DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read your column regularly and have seen articles about irritable bowel syndrome. I would like to share my experience with this annoying condition.
I had suffered for a while with gas, bloating and other symptoms. My internist thought that I was lactose intolerant despite my claims that many milk products did not cause my symptoms. He ordered a colonoscopy which showed I had irritable bowel syndrome.
Shortly after the diagnosis I was reading an article in Prevention magazine that claimed there was an epidemic of IBS and that an additive found in many dairy products might be the cause. The additive is a seaweed product called carrageen.
Interested by this, I decided to check my refrigerator and found that the additive was in many products I had on hand including soy milk, ice cream, sherbet and more. I threw all these items away and started checking labels when I went to get replacements. I have found only two ice creams (Breyers and Hagen-Daaz) that don’t have it. It is also in Popsicles, sour cream, most yogurts, creamy dressings, eggnog, some brands of buttermilk and more.
I feel that our food industry’s additives have impaired the health of many people, especially young children. I hope that this information can help others as it has helped me.
DEAR READER:
I was unfamiliar with the additive but upon research found that is a dried and bleached red marine algae harvested for its valuable polysaccharide which is widely used as a gel, emulsifier and thickening agent. It is primarily used for foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
I am unaware of a link between carrageen and IBS but that is not to say it is not possible. If eliminating the additive from your diet has improved your symptoms, stick with it. If not, I recommend you try an over-the-counter product called Digestive Advantage IBS. It has helped many of my readers who also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. IBS with constipation can often be helped by increasing fluid and fiber intakes. Occasional treatment with laxatives and stool softeners is acceptable but should not be used daily to prevent dependence. IBS with diarrhea can usually be controlled by increasing fiber and roughage intakes and using OTCs such as Imodium or Pepto-Bismol.
If you truly have IBS, I recommend you see a gastroenterologist who can give you up-to-date information about available treatments appropriate for you. If you feel you do not have IBS but are simply suffering from a food allergy to carrageen, you should see an allergist. This specialist can test you for various allergies to help pin-point the cause of your symptoms, including any possible lactose intolerance. He or she can also provide appropriate treatment.
To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Irritable Bowel Syndrome” and “Constipation and Diarrhea”. Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 per report to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
About Dr. Gott