Ryan is a 42-year-old male who has been experiencing bloatingand either diarrhea or constipation within a few hours of eating atleast once a week for the past two years. Certain foods seem totrigger his symptoms more than others, with dairy being the biggesttrigger. Ryan has lost weight because he’s afraid to eat and incurthese uncomfortable symptoms. At his wife’s urging, Ryan finallywent to see his doctor and has been diagnosed with irritable bowelsyndrome (IBS) and lactose intolerance.
Question: Ryan’s doctor has not only recommended that he useprobiotics and eat small meals to prevent his IBS symptoms, he’salso recommended that he increase dietary fiber with foods thatdon’t aggravate his condition. What health benefits of fiber mayalleviate Ryan’s symptoms and improve his GI tract health? Explainhow fiber conveys these benefits. Include in your answer data,facts, key terminology, specific examples and other informationdrawn from the textbook and at least one other supplementalsource.
