Hi everyone! Welcome back. This is the long awaited part 2 of gut feelings. In part one, we went over the basic anatomy of the GI tract and a basic picture of digestion. We talked about several factors that can affect how we digest our food; from stress levels, to not chewing our food thoroughly, to lack of mindfulness while eating. By now we know that an adequately prepared digestive system is important in order for us to get the most from our food. To refresh your memory, here’s a link to part one: https://www.theholistichealthnut.com/https-www-theholistichealthnut-com/what-s-in-your-tummy
Now that you’re all caught up, we are going to talk about a common digestive problem that is typically a result of diet. We will also be taking a deeper look into one of our most important digestive organs (the large intestine). Let's get into it!
A common digestive issue that some individuals may face is GERD ( gastroesophageal reflux disease) generally referred to as "heart burn". This condition is not your heart burning, but instead is the back flow of gastric(stomach) contents into the esophagus. At the end of the esophagus and the beginning of the stomach is a gate that is called the lower esophageal sphincter(LES). It opens to let food into the stomach and closes. Hold that for a minute. In part one, I mentioned that the stomach releases Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) which, as the name suggests, is very acidic. This release is necessary for the initial breakdown of proteins and other nutrients. Ok back to the LES. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) has a certain level of atmospheric pressure that allows it to open or close when necessary. When the pressure decreases, the sphincter relaxes, allowing it to open. When pressure increases it closes. In GERD, decreased LES pressure causes the sphincter to open at inappropriate times resulting in the back flow of the acidic contents from the stomach into the esophagus. This is what causes the burning sensation. The esophagus is not built to protect itself from acidic conditions, because acidic chyme (stomach mixture) should not be there under normal circumstances. The stomach, on the other hand, is protected, because it is layered with mucus that shields it from the acidic HCL that it has to release. This back flow of acidic content into the esophagus can cause ulcers in the throat. This will make eating an uncomfortable experience. The culprit is decreased lower esophageal pressure. There are certain foods that can cause a decrease in LES pressure. These include: peppermint, coffee, high fat foods and chocolate. If you notice you are having heartburn regularly, check to see if you are frequently eating the previously mentioned items and try to space out consumption.
Let’s dive into the large intestine. The large intestine, also known as the colon is the last organ in digestion before waste is eliminated. As I mentioned in part 1, undigested food gets moved from the small intestine to the large intestine for storage until time of elimination. Anything your body can’t digest any further gets moved there. Think of insoluble fibre. I also mentioned briefly in part one that we have microorganisms that live in our large intestine. These microorganisms are good bacteria that we call the microbiota. They help us with a plethora of things. Some of these include: nutrient production (synthesis of vitamin K), metabolism, immunity etc. These bacteria thrive on fiber. So the undigested insoluble fiber that gets moved into the large intestine serves as food for our microbiota. This is one reason why a diet rich in fiber is a good thing. There are several factors that can disturb our microbiota. These include: taking antibiotics, infections, and even stress. When the microbiota is disturbed, it is not able to function normally and could work against us. Taking antibiotics can kill our good bacteria making room for the bad ones to come in causing illness. Here are some things you can do to ensure that your microbiota is in optimal shape:
1. Eat a balanced diet with fiber! This will ensure a more varied microbiota which may enhance health status.
2. Engage in regular movement that you enjoy! Really?! Yes! Exercise may promote the growth of healthy bacteria.
3. Use antibiotics ONLY when necessary.
4. Figure out a suitable stress management technique.
There's plenty to talk about when it comes to the health of our gut microbiota. We will explore more in upcoming posts. In the mean time if you have questions feel free to comment or reach out.
Healthy Gut, Happy life!
References:
Information on GERD :
Nelms, M., Sucher, K., Lacey, K., Roth, S. Nutrition Therapy and Pathophysiology, 3rdEdition. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2015.
The Impact of the Gut Microbiota on Human Health: An Integrative View. (2012, March 15). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867412001043
Colon (anatomy).svg. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colon_(anatomy).svg
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