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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Proven Natural Medicine

Up to 40% of Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers try alternative medicine, so it makes sense to start with those remedies that have been proven to help IBS.

Teas High In Tannins

Tannins have long been used to help diarrhea, as they have an astringent effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

Herbs high in tannins:

• Black Tea (Camellia sinensis)

• Blackberry Leaf (Rubus plicatus)

• Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

• Raspberry Leaf (Rubus ideus)

Use these herbs in a tea form to combat diarrhea and only use for a short period. Long term use may cause further gastrointestinal problems.

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Psyllium (Plantago ovata)

This fibre bulks up in the gut and absorbs fluid therefore reducing diarrhea in IBS. Most research is positive for the effects of psyllium in IBS. Dosage is based on 20 – 30 grams per day and is not so much a natural cure but a very good natural treatment. See Psyllium Husk Capsules

Marlett JA, Li BU, Patrow CJ, Bass P. Comparative laxation of psyllium with and without senna in an ambulatory constipated population. Am J Gastroenterol 1987;82:333-7.

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum)
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Karaya gum (Sterculia uren)

Although these herbs are laxatives, tests have shown that they don’t actually help with IBS.

Senna (Senna alexandrina)
Cascara (Frangula purshiana)

These plants are stimulant laxatives so they actually irritate the gastrointestinal system into secreting fluid and peristalsis. These two plants are not recommended for irritable bowel syndrome as they can actually worsen constipation and diarrhea. They can even worsen abdominal cramping.

SAMe

SAMe is quite new in it’s use for IBS. Some patients have experienced a reduction in abdominal pain, cramping and constipation. For a strong strength see DOCTOR'S BEST Double Strength SAMe 400 30 tabs

SAMe increases the seretonin levels in the gut which increases bowel motility and secretions in the intestines. On top of the bowel positives, SAMe will help any depression associated with IBS.

Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita)

There is strong evidence that peppermint oil decreases pain, flatulence, bloating and diarrhea in up to 80% of IBS patients. Dosage needs to be 0.2 – 0.4mls three times daily. For good quality and price see NATURE'S WAY Pepogest - Peppermint Oil 60 sgels

Liu JH, Chen GH, Yeh HZ, et al. Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial. J Gastroenterol 1997;32:765-8.

Artichoke extract (Cynara cardunculus)

Artichoke is an antispasmodic, so you will have less abdominal pain, flatulence and cramping. Early evidence shows artichoke to be effective for IBS at a dose of 300-640mg three times daily.

Walker AF, Middleton RW, Petrowicz O. Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a post-marketing surveillance study. Phytother Res 2001;15:58-61.

Probiotics
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria

There has been conflicting evidence that probiotics significantly help IBS symptoms.

If these help you in any way, then continue to use them as they will not harm you in any way and they are beneficial to the colonization of your bowel.

Clown’s Mustard plant (Iberis amara)

This herb has been shown to be beneficial for dyspepsia but not for other IBS symptoms.

Melzer J, Rosch W, Reichling J, et al. Meta-analysis: phytotherapy of functional dyspepsia with the herbal drug preparation STW 5 (Iberogast). Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004;20:1279-87.

Sangre de grado (Croton lechleri)

There is no evidence that this plant (promoted as SB Normal Stool Formula) helps diarrhea in IBS.

Melatonin

Melatonin was thought to help irritable bowel syndrome patients with their sleeping problems but has failed to show any benefit to other symptoms of IBS such as diarrhea, bloating and constipation.

Song GH, Leng PH, Gwee KA, et al. Melatonin improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome patients who have sleep disturbances: a randomised double blind placebo controlled study. Gut 2005;54:1402-7.

New Research

New research from the Institute of Human Genetics at Heidelberg University Hospital, theorizes that irritable bowel syndrome may have a strong genetic link. They have stated in this research that some sufferers have a problem with the serotonin receptors. Serotonin not only affects sleep and mood but also plays a role in gastrointestinal function. It has been shown that a sufferer of IBS may have a genetic problem witht the serotonin receptors. These receptors need to be a particular shape to accept the hormone (similar to a lock and key). If this shape is thwarted then the serotonin can cause problems such as IBS.

Kapeller et al. First evidence for an association of a functional variant in the microRNA-510 target site of the serotonin receptor-type 3E gene with diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Human Molecular Genetics, 2008; 17 (19): 2967 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn195

To find out what a Naturopath suggests for IBS, click here..

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SBI!