Hours after you’ve swallowed your first bite at a meal, the process of digestion is helping you get the most from food. Your gastrointestinal tract — around 30 feet of prime digestive real estate — has the important role of breaking down food and absorbing the nutrients you need to thrive. But your digestive system doesn’t always function seamlessly. And nearly 60 percent of adults experience GI symptoms including gas, bloating and constipation. While a little discomfort from time to time may seem normal to most people, it can be quite a relief to learn that you can take small steps to feel your best.
Here are five digestion essentials everyone can put into practice to achieve optimal gut health:
1. Get to Know Your Microbiome
One hundred trillion of your body’s best friends — bacteria living in your gut — make up what is known as the microbiome. Scientists believe the health of your colon can offer a window to the health of your body, and there’s evidence that the type and amount of bacteria growing in your gut can impact everything from your immunity to your mood (more on that in a bit). Your helpful bacteria, called probiotics, need to “eat” in order to thrive and control the growth of harmful bacteria. Prebiotics are “food” for probiotics. There is much chatter about probiotics — which are found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir and kimchi — but it’s essential to feed these probiotics with prebiotics. Prebiotic foods include raw asparagus, cooked onions, bananas and kiwifruit.
[See: How Often Should I Poop, and Other Toilet Topics .]
2. Get to Know How to Optimize Digestion
When it comes to comfortable digestion, fiber is your friend. The best sources of fiber come from plant foods. In addition to enjoying vegetables and fruits, fill up on whole grain foods to get enough fiber. The 2015-20 Dietary Guidelines recommend making half your plate fruits and vegetables and half of all your grains whole grains. The United Nations named 2016 the International Year of Pulses, another name for beans and lentils, which are also rich in fiber. Some foods have compounds called proteases that help break down the protein, easing digestion when eating a heavy meal with meat. For example, pineapple have a protease called bromelain, kiwifruit has actinidin and papaya have papain. Something people don’t often think about is the simple idea of slowing down when you eat to make digestion easier. Taking time to chew your food well is one of the smartest things anyone can do to improve digestion.
3. Get to Know How to Get Things Moving
You know that feeling when your digestion is off kilter and things get backed up a bit. Even if you aren’t constipated, you can feel bloated and uncomfortable. To get yourself back to regular you should optimize three things: water, exercise, and fiber. When that doesn’t work, many people turn to fiber supplements like psyllium and other bulking agents. Preliminary evidence from a study in New Zealand indicated that eating two green kiwifruit a day eases constipation as effectively as fiber supplements. Kiwifruit is a good source of fiber, like many fruits, but research supports that kiwifruit fibers have a high water holding capacity, aiding in laxation in the colon. Studies are currently underway in Italy and Japan to contribute to the knowledge of kiwifruit as a natural food method of alleviating constipation. I’m excited about the idea of using whole food first over supplements to get things moving.
[See: Foods That Cause Bloating .]
4. Get to Know FODMAPs
Irritable bowel syndrome is a digestive disorder estimated to affect 1 in 10 people. In recent years, those diagnosed with IBS have found digestive relief following a low FODMAP eating plan. Certain carbohydrate foods, many of which are nourishing beans, vegetables and fruits, are high in FODMAPs (which stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols) and may not be absorbed in people with sensitive intestines. Later, they produce gas and discomfort in the colon when bacteria ferment them, triggering IBS symptoms. To relieve IBS symptoms, the FODMAP foods are eliminated and then later reintroduced in tolerable amounts. Work with your gastroenterologist or registered dietitian specializing in the low FODMAP protocol if you have IBS and are considering trying this diet.
[See: What to Eat, Drink and Do to Relieve Constipation .]
5. Get to Know the Brain and Gut Connection
You may recognize stress as an example of the brain and gut connection. When some people feel stressed and anxious, their GI goes into hyperdrive. But it’s much more than that. More than 60 percent of our immune cells call the digestive system home. The gut has its own nervous system too, dubbed “the second brain,” with more than a million nerve cells. In addition, up to 95 percent of people with IBS struggle with depression or other mood disorders.
This idea that the gut microbiome may impact mood is one of the most fascinating areas of research and innovation for me. Research has shown that the gut synthesizes significant serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps calm and relax. Adequate vitamin Cis needed for the gut to turn tryptophan into serotonin.
Scientists are testing how changes to our eating patterns can contribute to an improved and diverse microbial community. Those studying kiwifruit have provided evidence that consuming two kiwifruit a day (200 mg per day of vitamin C) was associated with optimal blood levels of vitamin C to benefit immune function and well-being. One study showed a 35 percent decrease in mood disturbances based on self-reported perception of an enhanced mood when the participants consumed kiwifruit. While many other foods like oranges and strawberries can provide vitamin C, SunGold kiwifruit is a particularly rich source of the nutrient.
Now that you know your gut better, you can begin to make realistic changes that will help you support it. The good news is these changes can be easy, delicious and beneficial to your whole body health. Whether you begin to eat more slowly, build a balanced plate for more fiber, make sure to consume probiotics and prebiotics (preferably from food first), get enough water, exercise more or a bit of all of the above, you’ll feel the difference with better digestive health. Keep your eyes open to more evidence of what makes a healthy gut microbiome, because we are just digging into the knowledge base of beneficial bacteria.
Editor’s note: The author recently returned from the first International Symposium on Kiwifruit & Health hosted by the Riddet Institute, where digestive health was a featured topic.
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Get to Know Your Gut: 5 Essentials for Good Digestive Health originally appeared on usnews.com
