IBS-D flare-up (Have I found the culprits)

I recently needed to come to Germany because of my work, and in the beginning, it was a nightmare for my IBS. On my third day, everything changed. What I normally have—a somewhat easily manageable sort of IBS-C—turned into an IBS-D flare-up that plagued me daily, and I was clueless. I looked into the typical ingredients used here, and the Germans generally use Rapsöl (rapeseed oil, also called canola oil) as the primary cooking oil. It is found everywhere, even in breads. It is thicker than the sunflower oil that I am used to in my country, and it is also well-known for its genetic engineering to have imbalanced omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which have reportedly caused severe inflammation in animal trials (poor things, they abuse and torture them; they should try trials on themselves), though apparently not in humans, or so they say.

I had a feast on some sweet paprika chili with cheese laid in Rapsöl the days it all started. It is usually not my type of food to eat oily things, but I gave it a try. Now I watch all labels and avoid Rapsöl. But the problem didn't go away! There had to be other causes. I started consuming only water and milk, avoiding any sodas. I also thought about the fact that during the week before my trip, I was taking Doxycycline antibiotics, and maybe they messed up my gut microbiome. However, I take antibiotics here and there every once in a while (Amoxicillin), and I see no change. Then I thought it was the heat wave, but in my country, the heat surpasses that of Germany. Maybe I caught a fungal, viral, or bacterial infection in Germany.

Three weeks had passed, and I could barely control my symptoms. So, I looked into the water. I usually drink only store-bought water, but those in Germany are heavily mineralized—in the ranges of 30 mg or much higher of Ca, Mg, Na, and $\text{SO}_4$. So I searched, and luckily, I found some mountain waters like I am used to, which are basically low in minerals. I know that magnesium and sulfates have laxative effects—even more so if they are freely in the water as opposed to being bound in foods—so I thought I should start getting better. But that wasn't enough either.

My next suspect was bread after I had eliminated all those mentioned before. Because I was eating bread twice or thrice a day, it had to be from that. The Germans use sourdough as a starter, and it is added everywhere as a taste enhancer, as opposed to my country in the Balkans, where it is basically an extinct tradition and baker's yeast (*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*) is used, along with baking soda for cookies. But that is not all—the Germans do all kinds of abominations to their breads. Multiple flours like rye, cereals, spelt, and potato flour are mixed in with the wheat. Basically, it is the perfect breeding ground for IBS flare-ups.

Here is something I found about sourdough: it produces mannitol, a polyol, as a byproduct. Polyols are the "P" in FODMAP—the list that IBS patients need to be wary of. Baker's yeast (assuming a single-strain yeast) doesn't synthesize any mannitol. Mannitol is not absorbed or broken down in the small intestine, which leads me to think that it is the main troublemaker, though the others mentioned are not to be downplayed either, as you may know from the basics of chemistry. The more ingredients there are, the more interactions can happen, and we know very little about gut interplay.

So far, I have not been able to buy a bread in Germany that is 100% white wheat, water, salt, baker's yeast, and sunflower oil. There is always something added that I want to avoid. However, I have noticed that when I consume a baguette, I feel much better. But something—or several things—is still there in my food, because after a bowel movement that is normally formed, I notice that I need to wipe a lot, requiring a shower with two types of shampoos in my daily morning routine. Luckily, I don't have to go multiple times a day. This is inflammation and malabsorption.

The crazy part is that I have noticed so many other people at work in the bathroom when I need to pass water making cruel sharting sounds. In my country, I barely ever hear anyone make those sounds. So, it seems that many people suffer here, and they probably think that it is normal because they know no different. For now, I don't have time to bake my own bread, and I am nearing the end of my stay here.

AI summary:

Balkans

• Starter: Pure baker's yeast (kvasec / Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Zero sourdough bacteria.

• Additives & FODMAPs: Minimal additives, simple white flour, water, salt.

• Gut Impact: Zero mannitol, low acidity, very easy on polyol-sensitive guts.

Germany

• Starter: Bacterial sourdough (Sauerteig). Heavy use of Lactic Acid Bacteria alongside wild yeast.

• Additives & FODMAPs: High organic acids (lactic/acetic) and high mannitol produced during bacterial fermentation. Even commercial yeast breads often sneak in Sauerteigerzeugnis (sourdough extract).

• Gut Impact: Mannitol draws water into the colon and ferments rapidly, causing severe gas, cramps, and IBS flares.

France

• Starter: Commercial baker's yeast (levure de boulanger) for classic baguettes, alongside traditional levain (sourdough) options.

• Additives & FODMAPs: Strictly regulated by law (Tradition breads use only flour, water, salt, yeast).

• Gut Impact: Standard white baguettes produce zero mannitol and contain no irritating emulsifiers.

United Kingdom

• Starter: Pure commercial baker's yeast via the rapid Chorleywood industrial process.

• Additives & FODMAPs: High levels of emulsifiers, preservatives, and added fats to extend shelf life.

• Gut Impact: No bacterial mannitol, but heavy processing and emulsifiers can irritate the gut lining.

USA & Canada

• Starter: Pure commercial baker's yeast for mass-market loaves; sourdough starter for artisan breads.

• Additives & FODMAPs: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), added vital wheat gluten, emulsifiers (DATEM), and synthetic polyols in "keto/diet" breads.

• Gut Impact: Standard white loaves produce no mannitol, but added HFCS and extra gluten trigger severe gas, bloating, and diarrhea through excess fructose and processing agents.