[flower]

I'm wondering if too much bran can cause more irritation for the bowels, especially in IBS. What are some foods that are kind of bland, easy to digest, maybe help bind up the stool? bananas, rice, apple sauce are good. But they don't help to thicken up the stool. What about drinking milk? I remember one flare up, I had a milkshake, and I remember thinking that my stomach quit gurgling and felt better.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Fiber is a mixed blessing for IBS.For some people it really makes things better, for others it can make things worse. Each person will need to experiment to see what works best for them. Soluble fiber rather than bran (mostly insoluble) is usually waht is recommended for IBS, but depending on the person some people do really well with bran cereal for breakfast (oat bran is more soluble than wheat bran...so not all bran is equal either)Easy to digest is not so much a big thing for IBS, but the BRAT diet foods are generally low residue so they don't make a lot of stool. Not so much with the binding it up.www....com has a lot of info on fiber and types and what may be helpful for IBS.But on the one person's poison is another person's cure...most IBSers would not tolerate a milkshake well between the fat and the lactose.K.