Do you often suffer from bloating, abdominal pain, or heartburn after eating? This could indicate digestive problems, something that unfortunately more and more people are experiencing. In this blog, we will discuss how digestion works, the symptoms of digestive problems, the influence of stress, and we will conclude with tips to improve your digestion.
What is digestion?
Digestion is the process by which the body extracts, absorbs, and converts nutrients from your food and drink into usable energy and building blocks. This entire process, from mouth to anus, takes approximately 24 to 48 hours and involves numerous organs. These include your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, large intestine, rectum, and microbiome.
In practice, human digestion does not always proceed without problems. This is not surprising, as so many organs with different functions are involved. Even a minor glitch can have consequences. The most common causes of poor digestion are chronic stress and an unhealthy diet with many processed, sugary, and low-fiber foods.
Digestive problems? These are the symptoms.
Problems with digestion lead to unpleasant symptoms. These include:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Heartburn
- Rumbling stomach
- Fatigue
- Flatulence
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Allergic reactions
- Poor nutrient absorption
Do you regularly suffer from one or more of the above complaints? Improving your digestion starts with healthier eating and reducing your stress level.
Additionally, it can help to support your digestion with enzymes that your own body may not produce enough of, or with enzymes derived from animals, plants, bacteria, or fungi.
Our therapists can also provide targeted insight into your symptoms during a gut consultation and, based on a gut analysis, understand your gut microbiome to develop a tailored improvement plan.
The influence of stress on your digestion
More and more people today are in a continuous state of stress and high alertness, also known as chronic stress. As soon as the brain signals stress, the entire system is designed to avert this impending danger. The result? Other important processes in the body, including digestion, are no longer a priority and are therefore put on hold.
Because your digestion works less effectively during times of stress, you may experience the following symptoms, among others:
- Esophageal spasms (also known as esophageal cramps)
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Poor sleep
- Bloated stomach
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
In addition, poor digestion can exacerbate existing gastrointestinal complaints, such as:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Stomach ulcers
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Stress can therefore lead to poor digestion and, consequently, to fatigue and poor nutrient absorption. This, in turn, leads to a higher sensitivity to stress, thus completing the vicious cycle. Do you want to reduce chronic stress? Read how to do it in this blog!
Improving digestion
A poorly functioning digestive system can cause many unpleasant complaints. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do yourself to support your digestion.
7 tips for better digestion
- chew well
- reduce sugar intake
- eat whole and fiber-rich foods
- reduce stress
- digestive enzymes
- drink enough water
- regularly eat ginger and turmeric
Improving digestion with enzymes
Digestive enzymes are proteins released in the digestive system when you eat. The pancreas and small intestine play an important role in this.
The task of digestive enzymes is to break down food into usable nutrients for the body. The unusable nutrients then leave your body via stool.
When this process stagnates, your body can no longer properly absorb important nutrients, resulting in a nutrient deficiency. Stomach and intestinal complaints can also arise.
For example, if your body does not produce enough lactase, it will have difficulty digesting lactose. This can lead to symptoms such as bloating and flatulence. In such cases, it can be helpful to use a lactase enzyme with every lactose-containing meal.
