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Digestive System Problems

Original artilcle courtesy https://www.healthline.com


Digestive System Problems

Sometimes, one or more parts of the digestive system don’t work properly. This can cause anything from minor discomfort to serious health issues. Some common digestive system problems include:
Acid Reflux and GERD

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid or bile flows back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other uncomfortable symptoms. Most people experience acid reflux from time to time, especially after eating spicy food or heavy meals. When acid reflux happens more than twice per week, however, the condition is considered gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While acid reflux can cause some discomfort, GERD has the potential to cause serious health problems.

The symptoms of acid reflux and GERD include:

    a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn) that sometimes moves up to the throat
    a sour taste at the back of the mouth
    trouble swallowing
    dry cough
    sore throat
    nausea
    burping
    regurgitating food or sour liquid
    feeling a lump in your throat

Gallstones

Gallstones are solidified chunks of digestive fluid that can form in the gallbladder. They can be as tiny as a grain of sand or as big as a golf ball. People may have one gallstone or several gallstones at the same time. Some people don’t need any treatment for their gallstones, while others may require surgery to remove their gallbladder.

There are two main types of gallstones: cholesterol gallstones and bilirubin gallstones. Cholesterol gallstones are yellow and made mostly of cholesterol. Bilirubin gallstones, on the other hand, are dark brown or black and contain bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical the body makes when it breaks down red blood cells.

A small gallstone may not cause any symptoms. A larger gallstone, however, often does cause symptoms. These symptoms may include:

    pain in the upper right section of the abdomen that radiates to the right shoulder or shoulder blades
    yellow tint in the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice)
    fever
    nausea
    vomiting
    clay-colored stools

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a collection of symptoms that affect the large intestine, causing extreme abdominal discomfort and pain. It’s a chronic condition that must be managed with long-term treatment. Most people with IBS can control their symptoms by modifying their diets and changing their lifestyle habits. Some people, however, may experience severe symptoms and need medication and counseling.

Common IBS symptoms include:

    abdominal pain or cramps
    bloating
    gas
    diarrhea
    constipation
    mucous in the stool

Read on here: https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health#problems

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Why Is Digestive Health Important?

Original article courtesy htpps://drugwatch.com

Digestive health is important because without a healthy digestive system, the body cannot properly break down and absorb nutrients from food. Nutrients like amino acids from proteins, fatty acids from fats and simple sugars from carbohydrates provide energy and materials for growth and cell repair.

In addition, a healthy microbiome in the gut — bacteria in the stomach and intestines — is linked to overall good health and the prevention of health problems.

“We now know that the GI tract is full of trillions of bacteria that not only help us process food but that also help our bodies maintain homeostasis and overall well-being,” Dr. Tara Menon, a gastroenterologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Time magazine.

When a person has a healthy gut, good bacteria and bad bacteria keep a healthy balance. In an unhealthy gut, a person might have more inflammation throughout the body and a lower immune system. They also have a greater risk of allergies, asthma, and chronic illness like heart disease and diabetes. 

Research also links gut health to mental health. Poor gut health may increase risk of mental illnesses such as dementia, anxiety and depression.

For example, Megan Clapp and other researchers published a review in Clinics and Practice revealing that some studies have shown that probiotics — supplements containing live beneficial bacteria and yeasts — helped control the symptoms of anxiety and depression as effectively as prescription medications...

Read on here https://www.drugwatch.com/health/digestive-health/#why-is-digestive-health-important

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What is constipation?

Original article courtesy of John Hopkins Medicine

Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. However, normal stool elimination may consist of having a bowel movement three times a day or three times a week; it depends on the person.

About 4 million people in the United States have frequent constipation. Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint, resulting in 2.5 million doctor visits annually.

>>What causes constipation?

Hard, dry stools are the result of the colon absorbing too much water. Normally, as food moves through the colon (also known as the large intestine) the colon absorbs water while forming stool (waste products). Muscle contractions then push the stool toward the rectum, and, by the time the stool reaches the rectum, most of the water has been absorbed, making the stool solid.

When the colon's muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, the stool moves through the colon too slowly, resulting in too much water being absorbed. Some of the most common causes of constipation include the following:

Medications

Lack of exercise

Not enough liquids

Not enough fiber in the diet

Irritable bowel syndrome

Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement

Changes in habits or lifestyle, such as travel, pregnancy, and old age

Problems with intestinal function

Abuse of laxatives

>>What are the symptoms of constipation?

Rean on here https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/constipation  

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Naturally Occurring Probiotics in Your Food

Naturally Occurring Probiotics in Your Food

You can change your diet to include probiotics through the foods that you eat. The easiest way to get this help for your digestive system is to include plenty of fermented foods.

Fermentation is what happens when foods are broken down and changed by a natural process. It’s been used for many years as a way to preserve food. During fermentation, bacteria that’s good for your gut develops.

You also get the benefit of things like helpful fatty acids. Some beverages also go through the fermentation process, but you have to make sure that the probiotics aren’t taken out - as happens with certain alcoholic beverages.

When food is fermented, it goes from one state to the next. If you take fresh cucumbers and ferment them, the fermentation process will turn them into pickles. These have probiotics and are easy to add to your diet.

Most people recognize the stronger fermented foods such as sauerkraut. This food is simply cabbage that’s been allowed to go through the fermentation process. The process for this food can take anywhere from 3 days to longer than a week.

Cabbage is also used to make kimchi, which is a spicy Korean dish that’s packed with probiotics once it ferments. Dairy foods can become fermented probiotic rich foods. There are many types of cheese that are fermented and contain probiotics, but not all cheeses will.

Some of the ones that do have probiotics including mozzarella and cheddar. You can ferment to produce soft cheeses such as cream cheese or cottage cheese. Another dairy product that can be fermented is milk....

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Yoga Poses That are Good for Digestive Health

Yoga Poses That are Good for Digestive Health

Did you know that little details about how you stand and sit could be opening the
gateway to becoming physically ill? Sometimes the combination of gravity, and diet can
cause intestinal discomfort in the body. A person’s posture at different times in life could
secretly sabotage their health by making their digestion more difficult, and place a
measurable amount of stress on the internal organs. Here are some yoga poses that
work wonders for your digestive health.

Mayurasana – The Peacock Pose

This pose has long been associated with the kind of digestive calm that would set you
up to be able to eat almost anything. Masters of the form have considered this pose to
be one that can grant flawless digestive power. It is thought that the system of
deprivation and fulfillment is able to restart your digestive organs. The idea of this pose,
is that the subject places all of their torso weight on their arms for the moment, to
reduce blood supply, then release their weight and allow blood to once again flow into
those organs. When the new blood and oxygen enter the organs, the small shock
should jumpstart functions.

Ardha Matsyendrasana – Half Lord of the Fishes

This one makes general sense in that science has uncovered the fabulous network of
canals in the body that make up the lymph system. Twists are really great for improving
the flow of liquids in the body. Ardha Matsyendrasana asks for you to twist your body so
that you are constantly flexing the amount of fluids passing through your body. As each
of the twists are performed, you are forcing everything to flow back and forth which
breaks up any fluids that have been sitting in one place too long, prevent pooling, and
help get old dead cells to disposal areas in the lymph nodes.

Paschimottanasana – Seated Forward Fold

As you can see, stretching in all of its various forms is extremely important for the body.
Paschimottanasana is associated with back health and it aids the stretching of the back,
but with some small modifications to the angle of the pose, it becomes a wonderful aid
to help your digestive process. This pose helps you push new blood into the organs by
using force against your body. Simply fold yourself against a pillow and hold for a few
seconds. When you release, the blood will flow back into your organs.

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Supplements to Help with Your Gut Health

Supplements to Help with Your Gut Health

In this day and age, there seem to be pills for just about everything. People everywhere
are striving to improve health so they can look and feel better, but what about their
digestive health? It happens to be a fact that digestion is such an essential part of
health that it can even affect your skin health. Fortunately, some people have foreseen
many of these issues and provides natural solutions for digestive problems. To get you
started, the following article will be exploring a few supplements to help with your gut
health.

Fiber

It almost seems strange to include fiber as it’s something that you find in most natural
foods, but today’s advances in processed foods remove the majority of fiber, creating an
easily chewed, food product. Fiber Is important for keeping the portions of the digestive
tract like the large intestine free of waste particles that can cause pockets to form in the
lining of the intestines. Fiber also has soluble components that help lower cholesterol by
attracting free floating fat particles in the blood stream. In all cases, fiber is essential for
keeping things clean, so taking some fiber supplements can help to reduce ill effects, as
well as sweep away remnants that rot and produce gases.

Enzymes

These little chemistry enabling components of the body are one of biology’s most
amazing achievements. When you ingest food, the food has to go through a process of
being broken down into its most basic parts in order for your body to be able to convert
it into fuel and for use as raw materials when it comes time to build new cells. Each type
of enzymes has a specific job that it must do in order to keep you alive, so it should be
understood that an absence of these important pieces could spell disaster for your
limited carbon-based form. Sometimes illness and prescription medication can kill off
essential enzymes, so a small dose of them can help you get back to normal and help
repair digestive damage.

Antifungals

Fungus in the body is never a good thing. While having some around and in you is
nearly inevitable, it’s a good idea to do what you can to prevent the buildup of
dangerous fungus like candida yeast. These yeasts can grow and disrupt digestion.
They can even cause severe illnesses, and contribute to conditions that lead to even
more serious diseases. Ingesting foods like garlic, coconut oils, and ginger oils are all
solid at killing any nasty fungus in the gut.

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Signs You Need to Improve Your Digestion

Signs You Need to Improve Your Digestion

When you ate breakfast or lunch today, how did your stomach feel afterwards? Would
you consider yourself to be someone with a strong stomach? Are you prone to stomach
aches and heartburn? If any of these questions seem familiar to you, or you’ve
experienced them on some level, then you probably have some digestion issues. If
you’ve been wondering if you need to speak to a professional about your digestive
health, then you might want to see if you come across any signs that you need to
improve your digestion in the following article.

Your Breath Smells

When most people notice that someone has bad breath, their first reaction might be to
pull back and avoid the subject, but telling someone that they have bad breath could be
life changing for them because bad breath is soften a sign of much more important
issues. Many people who have bad breath simply have digestive problems that they
haven’t become aware of yet. Paying close attention to when your breath smells can
also give you an indication of what’s triggering it specifically.

You’re Tired After Meals

Do you feel energized and lively after meals, or tired and lethargic? How you feel after a
dinner can say a lot about the state of your digestive health. Sometimes it can be as
simple a needing to have more fiber in your diet, but one major issue that people have
is a clogged and plaque filled large intestine. These build ups of waste can prevent your
body from absorbing the vital nutrients that it need to stay healthy and alive. This could
also become more serious when the weight of trapped material begins to cause internal
injury to your intestinal lining.

Adult Skin Issues

So, a pimple suddenly rises on your cheek. Then a few days later another, and another.
Id this just adult acne? Well, it’s possible, but it’s a fairly common thing for people with
digestive problems to have skin issues. Many skin issues begin in the gut, because the
bacteria that often causes acne only comes about due to a heavy presence of the good
bacteria that fights to keep you body healthy and your skin free of bacterial colonies. If
you are sure to get enough good bacteria to fight the bad, then your skin should
naturally clear up a bit.

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Digestive System

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Digestive System

While many people know how they live their life can affect their health, there are still a
good number of people on the planet that are somewhat unconcerned with, or unaware
of the consequences to their daily habits. People who are around these types of attitude
are likely to adopt similar beliefs about health, and while it’s everyone’s right to free will,
the reality would probably leave them speechless. The following article will be a quick
exploration of how you can make lifestyle changes to improve your digestive system.

Don’t Eat Late

Many people are guilty of this habit, but it’s an important habit to evaluate. Eating late
can be very bad for your digestive tract, because if you eat late, your body will think that
it’s time to be awake for longer. Your body begins to get ready for rest when you don’t
eat because rest periods should only really be for rest and healing of the body. If you
have to also digest food, it would put undue stress on the body to be performing extra
tasks that it’s not really designed to perform simultaneously.

Stick to A Meal Schedule

Now that you know how important it is to avoid eating late, it would be a good idea to
get on a solid schedule that works for your body. Most people should avoid eating at
least 3- 4 hours before bed, so you want to find a breakfast lunch and dinner that you
the appropriate amount of time to be settled. Once you have a routine, your body will
begin to expect certain events to take place at similar times each day, making your
metabolism run more smoothly.

Eat More Probiotics

Probiotics like yogurt and kefir promote healthy colonies of good bacteria that help to
digest foods, and send signals to the body and make sure that everything is working
properly. If colonies of harmful bacteria become too strong then they can take over part
of your body resulting in an infection. Probiotics contain live bacteria that also
counteract the growth of harmful bacteria.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

One of the most important parts of digestion is hydration. In fact, without hydration,
many systems in the body would cease to function entirely. Keeping hydrated means
the efficient passage of vital information that keep your heart pumping, your stomach
working, and your brain operational.

 

Foods to Avoid if You Have Digestion Problems

Foods to Avoid if You Have Digestion Problems

When you’re dealing with stomach issues, it’s never fun. Specifically, digestive issues
are a common and pervasive problem among many adults today, and most of those
people would be shocked to learn that many of the problems that they face are
stemming from their digestive issues. In order to take a serious look at your digestive
health, it’s important to curate your diet and be sure that you aren’t eating something
that could be creating the problem. The next few paragraphs will be sharing a few foods
to avoid if you have digestion problems.

Fried Foods

This one should be relatively self-explanatory. Fried foods are very high in cholesterol
and harmful fats that can clogged systems in the body. When the body has trouble
metabolizing these fats, it will often try to dispose of them through other means like
passing them as wastes, or through the skin, which can cause terrible and painful acne
on the surface of the skin, which primarily manifests itself on the face. Try lightly glazing
foods with oil and baking for a similar and satisfying way to cook.

Dairy

While it’s easy to get a few nutrients from this category of food, many people don’t have
the required enzymes to make sure that the processing of dairy products runs smoothly.
This can result in a host of terrible and unpleasant side effects like bloating and
cramping. Some people describe this as a condition known as dairy intolerance. If you
are able, try almond milk as a relatively solid alternative.

Soda

Soda is essentially a liquid candy, and it is highly acidic. These types of drinks can
cause the pH of your stomach to be somewhat off, and that will kill the good bacteria in
your stomach, and feed the harmful bacteria, leaving you defenseless against the slowly
multiplying colonies of bacteria. It would be best to avoid drinking sodas most of the
time if you want to keep your stomach at a healthy operating level. A good substitute
would be sparkling water with juice flavoring.

Coffee

This is another highly acidic and often over-processed drink. It’s very important that you
keep your stomach free from anything that will cause the harmful bacteria to multiply
without being regulated by the good bacteria that should be present in the body usually.
It would probably be a better idea to choose darker teas to get your caffeine fix.

Foods That Help Your Digestion

Foods That Help Your Digestion

It is not uncommon that you need to have good digestion for proper overall health, but
you might not realize the impact certain foods have on your digestion. This is why it is
important to take an active role in your health, and that starts with your diet. If you’re
asking yourself what that entails, there are a number of tips that can help you get
started on a path to better digestion. Here are some dietary tips that will help improve
your digestive health.

Yogurt

If this is the first time that you’ve seriously delved into finding out what the purpose of
certain foods might be, then you will be interested to know about how important foods
like yogurt can be. Yogurt is a dairy product that is made to contain live cultures of
bacteria that are good to have present in the body. These bacteria help humans to
digest foods and relay information about multitudes of processes. The bacteria also
protects the gut from overgrowth of harmful bacteria and other organisms.

Berries

Berries like blueberries, strawberries, maqui, and acai are all high in antioxidants. These
agents can help the boy in multitudes of ways. They can be great for your stomach and
great for nutrition, but it is noted that you should avoid them if you find that your
intestines have developed small pockets where the seeds can be caught.

Whole Grains

These are an excellent choice for anyone who is trying to improve cholesterol. These
complete grains have the ability to attract wastes and heavy, sticky fats that are loose in
your system. As they pass through your intestines, they can act as a sweeper that
cleans and scrapes plaque off of your intestinal walls, making it easier for you to absorb
nutrients. Whole grains are great for digestion for most people unless you have celiac
disease.

Ginger

Ginger is a popular spice root that has its origins in Asia. It is a very strong smelling
herb that has powerful antibacterial properties, and can be used in medicine. The
amazing thing about those properties is that ginger will only kill the bacteria that is
harmful to people.

Papaya

This fleshy, tropical fruit has been widely known for its ability to calm the stomach for
years. Some people use dried chunks of it to settle the stomach, but you can use it
fresh to give yourself relief from intense bouts with heartburn.