The Best IBS Diets To Prevent Flare-Ups (2024)

Living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is frustrating, especially when it comes to mealtimes. You often can't enjoy your meal because you’re so worried about whether your food choices will trigger an episode of bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea or constipation.

You're not alone. An estimated 10 to 15 percent of people have IBS, which is twice as common in women, and it often goes undiagnosed. (Learn the 5 signs you may have IBS.) While the exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is unknown, it's clear that multiple factors – including the foods you eat – play a role in exacerbating symptoms. If you're looking at IBS diets to help relieve your symptoms, here's some advice on foods that may be easier on your digestive system and foods to avoid with IBS.

Keep A Diet Journal For IBS Symptoms

Before you start looking for the best diet for IBS, get to know your body and how it reacts to the foods you eat.

1. Record your food intake and symptoms for one week.
2. Record when and how much you ate and drank.
3. At the same time, record your IBS symptoms. Noting the onset, reaction and severity of your IBS symptoms will you identify the "trigger" food that may not be kind to your gut.

After a few weeks of keeping the diary, you can get a better sense of which foods are unfriendly to your digestive tract and begin creating an IBS diet that is well-balanced and tailored to your needs. You may want to consult with your doctor or a nutritionist to find out what foods are most likely to produce your IBS symptoms. Removing a food item from your personal menu doesn't necessarily mean avoiding it altogether. It may mean cutting it out until the symptoms go away.

Best Diet For A Healthier Gut

Eating a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables will help keep your gut in good condition, the U.S. National Institutes of Health says.

As many as 70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the agency says.

The NIH suggests these 5 ways to maintain a healthier gut:

1. Eat slower. Chew your food well before swallowing so you swallow less air and can better realize when you're full.
2. Enjoy smaller meals. Eat in moderation to avoid overfilling your stomach. A packed stomach may trigger reflux, when foods and acids back up into the esophagus.
3. Set a bedtime for your gut. Limit how much you eat at night.
4. Manage stress. Learn healthy ways to reduce stress, such as via relaxation breathing, mindfulness and exercise. Stress may affect digestion.
5. Eat at the same times each day. Your GI system may do best on a schedule.

Everybody responds to foods differently. A food that triggers an IBS attack in you may not be an issue for someone else. Figuring out what's "safe" for you to eat and what to avoid is often a case of trial and error.

But there are some foods that are easier to digest – and others that are more likely to aggravate an already sensitive digestive system.

IBS Diet: Kitchen Staples

When considering the best diet for your IBS, stock your pantry and fridge with foods that are gentle on your system. You can use these foundational foods to create satisfying and healthy meals and snacks without causing stomach upset:

• Poultry and fish: High-fat foods, including red meat, overstimulate the gut. Instead, opt for chicken, turkey or fish.
• Cooked vegetables: Cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw ones. However, you may still want to avoid cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which can cause bloating and gas even when cooked.
• Certain grains: Gluten-free oatmeal and brown rice are usually well-received by people with IBS and provide soluble fiber, which helps regulate bowel movements.
• Low-fat yogurt: Some people with IBS have worse symptoms after eating dairy foods. But if you aren’t sensitive to the lactose in dairy, low-fat yogurt is filling and contains probiotics. Preliminary research suggests that these good bacteria may even help reduce IBS symptoms.
• Egg whites: Eggs are an excellent source of protein and don’t typically provoke IBS attacks. If fat is a trigger for you, use just the egg whites.

Foods To Avoid With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

These foods commonly spark a cascade of symptoms for people with irritable bowel syndrome:

• High-fiber products, found in cereals, grains, pastas and processed foods
• Gas-producing foods, like beans, lentils, carbonated beverages and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower
• Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and many processed foods
• Fried foods, which often cause gas and bloating especially in those who have reflux
• Coffee, which stimulates bowel activity in some who have reflux symptoms
• Spicy foods, which can worsen IBS symptoms for some people who contend with reflux
• Milk sugar, or lactose

Low FODMAP Diet For IBS

Some people who have irritable bowel syndrome symptoms still do not feel well despite trying the basic ideas above. Luckily, researchers in last few years have determined a more specific diet therapy that has been helpful to those who require a more rigorous approach to get the response desired. Because of the complexity, it is best to enlist the help of a registered dietitian to implement the low FODMAP diet, an IBS diet that may help reduce your irritable bowel symptoms.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-saccharides, di-saccharides, mono-saccharides and polyols, specific types of carbohydrates that are more difficult for some people to absorb. The low FODMAP diet is based on the theory that certain carbohydrates are poorly absorbed by the small intestine and that IBS symptoms worsen when people with the disorder eat these types of carbohydrates.

Doctors frequently recommend the low FODMAP diet for people with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Foods Avoided In The Low FODMAP Diet

The Low FODMAP diet eliminates certain foods, including some fruits and vegetables, dairy, beans, wheat and a variety of condiments and other foods.

Types of carbohydrates eliminated in the low FODMAPdiet are found in:

• Wheat
• Onions
• Legumes
• Milk
• Honey
• Apples
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Artificial sweeteners sorbitol and mannitol.

FODMAPs may lead to increased gas formation. Research indicates that following a low FODMAP diet reduces abdominal pain and bloating for the majority of people with IBS.

The Low FODMAP Diet is a temporary solution until gut bacteria is under control, and you can tolerate these foods again. It works best with nutritional counseling. A registered dietitian can create a low FODMAP meal plan that provides all the necessary nutrients and is personalized to your food preferences.

Find Your IBS Treatment Solution

IBS treatment focuses on addressing symptoms. In addition to diet changes, other lifestyle factors like stress and sleep quality can also affect the disorder. The good news is that you can often manage IBS through lifestyle adjustments.

A gastroenterologist, a doctor that specializes in the digestive system, can help determine what factors have the most significant impact on your gut health and the treatments that will help you feel better. Improve your quality of life by finding a doctor today.

HealthDay News contributed information to this article.