In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is IBS?#1 Habit to BreakOther Tips

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

What Is IBS?

#1 Habit to Break

Other Tips

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Photo:Getty Images. EatingWell design.

a photo of a woman eating cereal in the kitchen

Getty Images. EatingWell design.

Living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be overwhelming. The discomfort, unpredictable symptoms and constant worry about triggering an episode can lead many people to adopt extreme measures to manage their condition. However, some well-intentioned habits may do more harm than good. In this article, we’ll explore the No. 1 habit that experts say you need to break if you have IBS, plus share practical tips to help manage your symptoms.

The exact cause of IBS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a complex interaction of factors. These include gut-brain communication, gut motility issues, food sensitivities, stress and imbalances in gut bacteria.Unlike inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, IBS doesn’t cause visible damage to the intestines, which can make it difficult to diagnose and treat effectively.

IBS Diet Plan: What to Include and What to Limit, According to a Dietitian

The #1 Habit to Break If You Have IBS

One of the most common mistakes people with IBS make is being overly restrictive with their diet.It’s understandable. When you’re trying to avoid symptoms, cutting out potential trigger foods might seem like the best approach. However, this habit may actually worsen your condition in the long run.

Many people with IBS also fall into the trap of eliminating multiple food groups in an attempt to control their symptoms. While this might provide temporary relief, it can lead to a more sensitive gut, nutritional deficiencies and an overall lower quality of life. Over-restriction can also create a cycle of anxiety and stress around food. That can be particularly problematic for those with IBS, since stress is a well-known trigger for symptoms.

In some cases, this restrictive behavior can lead to conditions like orthorexia, an unhealthy obsession with eating only “clean” or “safe” foods. This not only limits the variety and enjoyment of food but can also exacerbate IBS symptoms due to the lack of necessary nutrients that support gut health.

“Instead, the goal should be to liberalize your diet as much as possible while avoiding or limiting your unique food triggers,” says Roney. Rather than cutting out entire food groups or severely restricting your diet, a more effective approach is to identify specific triggers through a structured short-term elimination diet under the guidance of a health care provider. This involves temporarily removing common trigger foods and then gradually reintroducing them to pinpoint which ones actually cause symptoms. This method allows you to maintain a balanced diet while still managing your IBS.

Other Tips for Managing IBS

While breaking the habit of overly restrictive eating is crucial, managing IBS involves a multifaceted approach. Here are some additional dietitian-approved strategies to help manage your symptoms more effectively:

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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Di Rosa C, Altomare A, Terrigno V, et al.Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C): Effects of different nutritional patterns on intestinal dysbiosis and symptoms.Nutrients.2023;15(7):1647. doi:10.3390/nu15071647Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-14131. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126Sultan N, Foyster M, Tonkovic M, et al.Presence and characteristics of disordered eating and orthorexia in irritable bowel syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2024;36(7):e14797. doi:10.1111/nmo.14797

Sources

EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Di Rosa C, Altomare A, Terrigno V, et al.Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C): Effects of different nutritional patterns on intestinal dysbiosis and symptoms.Nutrients.2023;15(7):1647. doi:10.3390/nu15071647Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-14131. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126Sultan N, Foyster M, Tonkovic M, et al.Presence and characteristics of disordered eating and orthorexia in irritable bowel syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2024;36(7):e14797. doi:10.1111/nmo.14797

EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

Di Rosa C, Altomare A, Terrigno V, et al.Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C): Effects of different nutritional patterns on intestinal dysbiosis and symptoms.Nutrients.2023;15(7):1647. doi:10.3390/nu15071647Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-14131. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126Sultan N, Foyster M, Tonkovic M, et al.Presence and characteristics of disordered eating and orthorexia in irritable bowel syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2024;36(7):e14797. doi:10.1111/nmo.14797

Di Rosa C, Altomare A, Terrigno V, et al.Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C): Effects of different nutritional patterns on intestinal dysbiosis and symptoms.Nutrients.2023;15(7):1647. doi:10.3390/nu15071647

Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.

Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-14131. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126

Sultan N, Foyster M, Tonkovic M, et al.Presence and characteristics of disordered eating and orthorexia in irritable bowel syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2024;36(7):e14797. doi:10.1111/nmo.14797