, by basing my eating around hitting my target 38g daily, or 12-13g per meal I'm in a much better place. As always I understand everyone's situation is different, some people may not tolerate certain foods or fibre amount...

[ZANTECAT21]

I do believe that lowering carb intake can reduce IBS symptoms, ( i haven't read the article yet), after all carbs =sugar=fermentation=gas don't they ? On the other hand i would imagine that it would be difficult to get similar effect from protein (meat).

I have noticed that cutting down carbs does ease symptoms, but i am always concerned that this would be short term and 'not very healthy', but there are humans that thrive on meat alone, (which kind of negates xjrs assumption that high animal protein is bad because eskimos would not be a thing !) so my theory is that some of us have digestive systems more suited to one or the other (and some both of course).

Of course there are 'carbs ' and there are 'carbs', how they get metabolised would predict the effect on the body, you would assume that plain table sugar is bad ( and it obviously is for teeth weight diabetes etc ) but for the gut i don't think it is particularly bad as it is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, whereas a potato has a lot of processing to be done. I find rice to be a very 'safe' carb, but im not entirely sure why.

Unfortunately, most of our food and water now is not in the state that it should be, we are pumped with antibiotics, etc etc, so the one thing i do agree about with the previous poster is that there is certainly not one answer for everyone and taking everything into account is a massive puzzle.