Types of Probiotics
That is to say that probiotics such as Digestive Advantage-IBS ™ and Align ™, both reviewed on this blog, are helpful forms of probiotics, and the strains seem to help more than Acidophilus or the multiple strains in the Neutraceuticals products. Both Digestive Advantage-IBS ™ and Align ™ are encapsulated in such a way that they do not need to be refrigerated, as some probiotics do. They also seem to reach the gut and then have the intended effect of improving gut (large intestine) response in the digestion of foods on an IBS diet, and perhaps extend the range and types of foods that can be eaten.

Probiotics in Food
Probiotics as food additives are unlikely to produce such help, because they are unlikely to reach the gut with their probiotic bacteria intact. Dannon’s web site section for health professionals summarizes a study that says that indeed their probiotic travels the entire digestive tract and emerges in the same strength–and then omits all the details that help to judge a study’s validity. Not to mention that people with some digestive problems have lactose intolerance, strong enough that they cannot eat yogurt. The encapsulated pill/capsule form of probiotic stays together and protects the contents, the millions of “colony-forming” GOOD bacteria that will change the digestive activity in the gut in a good way.

Immune System Probiotics
This–the unlikeliness to be helpful–also goes for DanActive, ™ which contains “l-casei immunitas” ™ as its resident strain of bacteria. In contrast, if increased immune function is what you want, search here for the Ganeden Biotech product Sustenex ™. Sustenex provides an encapsulated form of patented probiotics that are designed to bypass digestive juices in the upper digestive tract. I’m holding off on a wholehearted endorsement, just because I haven’t investigated the research, and only know that Dr. Mehmet Oz is a fan.

Further Information
See the many posts here; search on “probiotics” and on “Dannon,” or select the category “Probiotics.”

Feel Welcome to Comment
Thanks for visiting; please leave a comment below, by clicking the “Comments” link.

Listing Reasons
From time to time I see lists of IBS symptoms on web sites and blogs. Without giving it much thought, I say to myself “Perhaps For My Tummy should do something like that,” and then never write it. Of course I’m a procrastinator; that’s a perfectly good reason for not setting up a page with common symptoms of IBS. A second reason is wanting to think that readers come to this blog with some knowledge of what Irritable Bowel Syndrome is (or isn’t) and what the symptom picture is likely to be. A third rationale is not particularly wanting to specialize in either IBS-C (predominantly constipation) or IBS-D (predominantly diarrhea) or IBS-A (C and D are Alternating), nor discuss the specific forms that IBS takes–so I don’t discuss the typing of IBS according to current or historical symptom. It’s just IBS, and you know what kind you have, presumably.

Deepest Concern
AND the deep underlying ultimate reason is that I don’t want you, the reader, to diagnose yourself based on this web site. Use a lot of self-help measures, yes. Avoid things that don’t help, yes. Diagnose yourself, no. If that means you go get that colonoscopy your doctor says you need to have for a diagnosis, then this site will cheer you on and provide moral support–mostly metaphorical, it’s true. And for more encouragement on that path, of getting a real medical IBS diagnosis, read Sophie’s post.

Discuss
Do you have a strong reaction to this policy? See the “No Comment” link below–or if there’s been a comment, the link will have the number of comments? Click on that and a window will open that allows you to disguise your identity and tell us what you think.

Because the author of the article cited in Digestive Health - Smart Brief, Pamela Stuppy, gets it right, I’m more inclined to believe her.

Your Comments, Please
Have you had changes in lactose tolerance during your life, where once “milk and cookies” were great, and now, not so much? Please use the “comment” link to send in your comments.

On the other hand, you can read through the quotes and say to yourself “Well, if I don’t hear *that* one, then the party/dinner went okay.”

And, if you are wondering about the sly strategies I suggest, and just want to honestly tell people –”I can’t eat that. I have IBS,” then read Sophie’s Reality List.

First:

Remember this motto: “Never eat on an empty tummy,” from my Three Rules post.

This means that you start eating with a neutral food or with a soluble fiber. Another IBS blog linked here and said that meant a bowl of milk and fiber cereal. No, that’s INsoluble fiber (and milk is a trigger). What I mean by soluble fiber (SF) is a soluble fiber supplement such as FiberSure ™(inulin is the main ingredient) or Heather’s Organic Acacia Tummy Fiber ™(acacia powder is the main ingredient) or, possibly, store brands of soluble fiber supplements that use guar gum. Take some of this with you in a small travel bottle–with a half - teaspoon measuring spoon. After you do the hellos and greetings, before eating or drinking anything, grab a small glass and your small travel bottle, and mix some room-temperature water and soluble fiber supplement, and drink it. This calms down the gastrocolic reflex, which would otherwise react badly to just eating the first thing at hand.

Second:

No alcohol.

Alcohol is one of the triggers for IBS. It will not relieve stress. If you want alcohol to relax your social anxiety, just think of the drink you want as relaxing your bowels in unwanted ways, either stopping the muscles that pass material along, or relaxing control over elimination - maybe not at the party, but somewhere down the road.

In Some Order:

• NO ice water.
• NO holiday ham - or as little as possible
• NO turkey dark meat or skin
• NO vegetables drenched in butter/margarine/fat
• NO soda

Strategies:

Bring your own bottle. Use whatever will look wicked, but refuse to share. In the bottle will be:
• Room temperature water, or
• Soy or rice milk, or
• Soda gone flat, or
• Cold soy “coffee”
• Your own favorite IBS-safe smoothie

depending on the crowd.

Style:
Beforehand, write yourself into a movie script about someone carrying off a mild social deception with style. Give yourself friendly lines that sort of fit what people think they know about you. It might be

“I’m following the diet my guru tells me to, so I can’t . . .”
“This is my brand new holiday strategy, to . . .”

I like the “guru” one, for obvious reasons, and for subtle reasons. What is subtle is that your host/hostess doesn’t know who this is, and will (perhaps) be reluctant to undermine the discipline the guru has imposed — even if the only guru in your life is you. You may think of some other authority figure. Some ideas are:

I’m participating in a strictly controlled medical study, and can’t . . .
I’m taking a medicine and can’t . . .

My own strategy, long ago, was “I’ve had hepatitis and can’t drink/have shellfish/have fatty foods . . .” - but in this day and age that’s not really going to conquer your social anxiety.

Two more hints:

• If you are going with someone you know pretty well, clue him or her in on your strategy, and even practice a few scenarios.
• If you have a “fiction” to attribute responsibility to a guru or medical necessity, and the host/hostess or someone else starts to push and inquire, there’s always the strategy of “Oh, there’s the door!” or “I forgot something from my coat pocket. Where are the coats?” or “Didn’t I just hear the phone?” or, of course, “That’s my cell phone. I’ve got to take this call.”

Please write in and share your favorite hints, or comment on these. Look at the dark turquoise line that says (usually) “no comments.” Click on those words, and you will be able to leave a comment. When you write in a comment, that phrase at the bottom will change to “Comments: (1)” and you’ll be on the board with your comment attached to this post, and with my thanks.

HAVE HAPPY AND MERRY HOLIDAY EVENTS!

This is the time of year that lots of families and groups exchange wish lists.

When you want some special items to control your IBS, and are not in control of the grocery shopping, one strategy is to put Amazon gift certificates on your wish list, so you can order items and try them out, or order items that you keep apart from the regular groceries. Gift certificates from all one place can be combined into a “shopping for my IBS” budget.

Best,
Tummyblogger

Sustenex, however, is marketed as a health-promotion product, rather than as a health-improvement product like the Digestive Advantage line. I cannot find out from the online literature whether there is the same amount of Ganeden BC^30 in each of the Ganeden products. I would be interested to know the differences among their products.

The reason I have been reading the Sustenex materials at www.sustenex.com is that I received a press release from them (Ganeden Biotech), which is reproduced here, without the main image.

1-800-456-0276 DigestiveAdvantage@GanedenBiotech.com

Dr. Mehmet Oz radio show on Oprah & Friends™:

Date: Thursday, November 15th

Time: 7:00am, 1:00pm and 7:00pm

How to listen to the show: Tune in to XM Radio channel 156 or click here! to sign up for a 30-day free membership.

Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, renowned doctors in cardiology, anesthesiology, and wellness are also the best selling authors of the YOU series of books. Their latest book, YOU: Staying Young was just released and is on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

Learn more about probiotics >>

Learn more about GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans), our patented strain of probiotics >>

I am traveling out of town, and may not get to listen. Would you like to write a guest review of the radio show for the blog? Contact me tummyblogger [at] gmail.com?

And, to find out more about probiotics, especially for tummy problems such as IBS-C and IBS-D, and even IBS-A, read the following articles on this blog:

Originally from October 2006, on promising medical research:
http://www.formytummy.com/2007/04/20/medical-research-on-probiotic

Recommended Reading on Probiotics:
http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/08/recommended-reading-on-probiotics-and-prebiotics/

And the series on Probiotics 101 and 102, as follows:

• http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/08/probiotics-and-prebiotics-101-a/
• http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/09/prebiotics-102-summary-of-readings/

That even funnier word, SYNbiotics, is covered in this article:
http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/09/prebiotics-plus-probiotics-synbiotics/

Don’t forget PREbiotics, described in this article:
http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/09/prebiotics-plus-probiotics-synbiotics/

You start talking unkindly to the button you are trying to sew onto that winter coat that it’s cold enough for, when it’s really all the fault of the needle.

You know you are having a stressful and bad IBS Day when

You drop and break a perfectly balanced, grooved, weighted glass that knows better than to leap out of your hand and crash to the floor.

So the stress catches up with you, and you know you are having a really stressful and bad IBS Day when

Your IBS-C turns into IBS-D.