PART 1: Background

1a: What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?1b: What is the prevalence of IBS?1c: What factors contribute to the onset of IBS?1d: How long does IBS last?1e: What effect does IBS have on one’s lifestyle?1f: Are my symptoms just “all in my head” or psychosomatic?1g: What factors contribute to health care utilization?

PART 2: Symptoms

2a: What are the symptoms of IBS?2b: How severe are these symptoms?2c: Does everybody get the same symptoms?

PART 3: Medical Facts

3a: What causes IBS?3b: What is the role of psychological and/or social factors in IBS?3c: Is IBS life-threatening?3d: Will IBS lead to colon or rectal cancer?3e: Will IBS lead to IBD (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)?3f: Will my IBS eventually go away, or will I have it for the rest of my life?

PART 4: Diagnosis

4a: How do I know for sure if I have IBS?4b: Is IBS a legitimate diagnosis? Should I seek a second opinion?

PART 5: Related Maladies

5a: How does IBS differ from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?5b: How does IBS differ from gluten enteropathy/celiac disease?5c: How does IBS relate to other broad-spectrum symdromes, such as Fibromylagia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCSS), and others?

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Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’. [1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the most common type of microbes used. LAB have been used in the food industry for many years, because they are able to convert sugars (including lactose) and other carbohydrates into lactic acid. This not only provides the characteristic sour taste of fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, but acts as a preservative, by lowering the pH and creating fewer opportunities for spoilage organisms to grow.

Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body’s naturally occurring gut flora to reestablish themselves. They are sometimes recommended by doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionists, after a course of antibiotics, or as part of the treatment for gut related candidiasis. Claims are made that probiotics strengthen the immune system. [2]

The rationale for probiotics is that the body contains a miniature ecology of microbes, collectively known as the gut flora. A number of bacterial types are thought to be thrown out of balance by a wide range of circumstances including the use of antibiotics or other drugs, excess alcohol, stress, disease, or exposure to toxic substances. In cases like these, the bacteria that work well with our bodies (see symbiosis) may decrease in number, an event which allows harmful competitors to thrive, to the detriment of our health.

Maintenance of a healthy gut flora is, however, dependent on many factors, especially the quality of food intake. Including a significant proportion of prebiotic foods in the diet has been demonstrated to support a healthy gut flora and may be another means of achieving the desirable health benefits promised by probiotics.

Experiments into the benefits of probiotic therapies suggest a range of potentially beneficial medicinal uses for probiotics. For many of the potential benefits, research is limited and only preliminary results are available. It should be noted that the effects described are not general effects of probiotics. All effects can only be attributed to the strain(s) tested, not to the species, nor to the whole group of LAB (or other probiotics).

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