It cannot be defined as a pathology due to improper nutrition: foods, in fact, are only one of the possible causes. To trigger the syndrome are other mechanisms, for now only hypothesized.
Over 35 percent of Italians, in most cases women, suffer from abdominal pain, meteorism, flatulence, changes in stool consistency, diarrhea and constipation.
A symptomatology that usually appears between 30 and 40 years, and that often lasts for years: it is irritable bowel syndrome.
And, if it is true that it afflicts more frequently people who eat in a disordered way, in reality even those who follow an optimal diet are not spared.
The causes of irritable bowel are in fact many and still not fully known.
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Genetic factors and hypersensitivity
It is widely believed that there is a familial predisposition to the disorder: among identical twins or between close relatives the syndrome has a higher incidence.
Sometimes a hypersensitivity of the colon wall is also called into question. In practice, it is as if the intestine reacted exaggeratedly to normally harmless stimuli.
A hypersensitivity due to abnormalities both in the systems that control pain, and in those that modify the contractility of the intestinal muscles.
Consequently, the colon responds to certain foods (see table), stress or hormonal changes with a non-physiological alternation of excessive contraction and absence of visceral muscle tone.
Hence the appearance of pain, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, meteorism.
Intestinal infections
In a variable percentage of people the syndrome is the consequence of an intestinal infection (post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome).
The colon reacts to the aggression of bacteria and viruses with a reaction of the muscles associated with neuronal and immunological alterations, which can persist even after the resolution of the infection.
Hormones
The role of sex hormones, such as progesterone, which would slow down colon motility, seems to be established.
An involvement of hormonal changes would explain both why women suffer from irritable bowel more than men, and why the symptoms increase especially in the menstrual period.
Stressful events
Although stress alone is not the cause of irritable bowel, states of anxiety and agitation or, in any case, pressing work rhythms and tensions negatively affect the functionality of the intestine.
This is not surprising, given that our enteric system is often referred to as the “second brain” due to the richness of nerve endings found there, closely related to the nervous system.
Incorrect nutrition and sedentary lifestyle
Although they are not counted among the direct causes of irritable bowel, an incorrect lifestyle, with poor eating habits (meals consumed quickly with foods too rich in fat and low in fiber) and little movement are often considered triggers of the syndrome.
Also, even if there is no Unique diet that is good for all those who suffer from intestines irritable, as a general rule it would be appropriate to do Beware of these foods.
Dairy products | Milk, cheese, ice cream |
Vegetables | Cabbage, artichokes, onions, arugula, cucumbers, potatoes |
Fruit | Peaches, pears, plums, grapes |
Beverages | Coffee, tea, soft drinks |
Other | Legumes, canned meat, preserved meats, sweeteners |
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.