Soothing Solutions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome, It's the mongrel of digestive disorders, a motley combination of intestinal woes that can be very difficult to tame. You may have abdominal pain in the form of cramps, aches, or sharp, burning stabs. You may have problems with bowel movements, either constipation or diarrhea or a seesaw of both. You may have raging indigestion gas, bloating, belching, or nausea. You may have all of these symptoms or just some of them. You may have them constantly or intermittently. And you may have any degree of discomfort, from miserable to mild.    

To add insult to intestinal injury, your doctor can't tell you what causes your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Medical science hasn't figured out what triggers it, which is why physicians call it a functional disorder, meaning a problem with no obvious cause.

About all they can do is treat the symptoms. Your doctor may give you a prescription for abdominal cramps, another for diarrhea, and maybe even a tranquilizer for your nerves, since stress can worsen the symptoms.

What most doctors don't know is that it may be possible to eliminate the symptoms of IBS in effect, curing the problem  without drugs, says Tammy Born, D.O., an osteopathic physician and director of the Born Preventive Health Care Clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
"Doctors are not taught in medical school that there are effective treatments for irritable bowel syndrome," Dr. Born says. "But you can solve this problem." Here are some natural ways to reduce symptoms and restore the health of your intestinal tract.

PEPPERMINT: It's Strong Medicine
"This is my number one recommendation for reducing the symptoms
of irritable bowel syndrome," says Andrew Gaeddert, a professional
member of the American Herbalists Guild and director of the Get Well
Clinic in Oakland, California.

Peppermint is thought to soothe the entire digestive tract, he ex
plains. He recommends three or more cups of peppermint tea a day.
Follow the directions on the package.    

MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE: Prevents Intestinal Spasms
This mineral is believed to tone and relax the muscles of the intestinal tract, helping to prevent painful spasms, says Teresa Rispoli, Ph.D., a licensed nutritionist and acupuncturist in Agoura Hills, California. Follow the directions on the label.

HYDROLIZED FISH PROTEIN: Repairs Intestinal Walls
"This supplement has been exceptional in healing my patients with  : ? irritable bowel syndrome," says Dr. Born. Repairing the intestinal tract, which may have been damaged by medications, chemicals in foods, food allergies, stress, and other hazards of modern life, is the key to healing this condition, she explains.
She recommends a product called Seacure. "Taking two capsules before each meal can be an important part of the IBS puzzle," she says.

DEEP BREATHING: Helps Neutralize Stress
Breathing slowly and deeply helps to relieve stress in a hurry—and stress can play a major role in IBS, says Gerard L. Guillory, M.D., an internist in Aurora, Colorado.
If you begin to feel tense, place your hands over your abdomen and   , feel your stomach expand as you inhale. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, hold your breath for a second or two, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this several times until you feel relaxed, he advises.

Dietary Keys to Healing    
Changing the way you eat can bring permanent relief from the pain and discomfort of IBS, alternative practitioners say. Here is their best nutritional advice.

INSOLUBLE FIBER: The Best Solution
Adding more insoluble fiber (the kind found in whole grains) to your diet helps create firm, bulky stools. It normalizes digestion and may help relieve many of the symptoms of IBS, such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating, says Dawn Burstall, R.D., a registered dietitian in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Everyone with an irritable bowel needs between 20 and 35 grams of fiber daily," she says. Every day, says Burstall, eat three to five servings of wheat-based, whole-grain products, such as whole-wheat bread, wheat bran bread, whole-wheat crackers, wheat bran muffins, and whole-wheat cereal.
You should also eat one serving of a concentrated fiber source every day, such as a high-fiber cereal like All Bran, Fiber One, or Bran Buds with Psyllium. Or take a high-fiber bulking agent, such as Metamucil, Prodiem Plain, Normacol, or Citrucel. These sources supply 10 or more grams of fiber a day, says Burstall.

One caution, though. You should introduce high-fiber foods into your diet gradually, says Burstall. For the first 7 to 10 days, for example, eat only % cup of very high fiber cereal, increasing the amount to k? cup after 10 days. That will reduce some of the flatulence that can occur as your bowels adapt to more fiber.
Even if you experience a little discomfort, though, stick with your high-fiber diet, says Burstall. After 2 to 3 weeks, your bowels will adjust to the change, and your symptoms should start to go away.

WATER:
Eating a lot of dietary fiber won't do any good unless you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
"Skip this, and the high-fiber diet will not work," says Burstall. That's because fiber is hydrophilic, meaning that it forms firm, bulky stools by attracting water. No water, no bulking and no digestive benefits.

LOW-FAT FOODS:

Saturated fat (found in animal and dairy foods) is a common trigger for the symptoms of IBS, says William B. Salt II, M.D., clinical associate professor of medicine at Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health in Columbus. "It stimulates contractions in the gastrointestinal tract, causing cramping and diarrhea," he explains. He recommends following a low-fat diet.

BUTTER:
Even though most saturated fats can worsen IBS, butter in small amounts may be an exception, according to some alternative practitioners. It's rich in butyric acid, which is believed to nourish the cells of the intestinal walls, says Dr. Rispoli.

GAS-PRODUCING FOODS:
Eating a high-fiber diet and avoiding gas-producing foods is often the best combination for easing IBS, says Burstall. The worst gas offenders tend to be beans, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus.
If those are among your favorite foods, try Beano, advises Dr. Guil-lory. It contains an enzyme that breaks down the indigestible carbohydrates in those foods that produce the gas. You can put a few drops of Beano on food before you eat it, or you can take Beano tablets before a meal. Cooking with Beano or putting it on piping-hot food may destroy the gas-preventing enzyme, says Dr. Guillory.

CAFFEINE: A Must to Avoid
Eliminating caffeine is a must, says Dr. Salt. "It is a direct stimulant of the GI tract, and it can trigger or aggravate irritable bowel syndrome," he explains. So whether the caffeine is in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate, your best bet is to stay away from it.
ALCOHOL: Beer Is the Worst
Any alcoholic beverage can make IBS symptoms worse, but beer seems to be the major offender, says Dr. Guillory. In addition to alcohol's irritating effects, the carbonation can cause bloating and other discomfort.