19 Jan 5 Supplements to Support IBS
If you are experiencing IBS you may find you can really benefit from a clean diet that is full of whole foods and excludes processed foods and common sensitisers. However, you may also really benefit from giving your irritable bowels some extra support with supplementing. To discover the exact supplements that will be beneficial you can work with a Kinesiologist, a nutritionist or a naturopath but there are some supplements that are worth giving a go.
It’s really important to make sure you use good quality, organic, clean supplements from a reputable source or else you can be compounding the problems! As a general rule of thumb if you are only paying a few pounds for them they probably aren’t effective!
- L-Glutamine – An amino acid that is known for it’s gut healing properties.
- Omega 3 Fish oils – In clinical trials, Omega 3 fatty acids were shown to be highly effective in reducing inflammation. This action, combined with their ability to support the cellular detoxification process make them a good all rounder. Taking no more than 1-2 grams a day is the key.
- Digestive aid – In our clinical experience having the right digestive aid is crucial to managing IBS symptoms. In our stomach there is a puddle of liquid, this liquid is a mix of acid and enzymes. Sometimes these liquids get out of balance or we stop making enough of one thing or the other because of stress, physical reasons such as hernia’s or chemical influences such as medications or enzyme inhibitors,
Digestive Aids come in 3 forms;
- Enzyme
- Acids
- A combination of both
Enzymes are the chemicals that break down our foods and sometimes we don’t have enough of them to do the job effectively. An example of an enzyme would be Protease which breaks down protein. A good digestive enzyme will contain all the enzymes needed to support the body to break our food down properly so by the time it all empties into the small intestine our poor irritable guts have less work to do!
Acid is usually in the form of Betaine Hydrochloride the acid present in our stomach. Sadly antacids often given out to reduce symptoms like acid indigestion actually compound the problems of poor digestion.
Combination. This is literally what it says. A combination of both
So how can you find out which you need? Well obviously we would always say work with a practitioner but there are some little tricks to try at home.
After eating try a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a small amount of water. If that eases your symptoms opt for an enzyme. If it doesn’t work try some vinegar in water. If that works, go for Betaine hydrochloride!
- Magnesium – Magnesium is a vital macro mineral (macro means we need more of it) and is used in over 300 processes in the body. Symptoms such as bowel instability, muscle twitches, menstrual cycle issues, nervous system conditions, blood sugar imbalances, joint pain, low mood, poor memory and cardio vascular disease can really benefit from magnesium supplementation. There are many different types of Magnesium, for IBS we recommend Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Oxide if you are constipated and Magnesium Glycinate if you are “loose”
- Siberian Ginseng – This is a bit of a wild card. Would you believe us if we said that the root cause of most IBS isn’t anything to do with the bowels? Well it happens to be true. An awful lot of IBS comes from stress and an imbalance of the stress hormone cortisol. By adding Ginseng into your supplement regime you are reducing the cortisol and bringing your glandular system back into balance and therefore eliminating the underlying issue.