Improve Your Gut Function

You may be eating all the right foods & taking all the right supplements but if your gut function isn’t optimal, you won’t be absorbing very much of what you’re are taking in.  Have you ever spent money on foods/supplements & have seen no effect & felt more run down & lethargic? 

This just may be because you may have a slight (or not so slight deterioration of your gut lining, bowel or intestine.  It may also be because the good bacteria in your gut is so low & your bad bacteria is so high. The increased permeability allows bad bacteria; toxins and some food to leak into the bloodstream which causes the intestinal lining become inflamed and damaged. This leads to a disruption in digestion health & in the normal absorption of nutrients.

How do you know you have poor gut function? Some symptoms are:

·         Bloating

·         Abdominal pain & cramps

·         Food intolerances

·         Some skin conditions  (ie: eczema)

·         Heartburn

·         Fatigue

So what causes poor digestive health?  These include:

·         Alcohol

·         Drugs (prescription or not – particularly anti-biotics)

·         Stress

·         Parasites

·         Candida

·         High consumption of refined sugars

·         Chemotherapy

How do we improve our gut function to increase absorption?

1. Eliminate food sensitivities/intolerances from the diet

· This can be done with a simple food diary & also involve an elimination diet is severe enough.

· These tend to be (but are not limited to) wheat, glutens and dairy.

2. Assist absorption of key nutrients at the gastrointestinal tract mucosa.

Increase

·   Prebiotics: Act as a substrate for probiotics to increase colonisation. Fructo Oligo Saccharides (FOS) rapidly increase bifido bacteria numbers. Soluble fibre is found in almost all CHO foods. Insoluble fibre that ferments in the colon can be found in the raw form of leeks, artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, bananas, wheat, rye, and chicory root. These become RS (resistant starch) that produces SCFA’s – butyric acid, propionic acid and acetate fatty acids, which are fuel sources for enterocytes

·   Probiotics:` Organisms which flourish in the intestinal, colonic and rectal environment i.e. lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus bifido and others. Provide immunity, tissue and cellular integrity, promotes effective peristaltic activity for elimination and enhances nutritional absorption and assimilation. Are presently researched for their perceived ability to lower cholesterol, and as cancer prevention. Found in yoghurt, kefir & sauerkraut

·   Glutamine: because the enterocytes that line the intestinal wall are the only cells in the body that ingest nutrients directly from the pre-digested food passing through the intestines, the intestinal cells can absorb it directly, thereby helping themselves to return to normal functional capacity and a return of the gut lining's integrity. Found in beef, chicken, eggs and cabbage

3. Avoid consuming foods that will aggravate your gut & inhibit absorption & digestion. Such as:

·         highly refined carbohydrate rich foods

·         alcohol

·         spicy foods

·         coffee/caffeine

·         citrus fruits

4.Increase dietary consumption of nutrient dense material.

· Omega 3 fatty acids: fish, flaxseeds, avocado, nuts

· Glutamine: Cabbage, bananas, slippery elm, onions, oats, most animal protein sources and dairy

· Flavonoids: Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables e.g. berries, capsicum, apricots, eggplant, plums

· Catechins: Green tea

· Vitamin A (Carotenoid foods): Pumpkin, carrots, pawpaw, squash, green leafy vegetables, dairy, fish liver oils, eggs

· Allicin: Garlic

· Quercetin: Onion & pineapple

· Dietary fibre: fruits & vegetables

Taking these simple steps to increase your absorption, improve your gut bacteria & repair your intestinal membranes will allow more nutrient absorption, more energy & allow you to increase your selection of foods . If you need help with improving your gut function contact us at admin@naednutrition.com.au