IBS Trigger Foods
Foods to Avoid If You Suffer with IBS

Perhaps the trickiest part of managing IBS is knowing which IBS trigger foods are more likely to cause flare ups in your case. Since this varies from person to person, it takes time to learn which foods are safe and which aren't. Even though everyone with IBS reacts to foods differently, there are a few common denominators.

Some questions for you to consider while you read the article:

Common IBS Trigger Foods

• Milk and dairy products, including milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, custard, prepared foods that contain dairy (i.e. cream soups, creamy salad dressing, mashed potatoes, pancakes) and baked goods that contain dairy (i.e. cakes, cookies, muffins, etc.).

• Soy foods, including soy milk, edamame, tempeh, tofu, soy crisp and soy nuts and snack bars that list soy protein as an ingredient. For some people, soy sauce is one of the trigger foods for IBS.

• Citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, mandarins, clementines, lemons, limes, etc.

• Raw vegetables, all including lettuce.

• Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, turnip greens, mustard greens and collard greens.

• Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, eggplants (aubergines), peppers and potatoes.

• Wheat, including all products made with wheat flour such as bread, crackers, pasta and cereals.

• Foods high in insoluble fibre: Some people are only sensitive to wheat products that are high in insoluble fibre, such as wheat bran and high-fibre breakfast cereals.

• Concentrated sources of fructose, such as sugar, honey, fruit juice and beverages, dried fruit, and candies and syrup that contain high fructose corn syrup.

• Beans and lentils

• Whole nuts and seeds: Nut butters are typically tolerated but still test to be certain they are safe for you.

• Corn and popcorn

• Garlic and onions

• Spicy foods

• Carbonated beverages: any fizzy drink.

• Alcohol

• Fatty foods, especially fried foods such as French fries, onion rings, fried fish and chicken, or anything deep-fried.

• Red meat, particularly steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, cold cuts and sausages.

• Sweeteners: all foods, gums and candy containing sorbitol, malitol and mannitol.

• Olestra (fat substitute)

• Chewing gum (sugared and sugar-free)

• Chocolate

• Condiments, including ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, soy sauce, chutney, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce.

Obviously, not all people suffering with irritable bowel syndrome will react to all of these foods (you'll be glad to know!), but you need to find out which ones cause your particular symptoms.

How to Find Out Which Foods Cause Your Symptoms of IBS?

You have two ways of going about it depending on the severity of your symptoms:

• If your symptoms are not too severe, you can start with keeping a journal, it might surprise you how helpful that is to pinpoint the culprit(s).
  

• If your symptoms are severe, the simplest way to identify the right IBS trigger foods is to follow an elimination diet.

Follow the links to learn how you can find out which foods trigger your symptoms.

Now that you've read the article, try answering these questions:

Recommended reading:

The IBS Miracle
How to Free Your Life from Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Treat IBS naturally, safely and permanently by giving your body what it needs. READ MORE

IBS Related Pages:

Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS Trigger Foods - Foods to Avoid If You Suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Diet For IBS

Elimination Diet for IBS and Other Food Sensitivities

IBS with Diarrhea - The Elimination Diet

IBS With Constipation - The Elimination Diet

IBS Foods - Healing Foods to Regulate Your Colon

Foods for IBS with Diarrhea

External source of information on IBS that I found very useful:

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

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