Chronic digestive health

IBS + bloating — beyond symptom management

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common and most undertreated gastrointestinal conditions. It affects between 10–15% of the global population, is more prevalent in women, and is often dismissed as a stress-related functional complaint rather than investigated for its genuine root causes. The result is a cycle of symptom management antispasmodics, fibre supplements, low-FODMAP diets without ever addressing why the gut is dysregulated in the first place.

An integrative approach to IBS starts with a different question: not just what are your symptoms, but what type of IBS do you have, what is driving it, and what does your gut need to actually heal?

I help identify the specific foods and lifestyle factors driving your subtype — not just what suppresses the symptoms — so we address the root cause rather than managing flares indefinitely.

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IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion not a root cause.... The root cause investigation begins after the IBS diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with IBS means that inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac, and other structural conditions have been ruled out. It does not tell you why your gut is behaving the way it is and that is where integrative nutritional assessment starts its work...to lead to the root cause.

The FOUR subtypes

Not all IBS is the same and the approach differs

IBS presents in four distinct patterns and the nutritional approach for each is meaningfully different. Identifying your subtype is the first step in building a plan that actually addresses your pattern.

IBS-D

Diarrhoea-predominant

Frequent loose stools, urgency, and abdominal cramping. Often driven by food sensitivities, bile acid malabsorption, or gut dysbiosis. The most responsive to dietary trigger identification and gut microbiome support.

IBS-c

Constipation-predominant

Infrequent, difficult, or incomplete bowel movements with bloating and abdominal discomfort. Often associated with low Agni, slow motility, and an imbalanced microbiome. Responds to targeted fibre, hydration, and motility support.

IBS-M

Mixed pattern

Alternating between diarrhoea and constipation. Often reflects Vishama Agni irregular digestive fire driven by Vata aggravation. The most variable and often the most distressing pattern to live with day to day.

IBS-U

Unclassified pattern

Bowel habits that don't consistently fit one pattern. Often reflects a more variable or unsettled digestive rhythm rather than one fixed disturbance. The approach focuses on identifying your specific triggers rather than assuming a fixed type.

Signs + symptoms

Beyond the bowel IBS affects more than digestion

IBS symptoms extend well beyond the gut. The gut-brain connection means that gut dysregulation frequently manifests as systemic and neurological symptoms that appear unrelated to digestion.

Bloating + distension

Abdominal cramping + pain

Diarrhoea or constipation

Urgency + incomplete evacuation

Excessive gas

Mucus in stool

Brain fog

Fatigue

Anxiety + low mood

Headaches

Sleep disruption

Worsening with stress

Root cause investigation

What actually drives IBS the root causes beneath the diagnosis

IBS is not a single condition with a single cause. It is a pattern of gut dysfunction that can arise from multiple overlapping drivers and identifying which are most active in your case determines what the nutritional approach needs to address.

01

Gut microbiome dysbiosis

An imbalance in gut microbial communities reduced diversity, overgrowth of gas-producing bacteria, or depleted beneficial species is one of the most common drivers of IBS. The microbiome directly influences gut motility, visceral sensitivity, and the gut-brain axis.

02

Food sensitivities + triggers

Specific foods trigger IBS symptoms in most people with the condition. This includes IgG-based food sensitivity patterns (used as a clinical input, not a diagnostic test), FODMAP sensitivities (fermentable carbohydrates that feed gas-producing bacteria), and individual trigger foods that vary significantly between people

03

SIBO — small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

Bacteria from the large intestine migrating into the small intestine where they do not belong is a significant and underdiagnosed driver of IBS, particularly bloating, urgency, and the mixed pattern. SIBO requires a specific diagnostic and treatment approach distinct from standard IBS protocols.

04

Gut-brain axis dysregulation

The gut and brain communicate bidirectionally via the vagus nerve, enteric nervous system, and gut-derived neurotransmitters. Chronic stress, anxiety, and trauma all directly affect gut motility, visceral sensitivity, and the microbiome which is why IBS is so closely intertwined with mental health.

05

Leaky gut + gut barrier dysfunction

Increased intestinal permeability allows bacterial toxins and food particles into the bloodstream triggering systemic inflammation, food sensitisation, and immune activation that perpetuates gut symptoms. Leaky gut is both a cause and a consequence of IBS.

06

Post-infectious IBS

A significant proportion of IBS cases begin after a gastroenteritis infection viral, bacterial, or parasitic. Post-infectious IBS involves lasting changes to gut motility, microbiome composition, and immune function that persist long after the original infection has cleared.

Ayurvedic perspective

Grahani and Vishama Agni the Ayurvedic model of IBS

Ayurveda describes IBS through the classical condition of Grahani a disorder of the small intestine governed by disturbed Agni. The three IBS subtypes map with precision onto the three primary Agni disturbances in classical Ayurveda.

Vishama Agni → IBS-M (mixed pattern)

Vishama Agni is irregular digestive fire driven by Vata, the dosha of movement and variability. Digestion is unpredictable: sometimes strong, sometimes weak. Alternating constipation and diarrhoea, bloating, gas, and cramping that varies day to day. Anxiety and stress worsen symptoms significantly. The Ayurvedic approach focuses on grounding, warming, and regularising — Vata-pacifying foods, consistent meal timing, and reducing stimulation.

Tikshna Agni → IBS-D (diarrhoea-predominant)

Tikshna Agni is sharp, hyperactive digestive fire driven by Pitta. Food moves through the gut too quickly, resulting in loose stools, urgency, and inflammation. The Ayurvedic approach is cooling and anti-inflammatory Pitta-pacifying foods, avoiding heating spices and acidic foods, and addressing the inflammatory component of the gut lining.

Manda Agni → IBS-C (constipation-predominant)

Manda Agni is slow, sluggish digestive fire driven by Kapha. Food moves through the gut too slowly, resulting in constipation, heaviness, bloating, and a tendency toward Ama accumulation. The Ayurvedic approach is light, warming, and motility-supporting Kapha-pacifying foods, digestive spices, and gentle movement practices that support peristalsis.

Vishama Agni → IBS-U

Irregular digestive fire driven by aggravated Vata in the colon. Unlike IBS-M's alternating pattern, IBS-U doesn't settle into a recognizable rhythm at all digestion shifts unpredictably day to day. Anxiety and stress worsen the pattern further. The approach focuses on grounding, warming, and regularizng Vata in the colon through consistent meal timing and reduced stimulation.

My integrative approach

What working together looks like

IBS subtype + Agni type assessment

Understanding your specific pattern — IBS-D, IBS-C, IBS-M or IBS-U — alongside your Ayurvedic Agni type and constitutional picture. The two frameworks together provide a more complete clinical picture than either alone.

Root cause investigation

Identifying which of the root cause drivers are most active in your case — food sensitivities, microbiome dysbiosis, SIBO, leaky gut, or gut-brain axis dysregulation — through comprehensive symptom assessment and, where clinically indicated, targeted functional testing.

Personalised nutritional plan

A plan that addresses your specific subtype and root causes — not a generic low-FODMAP diet. Food trigger identification, microbiome support, gut lining repair, and Ayurvedic dietary guidance aligned with your constitution and Agni type.

Gut-brain axis support

Addressing the stress-gut connection through nutritional nervous system support, meal rhythm guidance, and Ayurvedic lifestyle practices that calm Vata and reduce the anxiety-gut feedback loop.

Ready to understand what's actually driving your IBS?

Book a free 15-minute call a conversation about your gut picture and what root-cause support might look like.

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The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Manjiri Nadkarni (Manjiri Nadkarni Consulting) and is meant for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical/ psychological advice . Please note that Manjiri Nadkarni is not a dietitian, physician or other licensed healthcare professional in Canada. She is a Doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine - MD (Ayurveda) (licensed and regulated in India but not Canada), Registered Holistic Nutritionist as well as Oncology Nutrition Consultant.

The content on this website is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. The information on this website is NOT intended as medical or psychological nor is it intended to replace the care of a qualified health care professional. Always consult with your primary care physician or licensed healthcare provider for all diagnosis and treatment of any diseases or conditions, for medications or medical advice as well as before changing your health care regimen.