What is IBS?
You’ve no doubt heard of Irritable Bowel Syndrome - as many as one in five American adults suffer from the condition, including Tyra Banks and actress Cybill Shepherd. But what exactly is IBS? Surprisingly, IBS is not a disease, per se, but a grouping of symptoms including abdominal pain or discomfort, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation. It affects the colon or large bowel, the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. Despite its prevalence, many sufferers remain silent because the symptoms can be embarrassing.


What are the symptoms? 
The primary symptoms of IBS are:

•            abdominal pain or discomfort
•            chronic diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of both
•            a swollen or bloated abdomen
•            the feeling that you have not finished a bowel movement
•            mucus in the stool
•            women with IBS often see their symptoms worsen during their menstrual periods.

What are the conventional treatments?
There is no cure for IBS, but a number of lifestyle, mind-body therapies and dietary changes, in addition to certain medications, may alleviate symptoms. Stress relief is a major issue, as IBS is thought to have a psychological component.

How can kefir help?
As mentioned above, dietary changes are often suggested as a first-line defense against IBS. After all, why take medication if adding or subtracting certain foods could help? 
Many studies show that adding certain types of yogurt – specifically, those containing the bacteria lactobacilli and bifidobacteria - to your diet may alleviate the symptoms of IBS. These "good" bacteria, also known as probiotics, are normally found in the large intestine, but adding them to your diet can help with gas, pain and bloating, while reducing the time it takes for food to move through the intestine, says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Michael Picco, MD. This, in turn, may be helpful in people with constipation; probiotics may also decrease the frequency of loose stools, improving IBS-related diarrhea. (Lifeway kefir contains the following 10 strains of probiotics: Lactobacillus Lacti, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Bifidobacterium Breve, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Saccharomyces florentinus, Streptococcus Diacetylactis, Leuconostoc Cremoris, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Case).
In one recent UK study, IBS sufferers who received a probiotic preparation made up of multiple strains of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Lactis and Bifidobacterium Bifidum reported significantly greater improvement in the severity of their symptoms, fewer days of pain and improved quality of life compared with those who received a placebo. And in a 2008 Chinese study, patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS received either fermented milk containing Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Longum or a probiotic-free milk beverage. Those in the former group experienced greater symptom relief.

Fiber-rich foods such as whole grain breads and cereals, beans, fruits and vegetables may also help, by reducing IBS-associated constipation. For the uninitiated, experts suggest adding these foods to your diet a little bit at a time, though, to help your body get used to them and avoid the gas and bloating which additional fiber can cause. Lifeway kefir contains 3g fiber per one cup serving – 12% of your daily needs!

If you think you may suffer from IBS, it’s important to talk with your doctor and plan a treatment strategy. There is no need to struggle in silence – there are therapies that can bring you relief. And don’t forget to bring up Lifeway kefir with your physician or nutritionist…it could become an integral component of your feel-better strategy.