If there’s one thing I see every week in clinic, it’s this:
People with IBS aren’t short on advice — they’re buried in it.
Gut “tips”, hacks, tests and diagnoses are everywhere. Instead of bringing clarity, they often create more confusion, more restriction, and more anxiety around food and symptoms.
So as we head into 2026, here are 26 IBS trends and habits I’d love people to stop doing, because they tend to make guts more reactive, not calmer.
- Going gluten free “because it sounds right.”
Gluten isn’t usually the problem in IBS — fructans are. Fructans are fermentable carbohydrates that can trigger bloating and discomfort in sensitive guts. Because both are found in wheat, they’re often confused, but targeted fructan reduction is usually more helpful than cutting gluten completely. Removing gluten unnecessarily can add stress and limit food choices without improving symptoms. - The protein obsession that crowds out fibre.
High-protein targets often mean fewer carbohydrates and less fibre. Your gut microbes need fibre to function well — balance matters far more than hitting protein numbers. - Buying supplements with no clinical evidence instead of fixing meals.
Supplements can be helpful when used appropriately, but they can’t compensate for irregular meals, low fibre intake, or chronic stress around food. - Trying to “starve” SIBO with diet.
Restriction doesn’t cure SIBO and often worsens IBS symptoms. Overly restrictive diets can increase gut sensitivity and fear around eating, keeping symtpoms ever-present rather than dimished. - Normalising rushed, distracted eating.
Digestion works best when the nervous system is calm. Eating quickly or while stressed keeps the gut in fight-or-flight mode and can worsen bloating and discomfort. - Assuming every bloating episode means food intolerance.
IBS symptoms are influenced by many factors — meal timing, gut motility, stress, hormones, sleep. It’s rarely just one “bad” food. - Treating fibre like the enemy.
Many people with IBS actually benefit from fibre — it’s about the type, dose and timing. Avoiding fibre altogether often makes symptoms worse long-term. - The 4am wake-up culture.
Chronic sleep deprivation increases gut sensitivity and stress hormones. Good-quality, adequate sleep supports digestion far more than early alarms. - Using social media for diagnosis.
Only a small percentage (2% on TIkTok – yikes!) of online nutrition advice is accurate. IBS is nuanced, and one-size-fits-all advice from social media rarely helps. - Expecting IBS to disappear in a week.
IBS isn’t fixed overnight. Improvement comes from consistency over weeks, not urgency. Control is possible — just not instantly. - Avoiding conventional advice because it feels boring.
Regular meals, adequate fibre, movement and sleep aren’t exciting — but they work. The basics are powerful. - Parasite cleanses based on unvalidated tests.
These are unnecessary for most people and can disrupt digestion further. Parasites are uncommon in typical IBS cases. - Mould toxicity diagnoses based on unvalidated testing.
This can lead people down stressful and expensive paths without addressing the real drivers of IBS symptoms. - Coffee as breakfast.
Coffee on an empty stomach can increase gut motility and anxiety. Eating with coffee is far gentler on the gut. - Skipping meals and ‘fasting’
Fasting often worsens IBS by disrupting gut motility and blood sugar regulation. - Using colonic irrigation to “reset” the gut.
There’s no evidence it improves IBS, and it can actually irritate the bowel and worsen symptoms. - Buying influencer-pushed probiotics with no evidence.
Not all probiotics are helpful, and many have no proven benefit for IBS, and are therefore not going to do anything to help you feel better. FInd the products with evidence. - Stool tests promising a personalised gut health diet.
The science simply isn’t there yet. These tests often create unnecessary restriction and confusion. - Starting with extreme dietary restriction as the first step.
Highly restrictive diets can increase food fear and rarely lead to lasting relief. - Ignoring stress, anxiety, trauma or a constantly “on” lifestyle.
IBS is closely linked to the gut–brain connection. These factors matter. - Putting life on hold until symptoms are controlled.
Connection, routine and enjoyment actually help regulate the gut — waiting for “perfect digestion” keeps people stuck. - Believing intolerance tests like IgG panels, hair analysis, bioresonance, kinesiology or MRT.
These tests are not evidence-based and don’t reliably identify food intolerances. - Thinking one supplement can fix everything.
IBS is never solved by a single pill or powder. - Fasting until lunchtime to avoid the toilet.
This often backfires by worsening gut motility later in the day, or the next day. - Believing influencer claims about “miracle” supplements and flat stomachs.
Reviews aren’t evidence. I repeat: reviews are not evidence! Placebo effects are common and powerful. - Constantly chasing the next test, diet or protocol.
Progress comes from consistent habits, not constant change.
Here’s the takeaway I want you to remember:
IBS doesn’t improve with extremes.
It improves with calm, consistent habits — regular eating, the right type and amount of fibre, balanced meals, sleep, nervous system support, and evidence-based personalisation.
If this list feels familiar, it’s not a failure — it usually means you’ve been given too much noise and not enough clarity.
Save this and keep a critical eye — your gut will thank you
