Digestive health has become one of the most talked about topics of modern health. Concerns range from simply trying to maintain a healthy diet, to coping with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Live to 100 explores what it takes to keep a healthy gut in an unhealthy world.
Symptoms
The signs of an unhealthy gut can sometimes be self-evident in clues the body gives post-meals, for example. Some of these may be fairly regular; ranging from belching to heartburn, but some may be slightly more frustrating, such as constipation and diarrhoea.
Belching:
Belching and flatulence, while a common occurrence, can be avoided. One of the most frequent culprits is simply eating or drinking your food too fast; ensure to eat food mindfully and chew properly. This simple step may be able to cut down the amount of bloating and belching you experience. Other advice is to simply limit the number of carbonated beverages you’re consuming & the amount of gum you chew daily. In most cases, these simple modifications will contribute to a healthier gut.
Heartburn:
Avoid common digestive health complaints such as heartburn and abnormal swallowing term with some lifestyle alterations. Abnormal muscle contractions can be caused by stress and over exercising. Reduce vigorous exercise to a moderate level to alleviate feelings of stress.
Happy gut:
These digestive health tips may seem like common knowledge, but a large proportion of us aren’t monitoring our daily intake of certain food types that can interfere with healthy digestion. Increasing the amount of wholemeal bread and brown rice will help keep your bowel healthy, while water helps to encourage movement in your digestive system. Take note that while these foods are good for you gut, too much of anything can be bad. Monitor everything and ensure you eat appropriate amount––this is especially important for those suffering with IBS, a food intolerance, or those who are prone to heartburn.
See also: How To Treat Bowel Incontinence
Prevention
Long-term unhealthy diets can have many consequences on your digestive health; one of these is Chronic Gastritis. Matching up to its equally unpleasant name, the primary symptom of the condition is stomach inflammation. The causes of such stomach inflammation vary and are broken down into three types:
- Type A is caused by your immune system destroying stomach cells and as such leads to vitamin deficiencies, anaemia and in extreme cases, cancer.
- Type B, which is statistically the most common, is caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria.
- Type C, caused by chemical irritants that come from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol or even bile.
The development of Chronic Gastritis can be broken down into these main factors: Long-term medication use, excessive alcohol and persistent-intense stress. Beyond this, you can increase the risks of developing Chronic Gastritis by having a high fat, high salt diet, as well as heavy smoking. Decreasing your use of pain medication—such as aspirin—and sticking to a healthy diet rich in fruits and veg and food with high probiotics such as yoghurt––as well as limiting the amount of fat and salt—will slim the risk of developing Chronic Gastritis.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects about 10 to 15 percent of people. Among patients, about 40 percent of people have mild IBS, 35 percent have moderate IBS, and 25 percent have severe IBS. Most patients will not recognise these symptoms of IBS and may go undiagnosed their whole lives. IBS isn’t something that can be eradicated entirely; instead, you should try to control the symptoms. The symptoms are sometimes ambiguous and alarming, stemming from simple diarrhoea and constipation all the way to severe abdominal pain. Check with your doctor for a more detailed prognosis.
Some key food groups should be avoided if you have IBS. While fibre is an essential component to any healthy, balanced diet, IBS sufferers should limit the number of insoluble fibres they eating––this advice extends to fried food and dairy products. IBS affects people differently and so the best way to find out what diet works for you personally is through trial and error.
Digesting the information
The key thing to understand with digestive health is that most of these modifications can be made from home through small changes. If you have any questions about your digestive and gut health, you should contact your doctor. Symptoms can fluctuate but sometimes the signs for a more serious condition can be mostly non-threatening.
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