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Why do I have bad digestion?

Digestive system disorders

Nutritionists and other natural health practitioners place a lot of emphasis on the health of the digestive tract in terms of maintaining overall health and well-being.

This is logical, given that our digestive system is central to the absorption of the nutrients that we need to keep us functioning efficiently. In addition, it also has a critical role to play in the excretion of waste and toxins, which could be harmful to our bodies if allowed to remain.

It therefore stands to reason that if there is something wrong with our digestive system, it can affect many aspects of health and even be debilitating. For example, an inability to properly expel waste (e.g. constipation) can lead to large amounts of toxins being reabsorbed back into the bloodstream – this is called auto-intoxication or self-poisoning.

Unfortunately, digestive disorders are now commonplace. The term “digestive disorder” is used to describe a wide-range of conditions, including everything from mild symptoms to full blown functional disorders and diseases. In fact, there are more than 25 different conditions all relating to the digestive system. 7 basic symptoms generally alert you to the fact of a digestive disorder or problem:

  1. nausea
  2. heartburn
  3. vomiting
  4. bloating
  5. abdominal pain
  6. constipation
  7. and diarrhoea.

Of course, there can be numerous other symptoms too, which will depend on the person and the precise disorder. For example, bad breath can manifest as a result of a digestive problem.

It is estimated that an incredible 95 million people are affected by digestive problems every day. Digestive disorders are one of the primary reasons for GP visits and some of the more common diagnoses include Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Leaky Gut Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and Candida albicans.

Digestive health has long been considered the key to good overall health and well-being, so love your gut and check out get some digestive system support.

Digestive health support

Numerous factors can contribute to the onset of a digestive disorder, such as stress, allergy or food intolerance, bacterial infection or parasites. However, the modern diet is widely accepted to play a critical role in digestive health.

Foods to support digestion…

Given that the digestive tract is the body’s receptacle for food, it is logical that diet can be an important factor both in terms of the digestive disorder itself and in alleviating symptoms. Certain foods (such as processed “junk” foods) place a much greater strain on the digestive system than others.

Incorporating raw foods (fruit and vegetables) into your diet is a great idea, because they are high in beneficial enzymes that assist digestion. The naturally-occurring enzymes in food are destroyed by heat (i.e. during the cooking process) – if most of the food you eat is cooked, your body has to work a lot harder to produce the necessary enzymes. Juicing raw fruit and vegetables is another way to take the strain off your digestive system, because the nutrients are much easier for the body to digest and assimilate in liquid form.  

Therefore, most digestive disorders are the result of a few basic controllable factors.

For example, a lack of enzymes produced by the stomach from eating a diet of acid forming foods (alkaline and acid foods), eating too many cooked foods which are rendered enzyme-less, eating food you are allergic or intolerant to, an imbalance of the intestinal flora, stress and long-term / overuse of medications (such as antibiotics).

How to improve digestion naturally at home…

Many people believe that you can offer your digestive system some support by incorporating certain health supplements into your daily diet. For example:

  • digestive enzymes
  • probiotics (friendly bacteria)
  • colon cleansers
  • dietary fibre.

For more information, visit our main website

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Foods to improve digestion

Which foods are good for digestion?

We all know how important it is to eat well if we want to have a healthy digestive system (particularly as we get older and enzyme levels decrease), but it’s not always clear what you should eat to actively promote optimum digestive health.

Poor digestion
Our digestive tract is a major entry point of toxins into our body; unsurprising when you consider that the average person consumes more than 25 tonnes of food over their lifetime!

To avoid creating toxins internally, it is important that your digestion is efficient.

Digestive enzymes, fruits and vegetables
Every process in the body is driven by enzymes of one kind or another – digestion is no exception.

Digestive enzymes are an essential part of the full and proper digestion of food. Our saliva contains some digestive enzymes (which means that the process of digestion actually begins in the mouth, with chewing). There are also protein digesting enzymes in our stomach. However, as we age, the number of digestive enzymes manufactured by our bodies declines. Similarly, a poor diet (e.g. high in sugar, saturated fats and chemicals) places a strain on the body by forcing it to manufacture additional enzymes to break down these hard-to-digest foods.

Fruit and vegetables naturally contain the specific digestive enzymes required to help break them down in the body and these can also assist with the digestion of other foods (such as meats). It is therefore essential for the health of your digestive system to eat a balanced diet, which contains a wide variety of fresh (preferably organic) fruit and vegetables that are naturally high in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients.

Nutritional deficiencies can impair enzyme production. This can lead to abdominal bloating, flatulence, stomach cramps and other IBS symptoms. Most absorption of nutrients occurs in the small intestine, so its lining needs to be healthy for adequate absorption to occur. If there is a lack of digestive enzymes, this can lead to food being only partially digested by the time it reaches the large intestine, where it will ferment and putrefy. This problem can be compounded by a lack of fibre in the diet.

Dietary fibre
Most people are aware that fibre (both soluble and insoluble) can support the digestive process, but few understand precisely how fibre helps and where to find high quality fibre / high-fibre foods.

How fibre helps
Firstly, the main reason that fibre can support the digestive system is because of the fact that it is indigestible by the body – it cannot be broken down. Instead, it passes through unchanged, “mopping up” and keeping our intestines clear of waste matter such as cholesterol and other fats and toxins broken down by the liver, which is then excreted out in bowel motions. If we do not consume enough fibre, toxins and cholesterol can be reabsorbed back into our bloodstream.

High-fibre foods
It is important to note that not all fibre is in equal in terms of digestive health support. ‘Added fibre’ is something that we now regularly see added to food packaging. More than likely, this is a reference to bran – the outer coating of the wheat grain removed to make white flour. Although bran is excellent, taken in its original form (as whole grains), cooked or even better, sprouted and eaten raw, extracted bran is highly irritant. While it can achieve a short-term effect on the digestive system, in the long-term it can weaken peristalsis and inflame the delicate membranes of the colon, leaving them vulnerable to leaky gut and colitis.  

Naturally-occurring fibre, as part of a whole food (e.g. grains, fruits, vegetables), has several beneficial effects on digestion, as well as general health and well-being:

  • the bulk is helpful in the colon, encouraging natural peristalsis
  • bowel transit time is increased (therefore reducing any tendency towards constipation)
  • it helps to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels by binding with them in the gut, inhibiting their re-absorption
  • it slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, thereby lowering the glycemic index (GI) of eaten food
  • it slows the absorption of fat, helping to keep you full for longer.

Insoluble fibre increases the weight, bulk and softness of the stool. Good sources are whole grains, fruit and vegetables (preferably organic).

Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a thick, gummy solution. It is particularly good for lowering cholesterol, slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and binding with toxins in the gut. Good sources are seaweed, oats, rice, legumes and pectin in fruit, vegetables and legumes. Psyllium is also rich in soluble fibre.

Fermented foods (probiotic foods)
Lastly, we will take a quick look at a lesser known source of support for digestive health – fermented foods.

Fermentation is, of course, unwanted when it takes place in the gut as a result of incomplete digestion. However, when a more complete fermentation takes place, before eating the food, there are two main benefits:

1.digestion is much easier and more complete
2.these foods and drinks help to re-populate the colon with friendly bacterial flora (such as Lactobacillus), which help to keep the colon clean and healthy.

Examples of fermented foods include sauerkraut, rejuvelac, the ripe form of seed sauce, tempeh, tofu, kefir and the list goes on…

Keep that gut happy and healthy!

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Do I have IBS?

Do I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal problem, which leads to unusual sensitivity and muscle activity.

It is very common, afflicts mainly women and tends to develop ebfore the age of 35.

It is also often referred to as spastic colon, spastic colitis, mucous colitis or nervous stomach. However, IBS should not be mistaken for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBS is a functional problem, whereby the operation of the bowels may be abnormal, but no structural problems are present.

How the bowel works

It can be helpful to understand the role of the intestine (bowel), in better understanding IBS.

The intestine stretches from an opening in the stomach to the anus (rear end). It plays a major role in digestion, a process in which food is broken down and absorbed (together with water) into the bloodstream. The small intestine absorbs nutrients, whilst the large intestine assimilates moisture from the matter that is leftover and excretes the waste from the anus.

So, partly digested foodstuff normally leaves the stomach and passes into the small intestine and then into the large intestine. The large intestine helps food to flow through with light squeezing motions. However, with IBS, it is believed that the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too sluggishly through the gastrointestinal tract.

Types of IBS

As such, there are broadly two types of IBS:

1. In some instances, material inside the bowel doesn’t progress rapidly enough and an excess of fluid is absorbed, leading to constipation – this is called IBS-C.

2. In other cases, the material moves too quickly and the colon doesn’t take up enough liquid, which leads to diarrhoea – this is called IBS-D.  

Those that have problems with IBS seldom openly discuss it. However, studies suggest its likely prevalence in the United Kingdom to be around 17% of the population.

Unfortunately, doctors do not tend to understand why or how IBS comes about. Furthermore, quite a few doctors feel that the complaint doesn’t really exist and is psychosomatic in origin. Having said that, this opinion is now generally rejected by the natural health fraternity. Moreover, it is the most common condition diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians.

The specific cause, or causes, of IBS are uncertain, but the following factors are likely to contribute to the onset of this condition:

  • stress
  • depression
  • insufficient intake of dietary fibre
  • hypersensitivity to specific hormones
  • food allergies and sensitivities (e.g. to gluten)
  • problems with the way signals are sent between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract
  • poor diet (including diets high in sugar and/or fat)
  • micro-organisms in the gut (including bacteria and parasites)
  • yeasts
  • coeliac disease
  • and medications.

What is a syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not classified as a disease. The term “syndrome” may sound alarming, but it’s actually just a broad term used by doctors to describe a group of symptoms.

Although IBS certainly isn’t fatal, its symptoms can drastically impact on quality of life and may even be debilitating.

Certainly, symptoms and severity vary from one person to another (and might change over time). For some, IBS is a chronic (continuous) disorder that characterises daily living. For others, it is a periodic unwelcome visitor. Everybody suffers from an occasional bowel disturbance, but for anyone with IBS, the symptoms are more acute or arise more often.

Whether constant or intermittent, IBS is most often known to cause a mixture of any of the following symptoms: abdominal pain, acid reflux, wind, bloating, fullness, cramping pains, fatigue, severe headaches, passage of mucous, urgency or a a sense of unfinished bowel movements and a change in bowel habits (i.e. constipation and/or diarrhoea).

Clearly, a number of these symptoms are common in other conditions and are rather ambiguous. This explains the frequent difficulty in obtaining a certain diagnosis. More uncommon symptoms include a feeling of sickness and throwing up.

Living with IBS

Unfortunately, there isn’t any known cure for IBS, but it appears that its symptoms can be managed in many different ways. For instance, dietary and lifestyle changes and supporting health supplements. Many people find that high-strength, multi-strain probiotics help with symptoms, along with plant-derived digestive enzymes and high quality dietary fibre.

In contrast, having fatty, processed foods can lead to a tummy upset in virtually anybody. Nonetheless, particular foods and drinks (like greasy burgers, sugar, chocolate, milk products, caffeine and alcohol) are believed to especially aggravate the symptoms of IBS, by (amongst other things) increasing the body’s output of digestive gases and creating an acidic environment.
 
Tension is also believed to increase the motility (the rhythmic contractions) of the intestine that propels food through the gastrointestinal tract and causes abdominal pain and irregular bowel functions.

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Stop diarrhoea naturally

What is diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements or a decrease in the form of the stool (i.e. greater looseness and water content). It is usually a symptom of an underlying illness, infection or other condition or external factor (such as poor diet or stress).

Although changes in frequency of bowel movements and looseness of stools can vary independently of each other, changes often occur in both.

Healthy individuals have, on average, a maximum of three bowel movements per day. Therefore, “absolute diarrhoea” can be defined as any number of stools greater than three. On the other hand, what is referred to as “relative diarrhoea” is having more bowel movements than is usual for the individual in question.

What can cause diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is an unpleasant condition, which can have any number of causes as it is usually triggered by an external factor, such as an underlying medical condition. Most cases of diarrhoea will resolve on their own. However, in some cases, where the diarrhoea is prolonged, it can lead to dehydration and/or be a sign of a more serious problem.

As mentioned above, with diarrhoea, stools are usually looser, irrespective of whether the frequency of bowel movements has increased. During normal digestion, food is kept liquid by the secretion of large amounts of water by the stomach, upper small intestine, pancreas and gallbladder. Food that is not digested reaches the lower small intestine and the colon in liquid form. The lower small intestine and particularly the colon absorb the water, turning the undigested food into relatively solid stool form.

Increased amounts of water in stool can occur if the stomach and/or small intestine secretes too much fluid, the distal small intestine and colon do not absorb enough water, or the undigested, liquid food passes too quickly through the small intestine and colon for enough water to be removed. Of course, more than one of these abnormal processes may occur at the same time.

There are 2 main categories of diarrhoea:

  1. acute, which is temporary diarrhoea; and
  2. chronic, where the diarrhoea lasts longer than 4 weeks.

The two happen for different reasons, but both work the same way.

Diet or emotional upset (mild acute diarrhoea)

Attacks of mild diarrhoea can often be linked to a simple dietary cause, such as eating rich food or by consuming an overabundance of roughage. Emotional upset can also affect bowel movements.

This type of diarrhoea is relatively common, usually only lasts 1 – 2 days and goes away on its own without treatment.

Infection (serious acute diarrhoea) and travel abroad

Acute diarrhoea, on the other hand, may be caused by viral, bacterial or parasitic infection (including food poisoning, unclean water and by certain respiratory infections) and may require action, particularly to avoid de-hydration and address electrolyte imbalances where the diarrhoea persists for a number of days.

Some viruses, bacteria and parasites cause increased secretion of fluid, either by invading and inflaming the lining of the small intestine (inflammation stimulates the lining to secrete fluid) or by producing toxins that also stimulate the lining to secrete fluid but without causing inflammation. Inflammation of the small intestine and/or colon from bacteria or from ileitis/colitis can increase the rapidity with which food passes through the intestines, reducing the time that is available for absorbing water.
People who visit foreign countries are at risk of, what is generally referred to as, “travellers’ diarrhoea”. This is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated by bacteria, viruses or parasites. Travellers’ diarrhoea is a particular problem for people visiting developing countries.

Functional digestive disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs)

Chronic diarrhoea is often related to functional disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The word “chronic” is used to describe conditions that tend to worsen over time, come and go and persist for the long-term. diarrhoea that lasts longer than four weeks may be considered chronic.

How to stop diarrhoea

Re-hydration
In most cases, where only mild diarrhoea is experienced for a short period (i.e. 1 – 2 days), replacing lost fluid to prevent dehydration is the only treatment necessary.

Medicine and antibiotics
Medicines that stop diarrhoea may be helpful in some cases, but they are not generally recommended for people whose diarrhoea is from a bacterial infection or parasite. This is because stopping the diarrhoea may actually serve to “trap” the organism in the intestines, thereby prolonging the problem. What’s more, if you have inflammation of the gut, taking medication can aggravate that. Doctor discretion is, of course, advised.

Viral causes are either treated with medication or left to run their course, depending on the severity and type of the bug. In most cases, replacing lost fluid to prevent dehydration is the only treatment necessary.

It is also worth noting that diarrhoea can also be caused by use of antibiotics that are taken for infections. These can often have the unintended consequence of altering the balance of bowel flora / bacteria living inside your gastrointestinal system. Once the delicate balance of good and bad bacteria has been disrupted, it can lead to other imbalances in the gastrointestinal system and symptoms like diarrhoea can begin to appear.

In these circumstances, many people find it helpful to supplement their diet with high-strength, multi-strain probiotic supplements, to help to restore the balance of bacteria in the gut.

For more information, visit our main website

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Probiotics benefits

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live micro-organisms (often bacteria) that are thought to have a positive effect on the health of the host organism (i.e. our bodies) and, in particular, digestive tract health. They are more commonly referred to as “friendly bacteria” or “good bacteria.”

Most probiotics are bacteria similar to those naturally found in the gut, especially in those of breastfed infants (who have natural protection against many diseases). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used in probiotic supplements, but certain yeasts and bacilli are also used.

Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures, such as in yoghurt, soy yoghurt fermented, unfermented milk, miso, tempeh and some juices and soy beverages or as dietary supplements. In probiotic foods and supplements, the bacteria may have been present originally or added during preparation.

Probiotics are not the same thing as prebiotics, which are non-digestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial microorganisms already in people’s colons – in other words, provide food for the good bacteria. When probiotics and prebiotics are mixed together, they form a synbiotic.

Benefits of probiotics

The world is full of microorganisms and so are our bodies – in and on the skin, in the gut, and in other orifices. Friendly bacteria are crucial to proper development of the immune system, to protection against microorganisms that could cause disease and to the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. Each person’s mix of bacteria varies. Interactions between a person and the microorganisms in their body, and among the microorganisms themselves, can be crucial to the person’s health and well-being.

Investigations into the benefits of probiotic therapies suggest a range of potentially beneficial uses.

Managing lactose intolerance
Some people use probiotics to ease symptoms of lactose intolerance, a condition in which the gut lacks the enzyme needed to digest large amounts of the major sugar in milk and which also causes gastrointestinal symptoms. As lactic acid bacteria actively convert lactose into lactic acid, ingestion of certain active strains may help lactose intolerant individuals tolerate more lactose than they would have otherwise.

Lowering cholesterol
Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a range of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in lowering serum cholesterol levels, presumably by breaking down bile in the gut, thus inhibiting its re-absorption (which enters the blood as cholesterol).

Lowering blood pressure
Clinical trials have indicated that consumption of milk fermented with various strains of LAB may result in reductions in blood pressure. It is thought that this is due to the ACE inhibitor-like peptides produced during fermentation.

Improving immune function and preventing infections
There are cells in the digestive tract connected with the immune system. One theory is that if you alter the microorganisms in a person’s intestinal tract (e.g. by introducing probiotic bacteria), you can affect the immune system’s defences.

A 2010 study suggested that the anecdotal benefits of probiotic therapies as beneficial for preventing secondary infections, a common complication of antibiotic therapy, may be because keeping the immune system primed by eating foods enhanced with “good” bacteria may help counteract the negative effects of sickness and antibiotics. It was thought that antibiotics may turn the immune system “off” while probiotics turns it back on “idle”, and more able to quickly react to new infections.

LAB foods and supplements have been shown to aid in the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhoea and in decreasing the severity and duration of rotavirus infections in children and travellers’ diarrhoea in adults.

Helicobacter pylori
LAB are also thought to aid in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections (which cause peptic ulcers) in adults, when used in combination with standard medical treatments.

Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
Antibiotics kill friendly bacteria in the gut along with unfriendly bacteria. Probiotics are sometimes used to try to offset side effects from antibiotics like gas, cramping, or diarrhoea. Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) results from an imbalance in the colonic microbiota caused by antibiotic therapy. Probiotic treatment can reduce the incidence and severity of AAD as indicated in several meta-analyses.

Reducing inflammation
LAB and supplements have been found to modulate inflammatory and hypersensitivity responses. Clinical studies suggest that they can prevent reoccurrences of inflammatory bowel disease in adults, as well as improve milk allergies.

Improving mineral absorption
It is thought that probiotic lactobacilli may help correct malabsorption of trace minerals, found particularly in those with diets high in phytate content from whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

Preventing harmful bacterial growth under stress
In a study done to see the effects of stress on intestinal flora, rats that were fed probiotics had little occurrence of harmful bacteria latched onto their intestines compared to rats that were fed sterile water.

Irritable bowel syndrome and colitis
Certain probiotics have been found to improve symptoms of IBS and to be safe in treating ulcerative colitis.

Managing urogenital health
Several in vitro studies have revealed probiotics’ potential in relieving urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis.

Other facts about probiotics

Did you know:

  • There are 10x more bacteria in our gut than there are cells in our body and if you gathered together all of your gut bacteria they would weigh approximately 1 kg or 2.2 lb.
  • An imbalance in our gut bacteria can sometimes occur during times of stress.
  • In order to protect us from getting food poisoning, our bodies are designed to stop the bacteria that we eat from getting into our gut. This is one reason why our stomach is very acidic.
  • Probiotics are considered safe for people of all ages unless they have a condition that has harmed their immune system such as cancer or HIV. Specific advice should be sought from a doctor or dietician.

How do probiotics work?

When we consume probiotics they start to compete with bad bacteria and pathogens for space and for food – therefore evicting them from our gut. Probiotics also stimulate our own immune system to enable it to fight infections better, as well as help us to digest fibre from our diet and in doing so they produce acid compounds that keep the lining of our gut healthy.

“Unfriendly” microorganisms (such as disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi and parasites) can upset the balance of bacteria in our bodies. At the start of the 20th century, probiotics were thought to be beneficial to the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing bacteria. Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhoea, urogenital infections and atopic diseases.

Researchers are exploring whether probiotics could halt these unfriendly agents in the first place and/or suppress their growth and activity in conditions like:

  • infectious diarrhoea
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
  • infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that causes most ulcers and many types of chronic stomach inflammation
  • tooth decay and periodontal disease
  • vaginal infections
  • stomach and respiratory infections that children acquire
  • skin infections
  • and many others.

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