This disease is becoming more and more common these days and is causing serious problems for around 14 million Germans. But what is irritable bowel syndrome - or irritable bowel syndrome? How can this disease be treated? And how exactly is it all related to the intestinal flora? You can find out all about it in this blog post.
1. What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS for short, is a disease of the digestive tract - more precisely, a dysfunction of the intestines. This is usually due to the fact that the intestinal flora of those affected is not healthy. This causes a number of symptoms, such as flatulence , abdominal pain and diarrhea. Compared to healthy people, certain harmful or disruptive bacterial strains are more common in the intestines.
Irritable bowel syndrome occurs about twice as often in women as in men. According to the current state of gastroenterological research, it is not yet possible to say with certainty why this is the case. In general, the exact causes of the occurrence of this disease are still relatively unclear. However, connections between food intolerances, infections and stress have been scientifically proven. Nowadays, scientists increasingly assume that there is not just one, but several "irritable bowels". This is because researchers have now been able to identify various subtypes that differ mainly in the symptoms or complaints they cause. Science also assumes that irritable bowel syndrome can be caused by interactions between the brain, the psyche and the gastrointestinal tract. This happens via the gut-brain axis . This is because the central and enteric nervous systems are in close communication via nerves, messenger substances and hormones.
Experts now suspect that the intestinal nervous system - also known as the abdominal brain - is overactive in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. This can cause problems in the digestive tract and can have psychological effects. Some studies have scientifically proven that irritable bowel syndrome is often associated with depression, chronic stress, emotional trauma and anxiety disorders. However, this illness cannot generally be described as a psychological disorder.
2. What are typical symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
An estimated four to ten percent of all Germans suffer from recurring diarrhea, abdominal cramps, constipation or flatulence. The causes of this disease are still unclear, making treatment difficult and often unsatisfactory. The symptoms are incredibly varied and usually occur in combination with one another. These include nausea, heartburn, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation.
3. What causes this intestinal disease?
Now comes some bad news, because irritable bowel syndrome can have a variety of causes and has only been researched for about 10 years, which is very little time from a scientific point of view. Accordingly, there is relatively little information about this disease.
If symptoms such as frequent diarrhea, flatulence or abdominal pain occur, the affected person usually goes to their family doctor first. If the doctor does not know what to do, they refer the patient to a specialist in the field - an internist or gastroenterologist. They then usually carry out a gastrointestinal endoscopy or an ultrasound examination. But even here, doctors usually cannot find an answer to all the problems, because irritable bowel syndrome occurs very differently and can manifest itself in a variety of ways. We have listed important factors here that can influence the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome:
-
Diet : It is well known that diet can have a significant impact on our health. It also plays an important role in the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome. Patients who have an irritated bowel can usually report a connection between certain foods and reduced well-being. These are usually certain carbohydrates, sugar alcohols and types of sugar such as lactose or fructose. Gluten, gluten proteins and other substances contained in wheat can also cause problems.
-
Genetics : Studies show that people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome usually have genetic changes. This seems to be the reason why either the number or the structure of the so-called receptor molecules is changed. These are located in the cell wall of the intestine. This in turn leads to the transmission of stimuli in the intestine being impaired and results in overstimulation of the digestive tract.
-
Intestinal flora : Researchers have discovered that the composition of the intestinal microbiome and intestinal flora is different in people with irritable bowel syndrome compared to healthy people. This is reflected in the fact that, on the one hand, certain bacterial strains are more common. On the other hand, the number of bacterial species present is usually reduced. The use of antibiotics, the influence of chronic stress and gastrointestinal infections also have a strong negative impact on the composition of the intestinal microbiome and thus also on intestinal health.
-
Inflammation : Chronic, subclinical inflammation of the intestinal mucosa can be one of the reasons for the development of irritable bowel syndrome. This is usually the case in patients who suffer from frequent diarrhea.
-
Bowel movements : Normally, the situation in a healthy bowel looks like this: the bowel moves regularly and rhythmically. But the bowel does not make these movements without a reason. No, it does them to move the bowel contents, i.e. pre-digested food, and transport it through the body. However, if the bowel is not healthy, this can result in bowel movements changing, slowing down significantly or speeding up significantly. If the bowel moves significantly more slowly, this can result in constipation. If the muscles move faster than average, this has the opposite effect. You can probably guess - the result is a very unpleasant symptom, namely diarrhea. In addition, cramps in the intestinal tract can lead to severe and unpleasant stomach pain.
One thing is certain: There are many different factors that affect the likelihood of developing the disease. Irritable bowel syndrome patients need patience, because both the precise investigation of the causes and the healing and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome require careful observation and time.
Some doctors advise not only changing your diet and finding out which foods trigger the symptoms. They also increasingly recommend taking good bacteria, i.e. probiotics , which are supposed to restore the balance of the intestines.
4. Are intestinal flora and irritable bowel syndrome related?
The causes of irritable bowel syndrome mentioned above sometimes have a strong and sometimes a less strong influence on the intestinal flora. From this it can be deduced that irritable bowel syndrome is directly linked to a change in the intestinal flora. The converse conclusion is that with a positive change in the intestinal microbiome , the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can disappear. However, this has not yet been fully clarified scientifically. However, many gastroenterologists and doctors see a significant improvement in symptoms in the positive change in the intestinal microbiome.
5. What can I do about it?
The most effective methods to date for rebuilding your intestinal flora are a change in diet, taking probiotics and prebiotics and avoiding excessive, chronic stress. Of course, it is best to pay attention to all of these things and improve them if necessary in order to achieve long-term improvement. Nevertheless, everything starts small - our little helpers in the intestines would agree with that too.
In general, if the intestinal flora is out of balance, this has negative effects on a person's health. It is interesting to know that studies have shown that the stool of people with a healthy intestinal microbiome differs significantly from that of sick people. This in turn suggests a disorder of the intestinal microbiome . In order to bring this back into balance - to "repair" it, taking probiotics can help. This is because they help to strengthen the intestinal barrier and thus help to ward off pathogenic substances. They also inhibit the growth of harmful germs and prevent them from settling on the intestinal mucosa. But that's not all, because they can strengthen the immune system and also stimulate intestinal movements!
6. DIY – Home remedies to strengthen your intestinal flora
We believe that the most underestimated factor in terms of the influence of intestinal flora is stress. Physical and psychological stress has a direct influence on the diversity and number of bacterial strains in our intestines through the release of stress hormones.
To ensure that your intestines remain healthy and balanced, we have put together a small collection of tips that we are completely convinced of:
- Give yourself a phone-and-laptop-free break and focus on the here and now.
- Prepare a cup of your favorite tea or hot chocolate (but preferably without sugar or sweetened cocoa, as sugar is anything but helpful for stress)
- Practice your favorite sport or replace it with a few stretching exercises, which have a calming effect on our nervous system.
- Take a walk in the fresh air (without your cell phone) or simply open the window and breathe in and out deeply.
- 15 minutes of yoga with appropriate breathing exercises (pranayama) also help significantly to minimize perceived stress.
- Saunas and sunbathing also have stress-reducing effects. (Just choose what appeals to you most)
If you have already incorporated all of this into your daily life and are longing for more, you can also support your intestinal flora with our specially developed probiotics and prebiotics. Sounds good? Then just take a look here:
