The 11 Best Ways to Improve Your Digestion Naturally
verywelltips
February 4, 2024
Table of Contents
Water’s role in digestion, fiber-rich foods for gut health, probiotics and gut flora, chewing and digestion, eating slowly for better absorption, exercises for gut health, the impact of movement on digestion, relaxation techniques for gut health, natural herbs for digestive health, identifying and managing sensitivities, sources and benefits of prebiotics, the impact of processed foods on digestion, types of fats for optimal digestion, the connection between sleep and digestion, understanding natural digestion improvement.
Your digestive system is complex, involving various organs working in harmony. Improving it naturally involves a holistic approach, encompassing diet, lifestyle, and mental health.
The Importance of Hydration
Water is essential for healthy digestion. It aids in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. Drinking adequate water can prevent constipation and maintain a healthy gut.
Balanced Diet and Digestive Health
Incorporating fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains promotes healthy bowel movements and prevents digestive disorders. Fiber also feeds beneficial gut bacteria, crucial for digestion.
Probiotics found in fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi enhance gut flora. A balanced microbiome is vital for effective digestion and overall health.
Mindful Eating Practices
Proper chewing is the first step in digestion. It breaks down food and makes nutrients more accessible. This can alleviate digestive discomfort and improve nutrient absorption.
Eating slowly allows enzymes in your mouth to start the digestive process effectively. It also prevents overeating and digestive distress.
Regular Physical Activity
Regular exercise keeps the digestive system active and efficient. Activities like walking and yoga can stimulate bowel movements and reduce bloating.
Physical movement aids in moving food through the digestive tract. It also reduces stress, which can negatively impact digestion.
Stress Management for Digestive Wellness
Stress management is essential for digestive health. Practices like meditation and deep breathing exercises can reduce gut inflammation and improve digestion.
Herbal Remedies and Digestion
Herbs like ginger, peppermint, and fennel have been used for centuries to aid digestion. They can alleviate symptoms like bloating, gas, and stomach cramps.
Understanding Food Intolerances
Recognizing and managing food intolerances is crucial for digestive health. Eliminating or reducing trigger foods can alleviate symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
The Role of Prebiotics in Digestion
Prebiotics, found in foods like garlic, onions, and bananas, feed good bacteria in your gut. They are vital for maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Limiting Processed Foods
Processed foods are often low in fiber and high in additives, which can disrupt digestion. Reducing their intake can significantly improve digestive health.
Healthy Fats and Digestive Health
Healthy fats, like those found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, are beneficial for digestion. They help in nutrient absorption and maintaining a healthy gut lining.
Adequate Sleep and Digestive Health
Quality sleep is crucial for digestive health. Poor sleep can disrupt the digestive process and lead to issues like acid reflux and indigestion.
Improving your digestion naturally involves a combination of dietary changes, lifestyle adjustments, and stress management. By following these 11 steps, you can achieve better digestive health and overall wellness.
- How much water should I drink daily for healthy digestion?
- Can exercise replace medications for digestive issues?
- Are there any specific foods to avoid for better digestion?
- How does stress affect my digestive system?
- What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?
- How can I tell if I have a food intolerance?
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7 Natural Remedies for Soothing an Upset Stomach
Stomach ache? Bloating? Nausea? Here are some great at-home remedies for tummy troubles.
Karen Asp is an award-winning journalist and author specializing in fitness, nutrition, health, animals, and travel. She has over two decades’ worth of experience writing for leading print magazines and digital brands, including Real Simple , Better Homes & Gardens , O , SELF and more. Karen is a certified plant-based nutrition educator, certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator, and ACE-certified personal trainer and fitness instructor.
You don't need stats to tell you that stomach issues like bloating, constipation, and nausea are extremely common. Just cruise down the medicine aisle of any grocery store and you'll see dozens of over-the-counter (OTC) medications promising to ease whatever's upsetting your stomach. OTC meds aren't always necessary, though, especially once you consider how many natural remedies exist for various tummy troubles.
"Natural remedies can be an excellent first choice when treating nausea or an upset stomach," says Saundra Dalton-Smith , MD, internal medicine physician in Birmingham, Alabama, and author of Sacred Rest . Many of these stomach soothers are found in your pantry while others are habits you can easily adopt. Here are eight natural options worth trying.
What it does: Ginger has long been touted as a natural remedy for seasickness. Turns out, it really does do wonders for tummy issues. " Ginger has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease the excessive stomach acids that can cause nausea and indigestion," Dr. Dalton-Smith says. "By increasing the absorption in the stomach, ginger helps improve the digestion process."
How to get the benefits: Suck ginger lozenges or use fresh ginger directly from your pantry, adding the spice to meals you're making. You can also sip ginger tea, says Elena A. Ivanina , DO, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and assistant program director of the gastroenterology fellowship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She adds that this is particularly beneficial for morning sickness during pregnancy. To make it, peel and slice two inches of fresh ginger root and add it to a pot of water. Bring that to a boil for 10 minutes and then strain. Wait until it's reached room temperature to enjoy.
RELATED: 7 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Eat Every Day for Long-Term Health
What it does: Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory that helps relax the muscles in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and decrease GI contractions caused by an upset stomach, Dr. Dalton-Smith says.
How to get the benefits: Sip it as a warm tea, and you'll get double the benefits. "The heat will further relax painful stomach cramps," Dr. Dalton-Smith says.
What it does: When you've got a case of diarrhea, cook up some rice. That diarrhea is caused by bacteria releasing toxins, which increases fluid in the GI tract. Because rice is a bulking agent, "it can help absorb some of the fluid in the gut and decrease the amount of loose stools," Dr. Dalton-Smith says.
How to get the benefits: Eat half a cup of rice with meals to alleviate some of your discomfort.
RELATED: 5 Foods to Avoid for a Happy, Healthy Gut Microbiome
Intermittent fasting
What it does: Feeling a little bloated? Try intermittent fasting. "Issues with gut motility (the movement of food and digested material through the body) is the underlying issue for many people with bloating ," Ivanina says. Through fasting, you can give your gut time to rest and repair, optimizing the motility of your small bowel.
How to get the benefits: Try doing a 16:8 cycle (where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an eight-hour window) for just a few days.
What it does: Credit banana's magnesium and potassium content for helping relax muscle spasms and cramps. Bananas can also help curb diarrhea, Dr. Dalton-Smith says.
How to get the benefits: Fortunately, you don't need to eat a whole bushel of bananas. Just nosh your normal amount whenever you're experiencing these symptoms.
What it does: If you've got trapped gas—and thus bloating and constipation—yoga could be a good salve. "Twisting poses are said to stimulate the gut," Ivanina says.
How to get the benefits: When your gut isn't feeling so good, sit down and do 10 minutes of yoga poses, including half lord of the fishes pose , supine spinal twist , and revolved chair twist .
Kefir or Yogurt
What it does: The active cultures and probiotics in these two foods can help combat the bad gut bacteria which are often responsible for bloating, poor digestion and stomach pains by increasing the amount of available good bacteria in your gut , Dr. Dalton-Smith says.
How to get the benefits: When buying kefir or yogurt , avoid those with lots of additives and sweeteners. Instead, choose plain, unsweetened versions and consume a regular serving size, typically about a half cup, once or twice a day.
RELATED: These Are the Best Stress-Relieving Foods You Can Eat, According to Doctors
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An In-Depth Guide to Reducing Inflammation in the Gut
- Reducing Inflammation
- Ongoing Therapies
- Treatment Approach
Inflammation in the gut may be caused by a variety of factors. Addressing inflammation could include eating a diet that is plant-based and higher in fiber, monitoring stress, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated. However, there are other causes of gut inflammation that may be chronic and more difficult to address.
This article will discuss the factors that may contribute to inflammation in the digestive system and the ways to address them through diet, lifestyle, and stress reduction.
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Quickest Ways to Reduce Inflammation in the Gut
When gut inflammation is suspected, there may be some ways to try to calm it down. That may include avoiding things that could contribute to inflammation.
Incorporating an anti-inflammatory diet : Diet may both contribute to inflammation in the body and also reduce it. A Western diet includes high amounts of refined grains, sugars, red meat, processed meat, eggs, high-fat dairy products, artificial sweeteners, and salt. These foods may contribute to inflammation.
Avoiding pro-inflammatory foods and including anti-inflammatory foods may help with lowering inflammation. Some examples of anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Beans (red beans, pinto beans, black beans)
- Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
- Dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, collard greens)
- Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts)
- Sweet potatoes
- Whole grains
Consider probiotic supplements : The digestive system contains a number of beneficial types of bacteria and other organisms, called the microbiome . The balance of these microbes can get skewed, which may contribute to inflammation.
Evidence is still being gathered about how probiotics may work to shift the gut microbiome . There is some evidence that probiotic strains may be helpful in reducing inflammation, especially when it is linked to a disease or disorder.
However, for most people, there is little evidence that probiotic supplements may be helpful for managing digestive conditions. You might focus on eating fermented probiotic foods (such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi) rather than looking for a supplement.
Avoid alcohol : Rather than something to do, this is something to stop doing. Alcoholic drinks are known to be inflammatory to the digestive system. They can also disrupt the balance of the microbiome. For those who drink, stopping may help in avoiding the inflammatory effects it causes in the gut.
Reduce stress : Stress may also contribute to inflammation in the gut and other parts of the body. Putting some stress reduction techniques into place may help. This can include avoiding stressful situations and actively trying to manage stress through tools such as meditation , mindfulness , diaphragmatic breathing , muscle relaxation , yoga, or talk therapy .
Get some sleep : Being sleep-deprived may increase the risk of a disruption in the gut. Focusing on sleep by getting more sleep or quality sleep may help avoid the problems associated with chronic sleep disruption.
Guidelines on Probiotics
Currently, probiotic supplements aren’t recommended for most people. There isn’t enough evidence to say for sure which strains of probiotics might help which people. For that reason, people should talk to a healthcare provider about starting a probiotic, and ask for suggestions on which ones might be the best to try for their specific needs.
Ongoing Therapies to Reduce Gut Inflammation
There are acute and chronic factors that affect gut inflammation. One night of drinking may cause gut inflammation in the short term. A stressful life event (such as the death of a family member) may lead to inflammation that is chronic and more difficult to address.
You can do several ongoing things to address the factors that may contribute to gut inflammation.
Continue eating fewer inflammatory foods : Addressing diet can look like eating more anti-inflammatory foods and avoiding the inflammatory ones.
Experts often recommend a Mediterranean diet for overall health. This doesn’t mean trying to eat exactly like people who live in the Mediterranean. The plan can be customized to accommodate cultural and local foods.
The Mediterranean eating plan focuses on higher levels of olive oil , legumes, nuts, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables; moderate amounts of fish, seafood, and dairy products; low amounts of alcohol; and limited amounts of red and processed meats .
Stay hydrated : It’s now thought that being dehydrated may contribute to a number of health conditions. One study showed that middle-aged people who showed evidence of long-term dehydration may be at risk for some health conditions. The authors found that higher inflammatory markers at midlife may translate to an increased risk of disease later in life.
Aside from drinking a glass of water, eating foods with a high water content can also help. Including these fruits and vegetables that have a high water content in your diet on a regular basis might help with hydration:
- Bell peppers
- Cauliflower
- Summer squash
Focus on sleep . A lack of sleep is associated with a host of health issues. Addressing sleep problems may be a long-term consideration. Getting a few nights of better rest may not be enough to address what could be a chronic issue.
Some things that may help you sleep better include:
- Avoid daytime napping.
- Create a bedtime routine , which can include calming activities such as meditation or reading.
- Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine or smoke within a few hours of bedtime.
- Don’t eat or snack close to bedtime.
- Get daily exercise.
- Go to sleep and get up at roughly the same times every day (weekends too).
- Keep the bedroom dark and cool.
- Limit screen time (phone, TV, computer) in the half hour before bed.
- Plan to sleep for seven or more hours every night.
- Use the bed for sleeping and for sex (not for scrolling on the phone or watching TV).
Address stress : Short- and long-term stress can affect the microbiome. The effect on the gut bacteria could lead to behavior such as eating inflammatory foods, which alter the gut bacteria further.
It might not be possible to eliminate all negative stress. It is a long-term process to avoid or cope with consistently stressful situations, such as those caused by a job or finances. However, it is possible to take steps to manage the stress response, which could include:
- Getting enough exercise
- Participating in a support group with peers or people in a similar life stage
- Seeking help from a mental health care provider
- Using mind-body practices such as mindfulness, deep breathing, guided imagery, muscle relaxation, meditation, or yoga
Stop smoking : Smoking cigarettes or electronic cigarettes may affect the gut lining and the microbiota and cause inflammation. Stopping smoking will prevent these effects and also may reduce the risk of other chronic illnesses.
What Causes Gut Inflammation?
The gut contains hundreds of millions of neurons that make up the enteric nervous system . It is part of the immune system that reacts to stop threats to the body. When needed, the immune system sends out proteins called cytokines. The cytokines, in turn, prompt inflammation.
The intestine is also home to trillions of microorganisms. The types and number of these microbes can get pushed out of balance, which is called dysbiosis . Dysbiosis may leave the tissues of the gut more susceptible to the processes that lead to inflammation.
Inflammation isn’t always bad: It’s a response that can rally to help fight off an infection. However, chronic inflammation isn’t beneficial and can lead to health problems.
There are many reasons that people may experience inflammation in the body. In the gut, inflammation could be caused by stress, pro-inflammatory foods, alcohol, smoking, sleep disruption, and some types of medications.
Diet and Lifestyle Causes
Diet and lifestyle influences on gut inflammation include:
- Stress affects multiple body systems and may result in inflammation in the gut.
- A so-called Western diet that is high in saturated fat , processed foods , and refined sugar may contribute to gut inflammation.
- Alcoholic drinks are toxins and are known to cause inflammation in the digestive system.
- Sleep disruption may increase the risk of negative effects on the gut lining and the microbiome.
- Smoking affects every body system, including the gut. Smoking cigarettes, including e-cigarettes , could increase the risk of inflammation in the gut and developing digestive conditions.
- Regular physical activity may help regulate the gut microbiome in a positive way. However, intense exercise may be pro-inflammatory. The intestinal wall and the microbiome may be negatively affected in endurance athletes.
Medications
Several different kinds of medications can alter the microbiome or have an effect on the lining of the intestines:
- Antibiotics are well known for changing the gut microbiome because they kill all the bacteria there. Avoiding antibiotics unless they’re truly needed will help avoid these effects.
- Antidepressants are associated with the risk of weight gain and obesity. It’s thought that these medications may affect the microbiome. This could mean that they also carry a risk of leading to inflammation.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also affect the lining of the gut and, in some cases, can cause bleeding. Using NSAIDs only short term usually is recommended to avoid the negative effects on the digestive system.
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have also been looked at for disrupting the balance of gut bacteria, especially in the small intestine. This connection is still being studied. People with concerns about gut inflammation should talk with their healthcare providers about using proton pump inhibitors.
Heath Conditions
Certain health conditions, both acute and chronic, can cause inflammation in the digestive system.
Infections, including gastroenteritis (the “stomach flu”) may cause intestinal inflammation. When the gut lining is weakened from other factors, infection with viruses or bacteria may even be more likely.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease , ulcerative colitis , and microscopic colitis , cause chronic inflammation in the digestive system. The causes of IBD are poorly understood but may be a result of genetic predisposition coupled with environmental factors (such as diet, infection, smoking, and microbiome disruption).
Other Causes
Other factors may contribute to inflammation, though they are less well understood. Some may also be out of your control. This can include air pollution, noise pollution, environmental toxins, heat exposure, and aging.
When to See a Healthcare Professional
It’s important to not ignore symptoms of inflammation in the body. When signs and symptoms of a problem in the digestive system don’t improve or get worse, it’s time to see a healthcare professional. Blood in the stool (especially) is a reason to seek care.
Many people may start with seeing a general practitioner. There may be a need to get a referral to a gastroenterologist , a digestion specialist.
Integrated Treatment Approach to Gut Inflammation
An integrated treatment approach will address the many factors that could be affecting the gut. People may be able to make some changes on their own, but for those who live with health conditions or who need to quit smoking, the assistance of a healthcare provider may be needed.
The many aspects of health that may need to be addressed together to bring inflammation under control include:
- Addressing psychological stress and putting stress-relieving techniques into place
- Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet
- Avoiding alcoholic beverages
- Being vaccinated against infections and avoiding people who are sick
- Creating a supportive environment for sleep
- Engaging in appropriate exercise
- Getting underlying health conditions (such as IBD) under control
- Quitting smoking
- Using medications wisely and avoiding medications that may contribute to inflammation
Gut inflammation can be from a variety of causes. There may be ways to address gut inflammation in the short-term, but long-term changes to diet, behavior, and lifestyle may also be needed to manage chronic inflammation.
When several of the potential causes are present, they may interact and lead to changes in the microbiome that could promote inflammation. One or more healthcare providers may be needed to address diet, stress, and any underlying conditions that may be causing inflammation.
Symptoms of inflammation that don’t respond to changes and go on for longer than a few days are a reason to see a healthcare provider.
Stromsnes K, Correas AG, Lehmann J, Gambini J, Olaso-Gonzalez G. Anti-inflammatory properties of diet: role in healthy aging . Biomedicines . 2021;9:922. doi:10.3390/biomedicines9080922
Ricker MA, Haas WC. Anti-inflammatory diet in clinical practice: a review . Nutr Clin Pract . 2017;32:318-325. doi:10.1177/0884533617700353
Cristofori F, Dargenio VN, Dargenio C, Miniello VL, Barone M, Francavilla R. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in gut inflammation: a door to the body . Front Immunol. 2021;12:578386. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.578386
Martel J, Chang SH, Ko YF, Hwang TL, Young JD, Ojcius DM. Gut barrier disruption and chronic disease . Trends Endocrinol Metab . 2022;33:247-265. doi:10.1016/j.tem.2022.01.002
Su GL, Ko CW, Bercik P, et al. AGA clinical practice guidelines on the role of probiotics in the management of gastrointestinal disorders . Gastroenterology . 2020;159:697-705. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2020.05.059
Allen MD, Springer DA, Burg MB, Boehm M, Dmitrieva NI. Suboptimal hydration remodels metabolism, promotes degenerative diseases, and shortens life . JCI Insight. 2019;4:e130949. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.130949
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Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition . Curr Opin Behav Sci . 2019;28:105-110. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.011
Antinozzi M, Giffi M, Sini N, et al. Cigarette smoking and human gut microbiota in healthy adults: a systematic review . Biomedicines . 2022;10:510. doi:10.3390/biomedicines10020510
Geng ZH, Zhu Y, Li QL, Zhao C, Zhou PH. Enteric nervous system: the bridge between the gut microbiota and neurological disorders . Front Aging Neurosci . 2022;14:810483. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.810483
Lobionda S, Sittipo P, Kwon HY, Lee YK. The role of gut microbiota in intestinal inflammation with respect to diet and extrinsic stressors . Microorganisms . 2019;7:271. doi:10.3390/microorganisms7080271
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By Amber J. Tresca Tresca is a freelance writer and speaker who covers digestive conditions, including IBD. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 16.
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The 4 best ways to improve your digestion, from a functional medicine doctor.
At mindbodygreen, digestive health is a priority. That's one of the many reasons mbg created probiotic+ , a supplement that features a combination of four targeted probiotic strains , specifically designed to beat bloating and aid digestion.
It's also why we value knowledgeable experts like Frank Lipman, M.D., an internationally recognized expert in the field of integrative medicine and the author of multiple best-selling books . To help optimize digestion now and always, we asked Dr. Lipman to share his best tips:
Support your gut with probiotics.
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Functional medicine practitioners consider the gut to be the epicenter of health and therefore recommend eating foods that support strong digestion and nourish and replenish the good bacteria that live there. To do this, we recommend regular intake of beneficial bacteria, both in supplementation and foods.
This includes a good-quality probiotic supplement along with regular intake of fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, unsweetened kefir, yogurt, and pickled vegetables. I also recommend prebiotics , which serve as food for the probiotics. These occur naturally in garlic, onions, leeks, jicama, and Jerusalem artichoke, or you can find them in supplement form as well.
Identify and remove food sensitivities.
Food sensitivities are a common cause of bloating and gas . If you haven’t already experimented with removing common food irritants such as gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nightshade vegetables , beans, or grains from your diet, it's definitely worth a try. After two to three weeks of elimination, you can experiment by having each food, one at a time, and noticing if your body responds. Common symptoms include indigestion or heartburn, nausea, gas, bloating, constipation or loose stool, and can also include skin irritations such as hives or acne, along with brain fog or energy crashes.
Another group of common troublemakers is artificial sweeteners and diet soda. If you have not quit these products yet, I'd recommend kicking the habit.
Take your time to eat.
If you think about it, how many times have you eaten in a rushed state, on the go, in a car, or at your desk? When we eat in a rushed or frantic state, the body goes into "fight/flight" mode, which shuts down digestion. So sit, breath, feel gratitude for your meal, and enjoy it calmly while sitting down. Try to avoid watching TV or looking at your phone or computer, too.
Remember to chew.
Seriously, don't forget to chew! Did you know that great digestion starts in the mouth? Your saliva begins the process of breaking down carbohydrates before it even hits your stomach. Not chewing thoroughly causes more work for your stomach, which further impedes the digestive process down the line—it’s a negative ripple effect. So just remember, chew, chew, chew! Aim to chew until your food is liquefied, which is usually about 20 to 30 chews.
Your entire body will thank you, and you’ll enjoy your food a lot more.
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How To Improve Gut Health: 9 Science-Backed Tips To Support Your Gut Flora Naturally
Plus, how to tell if your it needs healing in the first place.
Signs And Symptoms Of An Unhealthy Gut
How long it actually takes to heal your gut, 9 science-backed habits to improve gut health, best foods for gut health, benefits of fiber, probiotics versus prebiotics, explained, best supplements for gut health.
Have you ever experienced a stomach-in-knots kind of workweek or a series of not-so-solid (literally) bowel movements and thought, Could I have a gut issue? You’d be far from alone.
Yes, your gut health is important. But wellness fanatics, in many instances, have been making things waaay more complicated than they need to be when it comes to how to improve your gut health naturally.
What’s true is that researchers and medical professionals are continuing to find that strong gut health goes way beyond digestion. You’ve got an entire colony of microbes inside your body running the show. They do in fact affect how swollen or gassy you feel after eating, but they also have a hand in your immunity, heart health, mood, and more.
Meet the experts: Will Bulsiewicz, MD , is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist and author of The Fiber Fueled Cookbook . Amy Burkhart, MD, RD , is an integrative medicine physician and gut health expert in Napa, California. Karl Kwok, MD , is a gastroenterologist at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles.
But working to improve your gut health isn’t necessarily the answer to every single health woe you have…and not everyone has a gut problem in the first place.
“As with everything else in health, I have to issue caution: There are hyperbolic, ridiculous claims on the Internet regarding the gut,” says board-certified internist and gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD , author of The Fiber Fueled Cookbook . “It’s important to be careful about where we get information from and who you choose to trust.”
As it turns out, you can do most of your gut-health heavy lifting with some well-planned nutrition, sleep, and stress-management interventions that are essentially free of charge yet make a massive difference in how you feel on a daily basis. Consider this your no-BS guide.
The Benefits Of Good Gut Health
Gut microbiota refers to the colony of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that live inside your intestines and stomach. It’s what makes you, well, you.
“Your microbiome is a part of who you are. It’s deeply personal and very unique to every single one of us,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. “It is completely intertwined with your body’s physiology, and the way your biology functions is dependent on these microorganisms.”
The buzzy term gut health gets thrown around *a lot* and refers to the health of this community of microorganisms and the benefits to your well-being that you receive “in return for nurturing them,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says.
What’s more, your microbiome responds dynamically and dramatically to your diet and lifestyle. “The microbiome can produce chemicals that enter your bloodstream and spread throughout your body and brain. Because of their ability to do this, they can have an effect on so many aspects of your body and how it works,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. An unhealthy gut can increase your risk for a host of diseases, including diabetes, heart and neurological diseases, allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences .
- Frequent bouts of diarrhea or constipation. We all have less-than-ideal bowel movements from time to time (like after that spicy meal). If it’s happening regularly and interfering with your day-to-day, that’s a sign to speak to your doctor.
- Frequent or bothersome bloating. Disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), problems digesting certain carbohydrates, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, and other digestive diseases like chronic constipation and celiac disease can be behind that frequently bloated feeling, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
- Excessive gas. Most people pass gas eight to 14 times a day, but even up to 25 times is normal, according to the NIDDK . More frequent farts, or ones that come with extreme abdominal discomfort or pain, may be due to an overgrowth of or change in the bacteria in your small intestine, or the gut-related disorders mentioned above.
- Abdominal discomfort . Bloating and gassiness can both contribute to stomach pain. If you feel uncomfortable in your abdominal area long after eating, or when you didn’t just consume a meal, keep tabs on your symptoms to have a discussion with your doctor.
- Symptoms in other areas of the body. Non-GI clues such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, skin rashes, brain fog, headaches, and mood problems may also result from something funky happening in your gut. “Poor gut health, also known as dysbiosis, or an imbalance of gut bacteria, can cause a variety of symptoms. How it presents varies from person to person, and the reason for that is unknown,” says Amy Burkhart, MD, RD .
A little perspective, though: “We all get bloated or have indigestion sometimes,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. “It doesn’t mean that every time we’re bloated, we have a GI problem and need to be concerned.”
What is concerning is if any of the problems above are chronic, meaning they come and go for an extended period of time. “There are many definitions of a chronic condition, but in general, it is a condition that lasts three months or longer and may require active medical treatment or may limit activities of daily living,” says Dr. Burkhart. “If the symptom interferes with activities of daily living, especially on a recurring basis, it could be considered a chronic symptom.”
In addition, it’s really tough to self-diagnose. That’s where an evaluation from your doctor can differentiate normal from may-be-a-problem belly puffiness or gas, for instance. “When you think about these common digestive problems, if you look under the hood, you’ll discover the gut microbiome may be playing a central, but not exclusive, role,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. The gut may not tell the whole story (and it may not be the entire solution).
If you’re having the more severe symptoms below, or noticing GI problems along with additional body-wide symptoms (joint pain, skin rashes, an uptick in headaches), then you should see a doctor.
Red-flag symptoms: There are three symptoms that should make you call your doc: frequent vomiting, unexplained weight loss, and blood in the stool, says Karl Kwok, MD , a gastroenterologist at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. These are not generally caused by your gut microbiome being off and may have other, more alarming origins. (For instance, blood in the stool could be a sign of colon cancer or another bowel disease.) It’s always wise to get out in front of a possible serious issue.
Changing your gut health is a process. “It’s impossible to say ‘by so-and-so date, you’ll [feel] different,’” says Dr. Bulsiewicz.
That said, the gut microbiome can be altered pretty quickly. In fact, people who upped their fiber intake to 40 to 50 grams per day for two weeks had measurable changes in the composition of their gut microbiome; certain bacteria that ferment fiber, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus , were among the bacteria that grew more plentifully, per 2021 research in mSystems .
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Make gut-supporting changes you can stick with for the long haul, Dr. Bulsiewicz recommends. “Within a month, you’ll start to have a dramatic shift in your microbiome. And if you sustain that habit, it’ll keep going,” he says. (Read: A small change you can maintain over time is better than any short-term cleanse or diet.)
Nutrition is arguably the largest piece of the puzzle, but it’s still “just one piece,” says Dr. Kwok. “Gut health is a series of small, intentional steps you take every day, week, and over the year that will guide you in the right direction.” Here’s how you can support belly balance:
Sleep well. ▸ Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every eve. Poor sleep has been linked to disruptions in the gut microbiome in several studies , says Dr. Burkhart.
Go to bed earlier. ▸ “It’s not just how long you sleep, but the time you go to bed,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. Just as your body runs on a circadian rhythm, so do your microbes. “They are sensitive to the time of day, just as much as we are,” he explains. This is your gentle nudge to stop the before-bed scroll one to two hours before you go to sleep. As for the ideal bedtime? Around 10 p.m. is a solid plan, but at the very least, try to close your eyes when you start to feel sleepy.
Fit in daily movement. ▸ “Regular exercise creates positive changes in the gut microbiome,” says Dr. Burkhart. Performing moderate to high-intensity exercise for 30 to 90 minutes at least three times per week for eight weeks was found to shift the microbiome in both healthy people and those who had health conditions, according to a new review of 28 studies in Nutrients .
Get active on your commute. ▸ People who spent time actively commuting—walking or cycling—had an increase in the richness and diversity of certain health-promoting microbes, found a recent study in PLOS One .
Manage stress. ▸ You know how when you’re stressed, you can feel it in your tummy? There’s evidence that stress changes the community of belly bugs, research suggests. Now’s the time to develop the stress-management strategies that really speak to you, whether it’s your favorite type of breathing (diaphragmatic or box, for example), reading, going out for a run, or spending time in nature.
Use antibiotics wisely. ▸ Antibiotics don’t kill only bad bacteria; they go after the good stuff too. That’s why they can reduce bacterial diversity and drive antibiotic-resistant infections, per Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in 2020. Of course, there are many times when you need antibiotics. However, make sure you’re taking antibiotics only when you need them (e.g., for strep throat or a urinary tract infection) and not when you don’t (they are completely useless for colds, a sore throat, the flu, and many sinus infections), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . They won’t help you get better, and you’ll wipe out helpful bacteria in the process.
Fall in love with mocktails. ▸ Point blank: Limit or eliminate alcohol intake, as it’s a well-known gut irritant, says Dr. Burkhart. The best way to gauge whether you need to cut back for the sake of your gut is by checking in with yourself: Are you having GI issues, joint or muscle pain, problems sleeping, energy dips, or mood problems after drinking alcohol? Dr. Burkhart recommends nonalcoholic alternatives like all the fun new mocktails out there, such as Hiyo , Curious Elixirs, or (Katy Perry’s!) De Soi . “Many of the products also contain adaptogens that will lower stress, a common reason people reach for a glass,” she adds.
Get enough B12. ▸ Nutrient deficiencies affect microbiome health, says Dr. Burkhart, and one study found that B12 in particular (found in salmon, tuna, beef, yogurt, and fortified breakfast cereal) may be associated with bacterial diversity and abundance, according to a review last year in Advances in Nutrition . You’re at a higher risk for B12 inadequacy if you have a GI disorder or are vegetarian or vegan. If you have a limited diet, ask your doctor at your next appointment if you need to be tested.
Hydrate. ▸ “Dehydration leads to inflammation,” says Dr. Burkhart. In addition, people who drink high amounts of water (34 ounces of water daily) have a different bacterial makeup compared with those who drink low amounts, found a 2022 study in The Journal of Nutrition . Specifically, they had less of one type of bacteria associated with GI infections. In the end, it’s clear: What’s good for your gut is good for you too.
If you generally feel good every day, a food-first approach already puts you on a great track to having a healthy gut. Let this nutrition rundown guide your next grocery haul…
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“I advocate that patients eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which promotes an equilibrium in the gut bacteria and has an anti-inflammatory effect,” says Dr. Kwok. Plant compounds called phytochemicals have been shown to boost beneficial bacteria, a recent review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found . Aim for 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and two to three cups of veggies per day, the USDA recommends.
High-Fiber Foods
Many fruits and veggies are packed with fiber, but so are nuts, seeds, and whole grains. “Fiber feeds the good bacteria and helps balance the gut,” says Dr. Burkhart. (Save the handy infographics to come!)
Foods such as miso soup, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, and Greek yogurt (peep the full -biotics food list ahead!) contain live active cultures that add beneficial bacteria to your microbiome. People who followed a diet high in fermented foods (slowly increasing to six servings per day) for 10 weeks improved gut bacteria diversity and decreased inflammation compared with those on a high-fiber diet, found a small study by Stanford University researchers.
Prebiotic-Rich Foods
Certain foods—like bananas, garlic, chickpeas and oats—are rich in a type of prebiotic fiber that helps feed “good” gut bacteria, says Dr. Kwok.
Postbiotic Foods
Postbiotics are the end products of probiotics and prebiotics that have health-promoting properties. These metabolites, too, can feed good gut bacteria, says Dr. Burkhart. Foods with postbiotics include buttermilk, seaweed, fermented foods, fiber-rich foods, and cottage cheese, she says.
Skip: Ultraprocessed Foods
A standard American diet is packed with ultraprocessed food, such as fast food and sugary bevs, which may promote inflammation and potentially alter gut microbiome diversity, says Dr. Kwok. No one’s asking you to totally give up your fave cookies—it's all about moderation. See if you can bring in more whole foods to see if that makes a difference in your digestive health. In the very least, the added fiber will probably help you poop more, leading to more day-to-day comfort. (TMI? Never!)
Let us count the ways fiber is key for overall wellness : It’s good for your digestion, heart health, blood sugar control, and psychological health .
When it comes to your gut specifically, “fiber is the key source of nutrition for gut microbes,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. Your intestines are a muscular tube that winds about 25 feet in your abdomen, the last five of which are home to the gut microbes. You need something to survive digestion and feed them—and that something is fiber, he notes.
Fiber perks up the composition, diversity, and richness of the microbiome. Different types of fiber are fermented in the gut by different bacteria. Therefore, filling up on fiber allows good bacteria to thrive and populate; and in general, the more diverse your microbiome, the healthier your gut.
Recos for fiber differ depending on age and sex. Females ages 19-30 should get 28 grams per day, females ages 31-50 should aim for 25 grams per day, and those over 51 years old should get 22 grams per day, according to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans . Unfortunately, as many as 95 percent of Americans are not hitting their target, according to research in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine .
Soluble Vs. Insoluble Fiber
There are two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. “These are big umbrella terms. Under these two types, we don’t know how many types of fiber exist in nature,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. “Each type has distinct and unique effects on the body.”
Soluble fiber dissolves, making a gel that slows digestion, according to the National Library of Medicine . Soluble fibers are fermented in the gut, promoting the growth and diversity of beneficial intestinal bacteria, per research in Molecules .
Insoluble fiber , on the other hand, is more difficult to digest, and so it bulks up your stool. (Think: the type of fiber found in roughage, like broccoli and the skin of apples.) Both types of fibers are necessary for a good gut, healthy poops, and also heart health.
Overall fiber in a food is easy to find on the nutrition label of a food or with a quick lookup on the USDA’s FoodData Central database. You will stress yourself out if you try to count soluble or insoluble grams of fiber, so just aim for a general total.
While it’s important to hit your 22-28 grams of fiber per day, it's actually easier to think about simply consuming a wider variety plants, says Dr. Bulsiewicz. People who ate more than 30 different plants per week–whole grains, fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds–had a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those who consumed fewer than 10 plants per week, research from the American Gut Project found.
If you want to make a measurable change to your microbiome, increase the variety of plants you’re eating and aim for 30 types per week. You’ll hit your fiber target, plus encouraging variety will also help you eat foods that provide various fiber types. An example of counting plants: If you have a smoothie in the a.m. with bananas, cocoa powder, almond butter, and spinach, you’ve already eaten four plants..and that’s just breakfast. Nice!
Probiotics are foods (or supplements) that contain beneficial strains of bacteria that can help populate your gut with the good guys. Prebiotics are also recognized as an important piece of the process. Prebiotic fibers in certain foods break down into food for the bacteria, so the bacteria can proliferate successfully.
The thing about probiotics is that different strains are used for different purposes. To better understand if you need one (or what you need), talk to your doctor first. However, if you’re looking into it ahead of your appointment, here are several options to chat with your health care provider about.
Probiotics are live microorganisms (also known as live active cultures) in fermented foods such as yogurt as well as in supplements, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Consuming probiotics stocks your gut with “good” bacteria.
Prebiotics are types of carbohydrates that make their way to your colon undigested, where your gut microbes feast on them. At that point, the party begins: They’re fermented by gut bacteria, a process that produces short-chain fatty acids, which have multiple perks, including lowering inflammation, supporting the immune system, protecting against cancer and diabetes, and helping to manage weight, according to recent research in Foods .
If you absolutely know you can’t eat enough gut-supporting foods and are experiencing gut symptoms or have a chronic digestive disease, talk to a gastroenterologist about adding in a probiotic/prebiotic supplement.
Despite the saturation of the probiotics market, the science isn’t quite there to say *exactly* which one is right for everyone. “At the moment, we don’t know if one prebiotic is better than another or if a supplement with 1 billion live active cultures is twice as good as one with 500 million,” explains Dr. Kwok.
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all probiotic, Dr. Burkhart adds. “The best probiotic will depend on the reason for taking it, your age, the [dosage] strength needed, and underlying health conditions,” she says, adding that you should discuss options with your health care provider. Several expert-loved, top-rated supps to consider:
6 Best Pre- And Probiotic Supplements To Try
Align Daily Probiotic Supplement
This expert fave is designed for stomach discomfort, gas, and bloating that might come along with GI-disrupting issues like travel and stress.
Hum Gut Instinct
Each capsule packs 10 strains of bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium .
Now Probiotic-10™, 25 Billion
You'll get 10 bacterial strains for 25 billion CFUs (colony-forming units), plus it’s also vegan- and vegetarian-friendly.
Culturelle Daily Probiotic Capsules
This supp contains Lactobacilus rhamnosus for probiotics, as well as the prebiotic inulin. Plus, it’s shelf-stable and doesn’t require refrigeration.
Seed DS-01® Daily Synbiotic
Seed is a synbiotic, meaning it contains both probiotics and prebiotics in this monthly subscription-based supplement.
Ritual Gut Health Synbiotic+
This supp combines it all: prebiotics, 11 billion CFUs of BB-12 ( Bifidobacterium ) and LGG ( Lactobacillus rhamnosus ), and postbiotics for a well-rounded supplement that can be taken anytime, with or without food.
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How to Fix Your Digestion
Last Updated: January 9, 2024 References
This article was co-authored by Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH . Dr. Muhammad Khan is a Gastroenterologist, with over 10 years of experience. Dr. Khan specializes in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and has a special focus in Therapeutic Endoscopy. He received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate of Medicine degrees from The University of Utah. Dr. Khan completed his residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He then completed his fellowship training at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 133,364 times.
This is a natural approach to fixing your gut, healing your digestion and recovering from a lifetime of eating "all the wrong things". This is geared towards people with constant indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cramps, pain, and all around digestion discomfort.
Eliminating Digestive Problems
- These foods can vary from person to person so it's not a simple process to figure this out, but there are some surefire foods that need to go and these include: dairy, gluten and wheat, all processed foods, coffee, smoking (anything), and refined sugar. After the elimination of these from your diet you should feel immediate results.
- Lots of people smoke cigarettes or pot to relieve stress, which is highly unhealthy unfortunately causing more harm then good.
- The most popular unhealthy stress-reducer is eating, especially bad food and junk food. No diet will ever work for you if your body is in a constant state of stress. Stress attacks your digestive system through a complex breakdown of various hormones.
- Very important: During the reintroduction stage make sure you are reintroducing things one at a time, no mixed ingredients, one new food item every 2 days. For example, try to eat a little bit of cheese (a little bit), if this upsets your stomach then remove cheese again. Two days later try to introduce some gluten or wheat (FYI scientific research indicates that gluten and wheat are unhealthy for everyone, even those who can digest it.) And so on, until you have an idea of the foods that were causing you issues in the first place.
Promoting Healthy Digestion via Diet
Foods to avoid.
- The exception to this rule is yogurt, which, in many circumstances, can actually improve digestive functioning. See below for more information.
- If you're trapped at an Indian, Mexican, or Thai restaurant and can't seem to find anything on the menu that's not spicy, ask your server for a mild alternative or try ordering a side dish a la carte.
Foods to Seek Out
- A variety of methods exist for cooking vegetables - boiling, baking, sauteing, and stir-frying in a low-fat oil are all valid choices.
- Yogurt's digestion-boosting benefits come in spite of the fact that it's a dairy product, which would normally make it difficult for most people to digest. This is because traditionally-produced yogurt contains lactose, an enzyme that helps the body digest the lactose molecule which normally causes digestive problems in people who can't tolerate dairy. [13] X Research source
Expert Q&A
- If gluten free is not enough for you then research the SCD diet. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- There are plenty of guided imagery meditation videos on YouTube. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- This is a very arduous journey that could potentially save your life. It's worth it. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 2
You Might Also Like
- ↑ Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH. Board Certified Gastroenterologist. Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.
- ↑ https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_elimination_diet_patient.pdf
- ↑ Peter Gardner, MD. Board Certified Gastroenterologist. Expert Interview. 25 August 2020
- ↑ https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-08-30-lactose-intolerance_N.htm
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12828956/
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/gastritis
- ↑ https://www.uhhospitals.org/Healthy-at-UH/articles/2020/07/the-best-foods-to-eat-avoid-for-inflammatory-bowel-disease
- ↑ https://ajcn.nutrition.org/
About this article
To fix your digestion, try eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kombucha, since these good bacteria can help with digestive issues. Additionally, try eating 5-6 small meals per day and avoiding spicy and greasy foods whenever possible. If you’re still experiencing issues, you may want to try an “elimination diet,” where you cut common “problem foods” out of your diet. To do this, eliminate dairy, gluten and what, processed foods, coffee, and refined sugar from your diet, wait 5 days, then add each “problem” food back one at a time. For some additional advice, like how stress could be contributing to your digestive issues, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to (finally) fix your chronic stomach issues
Use these helpful tools to figure out what's really causing all that cramping, bloating and gas -- and get rid of it for good.
What you eat affects your digestion big time, but so do a lot of other factors.
Whether it's constipation, diarrhea, gas or the dreaded bloat, everyone deals with digestive discomfort at one point or another. Occasional digestive symptoms usually aren't an issue -- maybe you just ate too much in one sitting or you've got a virus that will pass -- but chronic digestive issues can indicate an underlying issue.
The thing is, it's not always easy to tell what's going on. From food sensitivities to inflammatory diseases, any number of things could be contributing to your symptoms. You should contact a doctor if you have severe or persistent symptoms, but by knowing the basics of digestion and using the right tool, you could get to the bottom of your digestive discomfort and restore health to your gut.
Read more: Why IBS and poop are suddenly trendy
Digestion basics
Your digestive system includes your gastrointestinal tract -- your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus -- along with your liver, pancreas and gallbladder. This intricate organ system is responsible for helping your body adequately absorb nutrients from the food you eat, break food down into energy-available molecules and get rid of waste.
A bunch of things need to go right for your digestive system to operate optimally: You need healthy colonies of gut bacteria , proper amounts of digestive enzymes and timely secretions of digestive hormones, among other things.
If one tiny component goes wonky, you may experience a range of symptoms, including gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, diarrhea or acid reflux. If things are really off, you might experience nondigestive issues , such as brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, poor sleep or skin breakouts.
What causes digestive issues?
Most of the time, no one thing triggers gastrointestinal problems, and often, GI symptoms aren't spontaneous. Many people develop digestive issues slowly, when a combination of factors worsens over time. Any of these seven elements could be affecting your digestion:
Diet: Obviously, what you eat impacts your entire GI tract. If you're allergic to or sensitive to certain foods, your body may revolt in the form of upset digestion.
Hydration: Nothing works well when you're dehydrated. Water acts as a lubricant for all organ systems and helps your body maintain homeostasis .
Sleep: Lack of sleep affects every part of your body, including your digestive system -- and all the hormones that dictate its functions. Studies show that short sleep duration alters the levels of important digestive hormones and that poor sleep harms the healthy bacteria in your microbiome .
Stress: You may not intuitively equate stress with an upset stomach, but research tells us that millions of neurons in your gut communicate with the billions of neurons in your brain along something called the gut-brain axis . When you're stressed, you also produce excess cortisol, which can trigger a handful of digestive reactions .
Microbiome dysfunction: Your gut contains two kinds of bacteria: friendly and unfriendly. If the bad bugs outweigh the good ones , your risk for all kinds of digestive issues increases.
Inflammation: Inflammation is a leading cause of disease worldwide, and that also applies to digestive diseases. If your GI tract is chronically inflamed, it may lead to inflammatory bowel disease , ulcerative colitis , diverticular disease or other conditions.
Hormonal imbalances: Consider your hormones the chemical messengers in your body. They tell your organs what to do and when to do it. If you have too much or not enough of any hormone that affects your digestion, such as gastrin or peptide YY , symptoms may appear.
View this post on Instagram Wise words brought to you by the microbiome. 🧠 . The gut affects mood, digestion, immunity, weight, etc. - that's why we want EVERYONE to understand how important gut health is! . What do you do to keep your gut in check? . #biohm #gut #lasvegas #gutstuff #guthealth #microbiome #biohmgut #biohmhealth #probiotics #health #wellness A post shared by BIOHM Health (@biohmhealth) on Aug 14, 2019 at 7:00am PDT
Tools to help decipher digestive symptoms
If you feel overwhelmed about digestion, GI disorders and understanding symptoms, know that there are a handful of products, apps and services available to make it all a bit easier. Here are five great ways to take control over your digestion.
Aire by FoodMarble
This pocket-size breath test identifies food intolerances in real time by analyzing the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Excess hydrogen in your breath may indicate excess fermentation in your large intestine, which can signal food intolerances.
How that works: When you eat food, it travels to your small intestine where most of it is absorbed. What's left unabsorbed travels to the large intestine, where it begins to ferment. Too much undigested food can cause high levels of fermentation, which can lead to digestive discomfort.
The Aire supposedly works especially well for four of the FODMAPs , a certain type of carbohydrate that many people can't digest properly. For an additional $30 (on top of the device's $160), you can purchase packets of powdered lactose, fructose, inulin and sorbitol to find out if you're sensitive to one of those FODMAPs.
This tiny breath-testing device measures the hydrogen in your breath after you eat. Excess hydrogen can be an indicator that your body isn't fully digesting your food.
Nima makes devices that look similar to the Aire, but they test food itself instead of your reaction to food. The company currently offers a peanut sensor and a gluten sensor , so Nima might work for you if you already know you have a food intolerance or allergy.
The sensors use antibody-based chemistry to detect traces of gluten protein down to 20 parts per million and peanut protein down to 10 parts per million. Both sensors have been clinically studied and are recognized by the National Institutes of Health, so I'd trust them if I had a gluten or peanut allergy.
Oh, and a big bonus: Nima sensors are FSA/HSA reimbursable .
At-home food sensitivity tests
Most people have a sensitivity to one food or another, regardless of whether or not it's considered nutritious. Sometimes the severity of a food sensitivity depends on quantity. For example, I personally don't react well to large portions of dairy, but do just fine with half-and-half in my coffee. There are a few tests on the market that can give you an idea of what foods trigger unpleasant symptoms for you.
EverlyWell , Test My Allergy , Persona Labs and What's My Food Intolerance are some examples of at-home test manufacturers. LetsGetChecked , an at-home medical testing company, offers a celiac test .
Don't confuse food sensitivities (sometimes called food intolerances) with food allergies. Food sensitivities take place in the digestive system when some factor results in your body failing to break down a food, such as lack of a certain digestive enzyme.
Food allergies, on the other hand, involve the immune system. Food allergies occur when your body recognizes a food as an invader and sends antibodies to attack it, which often results in symptoms like hives and swelling. In severe cases, food allergies can cause life-threatening reactions.
If an at-home test claims to report back true food allergies, it may be false advertising, as there's no scientific consensus that supports these methods. Always talk to a doctor if you think you have a food allergy.
EverlyWell and other companies offer food sensitivity tests, but be wary if they claim to identify true food allergies.
Food journals
Perhaps not the easiest option, but definitely the most accessible, food journaling is a tried-and-true way to understand your body. It takes time and effort to log everything you eat, but if you really want to get to the bottom of your symptoms, food journaling is worth it.
You can opt for a pen-and-paper food journal, or you can download an app. For the best results, make sure to log how you feel before, during, immediately after and a couple hours after a meal or snack.
Digestion-tracking apps
Unlike food journals or food-logging apps, digestion-tracking apps help you log components other than food and reactions to food. For instance, the app Cara allows you to track your food intake , digestive symptoms, mood, stress, stool conditions, menstrual cycle, sleep, workouts and medications to give you an incredible comprehensive look at the way your body reacts to different situations.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Good foods to help your digestion
To avoid problems such as constipation, heartburn and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it's important to eat the right foods. Here's a tummy friendly diet to aim for.
Fill up on fibre to prevent constipation
It's a good idea to try to eat more fibre or roughage, as most people in the UK do not get enough. A diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation.
Aim for the recommended dietary intake of 30g of fibre a day.
For a healthy bowel, you need fibre from a variety of sources, such as:
- wholemeal bread
- fruit and veg
Some people find cereals and grains bring on bloating and irritable bowel syndrome . If that's the case, get your fibre from fruit and vegetables instead.
Drink plenty of fluids to aid digestion
It's important to keep drinking, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften poo.
Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water. Without fluid, the fibre cannot do its job and you'll get constipation .
A good way to make sure you're getting enough fluids is to drink a glass of water with every meal. Avoid caffeine drinks as they can cause heartburn .
Read about water, drinks and your health
Cut down on fat for a healthy gut
Fatty foods, such as chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and heartburn .
Cut back on greasy fried foods to ease your stomach's workload.
Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and grill rather than fry foods.
Go easy on spice to avoid tummy troubles
Many people love spicy food and it does not bother their digestive system. Others find their tummy is upset when they have spicy food.
It's not just scorching hot foods like chillies that trigger heartburn. Milder but flavourful foods like garlic and onion can also bring it on.
If spicy foods give you heartburn, stomach pain or diarrhoea, go easy on them in future.
If you already have a problem like heartburn or an irritable bowel, avoid them completely.
Beware gut symptom triggers
Some people find particular foods cause them problems. Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings and fizzy drinks, can trigger heartburn , while wheat and onions may cause irritable bowel syndrome .
And if you cannot digest lactose ( lactose intolerance ), the sugar in milk, you'll develop wind and diarrhoea after drinking milk or eating dairy products, including cream, cheese, yoghurt and chocolate.
Try to stay away from foods and drinks that trigger your digestive symptoms. Keep a food diary to work out which foods cause your symptoms.
Choose the right drinks to ease digestion
Drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, colas, tea and some fizzy drinks, boost acid in the stomach, leading to heartburn in some people.
Fizzy drinks in general tend to bloat the tummy, which can also lead to heartburn.
To make digestive problems less likely, choose drinks that are not fizzy and do not contain caffeine, such as herbal teas, milk and plain water.
If you cannot do without your coffee or tea, limit your intake to 1 or 2 cups a day.
Probiotics are so-called "friendly bacteria" that are also found naturally in the gut.
There's some evidence that they may be helpful for some conditions, including helping irritable bowel syndrome . But there's little evidence to support some other health claims made about them.
Probiotics are available as supplements from health food shops, or in live yoghurt, which is a good natural source.
If you want to try them, it's best to take them every day for at least 4 weeks to see if they work for you.
If you have an existing health condition or a weakened immune system, talk to a doctor before taking any probiotic supplements.
Find out more about probiotics
Page last reviewed: 5 January 2023 Next review due: 5 January 2026
Solve Digestion Problems—4 Steps to Improving Gut Health
Digestion problems are no fun. bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea….
These are all signs of a digestion system in distress. Impaired digestion is at the root of many health issues. Without a well-functioning digestive system, the body struggles to pass along nutrients to our cells. So what can you do about it? The good news is that it doesn’t take a massive overhaul to improve digestion— often we just need some fine tuning. Whether you’re interested in optimizing your health or you’re struggling with poor digestion, try implementing these simple changes.
1. Chew your food.
The mechanical action of chewing is the body’s first step in the digestive process. This movement stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes critical for the breakdown of food. If food is more thoroughly broken down upstream, it creates less work downstream in the stomach and intestines. Chewing will also make nutrients more readily absorbable for uptake by your cells. Some health professionals have cited a rule to chew your food 32 times; while this may seem extreme, just being conscious of chewing more thoroughly will aid in the overall process.
2. Increase Stomach Acid.
Proteins are primarily digested in the stomach and require acid for complete breakdown. If there isn’t enough acid, proteins enter the small intestine in the form of larger particles, resulting in issues like bloating , gas and reflux. To increase stomach acid, try adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a glass of water before a protein rich meal. Do your best to avoid refined sugar, processed foods and alcohol which are known to deplete your valuable stomach acid.
3. Add Probiotics.
If I could only take one supplement a day, it would be a probiotic. Probiotics are live microorganisms that restore “good” intestinal bacteria. The right ratio of good-to-bad bacteria is necessary for effective digestion and stimulating the gut’s immune system . Probiotics maximize your body’s ability to extract nutrients from the food you consume. At Parsley, our go-to probiotic for daily maintenance is Prescript Assist , a soil-based probiotic which conveniently doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you’re looking for alternatives, make sure to get a broad spectrum probiotic that has strains of both lactobacillus and bifidobacterum.
4. Fire Up the Blender.
Blended foods require less energy from your digestive system. For example, a piece of chicken needs to be broken down into amino acids in order to be utilized as food for our cells. This takes a lot of work. I recommend giving your system a break by replacing one meal a day with a low glycemic smoothie. The key is to make sure you’re getting adequate amounts of protein, fat and fiber to feel satiated and balance your blood sugar.
My go-to recipe for a complete, digestion-friendly meal:
- 1 serving of Rebuild Protein (26 grams of protein!)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon of ground flax
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk – I like Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Photo courtesy of Unsplash .
The Parsley team specializes in gut health.
If this is something you’re struggling with, we’re here to help..
Parsley Health is the doctor that helps you live healthier, longer, by treating the root cause of symptoms and conditions. Our medical teams—staffed by leading clinicians and health coaches—spend more time with you, order the right tests, and prescribe food, sleep and movement alongside medications so you can get better—and feel better.
Get a snapshot of your health - right now.
Take our quiz to get your symptom score and start uncovering the why behind your symptoms.
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Our leading medical providers and health coaches heal the root cause of health concerns with a personalized care plan and year-round support. Our root-cause resolution medicine has helped thousands feel better, with 85% of members reducing symptoms in their first year.
Parsley Health medical providers are trained to treat the root cause of complex, chronic conditions and symptoms. Ready to start feeling better?
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How exercise can help—or hurt—your digestion
Your workout can have profound impacts on digestion. In rare instances, these effects can be dangerous but experts say a few tweaks can help most of us perform and feel better.
Ricardo Da Costa’s first job out of high school in the 1990s in Portugal was as a professional triathlete—competing in races that required him to swim, then bike, then run. One of the biggest problems he and his fellow athletes shared was gastrointestinal issues, but no one was doing anything about it.
Some athletes experienced nausea and stomach pain so severe they couldn’t drink water or take in nutrients during races, forcing them to drop out. While light or moderate exercise can enhance our digestion, our stomachs and intestines aren’t designed for high-intensity workouts. That means that athletes don’t just need to train their muscles; they also need to train their guts to process the water and food they need to stay hydrated and fueled during a long race.
“They thought, ‘Oh it’s just part of the sport,’” says Costa. But that answer didn’t satisfy him. To figure out the root of the problem, he decided to pursue an academic career and now, as an associate professor at Monash University in Australia, he explores how food and nutrition influence performance in sports.
Costa studies how exercise interferes with digestion, and how athletes can calm their guts and compete to the best of their ability. He’s become a sought-after expert with amateur and professional athletes from around the world visiting his laboratory for assessment and treatment.
He’s learned a lot over the past 15 years. Even if you’re not a professional endurance athlete, exercise can have profound impacts on digestion, which depend on the timing and intensity of your workout. In rare instances, these effects can be dangerous, but for most of us, a few tweaks to our routines can help.
How digestion works
Digestion begins before you even open your mouth, explains Arafa Djalal , a gastroenterologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
Just thinking about food signals the brain to fill your mouth with saliva and digestive enzymes. When food enters the mouth, those enzymes—together with chewing—break it down so you can swallow it. It travels through the esophagus into the stomach. For the next two to five hours the stomach relaxes and contracts while releasing digestive enzymes that break down the food until it slides down into the small intestine, then the large intestine and finally, one to three days after eating, the undigestible remnants are excreted.
When the food enters your intestines, your body can sense it pushing on the walls, which stimulates the secretion of more digestive enzymes and peristalsis—the wave-like contractions that gradually move food through the intestines. The process requires energy, blood flow, and communication between cells.
Moderate exercise
If you go for a walk or do a low intensity workout while your digestive system is working, the exercise may help move things along. Contracting your abdominal muscles, for example, can help stimulate peristalsis in your intestines.
"Your biceps or your triceps, that's skeletal muscle, and that's on a voluntary control, which means that you can flex your bicep or you can contract your hamstring voluntarily,” says Robynn Chutkan , a gastroenterologist in Washington DC and author of four books on gut health. “While the GI tract [gastrointestinal tract] is smooth muscle. It's under involuntary control.” But physical activity can still speed up the process by getting your blood flowing and helping to contract and relax these smooth muscles that serve as the passageway of the digestive system.
Over the long term, exercise helps maintain a healthy gut, allowing you to better absorb nutrients, says Florence-Damilola Odufalu , a gastroenterologist at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. Physical activity increases our production of a chemical called nitric oxide, which helps relax the muscles in our intestines and prevents inflammation.
Working out also is well-known to promote mental health. Your intestines are lined with nerve cells that communicate with your brain and respond to stress via neurotransmitters . Many researchers now consider irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a disorder of the gut-brain interaction that is frequently triggered or exacerbated by stress, anxiety, or depression.
While people with digestive disorders may not be able to exercise comfortably during flare ups, when they can get physical activity in, it’s likely to be beneficial. It can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety that trigger digestive flares.
“It should really be emphasized that there are a lot of beneficial effects on the body, the bones, mental health,” of exercise, says Djalal, all of which can improve outcomes in digestive disorders such as IBS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
High intensity exercise
While light or moderate exercise is almost always helpful for digestion, intense exercise requires some caution.
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“There's an increase of blood flow all along the GI tract to allow the digestion to happen,” explains Djalal, and “when you exercise, the demand is elsewhere. It's in your muscles, it's in your lungs and it's in your heart.” Essentially, your digestive system, your muscles and respiratory system start competing for blood flow.
When you’re exercising at a lower intensity, all the systems can share your blood flow and function effectively at the same time, but as the workout becomes more intense, your muscles, lungs and heart require more and more blood, leaving little for your digestive system. This makes it difficult for your body to digest anything during your workout.
When you’re exercising at a high intensity, your body is processing the oxygen from your heavy breaths to create energy, or ATP. In doing so, it also creates metabolic byproducts such as lactate and hydrogen ions . During light exercise, your body can easily clear these byproducts before they cause any problems, but as you start pushing yourself harder, eventually your body can’t keep up. Your digestive system might try to get rid of these byproducts by making you vomit. Costa explains that’s why you might see someone throw up even after a very short, but very intense, sprint race or you might feel nauseous after a particularly challenging workout.
Heat, dehydration, and bacteria
Heat can exacerbate digestive problems brought on by exercise. As your core temperature rises, blood flows away from your internal organs and out toward your skin to help cool you down.
Plus, any hard workout will make you sweat. If you’re unable to replenish the fluid and electrolytes you’re losing quickly enough, you’ll end up under-hydrated. This thickens your blood, slowing its movement and worsening digestive symptoms, explains Costa.
Costa also has found that exercise can damage the lining of your intestines . Usually, if the exercise is not overly intense for the individual, it’s not a serious problem.
“It’s similar to your muscles. You do exercise. The muscles get microtears. After 24 to 48 hours you recover,” he says. If you exercise so intensely that there’s too much damage for your intestines to repair quickly, you can start to have more serious problems such as gut bacteria escaping into your bloodstream.
The immune system can handle a few rogue bacteria in the blood stream that escape during exercise. But, if you have a weak immune system or you work out at higher intensity than your body is accustomed to for hours (as you might when competing in an ultra-distance triathlon, for example), the bacterial leakage could make you extremely sick or even kill you.
What you can do
Most people know it’s usually a bad idea to eat a large meal immediately before exercising, but contrary to what you might expect, Costa and Djalal say that for most people, the easiest solution is making sure you eat something small 30-60 minutes before your workout, such as a banana, a piece of toast, or a carbohydrate drink.
Carbohydrates and sugars are ideal, explains Djalal because they’re rapidly absorbed as fuel. As those nutrients move through your system, they’ll send signals to your stomach and intestines that they need to keep working and recruiting a bit of blood flow.
For endurance athletes, it’s important not only to eat and drink before exercise, but during it as well.
Costa once worked with a professional triathlete from Spain. He’d been racing shorter triathlons for years, but when he decided to take on the classic Ironman Distance (a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26-mile run), his digestive distress got so bad throughout the race that he could no longer keep any water in his stomach. He’d have to drop out of the race due to dehydration.
He flew to Australia to work with Costa, who found that the athlete was losing far more fluid through his sweat than his stomach could handle taking in while he was racing. Whenever he got close to drinking enough liquid, he’d full feel and regurgitate some. Over the next three months, Costa guided him to gradually increase the amount of fluids and fuel he took in while training. He wasn’t just training his muscles, but his digestive system.
At the end of those three months, he completed in an ironman triathlon . Another three months after that, he competed again. He not only finished but placed third in his race.
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IMAGES
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COMMENTS
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a safe, effective way to neutralize the acid in your stomach and relieve acid indigestion, gas, bloating, and heartburn after a meal. To use baking soda at home as an antacid, dissolve one-half teaspoon of baking soda in 4 ounces of water. Drink the solution within one to two hours after a meal.
9. Go to bed early. Shortened sleep is associated with an imbalanced gut 10. Getting adequate sleep— seven to nine hours a night (depending on the individual!)—helps overall physical and neurological health and has a significant impact on stress levels, which will give your body the rest it needs to reset your gut.
Stress management is essential for digestive health. Practices like meditation and deep breathing exercises can reduce gut inflammation and improve digestion. Herbal Remedies and Digestion Natural Herbs for Digestive Health. Herbs like ginger, peppermint, and fennel have been used for centuries to aid digestion.
Don't strain during bowel movements. Soak in a plain, warm bath or sitz bath (a few inches of water that covers your private parts and bottom) to help relieve the pain. Keep the area clean and ...
Fruits and vegetables. Plant foods are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, which aid digestion and keep your gut's plumbing flowing. (Regularly emptying out your bowels is something that ...
Mint tea is a home remedy for nausea and indigestion. To make a simple mint tea: Set aside 5-10 peppermint or spearmint leaves. Boil 1 cup of water and leave it to cool slightly. Pour the water ...
Try intermittent fasting. "Issues with gut motility (the movement of food and digested material through the body) is the underlying issue for many people with bloating ," Ivanina says. Through fasting, you can give your gut time to rest and repair, optimizing the motility of your small bowel. How to get the benefits: Try doing a 16:8 cycle ...
Go to sleep and get up at roughly the same times every day (weekends too). Keep the bedroom dark and cool. Limit screen time (phone, TV, computer) in the half hour before bed. Plan to sleep for seven or more hours every night. Use the bed for sleeping and for sex (not for scrolling on the phone or watching TV).
To do this, we recommend regular intake of beneficial bacteria, both in supplementation and foods. This includes a good-quality probiotic supplement along with regular intake of fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, unsweetened kefir, yogurt, and pickled vegetables. I also recommend prebiotics, which serve as food for the probiotics.
1. Drink more water. Being dehydrated regularly can make a person constipated. To prevent this, it is important to drink enough water and stay hydrated ( 6, 7, 8 ). When a person is constipated ...
Here's how you can support belly balance: Sleep well. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every eve. Poor sleep has been linked to disruptions in the gut microbiome in several studies, says Dr ...
This will give you an understanding on what exactly you are trying to fix. 2. Eliminate foods on a trial basis. Remove difficult to digest foods from your diet. This doesn't necessarily have to last forever but it is a good idea to do it for at least 3-5 days to give your digestion an opportunity to relax a little bit.
Over-the-counter medications for indigestion include: Antacids to neutralize your stomach acid. H2 or histamine 2 blockers to lessen stomach acid production. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for ...
Here are three stubborn digestive complaints and natural remedies to solve them: 1. Frequent gas and bloating You pass gas 13 to 21 times a day, however if you find yourself running for an empty ...
Diet: Obviously, what you eat impacts your entire GI tract. If you're allergic to or sensitive to certain foods, your body may revolt in the form of upset digestion. Hydration: Nothing works well ...
Aim for the recommended dietary intake of 30g of fibre a day. For a healthy bowel, you need fibre from a variety of sources, such as: wholemeal bread. brown rice. fruit and veg. beans. oats. Some people find cereals and grains bring on bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. If that's the case, get your fibre from fruit and vegetables instead.
1. Chew your food. The mechanical action of chewing is the body's first step in the digestive process. This movement stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes critical for the breakdown of food. If food is more thoroughly broken down upstream, it creates less work downstream in the stomach and intestines.
Many digestive conditions can be improved with natural solutions. Best-selling author and digestive care expert Brenda Watson, C.N.C. and renowned gastrointestinal surgeon Leonard Smith, M.D. help you understand your digestion and show you how you can restore your digestive health, naturally.
If you go for a walk or do a low intensity workout while your digestive system is working, the exercise may help move things along. Contracting your abdominal muscles, for example, can help ...