Digestive Health – Everything You Need to Know

As gross as it may sound, inside your body right now there are trillions upon trillions of microscopic living organisms in the form of bacteria.

Don’t worry, even though the thought of things living inside you probably gives you the heebie-jeebies, a large percentage of these bacteria which are happily living their best lives inside of your body right now are actually hugely beneficial and are needed in order to promote healthy digestion.

Living mainly within your intestines, these handy little fellows are known collectively as ‘gut microbiota’ and they are actually needed to ensure that your digestive system functions correctly and does what it is supposed to do. The only downside is that not all bacteria in the digestive system are healthy, as certain bad bacteria can contribute to many illnesses and ailments.

We all experience a little tummy upset now and then, usually in the form of gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, heart burn, indigestion, and acid reflux. None of these ailments are very nice, which is why good digestive health is so important.

Here’s what you need to know about good digestive health.

Why is a healthy digestive system important? 
It’s easy for us to sit here and preach to you about the importance of good gut health, but exactly why is having a healthy digestive system so important? Well, as it turns out, lots of reasons, including the following:

Better nutrient absorption rates 

One great reason to keep your digestive system as healthy as you can is because it will allow you to absorb more nutrients from the foods and drinks that you consume.

Having a healthy digestive system means that you will be able to properly digest everything you consume, allowing you to absorb more nutrients from whatever it is that you consumed. These nutrients are then immersed into your bloodstream via your small intestine, and will then be transported around the body and delivered where they are needed.

Fewer digestive disorders 

As we mentioned earlier, digestive issues and disorders are no fun and can make life pretty miserable. If you’ve ever been woken up in the middle of the night with a burning throat, coughing and spluttering thanks to acid reflux for example, you’ll know exactly what we mean.

If you keep your digestive system nice and healthy, the chance of you suffering with digestive disorders will drop sharply.

Stronger immune system 

If you want to stay fit, healthy, and well, it’s important that you ensure your immune system is as strong and healthy as can be.

What you may not know is that roughly 80% of the immune system is actually found within the digestive system.

An unhealthy digestive system usually means a weakened immune system. The good news is that a healthy digestive system usually means a strong and healthy immune system. Hooray!

Natural ways to improve digestive health 
If you are concerned about your digestive health, or if you’re simply looking for natural ways of improving your digestive system, here are several natural ways to boost digestive health.

Eat wholesome nutritious food

Do your meals consist of processed junk food, takeaways, and frozen microwave meals with about as much nutritional value in them as the cardboard they’re packaged in? If so, then you’re likely no stranger to the ill-effects of an unhealthy digestive system.

The typical Western diet which is high in artificial ingredients, trans fats, sodium, refined carbs, and various other chemicals and additives, has been linked with a number of digestive disorders, and an increased risk of developing a digestive disorder later in life. Hmm, we wonder why that may be?

Many of the artificial ingredients contained within junk food have been linked with inflammation of the digestive tract, which can put you at risk of all manner of nasty digestive disorders.

Rather than eating foods containing artificial ingredients, instead, eat more wholesome and nutritious foods packed full of vitamins and dietary fibre.

Supplement with probiotics

As time has gone by, more and more people have been supplementing with probiotics to help support and improve their digestive systems, and the results have spoken for themselves.

Probiotics are simply beneficial bacteria that help to enhance digestive health once they reach the digestive system.

Probiotic supplements are great because they help to increase good bacteria in the digestive tract and reduce the frequency and severity of digestive disorders such as gas, bloating, stomach cramping, constipation, and diarrhoea.

You can get probiotics from fermented foods such as Miso, Kimchi, and Sauerkraut, though in terms of convenience, probiotic supplements are ideal as they come in capsule form.

When choosing a probiotic supplement, look for one containing a healthy mix of various strains of live cultures, including: Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus.

Cut back on the booze

Many of us like a drink now and then, and whereas there’s nothing wrong with the occasional glass of red, or bottle of beer with a curry, too many of us are guilty of binge drinking and/or simply drinking more alcohol than we should be.

As far as digestive health is concerned, alcohol is a definite no-no. Booze has been found to increase the production of stomach acid, thereby increasing your risk of heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, and even stomach ulcers.

On top of that, it can also result in inflammation, putting you at risk of inflammatory bowel diseases, leaky gut syndrome, the death of healthy gut bacteria and an increase in unhealthy bacteria.

As you can see, alcohol and good digestive health do not go well together, so try to cut back on the amount of booze you drink. We aren’t saying you should never drink again, but rather than a bottle of wine, how about a small glass instead?

Drink more water

Instead of drinking booze, how about you stay hydrated by drinking more water instead?

Staying hydrated is essential for numerous reasons, including many which are linked with your digestive system.

If for example, you’ve been getting enough fibre, which you should have if you’ve been eating plenty of fruits and veggies, insoluble fibre works by pulling water into your colon which helps to bulk out your stools and soften them, allowing you to make a bowel movement much easier.