# Coconut Macaroons do they work for IBS suffers?



## bradthewanderer1 (Apr 4, 2003)

Hi, I am new to the BBS and I was wondering if anyone knows whether coconut macaroons work for you or other IBS sufferers? Also I heard that ginger helps as well, can anyone answer this important question for me? I would appreciate any help!


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2001)

Wish coconut did help, but I'm afraid only if you truly believe. Ginger is suppose to aid digestion and possibly help with nausea and vomiting.


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

It depends on what foods you're sensitive to. If you're not sensitive to any of the macaroon ingredients they might help.Ginger is good for other symptoms, but makes acid and heartburn worse. I don't touch it myself, since I tend to acid.This book explains food sensitivity and elimination diet:Food allergies and Food Intolerance: A Complete Guide to their Identification and Treatment by Dr. Jonathan Brostoff. They recently published a new edition.


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## bradthewanderer1 (Apr 4, 2003)

Thank you both for your insights into the coconut and ginger ideas, it was helpful!


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYIDHN Free Article!Here is your article:Macaroons for Crohnï¿½s?By Karen McNally BensingRecent Internet and newspaper articles reported that eating a couple of coconut macaroons (small coconut cookies) every day brought relief to some sufferers of Crohnï¿½s disease. Supposedly, the therapeutic ingredient was coconut oil, and whether you ate store-bought macaroons or your motherï¿½s home made recipe didnï¿½t seem to matter. Any food containing coconut oil was reported to be equally effective.So far, no clinical trials have established the beneficial effects of either macaroons or coconut oil in managing the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). But because Crohnï¿½s disease and ulcerative colitis are both digestive disorders, it seems reasonable to think that some foods may sooth an inflamed intestine while others irritate it.AGA member David Sachar, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director Emeritus of the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, remembers the Archway macaroon story very well. Although the cookiesï¿½ therapeutic benefits never panned out, the story is useful as a parable, he says. "It shows that people are so desperate for relief from the ravages of Crohnï¿½s disease that theyï¿½ll grasp at any straw (or in this case, cookie)." He also notes that no claim of effective treatments for a chronically relapsing and remitting disease can be believed without an adequately controlled clinical trial.Itï¿½s not food itself thatï¿½s the culprit in IBD, but an overactive intestinal immune system that sounds the alarm when it encounters perfectly harmless foods, explains Dr. Sacher. "You canï¿½t eliminate all stimuli," he says. "So todayï¿½s principal mode of treatment is to damp down the intestineï¿½s abnormal response through drug therapy." Such drugs include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants like Imuranï¿½ (azathioprine), Purinetholï¿½ (6-mer- captopurine) and methotrexate, and newer biologicals like Remicadeï¿½ (infliximab).Despite the positive effects of medications, most people with IBD experience an increase in pain, diarrhea and bloating related to food. During flares, itï¿½s hard to know what to eat. Foods that caused no problems during the diseaseï¿½s quiet times become intolerable to an angry digestive tract.My ExperiencesIï¿½ve had Crohnï¿½s for more than 30 years. Itï¿½s been well controlled with medication, and, thankfully, Iï¿½ve been spared surgery. Most of the time I can eat pretty much what I want ï¿½ salads, raw fruits (if theyï¿½re peeled), pizza, even peanuts. Popcorn is always a no-no. When my Crohnï¿½s acts up, every meal sends me to the bathroom. I feel bloated and canï¿½t bear to wear anything that constricts my roiling intestines. Even the blandest of diets is disagreeable. Iï¿½m limited to small amounts of boiled rice and flat ginger ale until things settle down. Gradually, I return to more normal meals.Dr. Sachar offers three principles of dietary advice to his IBD patients. "The best nutrition is found in food," he says. "I encourage patients with IBD to eat as close to a normal diet as possible."Basic healthy eating patterns apply to people with Crohnï¿½s and ulcerative colitis. Eat a variety of foods with lots of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates such as breads, cereals and pasta. Limit fat and sweets. Substitute fish and poultry for red meats, and use low-fat dairy products.Dr. Sacharï¿½s second principle addresses "plumbing considerations." Roughage found in raw vegetables, fruit peels, nuts and popcorn can damage the fragile intestines of those with ulcerative colitis. Fibrous foods may cause blockages in people with Crohnï¿½s whose intestines are narrowed by inflammation ï¿½ much like a backed-up pipe. Minimize roughage by peeling and cooking fruits and vegetables. Avoid tough cuts of meat and foods containing nuts, including chunky peanut butter.Third, Dr. Sachar says that when it comes to food, "let your own experience be your guide. If a food is troublesome, donï¿½t eat it." If milk makes you queasy and bloated, try lactose-free dairy products instead. Spicy, rich, fatty foods donï¿½t always agree with me. Although I enjoy them, I limit how much and how often I eat cheesecake, chips or French fries.If youï¿½re underweight or deficient in vitamins and minerals, consider seeing a registered dietitian. Dietitians are experts in assessing individual nutritional needs and will work with you to develop meal plans to add pounds and improve your overall nutritional status. Most health insurance plans will cover such consultations with a referral from your primary care physician.Many people with IBD experiment with alternative nutritional approaches, such as the Gottshall Diet, which recommends eating only certain easily digested carbohydrates that are well absorbed by the intestine. "Many alternative strategies offer real relief," Dr. Sachar says. You may want to try such diets, adapting them to suit your own symptoms and food preferences.I myself havenï¿½t been tempted by the purported benefits of macaroons ï¿½ mainly because I donï¿½t care for coconut. If only chocolate chip cookies had the same healing properties! https://www.gastro.org/cgi-bin/dhn-free-art...roons-for-Crohn's?12002


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## bradthewanderer1 (Apr 4, 2003)

Thank you I have been looking for that article! I have had IBS for more 15 years myself although it has been really bad for the last three years. I have managed to get most of it under control with meds and diet. I had just heard from a friend that coconut macaroons had worked for a friend of hers so I thought I would ask out here! Thanks for all your help guys!


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