Ayurvedic Solution to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Irritable colon is also known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It is a gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorder. As per Ayurveda, the symptom of a disease called grahani resembles most of IBS symptoms. Grahani can be due to a number of factors such as improper diet, heavy foods, overeating, constipation, hemorrhoids, drinking too much fluid (especially cold water when hungry), exercising too soon after eating, forcing or straining natural urges, and taking chemical drugs.
Clinical Description
Passage of stools alternated with constipation or diarrhea and with undigested food particles.
Thirst, distaste, blackouts, pedal edema, pain in the bone, fever, and vomiting.
Motility disorder involving the entire GI tract, causing recurring upper and lower GI symptoms.
Variable degrees of abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, and abdominal bloating.
Constipation-predominant — IBS presents the clinical features of dryness in skin, mouth, or throat; more constipation or alternating constipation and diarrhea; thirst; bloating; flatulence; and a cold feeling. It is also associated with back or groin pain, weight loss, debility, anal fissures, insomnia, and anxiety.
Diarrhea-predominant — IBS clinically shows the presence of heartburn, thirst, feeling hot, irritable or angry, inflammation, sweating and fever, fluid, and foul smelling stools and eructation.
Dysentery-predominant — IBS exhibits the presence of nausea, indigestion, and excess sputum in the pharyngeal region, heaviness in the chest and abdomen, bad-smelling eructation, lethargy, sluggish bowels, and mucus in the stools.
Complex IBS — This type reveals the combined signs and symptoms of all the above types.
Accrual IBS — This type of IBS presents the combined features of all the tridosas and is more chronic. It is specially diagnosed with clinical features of borborygmi, diurnal changes that the bowel movements are increased in the daytime and stop at night. The nature of the stool will be pastier and slimy, have undigested food particles, and be eliminated with pain. The pattern of the bowel movement will be accumulation of stools for some days followed by passage of loose stools for several days.
Tympanites-predominant — In this type of IBS, the clinical symptoms are rumbling sounds heard in abdomen and increased bowel movements with lots of undigested food particles.
Success Stories (What our patient says)
Ayurvedic Diet Plan
Use of buttermilk (takra)
Buttermilk is digestive, astringent, and light to digest and helps in improving the consistency of the stool.
Buttermilk is given along with asafetida(Hing),cumin, and rock-salt powder to control the bowel movements.
It contains a good amount of lactobacillus bacteria, which helps restore the normal flora of the intestines.
Foods To follow
In IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Light diet is advised.
Only vegetable soups.
A little basmati rice.
Green gram beans.
Common Herbs Used in IBS
Constipation-Predominant IBS
Ginger, clove, fennel, cumin, cardamom, and a little cinnamon will all stimulate digestive enzymes.
Terminalia chebula clears excess vata from the bowel. Triphala,a mixture of Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), and Terminalia belerica is a gentle bowel tonic excellent for chronic constipation and IBS and for clearing toxins from the bowel. It can be taken in powder or capsule form at bedtime.
Diarrhea-Predominant IBS
Emblica officinalis is a rejuvenative tonic and renowned remedy for pita problems, which balances dosas.
Coriander water cools pita, as does sandalwood powder prepared in ghee, which is often mixed with fennel, long pepper, black pepper, and cloves.
Aloe vera juice, turmeric, Rubia cordifolia, Tinospora cordifolia and Asparagus racemosus are all excellent for balancing pitta. Sweet, bitter, and astringent foods are best.
Dysentery-Predominant IBS
Ginger, lime juice, and honey are excellent to control kapha.Trikatu, a compound containing black pepper, long pepper, and ginger, is specific for low enzyme and high enterotoxin.Turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, cumin, nutmeg, rock salt,and long pepper raise digestive enzyme and clear kapha.
