This is a question I get asked a lot. Let’s start with – what is IBS?

“A functional gastrointestinal disorder, a group of symptoms, not a disease”
“IBS has numerous expressions which result in different symptoms that should be dealt with individually.”

This can include the following symptoms:

Abdominal pain/cramping
Diarrhoea
A change in your bowel habit
Bloating of abdomen
Flatulence
Urgent need to go to the toilet


To meet the ROME criteria for IBS, you must be having symptoms for at least 3 months along with abdominal pain and discomfort and an irregular pattern of defecation.

Pathology
A chronic, relapsing and often life-long disorder. Characterised by the presence of abdominal pain or discomfort, which may be associated with defecation and/or accompanied by a change in bowel habit.

Diagnosis
No specific tests for IBS, IBS does not cause any obvious detectable abnormalities in your digestive system. Diagnosis typically based on symptoms – attempts have been made to identify specific biomarkers.

Symptoms
Despite being a heterogeneous disorder symptoms typical include: Disordered defecation, constipation or diarrhoea, which may be debilitating, abdominal distension, bloating, abdominal pain, non-ulcer dyspepsia or coeliac disease.

Potential Causes:

IBS can be triggered through a number of potential causes, such as:

Diet
Caffeine
Stress and anxiety
Alcohol
SIBO
Chronic antibiotic use


Diet:
Fibre Manipulation – Important Understanding
You must understand that you’re treating the symptoms, not IBS:

From a dietary standpoint, can you help by:

Diarrhoea – Reduce Insoluble Fibre
• Wholegrain bread, bran, cereals, nuts, seeds (not golden linseeds)

Constipation – Increase Soluble Fibre
• Oats, Barley, Rye, Fruit, Root vegetables, Golden linseeds
A systematic review showed fibre supplementation is beneficial in mild to moderate IBS-C and Chronic Constipation – Rao & Fedewa, (2015)

Everyone has different trigger foods, that’s why here at KLK we provide you with the opportunity to tell us exactly what your trigger foods are at checkout, so, if that particular ingredient is found within a meal you’ve selected, we can remove it. None of our meals, seasoning or marinades are pre-made – we make everything up once you’ve placed your order. This gives our clients peace of mind when selecting their plan, to feel confident when eating and to ultimately eliminate food anxiety, reduce symptoms and reduce pain.


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So what foods are bad for IBS? The answer is…. It’s completely individual

If you’re still learning what foods trigger you, and you would like more support in this area, then we offer Nutritional Appointments to assist here. You can read all about John Buckland, our Head of Nutrition here:

Everyone is unique in this space, we all have our own individual trigger foods so, as a result we offer tailored, bespoke plans to suit your dietary requirements.


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Eating a low FODmap diet has been scientifically proven to help with IBS symptoms. To learn more about low FODmap diets, and their benefits, click here