Why So Irritable?

Its Symptoms Include Pain And Bloating, And It’s Thought To Affect Up To 20 Per Cent Of The World’s Population. Here, Nutritional Therapist Suzanne Perazzini Looks At The Key Causes Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

- Suzanne Perazzini

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic disorder that involves the large intestine and causes bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Its exact cause is unknown, but scientists believe visceral hypersensitivity – a highly-sensitive intestinal tract – reacts to the normal distension of the gut by changing motility patterns and sending messages to the brain that may be misinterpreted. This makes the intestines contract or spasm in an abnormal way, causing pain. These contractions can either speed up the passage of matter through the bowel, resulting in diarrhoea, or slow it down, causing constipation. A low-FODMAP diet reduces fermentation in the gut, reducing gas production, decreasing the distension of the bowel and reducing symptoms.