If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you will want to consume the following list of foods below.  These foods have been shown to be extremely healing towards the intestines and can help reduce inflammation in the gut.  For those unaware, IBS is typically a direct cause of chronic intestinal inflammation.

For those interested in more information about both IBS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), please visit our Homepage for full details.  Here you will find an extremely detailed explanation as to why digestive disorders occur in the first place.

Furthermore, we highly suggest anyone suffering with IBS to head over to our Diet Protocol Page.  Here you will find a full list of foods that should be consumed if you suffer from IBS or any other digestive disorder.

With all that being said, let’s get into the top 8 foods to eat for IBS!

The 8 Best Foods for IBS

1. Bone Broth

One of the best foods for overall good intestinal health, bone broth can dramatically improve digestive disorders such as IBS.  This is because bone broth has the unique ability of being able to seal the gut lining and make it less permeable.  Those with IBS often suffer from gut permeable due to poor diet and possible fungal overgrowth’s such as candida.

Bone broth can also help sooth the digestive tract and reduce intestinal inflammation.  It should be mentioned that bone broth is a great source of collagen and amino acids which play an extremely important role in the repair the body.  For best results, consume bone broth with each meal.  Bone broth has the naturally ability to attract digestive juices and can help facilitate in digestion.

2. Grass-Fed Animal Organs

By far one of the best thing you can eat if you suffer from IBS, animal organs are a powerhouse of nutrition and great for rebuilding the body.  In fact, organs such as liver, kidney, and heart can be great for those with chronic digestive disorders.  This is because animal organs contain a wide array of both vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that can not be found in any other food.

In fact, liver is an excellent source of both copper and zinc.  Research has shown that zinc can have a significant positive impact in those suffering with digestive disorders such as IBS (1).  However, consuming liver just once or twice a week can have a significant positive impact on overall health of the body.

3. Grass-Fed Gelatinous Cuts of Meat

Gelatinous cuts of meat such as shank, oxtail, and lamb leg are an excellent source of the important regenerative protein collagen.  As mentioned before, collagen is responsible for both the regeneration and repair of many aspects of the human body.  Also, when cooked slowly in a bed of water, gelatinous cuts of meats produce a byproduct called gelatin.

Gelatin is a jelly like substance that results from cooking gelatinous cuts of meat and is extremely healing to the digestive lining.  In fact, research has shown that gelatin can help reinforce the mucosal barrier of the digestive lining (2).  For best results, poor liquid remains from cooking into a container and store in the fridge.  After a day you will have an almost jello like substance that can be eaten in small spoonful amounts throughout the week!

4. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can be great for anyone experiencing poor digestive health conditions such as IBS.  Coconut oil contains amazing gut soothing properties that can help improve the health and integrity of the gut dramatically.  In fact, coconut oil contains a powerful substance called lauric acid which has been shown to contain anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.

Research has shown that coconut oil contains anti-fungal properties and can help inhibit the growth of candida (3).  Adding coconut oil to all of your meals is an excellent way to obtain more of this life giving substance into your diet.  Also, coconut oil has an extremely high smoke point and will not go rancid like most vegetable oils when subjected to high heat.

Be aware, coconut oil contains high amounts of salicylates which can be problematic in those who are sensitive to this compound.

5. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables can be excellent for improving the health of the gut microbiome and increasing the amount of good bacteria in the gut.  It’s been estimated that one tablespoon of raw sauerkraut contains around 6 billion live microorganisms.  These microorganisms can help repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria which is often lacking in those with IBS.

In fact, fermented foods contain way more probiotics than you will find in a typical probiotic supplement.  In any case, research has shown that IBS patients who are given probiotics show dramatic improvements in their condition and significant reduction is symptoms related to IBS (4).  For best results, we highly recommend you make your own fermented vegetables at home!

6. Grass-Fed Ghee

For those unaware, ghee is the process of taking butter and purifying it down to a liquid gold substance.  This purification process removes to common allergens found within dairy; lactose and casein and can be beneficial for those with IBS or those with intolerance’s to dairy.  Ghee contains a powerful substance called Butyric Acid which research has shown to be extremely beneficial for both IBS patients and the health of the intestines (5).

Butyric acid is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help reduce intestinal inflammation which is so very common in IBS patients.  Like coconut oil, ghee contains an extremely high smoke point and will not degrade at high heat.  In fact, we incorporate ghee frequently in our Intestinal Health Cookbook due to its beneficial effects on the intestines.

7. Chaga Mushroom

Chaga mushroom is a powerful medicinal mushroom that was used frequently amount the ancient Serbians of Russia.  The Serbians believed that chaga mushroom helped keep their body strong, free from disease, and helped them adapt to the harsh winters of Russia.  Thanks to modern day research, we now know that chaga mushroom is a powerful immune modulating mushroom with can enhance the functionality of the hosts immune system.

Also, as well as being a potent immune modulating mushroom, chaga can also be great for digestive disorders such as IBS.  In fact, research has shown that chaga mushroom can help protect the DNA from oxidative damage in those with digestive disorders (6).  Traditionally, the benefits of chaga were obtained by decocting it into a tea.  However, herbal extracts are also a great way to get the full benefits of chaga mushroom.

8. Grass-Fed Red Meat

Red meat can be great for anyone suffering with digestive conditions such as IBS.  This is because red meat is the best source zinc in the world.  As mentioned before, zinc is extremely beneficial for anyone trying to reduce symptoms related to IBS.

It should be mentioned that although some plant foods are relatively high in zinc, they also contain anti-nutrients.  Anti-nutrients can contribute to intestinal inflammation and has a binding effect on minerals in the body.  However, unlike plant foods, animal foods do not contain anti-nutrients and are extremely bio-available to the body.

Eat an IBS Friendly Diet

As well as including these foods listed above into your diet, it’s important that you follow an IBS friendly diet in order to expedite the healing process.  Our diet outline found on our Diet Protocol Page can be a great resource for anyone dealing with digestive disorders such as IBS and IBD.  Here you will find everything you need to know about proper diet and what foods to eat for better gut health.

Also, it’s extremely important that you begin to cook all your own meals if you aren’t already doing so.  This can play a significant role in your ability to recover from conditions such IBS.  It also lowers the risk of consuming hidden ingredients that may make an IBS condition much worse.

Luckily, we’ve created our Intestinal Health Cookbook which can make the transition to cooking all of your own meals extremely simple.  Our cook book contains over 20 different mouthwatering recipes which are both healthy and great for the gut.  For some, our cook book can be a real game changer as it can help individuals stay true to an IBS friendly diet.

Try Eliminating Foods

A simple, yet effective strategy that can be used by those with IBS is to strategically eliminate foods from the diet.  To do this, simply eliminate one food at a time for at least three days.  After three days, reintroduce the food back into your diet a gauge how you feel.

If you notice that the food makes you feel worse, you then know that this particular food is not good for you at this time.  Keep doing this until you have identified all problematic foods in the diet.