How to Improve Digestion: Proven Techniques and Dietary Adjustments
By Dr. Aastha Manchanda +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Aastha Manchanda
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Aastha Manchanda +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Aastha Manchanda
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Table of Contents
Digestion is an essential process that your body undergoes daily to break down and absorb the nutrients from the food you eat. A healthy digestive system makes sure your body can get the energy and nutrients it needs to work the right way. This article will give you facts on tested methods, changes you can make in your food choices, and key nutrients to help your digestion get better. This will lead to better health overall. In the sections ahead, we will discuss about digestion, tips for better digestion, foods good for your gut, and certain diets known to help your digestive health.
Did you know?
Digestion is hard to understand. It brings many organ and bioreactions into play. Below we have discussed key parts of the digestive system before we dive into strategies to improve digestion.
Our digestive system is made up of many organs. They work together to break down food and take in nutrients. These organs include the mouth, throat, stomach, small and large intestines, and rectum. The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas also play key roles in this process.
Enzymes work like catalysts in our bodies. They help break down larger food molecules into smaller ones. Then our bodies can take them in. Different enzymes work on different types of food. For example, amylase in saliva breaks down carbohydrates and protease in the stomach and small intestine helps with breaking down proteins.
Our guts are full of microorganisms. They include both good and bad bacteria. Good bacteria, also known as probiotics, help us keep a healthy balance in our stomachs. They break down fibers we can’t digest and make fatty acids. These fatty acids feed the cells lining our digestive tract. Also, good bacteria support a healthy immune system. They protect against harmful bacteria that can lead to infections or other health problems.
Digestive disorders can disrupt the normal working of the digestive system. This leads to signs such as stomach pain, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, and heartburn.
Several factors can lead to the growth of digestive disorders. They include your genes, habits, diet, stress, and current health issues. Common signs linked with digestive problems are as follows.
Some common digestive problems that people often run into are as follows.
To improve your digestion, you need to work on many things. You may need to make changes in your diet, behavior, or lifestyle. Here are some tips that might come in handy.
A balanced diet is key to keeping a healthy digestive system. It should contain a mix of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Whole foods have not been processed much and are rich in nutrients. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They may help improve digestion. Whole foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Fiber plays a big role in digestion by giving bulk to stool. It promotes regular bowel movements. It also feeds good bacteria in the gut, leading to a healthier microbiota. Good sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, may bring down inflammation in the digestive tract. They also make sure fat-soluble vitamins get taken in well. Foods high in healthy fats include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
Drinking lots of fluids is key to helping digestion. It helps break down food and dissolve nutrients so that the body can take them in more easily. You should drink enough water. Herbal teas and non-caffeinated beverages also count as essential fluids for optimal digestion.
Taking part in mindful eating practices may help digestion get better. It raises your awareness of hunger and fullness cues. It also keeps you from eating too much and lets you eat in a more relaxed setting.
Taking time to eat slowly and enjoy each bite may keep you from eating too much. It also brings down signs of digestion like bloating, gas, and heartburn.
Chewing your food well makes it easier to break down into smaller pieces. Then enzymes in the digestive tract can break down nutrients more effectively. It also encourages the production of saliva, which is key to the process of digestion.
Listening to signs of hunger and fullness from your body may keep you from overeating. Overeating often leads to discomfort with digestion. Recognizing and acting on these cues lets you eat more intuitively. This may help improve digestion.
High stress levels may harm digestion. They disturb the balance between the brain and the gut. It is key to manage stress to keep digestion the way it should be.
Practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga may help promote a calmer digesting setting. This brings down the chances of symptoms like bloating, cramping, and diarrhoea.
Regular physical activity may help keep the digestive system healthy. It encourages the efficient movement of food through the digestive tract. It also supports the optimal working of the muscles that help digestion.
Changing some lifestyle habits that impact digestion may greatly improve digestive health and lighten symptoms.
Smoking has been linked to many digestive disorders, including GERD, IBD, and peptic ulcers. If you stop smoking, it can lead to big progress in digestive health. This happens by reducing inflammation, boosting circulation, and lowering the risk of these conditions.
Drinking too much alcohol can harm digestion. Stomach acid production increases. This irritates the digestive tract and affects the absorption of nutrients. Drinking less alcohol may help lighten these signs and boost digestion.
Eating late at night and going to bed not long after can raise the risk of acid reflux and heartburn. This is because lying down can cause the contents of the stomach to flow back into the esophagus. Give yourself at least three to four hours to digest your food before going to bed. This may help avoid these problems.
Some people discover that certain foods make them sick. Heartburn may be brought on by acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings, and carbonated drinks, whereas irritable bowel syndrome may be brought on by wheat and onions. Avoiding meals and beverages that aggravate your digestive issues is a good idea. To determine which foods contribute to your symptoms, its best to keep a diet journal.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D
Specific nutrients and parts of food can play a big role in keeping a healthy digestive system.
Probiotics are good bacteria that help optimal digestive function. They work on breaking down indigestible fibers. They also make short-chain fatty acids and keep the balance of gut bacteria. Foods filled with probiotics include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso.
Fermented foods are rich in good bacteria. Eating these foods may contribute to a healthier gut microbiome. Eating a variety of fermented foods may help make digestion better and boost overall gut health.
On top of eating foods rich in probiotics, taking a probiotic supplement might help digestive health. You should choose a strong supplement. It should contain a mix of beneficial bacteria strains for the best results. Do not self-medicate. Always consult with your doctor before incorporating any supplements into your daily routine.
Prebiotics are special fibers that act as a food source for friendly gut bacteria. They help support a healthier balance in gut microbiota and raise overall digestive health. Foods rich in prebiotics include bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks, and chicory root.
Adding a variety of prebiotic-rich foods into your diet may help feed your beneficial gut bacteria. This boosts better digestion and overall gut health.
Other nutrients, such as glutamine, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, may also support digestive health. They are said to reduce inflammation and aid the repair and care of the digestive tract.
Glutamine is an amino acid that plays a big role in keeping the lining of the intestines intact. You may find it in foods like meat, fish, dairy, and tofu. You can also take it as a supplement.
Zinc is a micronutrient that is key for digestion. It may help reduce inflammation and support the repair of the intestinal lining. You can get zinc in foods like lean meats, shellfish, legumes, and whole grains.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds, may help bring down inflammation in the digestive tract. They also boost the health of your intestines and their lining.
In my opinion, your digestive system may be negatively impacted by stress. Stress has been linked to digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhoea, constipation, and stomach ulcers. Your digestion is strongly impacted by stress hormones. Your body believes you don’t have time to rest and digest when it is in fight-or-flight mode. Your digestive tract receives less blood and energy while you’re under stress. Furthermore, there is a close connection between your brain and gut, so anything that affects one might also affect the other. It has been demonstrated that stress reduction, meditation, and relaxation training all help IBS sufferers’ symptoms.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS
You can do some simple things at home that may help improve digestion and lessen common issues with digestion.
Drinking herbal teas may help calm the digestive system. They also provide relief from symptoms like bloating, heartburn, and gas. Popular teas that are good for digestion include mint tea, ginger tea, and fennel tea.
People know mint tea for its soothing effects on the digestive system. It is proposed to help ease heartburn and reduce gas and bloating.
People have used ginger tea for a long time as a remedy for nausea. But it may also help digestion get better. It is said to do this by increasing the production of digestive enzymes and promoting the movement of food through the digestive tract.
Fennel tea is another option that may help relieve digestive issues like gas, bloating, and heartburn. Fennel seeds have compounds in them that have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and carminative effects. These may help relax the muscles in digestion and reduce gas production.
Lowering gas and bloating may help digestion get better and relieve discomfort. Some ways to reduce gas include avoiding foods that cause gas, such as beans, cabbage, and fizzy drinks. Adding foods that help reduce gas, like ginger and peppermint, may also help.
Remember, incorporate any supplements or home remedies in your diet only if your doctor approves of these.
Knowing which foods may set off issues with digestion can help you change your food choices to suit your unique digestive needs better. Some ways to find trigger foods include keeping food and symptom diaries, noticing any signs that occur after eating certain foods or trying diets that avoid certain foods under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
Keeping track of the foods you eat and any signs you have can help you find any triggers for your digestive issues. Doing this may allow you to change your diet in a way that reduces these signs.
Elimination diets remove specific foods or food groups from your diet for a while. They do this to see if these are causing your digestive issues. A healthcare professional or registered dietitian can guide you through this process and help you add the food back to your diet in a safe and useful way.
Also Read: Does Sauerkraut Go Bad? A Guide to Proper Storage and Spoilage Signs
People have come up with certain diets to address and manage issues with digestive health. These diets focus on getting rid of or reducing particular foods that may trigger signs. They also encourage eating gut-friendly choices.
The low FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Di saccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) diet is designed to help manage symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is said to do this by limiting carbohydrates that ferment, found in certain foods.
FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that can be hard for some people to digest. This leads to symptoms like gas, bloating, and diarrhoea. By removing or reducing high FODMAP foods, the low FODMAP diet may help ease these symptoms and improve comfort in digestion overall.
The low FODMAP diet involves getting rid of high FODMAP foods for a short period, typically 4-8 weeks. Then you gradually reintroduce them to find out which foods are triggers.
It’s important to note that the low FODMAP diet is not a long-term solution. You should do this under a healthcare professional’s guide or registered dietitian.
A gluten-free diet is key for people with celiac disease. This is an autoimmune condition where eating gluten damages the small intestine.
People with celiac disease or a known gluten sensitivity should eat a gluten-free diet. This keeps them from the bad effects that gluten can have on their digestion and overall health.
A gluten-free diet involves getting rid of all sources of gluten. Wheat, barley, and rye all have gluten in them. Foods to eat on a gluten-free diet are as follows.
Foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet include anything made from or containing wheat, barley, or rye. This includes bread, pasta, pastries, beer, and soy sauce.
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on eating whole, unprocessed foods. These foods are said to reduce inflammation in the body. People with digestion issues, especially those caused by inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, might benefit from this diet.
By reducing inflammation in the digestive tract, an anti-inflammatory diet may help ease signs of inflammatory bowel diseases. It may also improve overall health in digestion.
The anti-inflammatory diet puts the spotlight on nutrient-dense foods such as:
Foods to avoid on an anti-inflammatory diet are those that may trigger inflammation. These include processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and too much sugar and saturated fat.
While making the right choices in diet and lifestyle can greatly improve digestion, you must know when to seek help from a professional. Continuous issues with digestion or quick changes in bowel habits call for medical attention.
If you’re running into ongoing issues related to digestion like stomach pain, bloating, diarrhoea, or constipation, it’s key to consult a healthcare professional. They can evaluate and diagnose your condition properly.
Many signs linked to digestion may be managed with home remedies and changes in diet. But some require medical attention right away. These are as follows.
If you’re not sure whether you need to see a doctor for your digestive symptoms, it’s best to play it safe. Seeing a healthcare professional can help find the root cause of your digestive problems. They can provide the right management and tips for a healthier digestive system.
Taking care of your digestion is key to full-body health. Using several methods, such as changes in food and lifestyle, and working in association with a healthcare professional helps in designing plans to improve your digestive health. Early action is key when it comes to digestive issues. If you’re running into persistent or worrying issues with digestion, seeking guidance from a professional can help you have a healthier gut and a better quality of life.
To improve digestion quickly, try adding whole foods, fiber-rich foods, and gut-friendly nutrients. Practicing mindful eating, managing stress, and changing habits like quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol may help as well.
Poor digestion can be caused by many factors. They include your diet, habits, stress, and current health issues or genetic traits that you were born with.
The best foods for digestion include whole foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and gut-friendly nutrients like probiotics and prebiotics. Examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, fermented foods, and drinks like herbal teas.
Stress harms digestion by unsettling the balance between the brain and gut. It causes issues with digestion like bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, and heartburn. Managing stress may help improve digestion.
Exercise may help digestion get better. It encourages the efficient movement of food through the digestive tract and supports the muscles that help with digestion. Regular physical activity may help keep the digestive system healthy.
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