The advice given about limiting or increasing your fibre intake in relation to your irritable bowel syndrome symptoms has received much attention in recent years.
Fibre is a part of food and it is the part that is not absorbed into your body, it remains in the gut.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that affects the functioning of the gut - it's important to note the use of the word "functioning, there is nothing wrong with the gut per say, merely the functioning of the gut.
This is at the heart of the problem of irritable bowel syndrome - once you can identify the causes behind the irregular functioning, then you will be more able to actively seek out solutions and treatment of the problem.
There have been numerous studies over the last few years that stipulate that people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome should increase and decrease their fibre intake - the advice is, and remain, contradictory.
Some research states that high fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables and cereals actually make the condition worse whereas further studies into fibre as it relates to IBS actually say that increasing your fibre intake can be beneficial.
The confusion sets in when addressing the two different types of fibre: soluble and insoluble fibre.
Soluble fibre (which dissolves in water), rather than insoluble fibre, helps reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
So, if you decide that increasing your fibre intake seems like the way to go, increase your insoluble fibre as opposed to your soluble fibre intake.
Good sources of soluble fibre include nuts and seeds, oats, some fruit and vegetables and pectins.
Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, is typically found in corn products, wheat brand and some fruit and vegetables.
It's important to increase your intake of soluble fibres and limit your intake of insoluble fibres.