Why People Are Turning to L-Glutamine for IBS

If your stomach feels completely unpredictable, flat one day and bloated to the max by the next, you’re one of many. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) affects somewhere between 25 to 45 million Americans - mostly women (about 60–65% of cases).

The Struggle to Define IBS

IBS isn’t something that shows up in scans or blood tests, which makes it quite hard to diagnose and even more frustrating to deal with. Doctors call it a functional disorder, meaning your digestive system looks normal but acts like it's got a mind of its own. In other words, something is going on and you can feel it, but no-one can see it. Talk about a mind-melt. 

Common symptoms include:

• Abdominal cramping or pain.
• Bloating and gas.
• Constipation, diarrhea, or both.
• That lingering “haven’t quite finished” feeling after a bathroom visit.

As for triggers - they’re all over the map! We’re talking; stress, food intolerances, disrupted gut bacteria, even gut infections can turn IBS into the BFF you never wanted.

How L-Glutamine Can Help

If you have IBS then you’ve likely tried everything to find a solution. It often starts to get so exhausting trying to cure it that you just learn to live with it. But here’s where things get interesting: L-glutamine is an amino acid used as fuel by the cells in your gut lining. When you’re stressed, ill, or experiencing chronic gut issues, your body might not make enough or absorb enough - causing the gut lining to weaken. Suddenly, things get leaky, leading to discomfort, bloating, and IBS flares.

For this reason, supplementing with L-glutamine may help:

• Rebuild the gut lining.
• Tighten up that leaky barrier.
• Calm inflammation-causing chemistry.
• Support better digestion and stool consistency.

What Research Has Found So Far

1. Post-Infection IBS-D (Diarrhea-Predominant IBS)

A rigorous randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial looked at adults with IBS-D who had intestinal hyperpermeability following a gut infection. Over eight weeks, participants took either 5g of glutamine three times daily or a placebo.

Key results:

• 79.6% of the glutamine group saw a ≥50-point drop in their IBS Severity Score (IBS-SS), compared to just 5.8% of the placebo group. That’s a 14-fold difference.
• They also had fewer bowel movements, improved stool form, and better gut permeability.
• No serious side effects were reported.
  

2. Low-FODMAP Diet + Glutamine Boost

Another study paired a low-FODMAP diet with either glutamine (15 g/day) or a placebo for six weeks. Results showed that 88% of the glutamine group had more than a 45% drop in their IBS severity score, versus 60% in the placebo group.

How to Make It Work in For You

If you want to experiment with L-glutamine as part of your IBS management toolkit:

1. Pair it with lifestyle changes. A low-FODMAP diet, stress management, fiber, sleep, and exercise are just as important as before.
2. Get dosing right. Studies used around 15 g/day (split across doses) to see benefits, but always check with a professional.
3. Start mindfully. Monitor how you feel and make adjustments from there.
   

Solustick Gut: An Easy, Practical Solution

Solustick Gut offers a simple, daily stick you mix into water or smoothies. It combines L-glutamine with botanical extracts that support gut lining repair and digestive comfort, and even doubles as an aid in muscle recovery.

Here’s what it brings to the table:

• Accurate daily dosing made hassle-free.
• Gut barrier support to help with leaky gut and inflammation.
• Digestive balance to keep cramping at bay.
• Muscle recovery - because who doesn’t like a little extra wellness TLC thrown in?
  

Take the Next Step in Tackling Your IBS

IBS can make life feel a little like you're always standing on shaky ground. You never know when it’ll hit. But it’s clear from the science-backed benefits listed here that incorporating L-glutamine can really help. So let’s get a move on to rebuild that gut lining and improve your everyday digestion.

‍