Bran May Actually Make Irritable Bowels Worse

08-28-2009 • red Orbit

A new study on Friday suggests that wheat bran and other fibrous foods that do not dissolve easily in water not only fail to soothe irritable bowels but may even make things worse, AFP reported. The study found that most soluble types of bran, such as psyllium, appear to ease inflamed bowels, but the insoluble varieties people have traditionally eaten for regularity don't work as advertised. The hard outer layer of grains is referred to as bran. Psyllium, also referred to as isphagula, is derived from the seed husks of the Plantago ovata plant, and is the chief ingredient in many over-the-counter laxatives. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects about 10 percent of the population, causes abdominal pain and an irregular bowel habit. Doctors all over the world recommend daily doses of fiber in th