Table of Contents

• Key Take-aways

• Articles

• Constipation

  • Causes
  • Treatment

• GERD/Hearthburn/Ulcers

  • Causes
  • Treatment

• Low Digestive Enzyme Levels

  • Causes
  • Treatment

Key Take-aways

1. Slow down while eating and make sure you’re taking time to truly chew each bit.
2. Try to eat a diet compromised of mostly natrual foods, avoiding overly processed meals.
3. Try and manage your stress levels as this can massively slow down the digestive process.

Poor digestion can lead to:

Articles

• probiotics to improve eradication of H. pylori
• Green tea inhibits H. pylori
• Natural Honey inhibits H. pylori
• Olive Oil and H. pylori
• Physical activity decreases diverticular complications
• Combined exercise improves gastrointestinal motility in psychiatric in patients
• effects of locomotor activity on gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome among younger people

Constipation

• Constipation: Having less than three bowel movements a week, or having excessively strained bowel movements

Causes

Following aspects are linked to constipation:

1. Lacking high fiber foods
2. A diet heavy in meat and dairy products
3. Lacking fluids and overall water intake
4. Lack of exercise
5. excessive alcohol

Other causes:

• Underactive thyroid: thyroid gland produces hormones that ultimately cause all cells in the body to function optimally.

  Condition can be identified via blood work

• Diabetes: The high blood sugar levels seen in both Type 1 and 2 diabetics can lead to nerve damage, including the nerves that innervate the GI tract.

• Stess & Anxiety: can activate your sympathetic nervous system,

otherwise called the “flight or fight” system. When activated, your body can put nonimmediately needed functions on hold, such as digestion.

• Pregnancy: Constipation is ALL too common during pregnancy with nearly 40% of

women dealing with the condition. This is due to the hormone progesterone which can slow down muscular contraction of the intestinal tract.

• Medications & Supplements: Opiates, calcium channel blockers, anti-depressants,

antacids, and calcium and iron supplements have all been linked to constipation.

• Additional conditions: In several cases, constipation CAN be a sign of a more serious

problem involving either the nervous system or a blockage in your bowels.

Treatment

Start with changes to diet and lifestyle first to deal with constipation

Incorporate more high fiber foods, hydrate well, exercise and be proactive about the management of stress and anxiety.

If that doesn’t help, doctors exam.

GERD/Hearthburn/Ulcers

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease: aka heartburn. The literal cause is the movement of stomach acid back up into the esophagus, causing pain and the typical burning sensation.

Causes

Physical damage to the esophagus and valve blocking entry to the stomach can be a cause

Excessive use of NSAIDs

A correlation exists between infection witha a bacterium, called Helicobacter pylori and hearburn. 20-50% of people have H. pylori in their stomach.

Treatment

treating H. pylori involces antibiotics but that’s problematic for some.

Some natural options have been tested: probiotics, green tea, honey, and olive oil. Shouldn’t be considered as replacements for medical treatments however.

Low Digestive Enzyme Levels

*Alterations in the digestive enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown of the food you eat can lead to substantial discomfort. There are three broad categories of digestive enzymes.*

• Amylase: These enzymes are responsible for breaking down starches and carbs into simple sugars. Incomplete digestion of carbs can often lead to diarrhea, gas and bloating.

• Lipase: Combined with Bile from the liver, lipase breaks down fats into smaller and smaller molecules. Often people without enough lipase have vitamin deficiencies in fat soluble vitamins such as A, E, and K. Another clear sign would be fatty stools, which are overly foul smelling and float on top of the water in the toilet bowl.

• Protease: These enzymes digest the protein in our diet into single amino acids. People struggling to break down protein can often have increased food sensitivities and allergies

Causes

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

people dealing with IBS and IBD

Treatment

broad-based enzyme formula supplement that contains all three enzymes above and HCI or betaine.

Easier approaches:

1. SLOW DOWN Rushing through your meal can be a cause of many of the symptoms that we described above. Take your time and really chew your meal as this can massively reduce the amount of work that has to go on in your stomach and small intestine, ultimately leading to better digestion.
2. TAKE A SHORT WALK Light physical exercise after a meal has been repeatedly shown to improve digestion (here, here and here). We recommend waiting 10-15 minutes after eating, and keeping the pace light.