Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that causes inconsistencies with bowel movements to varying degrees. The two major symptoms associated with IBS are diarrhea and constipation. To add to the trouble, people also experience cramps and abdominal pain. While there are medical treatments to ease the symptoms and help manage IBS, there are long term steps that individuals have to follow to manage the condition over the long term. This primarily begins with food, as it often triggers these adverse symptoms.

Here are some top dietary tips for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that you need to strictly follow:

1. Get onto a high fiber diet
This is indeed the first step as fiber adds a certain amount of bulk to the stools and helps ease movements. According to research, adults should eat at least 20-35 grams of fiber each day.

Although this sounds easy, the average consumption of fiber is around 5-14 grams in most adults. Some of the best sources of fiber are vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. They supply the body with the necessary nutrition and ease up constipation as well. It is important to remember to choose soluble fiber-rich foods over insoluble ones.

2. Balance with a low fiber diet
While fiber is great for those diagnosed with IBS, it is still a problem when over consumed, as they can be triggers for both gas and diarrhea. You need to be able to distinguish from soluble and insoluble fiber.

You can balance your meal with highly soluble fiber found in foods such as berries, apples, oatmeal, and carrots. On the other hand, foods that you need to eliminate from your diet are tomatoes, whole grains, raisins, broccoli, nuts, and cabbage.

3. Get onto an elimination diet
One of the best dietary tips for IBS is to get onto an elimination diet. This will keep all your symptoms in check. As the name suggests, the idea is to avoid any foods that affect your IBS condition. Any food or ingredient that acts as a trigger should be a strict no-no and any food or ingredient that improves your symptoms can stay on your food chart.

This process, however, can take some time because you need to eat, wait, and observe to understand how different foods interact with your body. Four main foods that have been known to be problematic are coffee, chocolate, nuts, and insoluble fibers.

In addition to these main food tips, you can also look into gluten-free and low-fat diets to understand if they are better options for your dietary changes. Any impact that you experience due to these adaptations can take time to manifest.