Do you suffer from any digestive issues?
If so, you might be like the rest of the 43% of Britons who have experienced digestive problems in their lifetime. Plus, over 59% of people have not even visited a G.P to address their symptoms.
If you're not familiar with indigestion symptoms, they commonly are associated with nausea, bloating, discomfort in your abdomen, burping, flatulence and more.
These symptoms, if not managed, can be quite a burden, especially when you're out in public. However, they can be reduced or stopped completely if you know how to manage your digestion.
How digestion works
Before we know how to manage digestion, you must know how it works first. Digestion is an essential system that helps convert the food you consume into nutrients and energy to help you survive. In particular, it helps break down nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and water. Then it helps go a long way to growing and repairing cells. Once it's converted into nutrients, it's then converted into waste products in your bowel.
Several organs are responsible for the digestive process: the oesophagus, mouth, small intestine, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, colon, and anus. All of which play a different role in indigestion.
Mouth and oesophagus: Digestion starts in the mouth and then transports food to the oesophagus. Here muscles in the oesophagus contract, known as peristalsis transporting the food to the stomach.
- Stomach: Mixes the food with enzymes, which break it down, releasing it into the small intestine.
- Small intestine: Breaks down your food using enzymes produced by your liver and pancreas. Some nutrients are absorbed into your bloodstream, and the remaining ones are passed to your colon.
- Pancreas: In addition to making enzymes, the pancreas also produces insulin allowing the nutrients to be passed straight to the bloodstream.
- Liver: It helps detoxify harmful chemicals, breaks down drugs and secretes chemicals to help your body absorb nutrients more easily.
- Gallbladder: Stores fats from the liver and bile, then releases them into the small intestine to help fats be absorbed more easily.
- Colon: The colon helps you process waste and allows you to empty your bowels easily.
- Rectum: The purpose of the rectum is to get stool from the colon and poop it out.
The role of fibre
To have good digestive health, you will want to have a diet that's high in fibre. You can get fibre from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and more to help stimulate regular bowel movements. Basically, fibre is the indigestible roughage from plant foods that your body cannot absorb.
When it can't be absorbed, it passes through your stomach, small intestine, and colon and leaves your body. It's important to consume as it helps regulate bowel movements by increasing the size and weight of your stool. Therefore allowing your digestive system to operate more efficiently.
Causes of indigestion
There are multiple ways you can suffer from indigestion, such as the following:
Ulcers
Sometimes peptic ulcers can occur in your stomach lining or the bottom of your oesophagus, causing problems with your digestive system.
Stomach infections
If you suffer from a bacterial infection like H.pylori, you may get frequent bouts of indigestion. This is because the bacteria from the infection can cause your stomach lining to become inflamed, slowing down the process.
Pregnancy
If you're pregnant, you might suffer from a change in hormones, causing your baby to press on your stomach. When pressing, the muscles between your gullet and stomach relax, causing acid build-up, triggering indigestion.
Eating fatty foods
Fatty foods take a lot longer to digest than natural foods high in fiber. Because of this, your stomach produces more acid to help digest these foods causing indigestion.
Smoking
If you smoke regularly, you will likely make less saliva preventing the acid from reflux to neutralise. As a result, more acid is secreted by your stomach, causing gastric juices to flow upwards into your oesophagus.
High amounts of caffeine
Sometimes coffee might cause digestive problems, as caffeine can cause muscles in your sphincter and lower part of your oesophagus to relax. As a result, your stomach acid can travel upwards in your oesophagus, causing you difficulties.
Foods/activities to avoid to reduce indigestion
If you feel like you're experiencing symptoms of indigestion, there are a few things you can do to manage it, such as:
- Eat small meals and chew food slowly
- Exercise frequently
- Don't each too much oily or spicy foods
- Manage your stress
Try to eat lean proteins and foods high in fiber.
Psyllium Husk and how it can help digestion
One good way to naturally kickstart your digestion is by taking Psyllium husk. These are whole seeds from various plants that come from the genus Plantago. Most of these seeds are grown in bulk in India and are available worldwide. They're good to consume as they contain a high amount of fibre, aiding your digestive health. They also have the following benefits:
Prevents diarrhea and constipation
Psyllium helps soak up any additional water lingering in your digestive tract, causing more weight to your stool. As a result, it allows you to pass stool more easily. Psyllium helps speed up the intestines and causes your bowels to contract more easily.
Reduces cholesterol levels
It's believed that psyllium husk can help lower your low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol, lowering the likelihood of heart disease. It's thought that Psyllium can help trap bile and cholesterol in your digestive tract and regulate your blood pressure.
Reduces hunger cravings
As Psyllium is high in fibre, it helps your food move slowly in your digestive system, making you feel full longer, and lowering food cravings.
