In the last year I have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and it’s been a steep learning curve to fully understand what it means and what treatment options are available.
IBS is a chronic disease and actually covers a wide variety of symptoms and outcomes. There are four main types, depending on your bowel habits:
- Predominantly diarrhea
- Predominantly constipation
- Alternating between diarrhea and constipation
- IBS which does not fit the above three (ie. a catch all)
IBS can also cause other symptons such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn, headaches, back ache and frequent urination.
How can I treat my IBS?
There’s no one size fits all treatment for IBS unfortunately. Identifying the foods and drinks which trigger your symptoms is an excellent first step, such as keeping a symptom diary or excluding specific foods from your diet. There are also dietary plans, such as FODMAP which can be followed.
However, I’ve found that what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone with IBS. For example, if you suffer from constipation, increasing your fibre intake can help alleviate your symptoms. But too much fibre, or the wrong type of fibre, can be catastrophic for someone with another type of IBS.
Bring on the good bacteria
One treatment that does seem universally championed is the use of probiotics. That’s PRObiotics containing high volumes of good bacteria to supplement what’s already in your gut, as opposed to PREbiotics which encourage the growth of the good bacteria (who knew?!) The good bacteria are there to help aid digestion and promote good intestinal health. They do this by competing with the bad bacteria, and reducing inflammation by regulating your intestine’s immune system.
Many studies have shown that the use of probiotics can have a positive impact on many of the symptoms of IBS, including bloating, diarrhea, pain and constipation.
Probiotics work by fighting off the bad bacteria in your gut, basically by overpowering them with the numbers of good bacteria. There are plenty of sources of probiotics in foods, like fermented foods (think kimchi, pickles and sauerkraut) and ‘live’ yoghurt’. However, as we know with IBS, not all of these can be tolerated, so sometimes a little help is needed to top up the probiotic tanks.
Why Ferrocalm?
What makes Ferrocalm different from all the other probiotic products out there in the market?
During periods of stress, its common for our guts to get stressed out too. At times like this, a lot of the friendly bacteria inside conventional probiotic products struggle to compete. Ferrocalm contains friendly live bacteria (streptococcus thermophilus) that can thrive even when you’re stressed!
Additionally, the bacteria in Ferrocalm has a delayed release, thanks to its capsule coating. This means the bacteria are finally released in the large intestine where they’re needed the most and have the greatest benefit.
Here’s the science bit: IRON-RESPONSIVE BACTERIAL THERAPEUTIC FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL INFLAMMATION
Ferrocalm are easy to swallow and you only need to take one capsule per day. They are gluten and dairy free and suitable for vegans. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please consult a healthcare professional before taking any new supplements.
Go on….Find Your Ferrocalm!
My review
I’ve been taking Ferrocalm for a month and I can definitely notice a difference. What’s great is that you can take Ferrocalm alongside other strains of probiotics, so you can really boost the benefits. I’ve found that, although my symptoms haven’t disappeared completely, they have decreased overall and seem to last for less time. Big ticks all round!
*This is a sponsored post