Stress and IBS

My husband was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) in 1996. Stress is a huge factor in the manifestation of this condition, as stated by his gastrointestinal doctor and that certainly was the case for my husband back then when he was struggling to run his own business.

Soon after starting the business he began experiencing the symptoms of IBS. Once the diagnosis came down, I began to put my nutritional background to use, thinking about natural remedies to help improve the stress and IBS that was causing such extreme symptoms for him. Maybe if we could curb his stress, we could improve his IBS symptoms. As it turned out, it did make an improvement, so those with IBS may want to consider one or more of these natural remedies.

Valerian

This is a powerful herb that is used to make valium, but not to worry, it doesn't pack the strong punch that valium does. It just promotes a calm feeling of well being. I often use valerian when I have a big event coming up in my life to take the edge off of my nerves and keep me feeling peaceful. It was a helpful addition to my husbands regimen to manage his stress and keep him calm.

Tryptophan

This is an amino acid, (part of protein) that is known for it's ability to help the body secrete serotonin, a calming chemical that our body makes naturally. It can be used to help induce sleep, or during the day to naturally create a calmer affect. Either way, we found that this was an effective remedy to use for the stress management that was needed to control my husband's IBS.

Chamomile Tea

My husband found that drinking chamomile tea a few times daily had a positive effect on his stress level as well. Chamomile is also an herb known for it's ability to nurture a calming effect on the body. It's also a very mellow, pleasant drink to sip throughout the day. My husband felt that this tea had a direct calming affect on the colon spasms he would get with his IBS and kept the tea at work for all day consumption.

Passion Flower

This is a very effective calming type of herb that has been used for centuries for things like insomnia, anxiety, and nervousness. It seems to be most helpful when taken on an empty stomach for the best absorption. This herb is believed to increase GABA levels in the brain. GABA gamma-amino butyric acid is known for having a relaxing effect in the brain and therefore throughout the body.

These natural stress relieving remedies were quite helpful to my husband and he was glad to be able to rely on these for stress management to improve his IBS symptoms. Anyone with IBS may want to toss around some of these ideas to keep stress at bay and therefore improve symptoms of IBS.

Source:

Knowledge I've acquired from owning and operating a health food store

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/passionflower-000267.htm