Probiotics For IBS- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Healing your gut problems using naturopathic medicine…
One of the most common conditions I see in my clinic has to be IBS, with so many of my patients just learning to live with the condition. In some cases it’s not even the reason why they’ve sought out a naturopath, but after an in-depth health history we start to see just how unhealthy their gut actually is.
Long standing poor gut health can and will impact other systems in your body, it will adversely impact your fertility. Increase your chances of developing cancer and has been linked to an increase in autoimmune conditions.
In this post I will take a closer look at the application of probiotics, in particular looking at one particular type of probiotic and it’s application in IBS.
Please remember this post isn’t intended as medical advice and you should seek out individualised health support for your condition.
Which probiotic should I take?
Not all probiotics are created equal, in fact different types of bacteria have different clinical uses and applications. You can think of bacteria like dogs. Different dogs perform different tasks, you’re not going to use a Pomeranian to pull your sled through the snow?
You need the right dog for the job!
So too you want to ensure you have the right species and strains of bacteria to do the right job in your gut. And when you’re starting off with a chronic digestive condition then you want to remember that diversity is key.
The research has shown that microbe diversity is probably the most important thing to achieve when it comes to health. This means you want lots of different types of healthy bugs in your gut in order to support long term improvements.
Can probiotics help with My gut problems?
“I've tied a probiotic and it made no difference or worse it exacerbated my symptoms.”
This is where Dr Google can lead us astray, you’re unlikely to walk into a motor mechanic and start pulling car parts off the shelf for your car hoping one will resolve your problems, would you? Yet we do this with something far more important… our gut health!
Before taking a probiotic or prebiotic we need to develop an in-depth understanding of:
What exactly is the problem? (this is where testing or an in-depth case history with an experienced practitioner can help)
What specific bacteria and strains are likely to help resolve this problem? (In chronic gut issues it’s likely to be a combination of different yet specific bacteria)
How can I support the ongoing diversity of my gut microbes so that I can avoid the problem again in the future? (Completely different depending on your diet, lifestyle and genetics)
If you gain nothing else from this article know that, your frustration with your gut health is valid, it’s an area which has more twists and turns than your gut itself. This is where in depth functional pathology testing can shed some fantastic light. You can find out more about this test here.
I’ll spend some time at the end of this article outlining some of the things you can start doing now to help your gut.
For now it's helpful to know that bacterial strains found in probiotic products over the counter are varied in both, strain of bacteria and quality. So picking a generic probiotic off the shelf and hoping it will help your IBS is like taking a stab in the dark.
In my clinical experience some of the best results from probiotics in IBS patients is coming from a blend of different strains and species, along side specific prebiotic products, introduced slowly and with a specific outcome in mind.
Are Soil Based Bacteria Good For IBS?
Soil based bacteria are naturally found in soil and water however because of our modern lifestyles were simply not getting the exposure to these health promoting bugs.
Some of the species found in this family include;
Bacillus coagulans
Bacillus subtilis
Bacillus clausii
All of these have been found to reduce digestive complaints.
There has been research that has shown specific strains from this family can help reduce the symptoms of IBS and other gut problems.
They may be able to restore microbial balance in the gut, and reduce the amount of inflammation within the gut improving chronic gut issues.
There is research to show this family of bugs can help support the following:
Indigestion
Excessive bloating and gas
symptoms of Inflammatory bowel disease
Relieve symptoms of SIBO.
Help fight infections like c. difficile and Helicobacter Pylori
Prevent relapse of acid reflux
Reduce general abdominal pain
Produce healthy pro-gut products like butyrate.
Naturopathic support for IBS
Multiple studies have now shown that soil based probiotics were found to significantly help patients with IBS.
They reported an increase in their quality of life
Felt less wary over health concerns
Saw improvements in their anxiety and depression.
We know that species from this family are beneficial in constipation.
Now not all studies looking at soil based probiotics have included changes to diet and utilising herbal medicine and prebiotic products alongside these probiotics and the combination of all of these can see results come about within a matter of weeks. Considering many of my patients struggle with their gut function for years it’s often a relief to see these changes.
Leaky gut
When the outer most mucous lining of your gut is damaged it causes the cells lining your gut to separate from each other, creating what’s referred to as a ‘leaky gut’ scenario.
This allows food particles and toxins to enter into the blood stream. Bacillus subtilis has been found to help heal the mucosal lining. This is important because we know that having an impaired gut lining not only leads to an increase in toxic load but this then puts added pressure on your immune system and liver, who have to clean up the toxins being let in through the gut.
Diet is key and to learn more about the top foods to avoid in IBS head over to this post
Other benefits attributed to soil based probiotics
Reduce cholesterol levels and improved blood vessel tone.
Immune system support helping to prevent chronic sinusitis and seasonal allergies (here’s the immune connection discussed above)
May help with anxiety and depression. The mind gut connection is something we’ve understand as naturopaths for a long time now. Find out more about it here.
How safe are probiotics?
There is ample research that shows the probiotic strains of Bacillus are safe. It is important that you're purchasing your probiotics from a reputable company that has a good quality assurance. Ones that use third party testing labs are even better. But your naturopath can help you navigate this.
It's not uncommon that I would prescribe several different strains and families of bacteria for supporting chronic gut issues. Of course testing using a proper functional medical lab is useful but not always essential. Especially if cost is a concern, your naturopath can take a close look at your health history and symptoms to formulate an individualised protocol. Be wary of one size fits all health programs as these often miss the mark.
You can find out more about microbiome mapping here.
Improving IBS outcomes:
While a multi probiotic approach doses bring about improvements in my clients its always done in conjunction with dietary modifications.
Otherwise this is simply another band-aid approach and long term gut health is likely to allude you.
Also key to note here is that pharmaceutical medications, exclusive diets long term and stress are all known to significantly disrupt gut health, and so understanding and identifying the cause of your IBS can go a long way to aiding with treatment and removal of that cause if and where possible.
In my own case before becoming a naturopath I was exposed to years of antibiotics, when the tablets stopped working for my chronic infections I was put on daily antibiotic injections. We now know that antibiotic use even just one course has a devastating impact on the gut microbiome.
A huge part of my healing required I re build my microbiome to overcome the IBS and improve my immune system so I no longer needed to rely on the antibiotics. It can be done with some time and patience, I’ll write an entire post on this in the near future stay tuned for more.
In the meantime you can find out more about the top foods that contribute to poor gut health here.
To find out more about how I can help you improve your digestive function book a 15 minute complimentary call below!
Look forward to chatting soon : )