Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
This is a meaningless label which merely serves members of the medical profession who do not like to admit that they are unable to determine the cause of your diarrhea. It is meaningless because it does not contribute to a diagnosis of the cause of your diarrhea.
Moreover, as a diagnosis, it is incorrect. First, the cause of diarrhea arises not in the bowel, which is at bottom end of the digestive system, but rather in the stomach and duodenum, which are at the top end of the digestive system. When working properly, the stomach and duodenum break food down to its nutrients so that they can be absorbed from the intestine. Second, the problem is not irritation of the bowel but, rather, it appears to be primarily a problem in the stomach and duodenum, which fail to produce enough stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes to process food, due to causes that are not yet understood. The failure of these digestive processes can result in lumps of food passing into the small intestine and causing damage to its fragile lining, but this is an effect rather than a cause. Third, to the extent that the problem is the result of irritation, there are some foods that irritate the stomach lining so as to cause interference with digestive processes in the stomach, but I am not aware of any foods that cause irritation to the bowel. Finally, the symptoms may also be caused by a low tolerance of ingested toxins, which may have a genetic cause.
The label – IBS – tends to be applied more often to sufferers of painful constipation which, in some of these sufferers, is occasionally relieved by bouts of diarrhea. If constipation is your primary problem, you should consult books on this subject rather than my book which is written for sufferers of diarrhea. Though there is some overlap in the dietary lists of those who suffer painful constipation and those who suffer frequent diarrhea, the lists are not the same. There are many foods on the dietary lists for constipation sufferers that cause me to suffer diarrhea and some foods that I can tolerate which they cannot.
Moreover, as a diagnosis, it is incorrect. First, the cause of diarrhea arises not in the bowel, which is at bottom end of the digestive system, but rather in the stomach and duodenum, which are at the top end of the digestive system. When working properly, the stomach and duodenum break food down to its nutrients so that they can be absorbed from the intestine. Second, the problem is not irritation of the bowel but, rather, it appears to be primarily a problem in the stomach and duodenum, which fail to produce enough stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes to process food, due to causes that are not yet understood. The failure of these digestive processes can result in lumps of food passing into the small intestine and causing damage to its fragile lining, but this is an effect rather than a cause. Third, to the extent that the problem is the result of irritation, there are some foods that irritate the stomach lining so as to cause interference with digestive processes in the stomach, but I am not aware of any foods that cause irritation to the bowel. Finally, the symptoms may also be caused by a low tolerance of ingested toxins, which may have a genetic cause.
The label – IBS – tends to be applied more often to sufferers of painful constipation which, in some of these sufferers, is occasionally relieved by bouts of diarrhea. If constipation is your primary problem, you should consult books on this subject rather than my book which is written for sufferers of diarrhea. Though there is some overlap in the dietary lists of those who suffer painful constipation and those who suffer frequent diarrhea, the lists are not the same. There are many foods on the dietary lists for constipation sufferers that cause me to suffer diarrhea and some foods that I can tolerate which they cannot.