IBS Awareness Month

On a continuation note to the previous post about beneficial Spring detox, it is good to be aware about Irritable Bowel syndrome too, and April is the Awareness month for this frequent condition. 

Many people suffer several typical IBS symptoms, yet are not even aware of this condition and that their nutrition is what's causing them nuisances.

Having a look at several websites that discuss the condition I found it confusing seeing the variety of material suggested around diet and nutrition. Many schools teach conflicting theories and the food industry seems too often the only winning part.

It is fundamental to pay close attention to personal reaction to foods, as we are all different form each other and each of us have different needs.

Back to IBS awareness we need to consider that in addition to the physical symptoms, IBS can also affect our mental health trigging emotional symptoms such as:

• Mood swings
• Hopelessness
• Depression
• Anxiety

The mind–body connection is very strong and some scientists call the gut the ‘second brain’ because it is filled with neurotransmitters we usually associate with being in the brain. The connection between gut and brain is therefore much closer than we think, that’s why they can affect each other so much. 

Physical symptoms of IBS can trigger strong emotions the same way that anxiety can trigger the onset of symptoms such as constipation, cramps or diarrhoea. 


This leaves us to work out how to alleviate the symptoms through diet and identifying triggers in our lifestyle, and we'll benefit both physically and emotionally. 

More information about IBS can be found on IBS Network site