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Hippocrates wisely stated, “All health begins in the gut.” It’s also commonly said, “You are what you eat,” but there's more to consider. A more accurate phrase might be: you are what you can digest and absorb from your food.
While high-quality nutrition is vital for optimal health, it only nourishes you if you can properly digest and absorb it. In this article, you'll discover natural ways to enhance digestion and digestive health.
The gastrointestinal system is crucial for breaking down and absorbing nutrients while protecting the body from harsh internal conditions. Digestion starts in the mouth with mechanical processes like chewing, which activates enzymes in saliva. Food then moves to the stomach, where it mixes with hydrochloric acid and pepsin, forming chyme. Chyme travels through the small intestine, interacting with secretions from the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. The pancreas produces essential enzymes that aid in fat, starch, and protein digestion. The proper function of these enzymes is vital for nutrient absorption and overall digestive health.
Digestive health is an essential aspect of overall well-being, but many people struggle with common digestive problems. Let's take a closer look at some of these common digestive health issues and explore natural ways to address them:
While hyperacidity is often discussed, low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) is a more frequent cause of indigestion, especially as we age. Research shows that more than half of people over 60 have insufficient gastric hydrochloric acid (HCL) secretion, leading to digestive issues like bloating, belching, and flatulence after meals. Without enough HCL, the digestive process is impaired.
Many symptoms and signs suggest impaired gastric acid secretion including:
If you're experiencing these digestive problems, HCL supplementation may be a solution. Following the HCL challenge method can help determine the optimal dose for improving digestion.
Heartburn, reflux, and upper abdominal discomfort are typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive disorder characterized by the backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus.
Common triggers include smoking, fried foods, alcohol, caffeine, and overeating. Surprisingly, a lack of stomach acid or digestive enzymes can also cause reflux by allowing food to stay in the stomach too long, increasing gastric pressure.
Natural remedies to alleviate these digestive health issues include:
Alginate Raft Therapy
Alginate, or alginic acid, is a dietary fiber from brown algae that can absorb 200-300 times its weight in water, making it a natural gelling agent. When combined with calcium carbonate, it forms a raft that effectively prevents gastric reflux into the esophagus.
Alginate forms a pliable gel in the acidic environment of the stomach, where it combines with calcium carbonate to create carbon dioxide bubbles that help it float. This foam raft can last up to four hours, partially digesting as it moves through the intestinal tract like dietary fibers. Alginate is a safe and effective treatment for reflux, with products like Life Extension’s Esophageal Guardian and Enzymedica’s Heartburn Relief utilizing this ingredient.
Stomach Irritation
Stomach irritation, distinct from reflux, is marked by pain and indigestion, often linked to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in up to 90% of cases. Two natural remedies have shown promise:
Chronic gas and bloating are among the most common digestive complaints, often linked to high-sugar diets, food intolerances, or the ingestion of fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs). Keeping a food diary to track bloating after meals may help identify offending foods. However, insufficient digestive enzyme production is a frequent culprit.
In some cases, enzyme supplementation can be more effective than eliminating certain foods. For example, taking alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme that breaks down FODMAPs, can significantly reduce symptoms of gas and bloating. Additionally, a comprehensive digestive enzyme formula can help address these common digestive problems.
It's important to include foods that enhance digestive function. This includes fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso, soothing herbs like ginger and peppermint, and enzyme-rich foods like papaya and pineapple. Green foods like spirulina and chlorella are also beneficial.
Many people suffer from lactose intolerance, a condition where the body cannot digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy. This leads to digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Supplementing with lactase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, can alleviate these symptoms and improve overall digestive health.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder that affects the function of the digestive system, leading to symptoms such as:
There are five main causes of IBS: stress, inadequate intake of dietary fiber, food intolerance or allergy, meals too high in sugar, and lack of digestive enzymes. These causes are also linked to an underlying feature in IBS known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Having the wrong bacteria overgrowing in the small intestine produces the symptoms of IBS as well as other issues such as brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, and skin issues.
Managing IBS symptoms requires addressing these root causes. Increasing dietary fiber, such as partially hydrolyzed guar gum, can help maintain bowel regularity, while supplements like berberine or enteric-coated peppermint oil offer additional relief.
Also, since SIBO is often associated with increased intestinal permeability, i.e., a leaky gut. Two critical nutritional aids for a leaky gut in addition to those above are L-glutamine and N-acetylcysteine. These nutrients help heal the intestinal cells from damage allowing them to perform their barrier functions.
Constipation is one of the most prevalent digestive issues, affecting many individuals due to a lack of dietary fiber, inadequate hydration, or insufficient exercise. To alleviate constipation:
Incorporating fiber supplements, such as psyllium or partially hydrolyzed guar gum, can also promote bowel regularity.
Probiotics refer to the beneficial bacteria found in the human intestinal tract. For thousands of years, humans have consumed fermented foods containing probiotics. These include not only freeze-dried bacteria in capsules from health food stores but also foods like cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir. The main microorganisms in most probiotic supplements are Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.
The use of probiotics is backed by substantial clinical research, with nearly 1,000 human double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. While much of this research has focused on promoting gastrointestinal health and supporting immune function, it also supports probiotics for various other health goals.
Probiotics can improve the gastrointestinal environment, making it less hospitable to harmful microbes. Many undesirable organisms need to bind to the gastrointestinal lining to colonize effectively. Certain probiotic strains can adhere to the epithelium and act as "colonization barriers," preventing harmful bacteria and yeast from attaching to the gut lining.
Over 500 double-blind studies have investigated probiotics in gastrointestinal dysbiosis, which is a disturbance in the gut microbiome. Dysbiosis often occurs due to impaired digestive secretions, excessive sugar intake, antibiotic use, and travel to undeveloped countries, leading to gas, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. Probiotics can be particularly effective for the gas and bloating associated with dysbiosis.
The best probiotic supplement for gas, bloating, and bowel irregularity is Bacillus coagulans according to a recent analysis of published clinical trials was designed to provide the relative rank order of effectiveness of different probiotics for these common issues. Results showed that the probiotic Bacillus coagulans had the highest probability of producing an improvement as more than 60% of the subjects had complete relief of their gas and bloating if they took this probiotic. It is also useful for IBS.
The dosage of probiotic supplements is most often based on the number of live organisms present in the product referred to in CFUs (colony-forming units) at the time of expiration. For general health, the best results are most often attained by taking between 5 billion and 30 billion CFUs per day.
Digestive function is often hit hard by stress. In a stressed state, the body is programmed to divert blood and energy away from the digestive tract in favor of the skeletal muscles and brain. That is why most often the first signs of too much stress in our lives are problems with digestion. It is important to digestive function to learn how to calm the body and mind.
Regular physical activity is a great natural, cost-free stress buster. It does not have to be strenuous exercise. Simple exercises that promote gut health and regularity include walking and yoga.
Lastly, to help your digestive processes, try to eat in a relaxed state and environment. Pay attention to your breathing. Focus on breathing slowly with your diaphragm as you eat. And chew thoroughly. These simple steps can sometimes produce dramatic effects.
By understanding and addressing these common digestive health issues, you can take steps to improve your gut health and overall well-being naturally.
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By Dr. Michael Murray, N.D.