Dietary experimentation and modification can help you in controlling your IBS symptoms. The basic idea is to avoid all those food types which may trigger your IBS symptoms and include all those which appear to help in reducing the symptoms.
Though this sounds simple enough, be aware that few people find this process of exclusion straightforward. It can in fact become a very exasperating exercise because of the fact that Irritable Bowel Syndrome's triggers are notoriously changeable.
Manage the process in a very logical, step-by-step way. Start a diary and list all food items taken by you regularly. Exclude a group of foods from your diet for a period of time, repeating the process for different groups. Note down which of the groups that you have excluded appear to reduce your symptoms of IBS.
If you manage to pinpoint certain groups that, if excluded, improve your condition, you would want to find which specific foods within those groups aggravate your IBS symptoms most. Repeat the process within the groups you've identified. You may notice that some foods cause an instant attack while some appear to have a slightly delayed effect. For example, some sufferers find that eating deep fried foods will cause an attack immediately after the meal, or even during the meal.
Fiber in your diet helps in reducing constipation. It can however be bad for gas and cramping. If you use a fiber supplement that increases your symptoms, try and change the type of fiber supplement you use. For instance, the natural fiber Psyllium can produce more intestinal gas while the chemical compound Methyl cellulose causes less.
Avoid all those foods which make your IBS symptoms worse. Here is a common list of food groups identified by many sufferers that seems to aggravate IBS symptoms.

- Gas producing foods like cabbage and broccoli
- Dairy products
- Fatty foods
- Deep fried foods
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Gluten
- Some fruits
- Artificial sweeteners which contain sorbitol
It is impractical to try and list all the specific foods that may aggravate IBS as these are so numerous and differs widely from person to person. For this reason there is no comprehensive list available. Every person suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome needs to identify which foods exacerbate their symptoms individually.