How to calm IBS without prescription drugs

Friday, January 11, 2013 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: IBS, prescription drugs, alternatives

(NaturalNews) More than 50 million Americans suffer from some form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a mysterious health condition that can manifest itself in many forms including upset stomach, constipation, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, flatulence, and heartburn. Though distinctly less severe than inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn's disease, which can cause damaging ulcers in the bowel, IBS is still a greatly discomforting condition that deprives its victims of vitality and well-being.

The establishment's answer to the problem of IBS is to take pharmaceutical drugs like Imodium (loperamide), an anti-diarrhea medication with its own potentially serious side effects, or even antidepressants like Paxil (paroxetine), which can cause permanent brain damage. But if you suffer from IBS symptoms, you do not have to go this dangerous route to find relief. Here are some helpful tips for overcoming IBS naturally without prescription drugs:

1) Take more vitamin C, magnesium. One of the simplest ways to naturally relieve constipation is to take more vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate. Not only is vitamin C a natural laxative, but it is also a powerful immune booster, having been extensively studied by the late Linus Pauling for its ability to convert cholesterol into digestive bile acids, among other functions (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/).

If you really want to get things going, you can also supplement with magnesium citrate, which helps promote healthy bowel function. Since the vast majority of Americans are deficient in magnesium, some health experts have hypothesized that IBS is simply a magnesium deficiency for many people. Try supplementing with at least 1000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C and 325 mg of magnesium daily, and gradually move up from there to find your perfect dosage.

2) Supplement with L-glutamine. Many people with IBS symptoms suffer from some form of gut damage that is in desperate need of repair. If you suffer from sporadic bouts of both diarrhea and constipation, for instance, or random episodes of bloat with no identifiable culprit, you could have a leaky gut. And one of the most effective ways to repair leaky gut is to supplement with the non-essential amino acid L-glutamine.

The most abundant amino acid in human muscles, L-glutamine serves as living food for cells in the intestinal wall, helping them to repair and fortify gut lining. Many people have reported incredible success in curing IBS by supplementing with L-glutamine powder derived from non-genetically modified (non-GMO) sources. For the first five days, you can take up to 80 grams per day of L-glutamine to help quickly seal the lining of your intestinal wall, and taper down to five or 10 grams after that for maintenance.

3) Avoid GMOs, gluten, refined sugars and flours, and hydrogenated oils. Though the medical establishment is hard-pressed to ever admit it, the standard American diet (SAD) is loaded with toxic poisons that directly contribute to the destruction of the intestinal system. Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), wheat gluten, refined sugars and flours, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and pesticides all contribute to IBS in some way, shape, or form. So avoiding these common additives is crucial if you are serious about repairing your gut.

At the same time, you will want to replace these additives with real foods like organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed, pastured meats and butter, fermented grains and foods, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. The more biodynamic and nutrient-dense the food, the more it will help to balance your system and promote healthy digestion.

4) Perform a colonic massage. If you have frequent trouble with bowel movements, massaging your intestines is another helpful way to safely get things moving without drugs. Some naturopaths will advise their patients to actually perform colonic massages at home by lying on their sides and massaging their abdomens with their fists.

Jini Patel Thompson, author of Listen To Your Gut: Natural Healing & Dealing With Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Irritable Bowel Syndrome, recommends starting in the lower right quadrant of your abdomen, and working your way up into the area just below your ribcage, digging your fist into your skin and moving it around in a circular motion. From there, you can move your hand across to the left side, and back down into the lower quadrant, massaging into a finale at the groin and pubic area.

5) Supplement with zinc L-carnosine. Another power gut-healing nutrient is zinc, and zinc L-carnosine in particular, which has been extensively studied for its ability to repair the digestive tract. Zinc L-carnosine has been safely and effectively used in Japan as a pharmaceutical since 1994 for such purposes, and it is available in the United States as a supplement without a prescription. Many people have reported success using zinc L-carnosine to cure gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, ulcers, leaky gut, and IBS (http://www.charlespoliquin.com).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.healingwell.com

http://drhyman.com

http://www.aviva.ca/article.asp?articleid=98