The irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that causes abdominal pain and alternating diarrhea and constipation. And it is systematically accompanied by disturbances in the composition of the intestinal flora. For Dr. William Berrebi, gastroenterologist1, “Probiotics are still too little prescribed in this indication, when they should be the cornerstone of treatment”. According to studies, they could actually improve digestive comfort and transit.
Which probiotics to choose to relieve irritable bowel syndrome
Several strains seem interesting, but their effectiveness varies from person to person. No choice, we have to test to find out if it suits us. To try: L. plantarum 299V (Smebiocta), L. plantarum CECT 7483/7485 and P. acidilactici CECT 7483 (Probiolog Florvis), B. longum 35624 (Alflorex+) or even S. boulardii CNCM I-745 (Ultra-yeast) . In case of intolerances, we check that the capsule is gluten-free and/or lactose-free. We take a strain for at least 2 months to see a possible improvement: if this is the case, we continue for 2 months before taking a break to see if the benefit is maintained. Otherwise, we test two other strains (always over a minimum of 2 months) before concluding that nothing works. To know : if symptoms get worse with probiotics, you may be suffering from SIBO, a disease caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the intestines that often requires antibiotics. Better to recheck with your doctor.
Avoid diets that are too strict
If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, it is better to avoid diets that recommend completely eliminating gluten or fodmaps (sugars present in food and very fermentable), because they aggravate microbiota imbalances. Direction the doctor or the nutritionist for a supervised sequential diet: we first eliminate products rich in lactose for a few days, and we see if it improves our symptoms. Ditto with foods rich in fructose (honey, dried fruit, figs, pears, cherries, bananas, etc.), then cereals (wheat, spelled, rye, barley), and finally the other oligosaccharides (lentils, chickpeas, onion , garlic, asparagus, leeks…). The goal: to identify the foods that really have a negative impact on our digestion to eliminate them from our diet.