To get rid of the digestive discomfort that characterizes irritable bowel syndrome in your child, it is necessary to avoid all foods that may irritate his intestine, especially those that cause hyper stimulation and significant distension of intestines. The first guideline is to eat more soluble fiber and to limit insoluble fiber.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can be very bothersome and can cause many inconveniences. This condition causes disorders that vary according to individuals, because not all react the same way: some do not tolerate certain foods, others do.

Awareness on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

An important step in adopting the right diet is to recognize the factors that trigger the symptoms of the irritable bowel. Keeping a diary of all ingested foods and beverages and stressful events can help identify triggers.

Because of the variety of irritable bowel symptoms, you have to track down unwanted foods. Start by avoiding the high-risk foods you’ve spotted through your food diary. Make small meals several times a day rather than fat ones. This can reduce the intestinal contractions and diarrhoea that are triggered by overeating.

Teach your child to eat slowly and chew well. By eating too quickly, they swallow air, which causes irritating gases. Inadequately chewed foods may be more difficult to digest.

Drink a lot of water. Drink at least 8 glasses of fluids a day, preferably outside of meals. Avoid soda water and potential irritants such as caffeine.

Irritable Bowel syndrome: 21 Foods to Avoid

Children with irritable bowel syndrome have the potential to reduce their symptoms, allowing them to live a normal life; it suffices to follow a proper diet continuously.

Below mentioned are some of the foods you should not eat if you have IBS, as consuming them will only aggravate the problem!

Avoid fried foods

Fried foods such as fried potatoes, chicken, and more generally all foods that are fried in a large amount of oil are very detrimental to health, especially if you suffer from bowel syndrome irritable. A healthier way to prepare food rather than frying it is to cook it with steam or bake. Food roasted on the grill or charcoal is much healthier. If you have to use a little oil, go for olive oil or coconut oil.

Avoid fast foods

Keep your kids away from fast foods like hamburgers, pizzas and hot dogs, which can make the problem worse, especially if your little one is suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

Eat very little red meat

It is advisable to avoid eating red meat, regardless of how they are prepared, including sausages, ham, and minced meat. These meats digest slowly and therefore stay longer, which is bad for the intestines.

Say NO to dairy products

Dairy products are foods to exclude from the diet of children who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome because they not only do not provide fiber that facilitates digestion, but they also contain fats and lactose. In addition, seroprotein and casein intensify digestive problems, causing severe diarrhoea or constipation. Cow’s milk can be replaced by almond milk, soy milk or untreated goat’s milk.

Beware of egg yolk

The idea is to consume few eggs, or in any case to avoid eating the yellow portion of the egg, because it contains too much fat. The egg white, easier to digest, is healthier.

Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners

Refined sugar does not contain vitamins or minerals; it only provides carbohydrates that do not bring any benefit to our body. In general, all refined sugars and all artificial sweeteners can cause many digestive problems. The best thing to do is to try to reduce their consumption to the maximum.

Most artificial sweeteners contain sorbitol and mannitol substances which, because of their low digestibility, can have a laxative effect. The degradation of these unabsorbed sugars by colon bacteria can lead to the gas formation and diarrhoea. A beneficial substitute is the untreated organic honey, which, in a healthy and natural way provides us with the energy needed to perform daily tasks.

Do not consume very sweet or high caffeinated beverages

Soft drinks, as we all know, contain high doses of sugar. Too much sugar is bad for the intestines because these drinks can dehydrate the body. If the body lacks water, it can cause constipation.

Decrease caffeine intake from your child’s diet because it stimulates the intestines and can cause diarrhoea. Avoid soft drinks, coffee, and energy drinks. If your child likes to drink coffee for its high caffeine content, be sure he drink enough pure water. Green tea and homemade natural fruit juices are a good option. It will allow you to digest and have your intestines healthy.

Spicy foods

Avoid eating spicy foods. Capsaicin, a substance contained in chili pepper, promotes spasm of the large intestine, causing pain and a risk of diarrhoea. Also avoid foods that may cause flatulence, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts or broccoli.

Avoid intake of beans

Limit the intake of beans because they increase gas and bloating. If however, you suffer from irritability of the colon accompanied by constipation, you will certainly need to add beans to your diet.

Foods that ferment

All foods that ferment tend to cause flatulence, which is very uncomfortable. This is the case for legumes such as lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas and the cabbage family, such as cabbage, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Cereals rich in insoluble fiber

Foods rich in insoluble fiber are also to be avoided as they are irritating to the intestines and tend to aggravate digestive symptoms. Thus, cereals rich in insoluble fiber accentuate bloating, intestinal pain, diarrhoea, and loose stool. They are found in whole wheat, wheat bran, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, flaxseed bread, whole wheat pasta, bulgur, whole corn, spelled, cereals with multi-seeds.

Fructose

About a third of children with irritable bowel syndrome are actually fructose intolerant. In this case, here are some foods to remove from their daily diet: apples, coconuts, pears, guavas, melons, mangos, papayas, grapes, cherries, lychees, as well as all dried fruits. Also, avoid all the fruit juices containing the fruits mentioned above. Do not eat barbecue sauce that also contains fructose.

Avoid sulphur-rich foods

Avoid eating foods that contain a lot of sulphur. Some healthy foods, including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, garlic, onion, and broccoli, have a high sulphide content. High sulphide can trigger the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Choose low sulphur vegetables such as carrots and green beans.

Avoid Gluten

You may have food intolerances. Some children suffer from irritable bowel syndrome due to food intolerance. Gluten is the most common type of food that develop an intolerance. For these children, a gluten-free and dairy-free diet can help improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Avoid Sorbitol

Sorbitol (a type of sugar present in large quantities in prunes and some commercially prepared foods) can irritate the intestines, aggravating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. So it’s better to put a check on the consumption of Sorbitol among your kids.

Milk intolerance

To minimize the discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome, experts advise testing for intolerance to milk sugar, lactose, and fructose sugars (found in fruits and fruit-based foods).

Say no to chewing gum

Avoid chewing gum, drinking while eating and drinking with a straw. Drinks and carbonated water can magnify the problem and lead to irritable bowel syndrome.

Reduce whole wheat consumption

Decrease the consumption of whole wheat (cereals, bread, and pasta) and wheat bran from your child’s diet, if symptoms worsen with consumption.

Irritating foods

Raw vegetables are more irritating than cooked vegetables. Indeed cooking allows tenderizing the fibers they contain. On the other hand, acidic foods like coffee, tea, alcohol, citrus fruits tomato, and chocolate can also increase irritable bowel syndrome.

Foods that trigger acidity

Foods that promote the production of gases such as corn, onions, shallots, leeks and green peas should be avoided.

Avoid excess consumption of laxatives

If the main symptom is constipation, we recommend a diet based on well-tolerated fruits and vegetables and bread rather than full. If constipation persists, you need to consult your doctor immediately. Be aware that chronic use of laxatives can lead to problems with vitamin and nutritional deficiencies.

It may seem difficult at first sight to completely change your child’s diet to preserve his intestines. But in fact, some good habits and a one time of adaptation will make everything better for your child, and everything will be easier too! Try one or two weeks to hold on, if you feel a clear change in the digestion, you will not want to include all these foods that hurt you!

For many children, diet and lifestyle can go a long way in helping to control IBS and relieve symptoms. Determine which foods trigger irritability and eliminate them from the diet for 4 or 5 days to see if you feel better. Also note the nature of the pain and the exact point where it occurs, the frequency and consistency of the stool, headache, medications, and supplements that you take. All these indications will be precious for the doctor.

Hope this article was of help for all our parents!! Please share your comments/queries/tips with us and help us create a world full of Happy and Healthy Babies!!

References:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/articles-and-answers/prevention/5-foods-to-avoid-if-you-have-ibs

https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/foods-to-avoid-with-ibs#gluten