Digestive Health

Now let’s talk about Heartburn or Acid Reflux 

also known at gastrointestinalreflux disease or GERD, is caused by stomach acidbacking up into the esophagus. It isimportant to understand that GERD is not caused by too much stomach acid, but instead caused by stomach acid in the wrong place.  When your digestion is functioning normally, a valve between your esophagus and stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter or LES) opens briefly to let food pass into the highly acidic environment of the stomach and then it tightly closes.  In some cases of acid reflux, the LES opens too often or does not close tightly.  Another common reason for reflux is weakened gut function that does not properly remove the digestive enzymes and stomach acid away from the esophagus. Using antacids or taking acid blocking medications for extended periods of time may lead to nutrition-related concerns, such as decreased levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc; iron deficiency; vitamin B12 deficiency; and increased risk of developing osteoporosis, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, pneumonia, and bacterial overgrowth. Discuss this with your doctor to do a cost benefit analysis. You have to remember about quality of life. For real.

Some common foods that cause the LES to relax and lead to heartburn symptoms (what we don’t want!) are: Tomatoes and tomato sauces, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, peppermint (for some). Additionally the following are some known factors causing GERD for many people: stress (huge contributor!), obesity (puts pressure on the stomach), overeating (also puts pressure on the stomach), foods high in fats and oils (especially animal fats and fried foods), smoking (relaxes the LES and increases stomach acid), and some medications (antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, pain relievers like Ibuprofen & aspirin, bisphosphonates, anticholinergics and others. Check with your doctor to see if medications might be a factor for you.

Here are some tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for avoiding GERD: 
Eat in a calm, relaxed place. Sit down while you eat.
Exercise at least three or four times each week.
Wear loose-fitting clothes.
Do not smoke. Duh.
Raise the head of your bed 6 to 9 inches. You can put a foam wedge under the top part of the mattress or prop up the legs on the head of the bed with wooden blocks. (Stacking pillows is not effective).

Last topic to discuss for today are Probiotics and Prebiotics

Healthy eating, not supplements, is the best way to keep the good bacteria in your gut healthy. I can of course help you choose a probiotic supplement if you so choose. But, let’s talk food first.

What the heck are Probiotics? Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help promote healthy digestion by encouraging the growth of good bacteria within our digestive tracts. Certain supportive probiotic strains has been demonstrated in, rotavirus’s diarrhea, antibiotic associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, and food allergies. Other benefits include: Alleviates intestinal inflammation, normalizes gut mucosal dysfunction, and down-regulates hypersensitivity reactions. 

Probiotics are collectively called your gut flora, micro flora, or beneficial bacteria and is estimated to make up about 3 pounds of your body weight (whahht?!). The mechanisms of action include the inhibition of pathogen growth by competition for nutritional sources and adhesion sites, secretion of antimicrobial substances, and toxin inactivation.  They do a lot for us!

Good sources of probiotics are: yogurt with the words “live or active cultures” printed on the label and kefir. Other sources are fermented foods like sauerkrau and miso soup. Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that act as food for probiotics.                                                              

Good Sources of Prebiotics are: bananas, onion, garlic, honey, soybeans, inulin sources (such as Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, and chicory root), raw oats, unrefined wheat, unrefined barley, berries, flax,dandelion green such as chard and kale, legumes, and wheat.
There’s no specific guideline on how many grams of prebiotics to consume. Some studies suggest that you should get 3 to 8 grams a day to get the full benefits. Our digestive tracts should be about 80% healthy bacteria and 20% harmful bacteria that’s why you may hear our gut is largely responsible for immunity (about 80%!!!). Unfortunately, with today’s emphasis on processed food and stressful lifestyles, most people are thought to have these ratios reversed.                                                                                 

The beauty of bacteria is that it multiplies and thrives as long as the environment is conducive. Keep the digestive tract healthy by limiting things that cause interference like stress and overly processed foods. Aim to get probiotics and prebiotics from your foods FIRST instead of only relying on supplements. If you do choose a supplement, please visit Lab Door. I personally take a probiotic supplement (Florastore) to help with my allergies.Lastly, some people find it helpful to include yogurt or kefir on a regular basis; especially after a course of antibiotics. I’m obsessed with kefir spread (at Sprouts). I use it as a dip for chips!