HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Sweet Success for IBS! Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Sugar

Support Forums
>
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/10/2009 10:54 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know about a great press release on Sugar and IBS! This is from the website http://www.helpforibs.com/.

Here's the link!
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2317254.htm

Enjoy!
Posted 6/12/2009 9:04 PM (GMT -6)
I read the article and I don't buy it, sugar adds to bacterial overgrowth which tends to be a common issue for IBS, I'm doing much better with my IBS since I eliminated table sugar and all artificial sweetners and substituted them with honey or Stevia, but hey, to each there own, I just don't believe everything I read and especially that article.

:)
Posted 6/13/2009 10:52 PM (GMT -6)
See, I don't have problems with anything but sugar alcohols, which I have a SEVERE reaction to (I just tell people I'm allergic to them, because the reaction is so bad).

I think the article is wrong in saying "sugar is not an IBS trigger," because for some people it is. And while some people cannot tolerate any artifical sweetners, others can.

And the reason for this discrepency is that IBS is a catch-all term for anything wrong in your guts; there are many different things that might be wrong with you that could fall under the heading "IBS." So someone with a bacterial overgrowth may be made worse by consuming real sugar, while I (who have no gall bladder) am fine with sugar, Sweet N Low, Splenda, and Equal. As far as I know, I'm okay with fructose, although I have a problem with most fruits. I don't have a problem with sweet fruits like raisins, dates and figs, but I do have a problem with apples, pears, grapes, oranges, etc. There I think the problem is not the sugar but the acid. The fruits I can eat have little to no acid in them; the ones I can't have quite a bit of acid. This is also the reason why I have to be careful not to drink too much Kool-Aid, and why I can't have more than one non-caffeinented cola. But there are other people on here who have no problem with acidic drinks and food.

Everyone just has to test their own diets.
Posted 6/16/2009 11:47 AM (GMT -6)
Sugar is NOT a trigger for IBS. It's alcohol sugar that is. Honey and Stevia are natural sweeteners and therefore they will not trigger IBS. Bacterial overgrowth is NOT associated with IBS. It's associated with excessive antibiotic use and over consumption of sugar. I would take a look at this IBS patient handout for a little more direction. I think you misunderstood the article. http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/cheatsheet.asp. This gives a list of soluble/insoluble fiber foods and trigger foods to stay away from.
Posted 6/22/2009 8:30 PM (GMT -6)
Oh how I wish it were true, but I must join the other is saying due to a variety of reasons sugars, natural or not, can trigger, or increase the likelyhood of IBS. I don't have enough experience with Stevia to speak on it, but I can say that despite my affection for all things confection. even honey is on my list of "beware" foods. I have over 30 years of IBS experience and have been free of it for over a year now, but a little honey will feed the bacteria and possibly some yeasts and the resulting gas is the trigger that can give me cramping and more. Thankfully I have healed enough to only experience slight sensations, and those remind me to keep my sugars (honey, maple syrup, rice syrup, fructose, etc) to a minimum.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply