Are smoothies good for IBS?

It’s easy to believe anything that goes down the hatch well is promoting your digestion. Your body has less groundwork to do, the bowel isn’t as under strain, etc. etc.

And, whilst this all may be somewhat true, whether this is a good thing for IBS sufferers is debateable.

I enquired about this with multiple sources and received mixed responses. Some of the good and bad points I’ve outlined below and, depending on the kind of IBS sufferer you are and what your trigger-foods are, the pros and cons might mean different things for different people.

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The good stuff

Smoothies are great for quick absorption of lots of nutrients and are great for busy on-the-go consumers. If you’re struggling to get all your fruits and vegetables into your diet because, on an individual level, whether they be raw or cooked, cause you abdominal pain. They also spike your blood sugar which, if you’re down on energy due to lack of nutrients from your IBS diet, could be a great helping hand when you need that kick.

The bad stuff

When you blend a food product, the fibre itself gets pureed. In fruits this is stuff like the skin and in vegetables things like the roughage. In this respect, the fibre is destroyed, along with all their helpful properties which have been proven to aid digestion. Doctors in the field have also confirmed that the sugar is stripped from the fruit, which then bypasses any salivary digestion and results in a surge of glucose. The accompanying fructose contributes to inflammation and hypertension, and can be the sole reason for some of your flare-ups.

Chewing foods is an important part of the digestive process and, as well as increasing your fibre intake, also slows down the digestion process by a great amount. If you’re consuming too much food too quickly, IBS sufferers might find their small intestine cannot cope, sending it into spasm. Instead, keep your portions small (16oz. or less), choose the right fruits and veg, and don’t vary them too much.

What to do

Too often IBS sufferers are told what they can’t eat, which just makes things even harder and more tiresome. Instead, take a look at my list of digestion-friendly ingredients that are widely known to taste good whilst being easily blended. These are foods like: