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Written by Team Liki24 
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Doctors say that healthy digestion is the key to the normal functioning of the entire body.Conversely, problems with the stomach and intestines can affect the cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems, immunity and even the psycho-emotional state of a person.Whether this is actually the case, why the health of the digestive tract is so important, how to eat properly and whether it is necessary to “help” the intestines with medications - we will tell you in detail in our article.
In fact, for the body it is important not only the health of the stomach and intestines, because the digestive system is also the oral cavity, esophagus, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. If at least one organ “fails” - all the others suffer immediately.
For example, the lack of teeth in the mouth leads to poor chewing and digestion of food - which means that the stomach will not be absorbed nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Sooner or later, such a person will develop hypovitaminosis and anemia, which will lead to poor health, lower immunity and serious health problems.
In addition, the digestive system is directly connected to the brain. Doctors call this connection the “gut-brain axis”: a person's psycho-emotional state depends on the health of the gut - and vice versa.
A prime example is nausea, which occurs with severe stress or anxiety. Sometimes it is the only symptom of psycho-emotional overstrain or anxiety disorder. And the state of “a piece does not fit in the throat” and very unpleasant “bear sickness” - these are also manifestations of the work of the intestinal-brain axis.
Surprisingly, but the work of the endocrine system also depends on the state of the “digestive” organ, namely - the pancreas. It belongs to the glands of not only exocrine but also endocrine secretion - it secretes digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease) and at the same time the hormone insulin, which is necessary for the assimilation of glucose by cells. When the pancreas is affected, a person can develop diabetes mellitus.
And, of course, there is a very close relationship between gut health and immunity. In the ileum (a section of the small intestine) there are a large number of peyer's plaques. These are clusters of lymphoid tissue (follicles) that are responsible for “intestinal immunity”. They are also found in the early colon and even the appendix. Peyer's plaques help to “capture” the antigens of harmful microorganisms in the intestine and produce the necessary antibodies to them - that is, to neutralize.
Strengthening immunity “through the intestines” is not a myth: this method really works and is used in medicine.
Interesting fact! In the first half of the twentieth century, preventive appendectomy was popular - the appendix was removed in advance, before it had time to become inflamed and seriously harm the body. But soon this practice was abandoned, because the worm was an important organ of the intestinal lymphatic system and its removal led to a decrease in immunity in children and adults. Today, surgeons around the world are unanimous - the operation is performed only in confirmed appendicitis, when inflammation of the outgrowth threatens human life. And in developed countries, attempts are already being made to treat appendicitis with antibiotics.
Intestinal health: where to start?
On the Internet you can find a lot of tips on digestive health, but not all of them are useful, and some are frankly harmful. Usually a healthy gastrointestinal tract does not require additional “improvement” - it is enough to have a proper diet and a balanced diet.
But to know the main symptoms of problems with the stomach and intestines does not hurt, because it is easier to cope with any disease at an early stage than to treat the consequences. Signs of gastrointestinal diseases:
- sensation of a lump in the throat;
- heartburn;
- belching of air, sour, rotten or eaten food;
- a feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen;
- discomfort behind the sternum;
- nausea and vomiting;
- abdominal bloating;
- excessive gas;
- abdominal pain;
- changes in stool consistency and/or frequency of defecation;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- mucus, undigested food, blood, or other impurities in the stool;
- changes in stool color (e.g., black “tarry” stools in gastrointestinal bleeding).
Note:coughing can also be a symptom of “gastric” problems. It usually occurs when gastric juice is forced up into the esophagus and higher due to weakness of a special muscle, the cardiac sphincter. This leads to inflammation and irritation of the mucous membranes of the larynx and pharynx, causing a compulsive cough. It usually intensifies when a person is lying down.
If any of the above symptoms bother frequently - you need to consult a gastroenterologist. If there is blood in the feces, tarry stools, vomiting “coffee grounds”, especially in combination with lack of appetite, weight loss or abdominal pain, constipation / diarrhea - you should run to the doctor as soon as possible. These symptoms are called "red flags ” in medicine - they indicate serious health problems and require immediate examination.
In general, gastrointestinal problems are functional and organic. The first usually arise from a violation of the GI tract (for example, its motility), and the second are associated with diseases of the digestive system (inflammation, ulcers, tumors). And if with organic diseases can not cope without serious drugs, and sometimes even surgery, in functional disorders can often do with “little blood” - diet, normalization of diet, treatment of comorbidities (eg, depression, anxiety disorder), as well as special “intestinal drugs” - probiotics and prebiotics.
Common functional disorders include:
- postprandial distress syndrome (early satiety and feeling of stomach fullness even when eating a normal portion);
- epigastric pain syndrome (pain in the pancreatic region that does not recoil or spread anywhere);
- irritable bowel syndrome (abdominal pain combined with diarrhea and/or constipation, changes in the shape of feces).
With functional disorders, examination of the digestive system usually does not reveal any serious abnormalities, but the symptoms (pain, stool changes) can be very vivid and cause a person a lot of suffering.
How to maintain intestinal health?
For normal digestion, a healthy diet is extremely important. Of course, the diet should be balanced - that is, it should contain the right amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. But in order for the digestive tract to function properly, you should not forget about fiber - a “must have” for the health of the gastrointestinal tract and the body as a whole.
What is fiber? It is a special type of carbohydrate found in plant foods - it is not digested or absorbed by the small intestine. Virtually unchanged fiber enters the large intestine, and there bacteria begin to deal with it. With the help of special enzymes microorganisms break down dietary fiber (not all!) - and at the expense of this energy for growth and reproduction.
Fibers are of two types:
- soluble (this is what the large intestinal bacteria successfully cope with) - it slows down digestion and the absorption of sugar (glucose). Oatmeal, legumes, citrus fruits and apples are rich in this useful substance;
- insoluble - it improves intestinal motility and stool regularity, so it is indispensable for constipation. Doctors call insoluble fiber a great tool for “regular digestion” and with reduced intestinal motility recommend eating more bran, vegetables, whole grains. However, it is important not to overdo it - excess insoluble fiber can so stimulate peristalsis that you have to go to the gastroenterologist with complaints of bloating and abdominal pain.
Healthy foods for digestion also include:
- nuts and seeds (flax and chia, walnuts, almonds) - they are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- avocados - a source of fiber and healthy fats;
- “probiotic” products - kefir and yogurt, which contain bacteria necessary for the “recovery” of the intestines.
Probiotics and prebiotics
Most people have heard these words, and many think they mean the same thing. But despite the similarity in sound, probiotics are fundamentally different from prebiotics. Let's break down the “who's who.”
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can benefit the human body when administered in adequate amounts. They include various strains of lactobacilli (Lactobacillus) and bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium), as well assaccharomyces yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii). Probiotics are indispensable for the restoration of intestinal microflora and normalization of immunity.
Prebiotics are substances that are not digested in the human intestine, but have a favorable effect on its own beneficial bacteria (maintain the balance of microflora). The most popular prebiotics are inulin, lactulose, breast milk oligosaccharides, oligofructose.
There are also products that combine probiotics (bacteria) and prebiotics (e.g., fructooligosaccharides, inulin) - they are called synbiotics. They effectively restore the balance of intestinal microflora, normalize digestion and support the immune system. Popular synbiotics are Lactiale, Symbiolact Compositum, Probiotic with Prebiotic Mason Natural.
How to heal the gut and improve digestion?
As mentioned above, diet and proper eating habits are important for a healthy gut. If you eat 1-2 times a day in large portions or, on the contrary, 4-5 times, but “unhealthy” snacks - digestive problems will not wait.
To make the intestines work “like clockwork”, food should be taken accordingly: plus or minus at the same time and in moderate portions. It is also important not to forget about drinking, because water and digestion are inextricably linked. Fluid facilitates the breakdown of food and accelerates its transit through the gastrointestinal tract.
Note: it used to be very popular opinion that water drunk during or after a meal, “dilutes” gastric juice and worsens digestion. But now doctors call this statement another “pseudomedical” myth.
There is another factor that many people forget about - physical activity. Intestinal health deteriorates with hypodynamia, because its motility also slows down. Sedentary people may suffer from constipation more often than active people. And although this connection can not be called direct, because the intestinal motility is affected by many other factors - it should not be forgotten. And in any case - movement for the body is always more useful than its absence.
But sometimes it happens that a person eats right, drinks a lot of fluids, is active, but digestive problems do not disappear. Often it is observed after intestinal infections or other diseases, when you have to take a lot of medications. In most cases, the culprit is antibiotics. Although they are indispensable in almost any bacterial disease, for intestinal microflora antibiotics can be a real curse - to restore it after such treatment is long and difficult.
However, to disrupt the balance of intestinal microflora can and relatively “harmless” drugs - for example, heartburn remedies (proton pump inhibitors). If you take them for a long time or uncontrolled, the acidity of gastric juice decreases and bacteria begin to grow and multiply rapidly in the intestine. This disease is called bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SIBR). Its most common manifestation is abdominal bloating, flatulence, and there may also be chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms.
To confirm the diagnosis, a culture of the contents of the small intestine is performed. But do not confuse this analysis with a low-informative fecal bacterial examination for “dysbacteriosis” - if you suspect SIBR, the material is taken endoscopically (directly from the intestine).
How to restore the balance of intestinal microflora?
To restore intestinal microflora, the same probiotics (e.g., Biogaya, Linex, Lacium) and prebiotics (Lactulose, Inulin, and others), about which we wrote earlier, are used.
Probiotics are often used for diarrhea, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea - to treat and prevent it. They increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and “displace” harmful ones, as well as affect the gastrointestinal ecosystem by stimulating immune mechanisms in the mucosa. In addition, probiotics are also prescribed for other diseases - functional gastrointestinal disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and even necrotizing enterocolitis (more often for its prevention in premature infants).
Prebiotics are used in constipation, hepatic encephalopathy (lactulose), some allergic diseases. There have also been experimental studies that showed a decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancer with the use of “prebiotic” remedies.
In SIBR, surprisingly enough, the basis of treatment is antibiotics - they destroy harmful bacteria and normalize the intestinal microbiota; also effective is a diet dominated by fats. But the use of probiotics and prebiotics in this disease is currently only being studied.
Important: Restoring the balance of intestinal microflora should only be done by a doctor. Even the most useful pro- and prebiotics can harm your health if you take them at random or on the advice of acquaintances.
Prevention of GI diseases
The best prevention of GI diseases is proper nutrition and avoidance of bad habits.
Nicotine and tobacco tar irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and can cause the development of gastritis or even peptic ulcer disease. Ethyl alcohol damages the liver and pancreas, leading to severe (and sometimes fatal) diseases - cirrhosis and pancreonecrosis. Alcohol abuse provokes vomiting, which can cause ruptures of the mucous membranes of the esophagus and stomach. This complication is called Mallory-Weiss syndrome. In addition, ethyl alcohol sometimes causes the development of bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SIBR), and in general it is not useful for the body.
The Internet often discusses whether it is necessary to take some tests for early detection of GI diseases. In young people in the absence of complaints in the preventive examination is not necessary. But with age the risk of colon cancer increases, so after 40-50 years of age (according to various recommendations) doctors strongly advise to undergo diagnostic colonoscopy (examination of the intestines with the help of an endoscope) every 5 years.
Important! If there is a history of stomach cancer among relatives, gastroenterologists may recommend periodic gastroscopy. A biochemical blood test to determine the levels of liver and “pancreatic” enzymes, a stool test for hidden blood and determination of calprotectin (a marker of inflammatory processes and tumor growth in the intestine) may also be useful.
The Liki24.com team wishes you a healthy digestion and excellent health!
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