- Treat your tummy troubles naturally. Find out more…
- Stay out of the restroom with this supplement
- Discover how this natural solution can ease your stomach and your anxiety.
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Have you ever had one of those “Yikes! I gotta go!” moments?
You know, the kind where your stomach hurts so bad you’re not sure you’ll make it to the restroom in time?
Or worse… you don’t make it to the restroom.
Situations like this are usually the result of one thing — diarrhea.
It’s caused by things like viruses, bacteria, parasites, medication and lactose, a protein found in milk. But frequent diarrhea may also be symptomatic of a much bigger problem like irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.
IBS is a chronic condition that can cause painful (and sometimes embarrassing) symptoms like abdominal pain, frequent bowel movements, colon spasms and constipation.
Fortunately, a recent study shows that there’s a natural solution that may help some IBS sufferers and perhaps folks who just suffer from occasional diarrhea.
One Natural Way to Stay out of the Stall
A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research shows that folks suffering from diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) may benefit from supplementing with berberine.
Berberine is a natural compound derived from plants like Oregon grapes and goldenseal. It’s been previously researched for its ability to combat diabetes, and it’s been shown to be effective at lowering blood sugar levels.
However, in this study, its ability to help combat diarrhea and decrease stomach pain was examined.
All participants in the study had a medically diagnosed case of IBS-D. They were split into two groups. The first group took 200 mg of berberine hydrochloride twice a day. The second group was given 200 mg of vitamin C daily as a placebo. The study’s length was eight weeks.
The participants’ symptoms were assessed through daily questionnaires that gauged the frequencies of diarrhea, urgent bowel movements and abdominal pain. In addition, prior to administering the meds and after the duration of the study, participants were assessed for quality of life, depression and anxiety scale scores and the IBS symptom scores.
Both the berberine and placebo groups experienced a reduction in symptoms during the trial. However, the berberine group experienced significantly lower occurrence of diarrhea against those taking the placebo.
Moreover, the berberine group reported less urgent and less frequent bowel movements starting in the fourth week and continuing through the eighth week.
When it came to abdominal pain, the berberine group saw better results once again.
While both groups reported less abdominal pain through the duration of the trial, the berberine group experienced a major reduction in the frequency of pain.
In fact, the study shows these patients reported a 64.6 percent reduction in pain frequency. This means they experienced less than half of the pain they felt before taking berberine.
And to top things off, patients taking berberine had lower overall IBS symptom, anxiety and depression scores.
It’s thought that berberine can reduce diarrhea due to its ability to enhance the absorption of sodium and water from the intestines. And it may help reduce abdominal pain by activating pain-fighting pathways in the brain.
While this study focused solely on the effects of berberine in folks with IBS-D, it would make sense that berberine may help settle the occasional bout of diarrhea.
With further research, berberine may prove itself as a powerful remedy for IBS, just as it has for diabetes.
If you’re looking for a quality berberine supplement, try the Vitacost brand. Click here to check it out.
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
