General
IBS — general
Irritable bowel syndrome is common, frustrating, and often responds well to a combination of diet modification, stress management, and targeted herbal support. Enteric-coated peppermint oil has strong evidence.
Key points
- ✓Enteric-coated peppermint oil (IBgard or similar) has multiple RCTs — effect size similar to antispasmodics
- ✓Low-FODMAP diet has RCT evidence; implement with a dietitian to avoid over-restriction
- ✓Gut-directed hypnotherapy has excellent evidence — unusual intervention but works
- ✓Psyllium fiber helps IBS-C; soluble fiber (oatmeal, chia) beats insoluble for IBS
- ✓Probiotics have mixed evidence — Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has the best data
Supportive herbs
Lifestyle & diet
Regular meals, chew thoroughly, stress management, gentle daily exercise, sleep quality. Triggers: common culprits are dairy, wheat, onions, garlic, legumes, alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners.
When to see a clinician
Blood in stool, unintended weight loss, nighttime symptoms waking you, family history of colorectal cancer, symptom onset after 50, iron-deficiency anemia — these are "red flags" warranting colonoscopy or further workup.