Intestinal Environment
Our digestive system is a busy one, starting with eating and chewing something, and ending with a trip to the toilet.
The gastrointestinal tract is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. It is about 30 feet long and works with the rest of the digestive system to break down food and drink into smaller nutrient molecules. The blood absorbs these and carries them throughout the body so that the cells can use them for energy, growth and repair.
About 60 million to
70 million Americans suffer from gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which stomach acid and contents back up into the esophagus or throat, which also causes unpleasant symptoms such as heartburn and indigestion.
IBS causes symptoms that include pain in the abdomen and changes in the bowel, and may be associated with constipation, diarrhea, or both. Additionally, many people may have other digestive problems such as bloating and abdominal pain.
There are many factors that can affect your gut health," said Dr. Gillis.
There are many factors that can affect gut health," says Dr. LinChang, a GI specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Body composition, family history, genetics, stress management and diet can all affect the gut.
I see a lot of gastrointestinal problems that are lifestyle-related, and there's often no quick fix for them," she says.
"Generally, people do better when they create a more routine schedule, eat healthier and less frequent meals, add exercise, and get enough sleep.
D. has been studying the relationship between stress and IBS, and her research group found that people who are stressed at a young age are more likely to develop IBS.
However, when people confided in someone they trusted about the stress they were experiencing, this increased risk of IBS decreased," she explains.
Depending on what you eat, it can help or hurt your digestive system and affect your emotions.
Increasing fiber is really important for constipation," Chang says.
He advocates eating at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day for constipation, starting with small amounts throughout the day and gradually increasing.
In addition, one should ideally eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, and eat a healthy diet with a variety of fibers and nutrients.
However, some of the fiber-rich foods that are called "high FODMAP foods" can be difficult to digest. Examples include certain fruits and vegetables, dairy products, wheat and rye products, etc. IBS patients may be recommended to eat a diet of low FODMAP foods.
Researchers have found that
investigated the complex community of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit the human digestive tract and have come to believe that although these environments aid digestion, they may have other health effects.
Research suggests that they may play a role in obesity, type 2 diabetes, IBS, and colon cancer. They also affect immune function, and recent studies have shown that they may influence the development of conditions such as allergies, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
You may have heard that probiotics are good for your gut health; these are also called "good bacteria" or "beneficial bacteria. Probiotics have become famous for being found in nutritional supplements and in certain foods such as yogurt.
Probiotics are
There is some evidence, but not proof, that probiotics may help prevent antibiotic-related diarrhea and improve IBS symptoms. Researchers don't know which probiotics are helpful and which are not, so there is still a lot we don't know about how much we should be taking and what kinds we are most likely to benefit from.
Emulsifiers and
Certain food additives, called emulsifiers, can affect gut health and are added to many processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life. However, studies show that they can affect the gut microbiota.
Our study and others like it show that emulsifiers and other food additives can negatively affect the microbiota and promote inflammatory diseases," said Dr. Andrew H. Hoffman of Georgia State University.
Adverse childhood experiences are associated with irritation," said Dr. Andrew Gewirtz of Georgia State University.
Adverse childhood experiences are associated with irritable bowel syndrome and gastrointestinal symptom severity. Park SH, Videlock EJ, Shih W, Presson AP, Mayer EA, Chang L. Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 2016 Aug;28(8):1252-60. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12826. Epub 2016 Apr 8. PMID: 27061107.
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome. Chassaing B, Koren O, Goodrich JK, Poole AC, Srinivasan S , Ley RE, Gewirtz AT. Nature. 2015 Mar 5;519(7541):92-6. doi: 10.1038/nature14232. Epub 2015 Feb 25. PMID: 25731162.
Alcock J, Maley CC, Aktipis CA. Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms. Bioessays. 2014 Oct;36(10):940-9. doi: 10.1002/bies.201400071. Epub 2014 Aug 8. PMID: 25103109.
Summary.
What kind of diet is good for you? It's like a religion.
Since it is just like a religion, you have to choose what you believe in, but if you get into trouble, you will need to consult a professional doctor before making a decision.
If we continue to have an environment where we can easily eat, more and more food will be produced and thrown away, and the future will not be about nutrition, but now we need to rethink our food environment and maintain our own health.
