Your digestive system comprises of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, made up of organs including the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, rectum and anus, as well as accessory organs such as the liver, pancreas and gallbladder, which support digestive processes. As the food you eat travels through your GI tract, these organs work synergistically to digest it into smaller components so that vital nutrients and water can be absorbed, and waste products eliminated from the body.
This process begins in the mouth when food is chewed and mixed with enzymes present in saliva. As food moves into the stomach after swallowing, additional digestive enzymes and acids are produced by the stomach to further promote food breakdown. Specifically:
Within two to four hours after eating a meal, the stomach contents move further down the GI tract into the small intestine, where they combine with additional enzymes and acids produced by the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, which facilitate nutrient absorption. From here, food waste is also pushed into the large intestine before it is eliminated with a bowel motion. The nutrients and water absorbed during this process are distributed throughout your body, providing energy and supporting growth and repair of your body’s cells. As your body relies on a consistent stream of nutrients to support its function, you can appreciate the importance of maintaining a healthy digestive system for optimal health.
“The road to health is paved with good intestines”.
The gut is a complex system, influenced by many factors that either enhance GI health or compromise digestive function. Disruptions to any of these components creates imbalances that can compromise gut function and lead to disease development. Therefore, improving the function of these components may be the kickstart you need to strengthen your digestive health. No guts, no glory!
Your gut plays host to trillions of microorganisms – 38 trillion to be precise! Collectively, they make up the gut microbiome and include a variety of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi, that mostly reside in the large intestine. Together, these gut bugs form a community, working together to maintain a healthy gut environment. Your gut microbiome is at its healthiest when you have abundant levels of beneficial gut microbes (known as commensal flora) and a large variety of different types of microorganisms (termed microbial diversity). Balanced levels of gut microbes benefit your body in many ways including the provision of health promoting nutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, B5, B12, vitamins K, folate and biotin, as well as enhancing digestive processes, preventing harmful microorganisms from causing disease and supporting overall immune function. In addition to influencing your digestion and immunity, a balanced gut microbiome encourages optimal metabolic and nervous system function.
The vagus nerve provides a direct telephone line between your gut and brain, allowing them to communicate regularly. The vagus nerve receives information from your gut microbes and communicates this from the gut to the CNS (i.e. the brain) – known as the gut-brain axis. This communication is a two-way street, with the CNS also using the vagus nerve to relay information from the brain down to the gut. Collectively, this long-distance phone call helps orchestrate your body’s digestive, immune, hormonal and nervous system processes. The gut-brain connection explains why a nervous brain can also lead to a nervous stomach, otherwise known as ‘butterflies in your stomach’, as well as stress-driven digestive conditions such as IBS. Likewise, your gut can impact the function of your brain’s cognitive and emotional centres, influencing your mood and body’s ability to adapt to stressful situations. Therefore, maintaining the health of your gut microbiome has benefits that extend well beyond your digestive tract.
Given how hard working your gut is, constantly digesting food and absorbing and distributing nutrients, it’s normal to experience an occasional performance hiccup and digestive symptom. However, recurrent or severe symptoms may indicate something more serious, such as a digestive disorder. Here are some common ones below.
This is a chronic gut disorder featuring abdominal pain and altered bowel habits that occur without any visible signs to the digestive tract. It can be treated with changes to the diet, nutritional support, stress management and improved sleep.
The most common symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, excessive wind and bloating when passing stools or following meals. Altered bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation or both), abdominal bloating and flatulence may also occur. Also, changes in the appearance of stools and frequency of passing stools are often reported. In Western countries IBS affects women twice as often as men. There seems to be a familial component as many IBS patients report having another family member with IBS symptoms.
IBS has been linked to dietary triggers, such as lactose and fructose, gut inflammation, an imbalance in the number of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria and stress. IBS symptoms are commonly first experienced by people in their 40’s, but can be diagnosed at a younger age often as a result of having had several courses of antibiotics, after a severe viral infection and even after a bad bout of gastroenteritis. Our highly processed Western diet is also highly problematic for our gut and can be the cause of many gut symptoms over the years.
GORD is a motility disorder caused by the reflux (backward flow) of contents within the stomach including food, digestive secretions and stomach gas into the oesophagus
Heartburn and pain in your chest are most common, however symptoms beyond the gut may include laryngitis (inflammation of your voice box), cough, asthma and dental erosions due to acid.
Weakness or damage to the muscle that connects the oesophagus to the stomach (known as the lower oesophageal sphincter), allowing the stomach contents to splash upwards. This can be a side effect of certain medications including blood pressure medication, sleeping pills and sedatives, antibiotics, antidepressants, or due to smoking, pregnancy or being overweight. Foods also known to weaken the oesophageal sphincter include onions, chocolate and peppermint, and drinks such as alcohol and coffee, as well as overeating in general.
IBD is a chronic, recurring condition caused by an abdominal immune response that triggers inflammation to the gut lining and damage to the cells of the infected area. Ulcerative colitis (see below) and Crohn’s disease (see Auto Immunity), are two forms of IBD.
Diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in stools, reduced appetite, unintentional weight loss and fatigue.
IBD develops in people with an underlying genetic susceptibility. A variety of triggers including gut infections, medications and emotional stress initiate an immune response, causing inflammation and damage to the cells of the gut lining.
This is an inflammatory condition in the colon, the main part of your large intestine, and also the rectum. Inflammation in the colon can be caused by an infection such as occurs with food poisoning, or trauma to the region. This can impact the stools, making them more urgent, painful or loose, and blood may be seen in the stool.
Common symptoms experienced are: abdominal pain, bloated stomach, urgent diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea and vomiting, fever, fatigue, dehydration, anaemia or malabsorption of nutrients. Dietary changes and support with the right nutritional formula, can improve the gut function dramatically.
This condition describes inflammation of the mucous lining of the stomach. Our stomach lining acts as a protective barrier and when it is inflamed, it is under attack. Our immune system detects the threat, resulting in an inflammatory response in the tissues to help fight the infection and promote healing. The inflammation may also be caused by a reaction to something you have eaten, exposure to toxins or even digestive enzymes that are out of balance, making it hard to digest your food. Common symptoms experienced are: indigestion, stomach ulcers, loss of appetite, pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting. This condition can be treated with an anti-inflammatory diet and nutritional support to help heal and balance the gut.
This is an inflammatory condition of the large bowel, where small bulging pouches can develop along the inside of the colon. These pouches can become inflamed or infected, resulting in the symptoms. Diverticulitis can be an acute problem that flares up occasionally, causing discomfort and pain. It can be treated with an anti-inflammatory diet and nutritional support to help heal and balance the gut.
Common symptoms are: severe abdominal pain, distended stomach, fever, nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea and less often, rectal bleeding.
Low intake of dietary fibre leading to constipation can put extra strain on the walls of the gut, causing weak points to form and subsequently, bulging pouches.
Imbalanced gut bacteria levels caused by loss of beneficial bacterial species, creating a gut environment where ‘bad’ bacteria can flourish. Sub-categories of dysbiosis include Candidiasis, featuring overgrowth of the Candida albicans yeast, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Common symptoms include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and gut pain.
A diet low in fibre and prebiotic foods, as well as a high intake of animal fat, sugar and alcohol. Antibiotic use which kills off both beneficial and harmful bacteria, in addition to reflux medication, antidepressants, oral contraceptives and laxatives. Dysbiosis may also occur when chronic inflammation damages intestinal cells, such as in IBS or IBD.
This is a condition where the mucous lining of the stomach or the duodenum has been damaged, causing ulcerations or erosions to the lining.
Gnawing or burning pain in the stomach or chest, which can radiate to the back or other parts of the abdomen. Pain is more likely to occur at night and can improve with eating (especially ice-cream or milk). Additional symptoms include nausea and vomiting, and dark stools in extreme cases, which indicate bleeding in the gut.
Helicobacter pylori infection (a type of bacteria) is the most common cause of damage to the gut lining. Additional triggers include medications, (particularly
anti-inflammatories), GORD, smoking and alcohol intake.
Beneficial, diverse and health promoting gut microbes require a fibre-rich diet to thrive. There’s nothing your gut bugs love more than consuming a wide variety of prebiotic foods and microbiome accessible carbohydrates (MAC’s), which provides them with the energy required to grow and flourish. Prebiotics present in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains are a type of fibre that your digestive system cannot breakdown. Types of prebiotics include fructo- oligosaccharides (FOS), inulin and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Additional foods that can be utilised by your gut microbiome include MAC’s also known as resistant starches, such as rolled oats, lentils and beans. Through a process known as fermentation, your gut microbes breakdown these food components and convert them into nutrients that can be used for nourishment and growth. For instance, compounds known as short chain fatty
acids (SCFA’s) are produced from microbial fermentation of prebiotic and MAC foods, which supply your microbiome with a healthy environment to flourish, as well as providing additional digestive, immune and metabolic health benefits. The Mediterranean Diet provides protection against several diseases associated with digestive dysfunction, inflammation, poor immunity and psychological distress – giving you the best chance at supporting optimal health and wellbeing. This diet includes high intake of vegetables and fruit, lean protein, quality essential fatty acids (good fats including omega-3’s) and some wholegrains.
As an experienced and leading Adelaide naturopath in South Australia, Merridy Casson has a unique functional medicine approach which revolves around identifying the underlying cause of her client’s health concerns or disease.
As an experienced and leading Adelaide naturopath in South Australia, Merridy Casson has a unique functional medicine approach which revolves around identifying the underlying cause of her client’s health concerns or disease.