​It's common knowledge that exercise can help stave off or alleviate a variety of physical and emotional health conditions. While exercise is not a cure-all for IBS, it offers a vital assist with mitigating IBS triggers and symptoms.

For decades, fiber has been extolled as a vital component of a healthy diet. Doctors, dietitians, the food industry, and government have prominently touted a high-fiber diet as essential for preventing or relieving digestive disorders, including IBS-C (constipation-predominant IBS) and idiopathic constipation (constipation with no apparent cause). ​However, most of these health claims aren't supported by scientific research.

In a previous article, I discussed the importance of the vagus nerve and its connection to digestive health and its potential role in the pathophysiology of IBS. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) counterbalances the stress response of the sympathetic nervous system, normalizes heart rate, and promotes healthy digestion and relaxation. It also has an antidepressant effect and helps keep inflammation in check. Increased vagal health (known as vagal tone) is linked with greater intimacy and social bonding, whereas diminished vagal health is associated with negative moods, loneliness, and social isolation.

The makeup of the microbiome -- the unique combination of microorganisms (mainly bacteria) known as the microbiota that inhabit the human body and are concentrated primarily in the gut -- has been implicated in a wide range of health concerns. This has motivated researchers around the world to develop analytical techniques to better understand the microbiome and its constituents and explore how they affect health and disease. The microbiome has been of particular interest to gastroenterologists in terms of how it relates to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and other intestinal disorders.

There are many myths surrounding IBS, and most of these do more harm than good. Sadly, even the  medical establishment and physicians who should know better continue to embrace and promote these outdated fallacies, placing a terrible burden on patients trying to obtain a proper diagnosis and seek treatment.

Triclosan is a chemical that was developed in the 1960s that was designed to kill bacteria. Because it is so effective at this, it became ubiquitous in hand and body washes, antimicrobial soaps, foot and body sprays, personal care products (including face and body lotions), shaving products, makeup, and toothpaste. ​

When you have an IBS flare-up, are in pain, or are experiencing a variety of difficult symptoms, exercise might the last thing you're inclined to do. Nevertheless, certain types of exercise can be extremely beneficial for IBS sufferers, even (or especially) during a flare-up.  

Bananas are just one of many kinds of fruits, so why do we give them so much attention? For starters, bananas are different from the majority of fruits in that they are both starchy and sweet, and these qualities put bananas in a class of their own in terms of their versatility.

The human digestive tract contains both friendly (aka "good") and not-so-friendly (aka "bad") bacteria. Good bacteria improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and help increase the absorption of nutrients. Bad bacteria are commonly defined as pathogens, which means they may cause infection, make us sick, or even be deadly. 

The beginning of a new year is when many people commit to making positive changes for the next twelve months. Sadly, those lofty promises often fizzle out in just a few weeks. Despite our noble intentions, our objectives may simply be unrealistic or out of our reach. Instead, if we focus on taking small steps toward our ultimate goal -- steps we can truly achieve -- it's possible we'll actually get to the finish line, or at least be a whole lot closer to it.