IBS or Food Allergy ?

Disclaimer: This article is not designed to provide medical advice or professional services. It is intended to be for educational use only. The information provided in this post is not a substitute for professional care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem you should consult your doctor.

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) as a syndrome is generally diagnosed by a medical practitioner after all other possible causes, like food allergies, ulcers, Crohn’s disease, or cancer, are eliminated. Some signs of a food allergy can be similar to some of the symptoms of IBS. Besides the rare symptom of anaphylactic shock, a food allergy could produce symptoms like itching and swelling of the tongue and throat, skin reactions, vomiting and diarrhoea – occurring within minutes or hours after the ingestion of the food. A blood test would generally show the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) as a result of the allergy. If the symptoms disappear after eliminating the suspected food from the diet, this would point towards a food allergy.

Some people confuse food intolerances with food allergies; intolerances have less severe symptoms, maybe nausea or an upset stomach. They can also have psychological reasons like unconscious strong dislikes of some foods.

To investigate all these factors, with the help of a nutritionist, best approach would be for the client to write a ‘food diary’ in which he notes all foods eaten, with time of the meal, symptoms afterwards and severity, how long after the meal the symptoms developed, and how long they lasted, possible medication or remedies taken, and the ambience of the meal, stress level, upsets,  activities, disruption, and so on.

Based on this information, the practitioner can set up an eating plan and a program for stress management.

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Ileocecal valve and Candida

This is an addendum to my article ‘IBS and the Ileocecal valve’. I searched for more information and found that the ileocecal valve can also play up in sufferers of candida. It seems to be overgrown with the fungus and not working properly. Candida albicans is a fungal yeast that is present in everyone. In a healthy person, it is kept in control by ‘good’ bacteria and other parts of the internal flora. However, growing out of control, it can cause all kinds of trouble, from mouth ulcers to thrush, and a host of often non-local symptoms. Antibiotics may be the cause of a candida outbreak. Candida albicans feeds on an overabundance of simple carbohydrates and sugars. Sufferers have reported that an adjustment of the intestinal valves helped to easy their symptoms when done together with other forms of treatment. The reason for the involvement of the ileocecal valve is probably the same as in IBS – half-digested food ends up in the wrong section of the gut and the fungi then ferments unabsorbed sugars generating toxins on the way.

Candidiasis as a cause of many of these symptoms is not always acknowledged by allopathic practitioners.
Alternative medical practitioner would treat candida overgrowth (candidiasis) with dietary changes and restrictions. The diet would focus on food low in sugar and low in simple carbohydrates, which means no wheat, white rice, biscuits, and so on. Fruits are not allowed at the beginning of the treatment; ’sour’ apples can be reintroduced first. Potatoes and millet or quinoa are allowed. Lots of leafy green vegetables, garlic, onions, leek, radishes, cabbage, and ‘bitter’ vegetables, like oak-leaf lettuce and chicory, form the basis of the diet. Probiotic yoghurt is given to rebuild a healthy gut flora.

Disclaimer: This article is not designed to provide medical advice or professional services. It is intended to be for educational use only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for professional care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem you should consult your doctor.

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