DIGESTIVE HEATLH

WHAT ARE YOUR DIGESTIVE TRIGGERS?

Stress

Psychological stressors have a significant impact on your digestive system. When you experience stress, your digestive tract can become more sensitive and inflamed. Stress may also cause changes in gut motility, digestive enzyme secretion, intestinal lining permeability, and microbiota. The nervous system in your digestive tract communicates with your brain in a bidirectional way. Therefore, irritable bowels lead to an irritable brain and an irritable brain leads to irritable bowels.

Dysbiosis

Gut dysbiosis refers to an imbalance of gut microbiota associated with an unhealthy outcome. Dysbiosis often involves the loss of beneficial bacteria, which allows pathogenic microbes to flourish. Dysbiosis is more common in those with a history of antibiotic or heartburn medication use, although anyone can be affected. The gut microbiome is highly susceptible to external lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, stress, toxins, etc.

Impaired Digestive Barrier

Leaky gut is a term used to describe increased intestinal permeability. The intestines are lined with cells to prevent toxins and microbes from entering the bloodstream. This lining is also critical for the breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients. Normally the cells that line the intestines are tightly bound together. However, in leaky gut, microscopic gaps develop between these cells, allowing substances to leak directly into the underlying lymphoid tissue and bloodstream. Since these substances are not supposed to be found in those areas, the immune system becomes activated in order to destroy the “foreign invaders”. The damage to intestinal cells caused by leaky gut results in poor nutrient absorption, bacterial dysbiosis, and ongoing inflammation. There are many factors that can contribute to leaky gut, some of which include antibiotics, NSAIDs, pesticides, herbicides, dysbiosis, chronic stress, inflammatory foods, and alcohol.

Motility Issues

The digestive tract is always working, even during a fasted state. This constant activity can be attributed to the migrating motor complex (MMC). The MMC is a cyclic, recurring motility pattern observed in gastrointestinal smooth muscle during the time between meals. The MMC is responsible for cleaning out waste material left behind in the digestive tract. Disruption to the MMC allows for bacteria to overgrow because excess bacteria are not being cleared out of the small intestine properly.

In general, motility issues within the digestive tract can occur when the nerves or muscles of the gut do not work in a coordinated way. Peristalsis is the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. Altered changes to these motor patterns can affect transit time. Increased or decreased transit time can result in conditions like GERD, constipation, diarrhea, SIBO, and gastroparesis.

Adverse Food Reactions

Food can be a major trigger of digestive issues. There are 3 types of food reactions: food allergies, food sensitivities, and food intolerances. A food allergy is an IgE-mediated immune reaction with symptoms appearing within a few seconds to hours after eating. Symptoms you may experience after ingesting a food allergen include itching, hives, rash, swelling, stomach pain, congestion, wheezing, or anaphylaxis. Food sensitivities involve an IgG or IgA-mediated immune response. Food sensitivities may be difficult to determine since symptoms can appear anywhere from a few hours to days after eating. In addition to causing digestive distress, food sensitivity reactions can cause non-specific symptoms outside the digestive tract like brain fog, fatigue, acne, joint pain, etc. Food intolerances occur due to an enzyme deficiency or sluggishness. The most well-known food intolerance is lactose intolerance. However, you can also have an intolerance to things like sucrose, fructose, gluten, histamine, and additives. Food can also worsen digestive issues by feeding bad bacteria or yeast.

Digestive Deficits

Digestive insufficiencies may contribute to the development of digestive issues or exacerbate symptoms. Potential digestive insufficiencies may include low production of stomach acid, bile acid, and/or digestive enzymes. An appropriate amount of stomach acid is needed to get digestion started and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. Bile acids are compounds made in the liver to aid in fat absorption. Bile acids also play an important role in balancing the gut microbiome, strengthening the intestinal lining, and lowering inflammation. Digestive enzymes are made in the stomach, small intestine, and pancreas. The term ‘digestive enzyme’ refers to any enzyme that helps break down carbs, proteins, or fats. Without enough of these key digestive components, digestive distress will certainly occur.