Always consult your GP if you experience a change in bowel habits outside the ‘normal’ range for you and which last more than a few weeks; there is blood in your stool; or you suffer fever, joint pains, severe mouth ulceration and skin rashes associated with diarrhoea which may be bloody.
BRAN
Doctors often advise adding a handful of bran to cereals to help with constipation (defined as going to the loo less than three times a week).
This is because bran is insoluble fibre, meaning it fills the stomach up and stimulates the bowel.
But bran can actually exacerbate some forms of constipation.
‘For constipation, there’s a belief that eating fibre such as bran always helps,’ says Dr Emmanuel.
‘But with slow transit constipation (STC) — a nerve and muscle problem that causes the slow passage of waste through the large intestine — it can cause bloating and excessive gas.’
And for five million of the 12 million people suffering IBS in this country, fibre is one of the worst things, says Peter Whorwell, professor of medicine and gastroenterology at University Hospital of South Manchester.
‘Adding a bulking agent in the form of fibre such as bran gives the bowel even more work to do,’ he says.
‘A significant number of IBS patients might be hyper-reactive to agents that stimulate or irritate the gut, particularly when it comes to bran.
‘It’s wrong to say that eating fibre is healthy when it exacerbates unpleasant symptoms for so many people with IBS.’
Once he has assessed that this is the problem, Professor Whorwell advises his patients to switch to white bread, white pasta, biscuits and cream crackers — anything made from refined white flour, as these don’t contain as much rough fibre.
For constipation, some people might find dried fruit such as apricots, figs and prunes help where bran caused problems.
More information: corecharity. org.uk; theibsnetwork.org
No comments:
Post a Comment