Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic and debilitating gastrointestinal disorder that fits into the category of 'functional' diseases in Western medicine. This basically means that, while there are clear and present symptoms for the patient, Western medicine has not yet figured out the cause of the distress. This kind of disorder ('functional', a wide range of symptoms across systems, partly connected to emotions), is exactly the kind of situation where Traditional Chinese Medicine shines forth. Plus, the British Dietetic Association recently published some dietary guidelines for sufferers of IBS.