Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is the name given to a condition of the large intestine. While some people may have a tendency to experience constipation, and others may experience diarrhea, those with IBS are reported as having both constipation and diarrhea symptoms as well as abdominal cramps, pain, nausea, bloating, and even emotional forms of distress like anxiety and depression. This abnormality of the large intestine is rarely considered a dangerous condition, as it is generally just defined by the nuisance and discomfort of the symptoms. Western medicine makes no specific claim as to the reason or general cause for IBS, though it does cite problematic dietary choices, intestinal infections, and emotional stress as possible triggers for symptoms.
As the Western system of medicine doesn’t claim to know the cause of IBS, medical professionals attempt to provide treatment to lessen the symptoms and even eliminate them from the sufferer’s life. Along with suggesting medication to lessen constipation, diarrhea, bloating, depression, anxiety, and other related ailments individually, Western medical professionals may prescribe antibiotics or one of several medications to treat IBS such as Alosetron or Lubiprostone. IBS sufferers are also instructed to avoid foods that may possibly trigger symptoms, eating a high-fiber diet and/or taking fiber supplements, and maintaining a physically active lifestyle.
How Does Ayurveda View Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is a very good example of a condition that demonstrates why the difference between Ayurveda’s approach to treating patients and its Western counterpart of treating symptoms is so significant.
Western medicine does not make a claim as to the cause of IBS, and thus has patients take medication to simply resolve or lessen their symptoms. On the other hand, Ayurveda analyzes the specific symptoms the sufferer is enduring and considers how their unique characteristics are related to whichever doshic imbalance is occurring. The following are examples:
If the sufferer is experiencing constipation, constipation alternating with diarrhea, anxiety, and depression, and also dry skin, insomnia, or nervous disorders, then the irritation of his or her bowels may be based on a Vata imbalance.
If the sufferer is experiencing diarrhea, burning sensations, anger, and irritability, and also redness in the eyes, excessive sweating, liver complaints, hyperacidity, or sour belches, then the irritation of their bowels may be based on a Pitta imbalance.
If the sufferer is experiencing nausea, vomiting, heavy and slimy stool, bloating, lethargy, and heaviness, and also mucus discharges, congestion, or excessive amounts of sleep, then the irritation of their bowels may be based on a Kapha imbalance.
In more severe cases of this condition, a sufferer may experience symptoms associated with all three doshas, and when this happens they should consult a trained medical professional to resolve them. When there is an imbalance of two or three doshas, randomly trying to balance one element may disturb another to the point where the ailment becomes even more extreme.
How Does Ayurveda Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Once the doshic imbalances have been ascertained, an Ayurvedic practitioner will then work with the sufferer to reduce the incidence of symptoms and treat the cause. This will happen when the sufferer modifies their lifestyle to balance whichever dosha is aggravated and causing the irritation in the bowels. The sufferer will pursue a dosha-balancing diet and take dosha-balancing herbs to help resolve the symptoms.
While it is necessary to make lifestyle changes through the diet , it is also necessary to make changes to our thought patterns, as our thoughts and how we relate to our body will either contribute to balance or imbalance. The lifestyle recommendations and remedies below reflect similar actions to be taken in response to other conditions located throughout this application.
Lifestyle Changes for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
When we neglect to establish the root cause of one illness, it can turn into another, stronger illness in the future. The first step in resolving a specific ailment or disease in the body is to assess the nature of our lifestyle and make general modifications. Living our day-to-day life with a deliberate intention to improve our health will help us to both resolve the disease we are suffering from and prevent further incidence of it and other diseases in the future. The following changes include both general tasks to prevent irritable bowel syndrome and to help resolve imbalances of each of the respective doshas:
General
- Avoid the suppression of natural urges including bowel movements, urination, coughing, sneezing, passing gas, and yawning.
- Avoid dense and difficult-to-digest foods, such as anything fried or packaged, cheeses, meats and other animal proteins, leftovers, microwaved foods, and rich desserts.
- Consuming these will challenge the digestive fire and cause unhealthy digestion, which will in turn lead to an irritated bowel.
Vata
- Favor nourishing foods such as white basmati rice, barley, and cooked vegetables.
- Apply ghee to foods and mix the ghee with a pinch of ginger, licorice, black salt, and/or triphala.
- Take a tablespoon of ghee or sesame oil with half a cup of warm water once or twice a day, as needed.
- Favor more sweet, sour, or salty tasting foods.
- Avoid dry foods such as chips, cold cereals, cookies, crackers, granola, and nutrition bars.
- If possible try to get into a squat when defecating so as to emulate a more natural position for passing stool. This would mean the feet would need to be lifted onto the rim of the toilet.
- Enlist the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner to administer oil enemas and other treatments so as to stimulate the functionality of the colon.
- Create more stillness by practicing a series of calming yoga postures.
- Avoid being in the wind.
- Avoid excessive and rapid movement of the body, and an excessive amount of thoughts.
Pitta
- Eat foods with sweet and cold qualities.
- Avoid eating spicy, hot, sour, and greasy foods.
- Avoid using too many hot spices such as garlic, hot peppers, and onions.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and other stimulants.
- Avoid frequent, continuous, and excessive amounts of eating.
- Avoid eating fewer than three or four hours before going to bed.
- If the body is strong, take 1 teaspoon of castor oil in a cup of warm water, or adjust the amount to be more or less as needed. This is a good purgation to relieve excess heat from the system. (This is best to do before bedtime or in the early morning, but not if you have to leave the house within 3 hours.)
- Avoid rapid movements and aggressive exercise.
- Avoid speaking too much and emotionally investing in too many conflicts.
- Avoid the hot sun and letting it shine directly on the head and body.
- Avoid too many selfish and self-indulgent thoughts.
Kapha
- Wake at the time of Vata, which is before 6am. This early activity will help dry up the mucus.
- Eat light foods and soups to help purge the congestion.
- Follow eating with a half cup of hot water, but not if you have already taken soup.
- Keep meals to once or twice a day, without snacking. This will quickly relieve the body of excess food to digest and bring it back into balance.
- Take light walks and stretch the body so that it can release the excess, stagnant Kapha.
- Avoid eating dinner as it will create more mucus in the system as food remains undigested until the early morning.
- Avoid heavy foods and drinks at night, which will create more stress on the digestive fire.
- Avoid food until later in the morning, after 10am. This will help digestion become stronger.
- Avoid sitting around too much, which will make the body stiff.
- Avoid being out in heavy, rainy weather.
- Avoid sleeping in excess or lying down.
- Keep thoughts light and positive about nature and other inspirational ideas.
Better Foods For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ayurveda teaches us that disease and sickness are derived from poor digestion and inappropriate food choices. We then have the opportunity tomake deliberate and conscious choices as to what foods we do and do not put in our body which increases the chance of resolving the body’s imbalance.
Food needs to be in season, in moderate combinations of one or two food groups, not too hot or cold, in a modest enough quantity to allow for room in the stomach later, consumed without too much liquid which hinders digestive power, and should be fresh and not left over for more than a few hours. The general intention of responding to irritable bowel syndrome with food is to eat items that help to reduce the aggravation of whatever dosha is manifesting in the associated symptoms (constipation for Vata, etc.).
Ghee
Milk
Berries
Figs(Fresh)
Apricots
Peaches
Plums
Carrots
Beets
Zucchini
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus
Whole wheat (unbleached)
Rice (white basmati)
Mung beans
Ghee
Apples
Pears
Mangoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Asparagus
Barley
Oats (cooked)
Rice (white basmati)
Milk
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Prunes
Raisins
Cherries
Pomegranates
Figs(Dry)
Radishes
Onions
Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts
Vegetable soup
Barley
Millet
Ghee
Mustard oil
Foods To AVOID In Response To Irritable Bowel Syndrome
While some foods can help to balance an aggravated dosha, other foods can cause further imbalance. Dry and cold foods as well as pungent, bitter and astringent tastes will dry out the body and aggravate the Vata dosha. Sour, salty and pungent tastes as well as spicy foods will add more heat to the body and aggravate the Pitta dosha.Sweet, sour and salty tasting foods will add heaviness to the body and aggravate the Kapha dosha. The following foods are organized by dosha and should be avoided in response to whichever type of symptoms manifest along with the irritable bowel syndrome:
Apples
Pears
Watermelon
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Celery
Eggplant
Corn
Oats (dry)
Barley
Most legumes including green lentils and garbanzo beans
Raw and cold foods
Grapefruit
Bananas
Cherries
Pineapple
Tomatoes
Garlic
Carrots
Spinach
Rice (brown)
Corn
Nuts
Lentils
Corn oil
Almond oil
Spicy foods
Sour foods (like yogurt, sour cream, and pickles)
Salt
Meat
Bananas
Melons
Papayas
Avocado
Plums
Sweet potatoes
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Wheat
Rice
Nuts
Seeds
Sweets and candies
Allergy-causing foods
Dairy products (except goat milk, in moderation)
Unnatural sugar
Cold foods
Beverages For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Generally, Ayurveda discourages the consumption of too many cold beverages, as doing so hinders the strength of the body’s digestive fire. Instead, favors room temperature or hot beverages to encourage the strength of the digestive fire.
- Hot water, especially during meals and first thing in the morning.
- Include herbal teas and herbs in your diet on daily basis.Avoid cold and frozen drinks
- Avoid sugary or fizzy drinks that blend with the digestive juice and make it weak.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, and black tea.
- Avoid fruit juice from concentrate.
Herbal tea of ginger, cloves, cardamom, and fennel.
Take hot milk with honey before going to bed. (Add honey when milk is warm but not hot–honey should never be overheated as it becomes toxic.)
Herbal tea of coriander, cumin, fennel, and turmeric.
Aloe vera juice.
Sour drinks after meals, including lassi (it should be very light and diluted well).
Herbal tea of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and turmeric.
Herbs For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Herbs are used in the Ayurvedic system much like Western medicine utilizes drugs and vitamins and can be taken like tea 2 to 3 times a day. Herbs aid in the digestion of food, the breakdown and elimination of toxins, and help to strengthen the cellular structure of our system for greater vitality. Herbs become more potent once mixed with other herbs of similar properties. Mix together 2 to 4 different herbs from the below list by adding a quarter to a half teaspoon full of each, for a total of 1 teaspoon. Drink these in half cup of hot water.
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger
Licorice
Black salt
Turmeric
Triphala
Bala
Guduchi
Trikatu
Coriander
Cumin
Fennel
Licorice
Fresh ginger
Aloe vera with a pinch of turmeric
Sandalwood (white)
Musta
Lotus seeds
Gokshura
Pippali
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Licorice
Nutmeg
Cloves
Ginger
Turmeric
Sandalwood (white)
Calamus
Trikatu
Black pepper
Castor oil
Tulsi
Yoga Postures For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
When applied therapeutically to specific ailments, yoga postures provide an opportunity to strengthen the body, rid it of toxic matter, and restore balance. The postures included in this section can be practiced as part of a more general sequence or can be focused on in short sessions. When first exploring yoga postures, it is best to only practice them for twenty minutes or so per day and buildup from there once the body becomes more flexible.
Camel
Bridge
Plough
Shoulder stand
Knee to chest
Corpse
Easy seat
Cobra
Bridge
Shoulder stand
Knee to chest
Fish
Corpse
Hero
Boat
Bridge
Plough
Shoulder stand
Forward bend
Fish
Easy seat
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Aromatherapy For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Aromatherapy utilizes the fragrances of essential oils when applied to the skin. Essential oils can burn the skin and therefore must be diluted with a base oil such as sesame, coconut, sunflower, canola, or mustard oil. Mix 1 fluid ounce of base oil with about 12 drops of essential oil before applying to skin. You can also just mix 5 drops of base oil to one drop of essential oil if using on one spot.
Vata-related IBS can be treated with basil, camphor, cedar, eucalyptus, frankincense, ginger, lavender, lily, lotus, musk, myrrh, patchouli, sandalwood, or cinnamon oil.
- Use a sesame oil base.
- Apply oil on the forehead or on the back of the neck.
Pitta-related IBS can be treated with sandalwood, tea tree, rose, honeysuckle, gardenia, lily, iris, mint, or lavender oil.
- Use a coconut or sunflower oil base.
- Apply oil in the center of the chest in front of the heart.
Kapha-related IBS can be treated with cinnamon, eucalyptus, sage, basil, musk, cedar, frankincense, or myrrh oil.
- Use a canola or mustard oil base.
- Apply oil on the skin between the navel and pubic bone.
Mantra Therapy For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ayurvedic tradition suggests that repeating certain words or sounds can help a person suffering from an ailment to restore subtle balance to nerve tissue and enhance one’s mental clarity. Different sounds are prescribed to either repeat mentally or chant outwardly. These sounds are also used and repeated in the mind for the purpose of spiritual growth.
For Vata-related IBS, repeat the syllable “Lam” for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Vata-related disorder, it is helpful to inwardly repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
For Pitta-related IBS, repeat the syllable “Aum” (pronounced ohm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Pitta-related disorder, it is helpful to both outwardly chant and inwardly repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
For Kapha-related IBS, repeat the syllable “Ham” (pronounced hahm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Kapha-related disorder, it is helpful to outwardly chant this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
Breathing Practices For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Controlling the breath is a central practice toward developing peace and stillness in the mind and body. When the breath is under our control, we are no longer at the mercy of the senses that are stimulated by everything and lead to greater fluctuations of the mind. When applied to the context of resolving specific ailments, the breath is used as a tool for developing lung capacity, heating and cooling the body and resolving mental afflictions like anxiety and stress. Like with the yoga postures above, breathing exercises are likely to be of significant benefit to those who suffer from considerable amounts of stress.
All Doshas
Vata
Pitta
Kapha