The Sunday Express: Treatment of the week - ProVen for IBS

My wife suffered from bowel cancer a few years ago, and though she beat the disease, none of us forgot how lucky we had been. So when I developed symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and pain in my left side (it felt like a white hot iron bar in my stomach) we were very worried.

Thankfully tests ruled out cancer, diagnosing Irritable Bowel Syndrome instead. By then, my symptoms were so severe I would frequently spend days in bed. Stress triggered the problem and because my job was quite pressured, I had to quit.

I tried medication, including Mebeverin and Buscopan, and while they were effective short term, I didn’t want to be taking them every day for life.

I heard about a trial of ProVen at Sheffield University from my wife, who works there. ProVen is a multi-strain probiotic but it comes in tablet form rather than as a yoghurt drink, which is great because I had been trying to cut out dairy as it has often been linked to bouts of IBS. I was monitored fortnightly for eight weeks, but within two to three days of starting to take the tablets my symptoms had started to ease. I couldn’t believe it.

Now I have no pains in my stomach, less diarrhoea and constipation and I’m far less bloated. It is such a relief to not have to be in constant pain.

Graham Bloodworth

ProVen costs £12.45 for 30 capsules and is available exclusively from www.verywisenutrition.co.uk or by calling 0800 980 1282