# Pinto Beans for IBS-D?



## bkatz (Oct 3, 2013)

so i've been struggling with IBS-D for a long time:

i've tried a bunch of different remedies, nothing seems to last. i've tried soluble fiber, seems to help for a while, then stopped working. i've tried pectin, i've tried applesauce, i've tried oat-bran. (oat bran actually seems to help the most). i've tried glutamate. i've tried peppermint tea, seems to help a little, but not a full solution. i've tried fennel tea (anti-spasmodic) which seemed to help a little, but again, not a full solution.

at any rate, at one point a few years ago, my doctor actually asked me "does have chronic diarrhea bother you?" i couldn't believe that question. are you kidding me? does having diarrhea bother me?!!! YES, IT BOTHERS ME. clearly, he's never had it and doesn't understand how IBS can impact someone's life. (i changed doctors)

anyhow, at that point, i pretty much gave up.

then i realized something interesting. 

i go to mexico a few times per year. it occurred to me that many times while in mexico i don't have diarrhea. (that might sound ironic to some). then, i realized that with almost every meal, pinto beans was served.

so i figured i'll try eating pinto beans when i got home. (i've actually been AVOIDING pinto beans for fear they would cause diarrhea and gas)

so i ate a serving of organic pinto beans each night WITH dinner. not before, not after.

and it's been 2 weeks and i'm feeling much much better. it's possible it's the ratio of soluble/insoluble fiber in the beans, or it's possible that becuase pinto beans are high in glutamate (which is supposed to soothe the intentine in some way). it's possible its psychosomatic and the effect will wear off in a few weeks.

who knows what is helping me, but for now, *PINTO BEANS IS MY TICKET* and i just wanted to share in case it might help someone else out there.


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## HumanistRuth (Sep 19, 2013)

I thought all beans contained undigestible olligosacharides called galactans, so it was essential to use Beano with them. I fear you might be experiencing a placebo effect, but hey if it works who cares. I it "wears off" try taking Beano with them.

They do say everybody's trigger foods can differ. Think about what you're not eating, too, when you eat pinto beans.

When I looked up glutamate and IBS, a study indicated that aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are "excitotoxins", making IBS worse. What's your source for dietary glutamate being soothing?

In The rising concern of glutamate Christian Turbide warns of unbound glutamate *exciting* gut nerves.

"The food industry &#8230; started to take bound glutamate in food and unbound it by certain processes ... Today, free glutamate is made not from MSG but instead comes from corn, molasses and wheat that has been processed to free the glutamate. Foods that contain this glutamate can be labeled MSG-free, even though they still contain glutamate.

As a gastroenterologist, I treat many people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There are a great deal of nerve receptors for glutamate in our guts - could free glutamate in our food be stimulating the nerves in our gut, increasing symptoms of IBS and other disorders?"

Before reading his article I had no idea that whey protein concentrate could stimulate the bowels other than from lactose.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

I'd be curious what would happen if you dumped MSG into a petri dish full of c diff. then try milk, and fruit sugar, etc. I bet they EAT that stuff up and release toxins by the load.  Stuff that would make any system flush.


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## JoeSchmoe (Dec 22, 2009)

Pinto beans work for me too!!! Seriously, the only thing that works is taking probiotics and eating pinto beans. I have tried other kinds of beans, but none work as well as pinto.

I had a similar situation - I noticed that after eating a burrito for lunch or dinner, I felt much better the next day. So now I eat pinto beans 5-6 times per week (along with a probiotic), and I feel pretty good.

I assume it has something to do with the fiber (maybe its prebiotic effect). Either way, it works really well for me!


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## SteveInAustin (Aug 22, 2007)

I'll suggest an alternative hypothesis. I've noticed that whenever I travel anywhere, my bowels slow down almost to a complete halt. I become so constipated that I have to really push to poop. There are times I can go 3 days without pooping when I'm traveling. It's something going on with my subconscious, obviously. Being in a strange environment, surrounded by people, unable to relax like I do at home. I must be anxious and tense or something. And that seems to halt my bowels completely. The gas, the diarrhea, and the spasms go away for the most part. But it's still painful, just in a different way, since I'd be constipated and feeling "bloated" around the clock with no relief.

Anyway, I'm not sure if that's what's going on with you, but I definitely notice that happening to me whenever I travel. I hope you really are affected by pinto beans, and it works out well for you. Good luck!


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## cocaui (Aug 19, 2009)

I eat Pinto beans better than other beans. Never bothered my stomach but I drained the can and flush it with water. Just keep on mind that still a fiber, so don't abuse. 

By the way, I agree, its weird but I went to Mexico, Panama and Colombia I never got sick at all... Actually one day I felt going to the bathroom and later forgot that I had to, and kept walking visiting museums. The only day that I really got sick (Bogota) was because the day before I had a Hamburger at Hard Rock Cafe LOL


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