Here we will pass on “tips” or observations from practitioners or patients about approaches they found helpful for dealing with symptoms of gut problems or ways to keep the gut healthy that have not yet been tested with clinical trials. So, the evidence is anecdotal, but may be worth trying.
One of the most challenging things about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is that there aren’t any reliable ways to deal with symptoms, especially for a full-blown “gut attack” (when gut cramps and pain are so bad you are basically bedridden).
Pro-tips are few and far between, too. Many people endorse ginger tea, although it doesn’t help me (even though I find it delicious!). Another tip to relieve pain and cramping is to lie on your left side (I think this does help me). But there is only one way that I have found that can stop a full-blown attack in its tracks. It’s the “red wine trick.”
The red wine trick just involves drinking a small glass of good quality red wine (for anyone in Central Virginia, I can recommend King Family Meritage for this purpose). I discovered this accidentally. I have long had sensitivities to “rich” food, like you get in fine-dining restaurants, and it was common to have a gut attack in the night after going out. I had found that I could prevent this by substituting a glass of red wine instead of coffee after the meal. I subsequently discovered it could be used for treatment as well.
I have hesitated to share this trick because red wine does contain alcohol, and I have not wanted to offend anyone by advocating for alcohol consumption. I can say that the alcohol doesn’t seem to be a factor, as white wine is ineffective, and beer makes it worse. (Yes, as a scientist I had to test this out.) But after giving a seminar about the gut in Alexandria, LA, a woman came up to me and said that, as I had mentioned that I suffer from IBS, she had a trick for me. She has IBS too, and she had found that a small glass of good red wine could stop her gut attack. Me too! Now, this did suggest to me that this trick might in fact be able to help other people, beyond the two of us. This woman lives in a different part of the country than I do, and we are of differing ethnicities, but it helps us both.
If anyone has any other tips for how to deal with gut attacks, please do not hesitate to send them to evidencebasedwellness@gmail.com