What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
IBS is a common chronic gastrointestinal condition that affects up to 1 in 7 people worldwide.
It is characterised by recurrent abdominal symptoms including:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal cramping
- Excessive wind
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Altered bowel habits.
More Information On IBS
How To “Cure” IBS: The DIY Guide To Do It Naturally
IBS Treatment 101: Proven Diet and Lifestyle Remedies
Best Probiotics For Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Explained in Plain English
8 IBS Symptoms You Need To Know About
The Beginner’s Guide to SIBO: Antibiotics and Diet Recommendations
IBS Medication: A Sales-Free Look At What Works
SIBO and IBS: Cutting-Edge Findings with Gastroenterologist Dr. William Chey
Your Guide To Peppermint Oil: Proven Uses, Health Benefits, and Who MUST Avoid It
Treating IBS With A Low FODMAP Diet
A relatively new medical diet, called the low FODMAP diet, has been proven to reduce the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in up to 75% of sufferers (1).
The diet restricts poorly absorbed sugars, known as FODMAPs, found in many healthy foods including some fruit and vegetables, grains and dairy products.
The restriction of these sugars in the diet reduces a process called fermentation from occurring.
Fermentation is the process where the healthy gut bacteria that live in our large intestines break down and ‘feed’ off the FODMAPs.
Fermentation actually has multiple benefits important to general health, however, in people who are sensitive, it is this exact same process that triggers undesirable gut symptoms.
Fortunately, it is unlikely that all FODMAPs will trigger these symptoms in sensitive people, so there is a second part to the diet where individual FODMAP groups are re-introduced as a challenge to determine the individual’s personal tolerance level.
The end result of the diet is one where there is a balance of FODMAP restriction and FODMAP re-introduction personalised to the individual’s own tolerance level.
This personalised diet keeps gut symptoms to a minimum, while also supporting gut health and maintaining a variety of healthy foods in their diet.
All articles about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
How to heal SIBO: Hydrogen, Methane & Hydrogen Sulphide
Have you been told you have IBS… but your symptoms never seem to go away? Maybe you’ve tried the low FODMAP diet, maybe probiotics, maybe medications — but nothing sticks.
The real reason could be something called SIBO: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Basically, it means you’ve got bacteria growing in the wrong place—the small intestine—in quantities they shouldn’t be in, which can be the root cause of many gut symptoms.
And this might not be as rare as first thought. Research shows that about one in three people with gut complaints actually test positive for SIBO. Depending on the study, up to 78% of IBS patients may have SIBO as the root cause of their symptoms (1).
So if you’ve been dismissed with “it’s just IBS” or told gut issues are just part of getting older, in many cases, it’s actually SIBO. But here’s what most doctors miss: SIBO is not just one thing. Depending on the gas being produced — hydrogen, methane, or hydrogen sulfide — the symptoms and treatments can look very different.
[Discover More…]Low FODMAP Foods To Eat For IBS (Plus a Full List Made By Dietitians)
If you’ve been told to follow a low FODMAP diet, you’re probably staring at conflicting food lists online, wondering what the heck you can actually eat without triggering your symptoms.
Here’s the reality: over 15,000 people we’ve worked with were given a basic FODMAP handout by their doctor and told “good luck” — with no real guidance on portions or food preparation. If that’s you, you’re definitely not alone, and I’m glad you found this article.
In this comprehensive article, I’ll walk you through each food group and what’s safe to eat — with clear portion sizes so you know how much is actually low FODMAP and when it tips over. We’ll also clear up some of the confusing foods people always ask about, like tofu versus soy milk, sourdough bread, dairy options, and fruit portions.
[Discover More…]7 Warning Signs of Diverticulitis Most Doctors Miss (Don’t Ignore These Red Flag Symptoms)
Every year, diverticulitis is responsible for over 300,000 hospital admissions in the US alone. And that rate is increasing every year.
Here’s what’s really concerning — most patients have never even heard of diverticulitis until they’re in the emergency room. But there are 7 specific warning signs that could help you catch this condition early, before it becomes a medical emergency.
Some of these signs are so subtle that even doctors miss them. Others show up in completely different parts of your body that you’d never connect to your digestive system. Understanding these warning signs could mean the difference between catching diverticulitis early and ending up in the ER.
[Discover More…]The Low FODMAP Diet Beginner’s Guide
Are you dealing with persistent digestive issues and wondering how to do a low FODMAP diet properly?
This is one of the most common questions we get at Diet vs. Disease, and if you’re tired of spending all your free time trying to figure out digestive relief on your own, this article is exactly what you need.
We’re going to cover everything you need to start a low FODMAP diet successfully, so you can get through it as smoothly as possible, find relief from symptoms, and one day eat with freedom like a normal person again.
[Discover More…]Why You’re STILL Bloated on Low FODMAP (It’s Not What You Think)
Are you still getting bloated on a low FODMAP diet even though you’re following it perfectly? You’re not crazy, and you’re definitely not alone.
Many people have this exact same frustrating experience. They’ve eliminated all the high FODMAP foods, they’re using the Monash app religiously, but that uncomfortable bloating just won’t go away.
Here’s the thing — clinical research shows the low FODMAP diet actually works for up to 86% of people with IBS (1). So statistically, if it’s not working for you, it’s likely user error rather than FODMAPs not being an issue for you.
But it’s not your fault, because there are actually two crucial hidden traps that you probably were never taught, which we’ll dive into in this article.
[Discover More…]Your Gut is Causing Your Arthritis (New Research Explains Everything)
Your knee pain, your hip stiffness, that arthritis your doctor calls “wear and tear” — what if it’s actually coming from your gut?
Recent research discussions from the highly reputable Arthritis Foundation suggest that an unhealthy gut may be the primary cause of osteoarthritis, not “wear and tear” like we’ve all been told (1,2,3). And since arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America, this connection could change everything about how we treat joint pain, which we’ll dive more into in this article.
If this gut-arthritis connection is real, it means that inflammatory damage might be starting in your digestive system years before you feel any joint pain. That “wear and tear” your doctor sees on X-rays could actually be inflammatory damage that began in your gut long before symptoms appeared.
[Discover More…]Why You Can’t Stay Low FODMAP Forever (The Hidden Dangers)
Have you been following a Low FODMAP diet for months — or even years — because it’s the only thing that keeps your symptoms under control? If so, then this article is for you.
What most people don’t realize is that staying in the elimination phase long-term isn’t just unsustainable — it’s actually dangerous for your gut health. Most doctors won’t tell you this, and most websites don’t explain it properly.
There’s a reason the Low FODMAP diet has specific phases, and skipping the reintroduction phase can leave you worse off than when you started. In this article, we’ll explore exactly why staying restrictive forever backfires, what it’s doing to your gut bacteria, and how to safely expand your diet without bringing back the symptoms that scared you in the first place.
[Discover More…]The Hidden Causes of Digestive Issues After 50
If your gut has gotten more unpredictable as you’ve gotten older—and you’ve been told it’s just in your head or that you should simply cut out more foods—this article is for you.
Because the truth is, the causes of digestive issues after 40 or 50 are often hidden. They’re misunderstood by friends and family, dismissed by the medical system, and buried under years of confusion and trial-and-error.
In this article, we’re not just talking about food triggers. We’re going deeper. You’ll learn how stress, hormone shifts, and even well-meaning advice can leave people stuck with worsening IBS symptoms that no diet alone can fix.
[Discover More…]The Real Reason You’re Always Bloated (And It’s Not FODMAPs)
If you’re eating all the “safe” foods but your belly still blows up like you’re 5 months pregnant after every meal, there’s a reason no one’s told you about.
Because what you think is bloating might actually be a gut-muscle issue. It has nothing to do with what you ate, and everything to do with how your body is reacting to digestion.
There’s a hidden condition where your abdominal wall and diaphragm stop working in sync, and instead of creating space during digestion, your body does the opposite: it pushes out when it should be pulling in.
Most doctors don’t test for it. Many have never even heard of it. But if you’ve tried restrictive diets, probiotics, or gut protocols — and your symptoms still haven’t improved — this could be the missing piece.
[Discover More…]IBS, Anxiety & Bladder Issues: The Hidden Link Doctors Miss
If you’ve ever had IBS symptoms that come with bladder urgency, pelvic pain, or just feel like your whole lower body is out of sync…
You’re not imagining it.
The gut, the brain, and the bladder — plus the pelvic floor — are all part of the same network. And if you don’t understand how they influence each other, you’ll never get full relief.
This is a monumental missing link in gut health that I want to unpack for you today, and it’s especially important if your approach has always been limited to diet changes and hasn’t really helped your gut.
In this article, I’m going to give you a quick foundation so you understand what the gut-brain-bladder axis is, why it matters, and how to restore balance when this axis becomes disrupted.
[Discover More…]Is It Really IBS… or Is It SIBO? (Most People Never Get Tested)
Have you been told you’ve got IBS… but your symptoms never seem to go away, even when you try a low FODMAP diet and other approaches?
There’s a reason for that—1 in 3 IBS cases could actually be caused by something called SIBO.
And the worst part? Most doctors don’t test for it.
At Diet vs. Disease, we’ve tested and treated this in thousands of clients across North America, Australia, and Europe — and in this article, you’ll learn exactly if you should suspect SIBO, how to test for it, and what your results actually mean.
[Discover More…]What Are The 5 Warning Signs Of Severe IBS?
In this article we’ll look at the 5 main warning signs and symptoms of IBS, because a lot of patients get left on their own here by the doctor and are not sure if they have IBS or what to do.
In fact, can you guess what percentage of people these days are believed to have IBS, both globally but then also specifically in western countries, like the US, Canada, UK and Australia?
[Discover More…]
