I was diagnosed as having IBS a couple of years ago, and it seems to have gotten worse since having a baby. I have really been at a loss since I am not eating dairy, and cutting way back on sugar has not seemed to have helped. Probiotics haven't made any significant improvement either- in fact, I gave up on them because I haven't been able to find any w/o diary and soy.
Last night it occurred to me that my *strange* love of raw and undercooked oats could be part of my problem. I remembered reading something about soaking oats before cooking them, and dug out my "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook by Sally Fallon to investigate.
To paraphrase the info I found: soaking/fermenting whole grains neutralizes their phytic acid, thereby helping with vitamin absorption, and increasing nutrional value. While eating un-soaked/fermented whole grains can block the absorption of minerals, which can lead to mineral deficiencies, bone loss, and irritable bowel syndrome. Whoa!
I decided to give it a try. I set out a bowl of old fashioned oats, covered them in water, wrapped the bowl in plastic wrap, and soaked overnight- about 10 hours. This morning I actually heated them for 5 minutes on the stove, rather than my usual minute in the microwave. The texture was slightly chewy, but not gummy like I'd expected. Tomorrow I'm going to try adding the acidic component- a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and soak the oats a full 24 hours. If it helps my IBS, I'm all for it!
Well, after about a week of oat-soaking, I have to say I think I'm a believer. I noticed after the first day or two, my IBS seemed to be less intense. I guess I will soak my oats from now on! The lemon juice seemed to be less noticable than than the apple cider vinegar, but with cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, walnuts, and a dash of flax oil, the oats are splendid!
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