An irritable bowel, or sometimes referred to as a "cranky bowel", is one of the most common conditions of a problematic digestive tract. It is estimated that about one in five adult Americans has an irritable bowel, although only about half of them seek treatment. If you suffer from irritable bowel symptoms, you're probably at your wit's end, since it is often difficult or impossible for most doctors to treat.

The difference between irritable bowel symptoms and an inflammatory bowel disease is that the latter is much more serious. An irritable bowel doesn't threaten your life… only your lifestyle, and usually only temporarily, whenever symptoms become distressing. An inflammatory bowel disease, on the other hand, can become extremely serious if left untreated, even life threatening, and it may increase the risk of cancer by as much as twenty times.

Rather than taking a prescription drug or undergoing a surgical procedure, you can clear up leaky gut and irritable bowel symptoms with a combination of natural therapies that repair, restore, and rejuvenate the entire digestive system naturally. Best of all, these therapies are safe, effective, and inexpensive. There is no need to suffer from cramping, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

Officially, the causes of an irritable bowel remains unknown.

The current thinking among medical specialists is that stress is a major factor for serious digestive disturbances. Many patients can relate the onset of their irritable bowel symptoms to a specific and often upsetting event in their lives, while other patients suffer from symptoms that seem to be brought on by routine, everyday stress. We also know that there is a definitive connection between depression and anxiety with digestive issues, which reinforces the importance of addressing emotional and psychological issues.

While emotional issues may contribute to the symptoms of an irritable bowel, its origins can also be purely physical, stemming from food sensitivities or infection. There is a definite correlation between diet, food allergies, and the overuse of antibiotics, antacids or laxatives. Other scientists believe a virus or bacteria may play a role, as may hormonal irregularities. As well, scientists have found carbohydrates to be the possible culprit, while others have implicated the role of systemic fungal infections, such as candida.

Stress, poor eating habits and food allergies are also thought to be contributing factors in serious digestive disorders. Some scientists have implicated a viral or bacterial etiology, while others have directly implicated the role of yeast, noting that disease activity in patients with Crohn’s disease was lower when they followed a yeast-free diet, specifically avoiding baker’s and brewer’s yeast.

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In her book “Breaking the Vicious Cycle”, Elaine Gottschall describes the cycle of injury of the intestinal mucosal cells caused by the overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics eliminate the normal protective flora, causing yeast and other pathogens to proliferate. This leads to increased mucous production which leads back to intestinal mucosal injury. She describes patients who have broken this cycle and experienced incredible improvement of their symptoms when they followed a yeast-free, low carbohydrate diet.

I highly recommend this book. I followed the suggested dietary recommendations for two years and in that time experienced enormous improvement in my irritable bowel symptoms. It seems that when the cells lining the intestines are injured, they simply cannot break down carbohydrates, resulting in “leaky gut syndrome” and inflammation. As well, carbohydrates feed the yeasts, resulting yeast overgrowth and systemic candidiasis. When you eliminate the carbohydrates that cause the most problems and eat yeast-free foods, the lining of the gut has a chance to regenerate and heal itself.

Identify and Eliminate Problem Foods

In addition to following a yeast-free, low carbohydrate diet, there are certain problematic foods you may also wish to avoid to see if your symptoms improve. Dairy foods for instance contain lactose, a simple sugar which is known to cause problems even in healthy people who don’t have digestive disturbances.

Sweeteners such as sorbitol can also be a problem, as can alcohol and caffeine. All of these substances should be avoided. Do not eat any foods that contain additives, colorings or preservatives.

As well, it is important to identify and eliminate any foods you may be sensitive or allergic to. Common food allergens include wheat, corn, dairy products, coffee, tea and citrus fruits, including tomatoes. Fatty foods and chocolate can also aggravate symptoms, as can excessive soluble fiber found in foods such as beans, cabbage, lentils, apples, raisins and grapes.

Add Fiber

Adding fiber to the diet helps patients in numerous ways. It sweeps potential irritants from the bowels before they can cause cramping, gas and other symptoms. As well, it helps to relieve the cycle of constipation and diarrhea.

However, do not use wheat bran as your source of fiber. Many people are allergic to wheat. The best source of fiber may be psyllium seeds, which have been shown to help ease the pain of abdominal pain and cramping.

Take Healing Herbs and Supplements

One of the best supplements I have come across for healing the lining of the intestinal tract and eliminating food allergies and inflammation is bovine colostrum. It is a supplement I wish I had known about when I suffered with irritable bowel symptoms.

Research shows that bovine colostrum actually stops leaky gut syndrome by stimulating the repair of the intestinal mucosa at the cellular level. Its anti-inflammatory action reduces the spacing between the cells found in leaky gut syndrome, thereby reducing hyper-permeability of these cells. It is a natural food substance that seems made for relieving intestinal disorders. There are several doctors and gastroenterologists who use it almost exclusively for most of their patients exhibiting these symptoms.

I took bovine colostrum when I had irritable bowel symptoms, and found that it did indeed eliminate most if not all of my food allergies, and well as the pain and inflammation of an irritable bowel. Many people with severe digestive problems have complete relief of their symptoms when they eliminate problematic foods, eat a yeast-free, low carbohydrate diet, and add natural supplements such as colostrum to their healing program.

More Info on Colostrum

Colostrum is considered by experts to be an all-encompassing healing substance. It is the first food mothers produce for their young. It is packed with antibodies and immune factors that are necessary to protect infants against bacteria, toxins, viruses and disease, and it can offer this same protection to children and adults. Laboratory analyses find that bovine colostrum contains the very same antibodies and immune factors that is found in human colostrum!

More than 4000 scientific papers document colostrum’s ability to beneficially affect a wide variety of health conditions. The list includes:

• digestive disorders

• chronic infections

• compromised immune system

• inflammatory conditions

• respiratory ailments

With its growth factors, colostrum appears to be able to continually rebuild and regenerate the entire body.

Safety First

Not only is colostrum an all-encompassing healing substance, it is also extremely SAFE. According to Lance Wright, M.D. and professor of Integrative Medicine at Capital University of Integrative Medicine in Washington, D.C., bovine colostrum has no toxic factors and no interactions with the chemisty of the human body. It is so safe that it is routinely given to newborn babies, children with chronic illnesses and adults with serious degenerative diseases. There is no known limit as to what amount may be taken, and there are no known drug interactions.

It is now very well established among alternative health specialists that an overgrowth of candida yeast plays an enormous role in irritable bowel symptoms. The medical community has been a little slow in catching up, though the New England Journal of Medicine reported that when patients were given the antifungal drug Nystatin, they had their Crohn's Disease symptoms reverse.

It is well-known that when patients with symptoms of irritable bowel symptoms follow a yeast-free, low carbohydrate diet, they experience an incredible improvement. This improvement is speeded up and enhanced when anti-candida agents are added to the healing program.

In my opinion, it is extremely important and helpful to take direct measures in eliminating candida from the digestive tract, and inhibiting any further fungal growth. If you wish to find out more about candida and the best antifungals to eliminate it and keep it in check, click on the link below.

As I stated earlier in this report, there is an definite connection between stress and the symptoms of a malfunctioning digestive tract. Many patients report that their symptoms began within six months of a major life transition or stressful event, and patients also report that symptoms seem to worsen during times of stress. Therefore, I believe it is important to address any underlying issues that may be contributing to your symptoms. If you wish to find out more about the connection between emotions and health, and how to help yourself deal with these issues, view our Emotional Healing report..