[Bored chemist]

Sory to hear of the dogs' problems .
I'm still puzzled by the fact that there's nothing in bisto that isn't in plenty of other foods. Why does putting exactly the same chemicals in a jar marked bisto make it into a laxative?

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

B.C. I have absolutely no idea, but know that something in it is causing this problem.

Since we stopped using it Jude’s IBS problem has not recurred. Could be a coincidence but seems a little odd that when the dogs ate the stuff it went right through them, whereas they don’t have problems normally. Of course it could be a virus or bacteria that infected all of the dogs and this was just a coincidence. But then we are left with our friends advice to avoid Bisto Gravy Granules at all cost and she has severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has learned the hard way what parts of her diet causes her to have problems.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

A reader sent a note asking for a recipe for making good gravy. Here is how we do it nowadays and IBS free houshold now too.



Use Bovril or oxo for flavouring and some meet juices. Add olive oil to the meat juices and put two heaped tablespoons of flour for two people, making thick smooth gravy. Add salt and pepper, (rosmary or any other herb that you find palatable to give it an edge) Fry the flower and herbs in the olive oil and meat juices, usually do this in the roasting tin. Add around half a glass of wine (sometimes) as each gravy we make nowadays brings on a whole different experience to our meals.



Gradually add the water from the boiled cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, beans, curly kale or any other veg you are cooking stirring continuously until you reach the desired consistency, allow to boil for a few minutes.



Jude no longer has IBS   Black salt adds a nice flavour also.



You may want to do a search on the NS site and please add your thoughts to the thread. I will add this recipe.



Not sure what the ingredient in Bisto is that causes the problem. We did have a curry sauce from Farm Foods Supermarket chain the caused a flare up once and some of the ingredients were the same as in Bisto. It may therefore be a combination of several ingredients acting together.

Soya Sauce in excess causes minor flare ups of IBS, so moderation is the order of the day from now on.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Jude no longer has IBS since we abandoned Bisto Gravy Granules. 22/4/2008 -29/1/2009

[Bored chemist]

Glad to hear it, but I still don't understand how exactly the same materials don't have an effect when they are not in a jar marked bisto.

[lyner]

AKF.
According to your posts, all of your 'cures' seem to have nearly 100% success. That is miraculous.
Do you have any statistics of failures / double blind testing? Without that, you are expecting too much for us to take all / any of your reports seriously.

[Bored chemist]

Be fair, nobody reports failure as diligently as thet do success.

[lyner]

But, if you wanted to convince people, it would sound much better to say "75% of subjects showed an improvement" rather than "It works."
(That is if you are trying to be treated as a Scientist, rather than an advertiser).

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

We found another product, a fish shop curry sauce from Farmfoods that triggered her IBS. Fried tomatoes also.
Product: Mayflour Chines Style Medium Curry Sauce, Dry Mix.
Ingredients from curry sauce:

Wheat Flour, vegetable oil, curry powder, salt, sugar, tomatoe puree, flavour enhancer E621, Spices.
Alergen Information: Contains Wheat Gluten.

Got a fealling it may be when certain products are combined?

[lyner]

Have you tried patch tests with isolated and combined substances. You may see a pattern emerge.