Maintaining Good Health Takes ‘Gut’
Eating is a big deal, eating well is a good deed, knowing how to eat well is the first step of self-loving. As we all know, daily activities consume energy and the main source of energy comes from food. However, how food could function optimally to provide nourishment and energy for our body is largely dependent on the activity of our digestive system.
Good Gut Health, Strong Immunity
Our digestive system is composed of organs such as esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gall bladder, pancreas and spleen. Gut is the largest immune organ in human body with 70% of our lymph structures distributed all around our gut. Therefore, over- accumulation of toxin in our gut could weaken our body immunity, making us more susceptible to diseases.
Our gastrointestinal tract has two important functions which are digestion and absorption. Digestion functions to break down large food molecules into smaller one. In fact, the process of digestion begins in the mouth as soon as the food is being consumed and chewed. Chewing is considered as the preliminary step of digestion. While we are chewing, saliva is secreted in our mouth to lubricate the food for the ease of swallowing into our esophagus. Our esophagus does not carry any digestive functions but its presence is essential to spare time for other glands to secrete digestive juice for digestion. As the food reaches the stomach, it will be further digested into a semi-fluid mass known as chyme to facilitate absorption in small intestine. After the chyme enters the small intestine, secretions from intestinal glands will further digest the food molecules into monomers to enable full absorption of nutrients. A busy lifestyle as well as a Western dietary pattern has increased the occurrence of digestive disorders. . Hence, as much as how important gut health is related to immunity, we should be alert to any signal raised by digestive issues.
Common Digestive Disorders
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when liquid contents of the stomach such as gastric acid flow back into esophagus, thereby causing the condition of esophagitis. The common symptoms of GERD include heart burn, chest pain, regurgitation of food or acidic liquid, coughing or having disrupted sleep due to sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. Patients of such disorder should pay attentions to a few tips: (1) Avoid food or substances which could irritate the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) such as cigarettes, alcohol, greasy foods, acidic foods, chocolate, peppermint and etc. (2) Avoid food intake 30 minutes before bedtime; (3) Prop our upper body up with a towel during sleeping to minimize acid reflux; (4) Maintain healthy weight to relieve abdominal pressure. - Peptic Ulcers
Peptic ulcers can be classified into gastric ulcers or duodenal ulcers. Some common causes of peptic ulcers include viral infection, bacterial infection, chemical factors and psychological factors. For instance, infection with bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacterial infection which induces gastritis as well as other symptoms like upper abdominal pain, regurgitation of sour liquid, hiccupping, flatulence and etc. Patients with peptic ulcers should be more meticulous in food hygiene, avoid taking foods which causes irritation (e.g. too sour, too spicy or too greasy), chewing slowly and avoid binge eating.
Symptoms of gastritis such as abdominal pain may worsen with empty stomach. Patients often felt better after having a meal. Duodenal ulcers share the same symptom as above, resulting in upper abdominal pain which could be alleviated with eating. Occasionally, patients suffer from disrupted sleep due to abdominal pain. H. Pylori infection is one of the main causes of duodenal ulcers
- Large Bowel Disorders
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Majority of the patients suffered from habitual constipation and diarrhea as the results of stress and anxiety.
Hemorrhoids: Main causes of hemorrhoids include constipation, straining during a bowel movement, sitting or standing for a long period of time, pregnancy and labor, resulting in the formation of swellings containing enlarged veins. In severe cases, patients would experience severe pain, bleeding or even rectal prolapse during a bowel movement.
Constipation: Constipation occurs when a person having fewer bowel movements, less and hard stools or feeling difficult to have a bowel movement. Constipation could be classified into habitual constipation and functional constipation. Habitual constipation is mainly caused by degeneration of colon muscles, resulting in slow transit constipation or stress induced constipation.
It is worth noting that the recurrence rate of peptic ulcers is high even after full recovery, especially between the periods of November to February. This is because lower temperature during this period promotes vasoconstriction, which restricts the blood flow in gastric mucosa and weakens its protection against acid. Furthermore, series of festival occasions during this period inevitably cause people to indulge in binge eating which would further aggravate the problem. In light of this, maintaining our gut heath is a matter of utmost importance and should be practiced consistently.
What are the tips to maintain our gut health?
- Drink Enough Water
Sufficient intake of water is paramount in improving constipation. Having a glass of water after waking up is highly recommended as it stimulates gut peristalsis, keeps the stool soft, making it easy to expel.
Take Enough Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber helps to promote gut peristalsis and the growth of gut microbiota. It absorbs water in the colon to add bulk to the stools and hasten its passage through the gut to facilitate bowel movements. - Take Oligosaccharides Moderately
Oligosaccharides promote the growth of friendly gut bacteria which are beneficial in improving constipation. Despite its health benefits, intake of oligosaccharides should start from small amount with gradual increment of less than 5g per day to prevent diarrhea due to overconsumption. - Take Probiotics
Consume lactic acids bacteria or probiotics could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Probiotics improve our overall gut health and defense, strengthen our immune system and reduce digestive problems. - Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise could enhance body functions, improve blood circulation and gut peristalsis. Besides, exercise helps us to relieve stress which in turn is beneficial to gut peristalsis and the growth of friendly bacteria.
Good digestive health is fundamental to our body well-beings as it allows full absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Let’s start taking care of our gut health!
