Good digestion is key to good health. It leads to better energy levels and a strong immune system. When our digestion is working well, we have clearer skin, reduced body odour and better moods. Research on the gut-brain axis also shows just how much influence our gut health has on our mental wellbeing. (1)
Our body needs the nutrients from our food to function well and stay healthy. However, the levels of nutrients we’re able to utilise from our food depends on the efficiency of our digestive processes. When our digestive system is unhappy and our gut is troubled, we can suffer from complaints such as irritable bowel syndrome, brain fog and fatigue. However, the good news is that our gut can heal given the right care and nutrients.
The following tips outline the ways we can help improve our digestion and gut health. This way we can make the most of the foods we eat, and optimise our physical and mental wellbeing.
Tip #1 – Chew More Thoroughly
Digestion begins in the mouth. The sight and smell of our food stimulates our salivary glands to produce more saliva. This contains enzymes such as amylase that allow the breakdown of starch. As we chew our food, messages are sent to the digestive tract to prepare different enzymes according to the type of food in the mouth.
Chewing our food for longer, and savouring its sight and aromas therefore helps us to digest it better. This is because it:
- Helps us to produce enough of the right kind of digestive enzymes
- Creates more surface area of the food for the enzymes to work on
- Exposes the food to our salivary enzymes for longer
- Reduces the digestive load on our gut through better initial starch digestion
Tip #2 – Relax During Mealtimes
Being relaxed while we eat puts our bodies into an appropriate ‘rest and digest’ mode, as opposed to ‘fight or flight’. Digestion requires a lot of blood flow to the digestive organs. In ‘fight or flight’ mode, our digestion is slowed, and our blood flow is directed to the large muscle groups, so that we’re ready to fight or run away.
Breathing exercises are an effective way to promote relaxation by stimulating the vagus nerve. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads us back into ‘rest and digest’ mode.
Being relaxed at mealtimes also increases our stomach acid production. The hydrochloric acid in our stomach helps to break down our food. So having enough stomach hydrochloric acid is vital for good digestion. Without enough acid, our food can’t be completely digested, and we can become deficient in vitamins and minerals.
Hydrochloric acid production is decreased with:
- Long-term stress
- Lack of zinc
- Older age
Ways we can increase stomach acid production include:
- Relaxing at mealtimes
- Chewing food thoroughly
- Ensuring we get enough salt in the diet* (2)
- Increasing our zinc intake
From the stomach, our food passes into the small intestine where 90% of food digestion and absorption occur. Glands secrete intestinal juice containing enzymes, which continue the breakdown of starch and protein, as well as break down fat.
Our production of enzymes is reduced by:
- Stress
- Illness
- A lack of micronutrients, especially vitamin B6
We can increase our digestive enzymes by chewing our food more thoroughly and reducing our stress levels, especially while we’re eating.
* Note though that excess salt has been linked to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and stomach cancer, and most people actually need to cut down on salt (2, 3)
Tip #3 – Support the Gut Microbiome
The residue of food from the small intestine passes through to the large intestine. This 5ft long organ is home to abundant and diverse colonies of over 100 trillion gut microbes, collectively known as the gut microbiome. (4)
Our gut relies on the right balance of different microbes to digest our food, and prevent infection and inflammation. (5, 6) The microbes perform a variety of important functions. The functions that involve the digestive system include:
- Keeping gut cells healthy
- Stimulating the digestive process
- Neutralising toxins
- Inhibiting yeast and bad bacteria
- Aiding the absorption of nutrients
- Producing several important B vitamins, which are essential for converting food into energy
To help maintain a healthy balance of gut microbes, it’s important to eat enough different prebiotic foods that feed our good gut bacteria and allow them to thrive. Prebiotics are typically non-digestible fibre compounds found in fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. So eating plenty of diverse plant foods will help to support our gut microbes.
In addition, avoiding foods that encourage our bad bacteria, such as processed foods and those high in sugars and trans fats, will help to keep our microbes in good balance.
We can also increase our levels of good bacteria by including probiotic foods such as live yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso in our diet.
Tip #4 – Eat to Reduce Inflammation
Gut inflammation can result in a number of unwanted symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhoea. The latest research shows that our gut microbiome directly affects the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in our gut. (7) Supporting our gut microbiome is therefore key to helping reduce inflammation.
Foods that encourage bad bacteria also tend to be pro-inflammatory. In contrast, a diet rich in plant foods and fish helps to calm the body’s inflammatory processes. Examples of pro-inflammatory foods that promote bad bacteria, and foods with anti-inflammatory properties that can help to nurture our gut are shown in the table below:
Tip #5 – Eat Enough Fibre
As well as feeding our good gut bacteria, fibre is important for removing toxins and helping our food move through the digestive system. It bulks up stools and helps them to pass through faster, preventing constipation. It absorbs waste toxins which would otherwise stay in our digestive system.
We can find fibre in plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Eating a range of dietary fibre can help to:
- Improve the diversity of our gut microbiome
- Reduce constipation
- Enhance our immunity to disease
- Reduce gut inflammation
- Possibly protect against food allergies and intolerances (8)
Nutritional guidelines typically recommend a fibre intake of 30g a day. (9) However, most of us don’t get enough. The average fibre intake in the UK is 18g. It’s best to increase fibre levels slowly, in order to minimise any unpleasant symptoms.
Tip #6 – Drink Enough Water
Drinking enough water throughout the day is vital for good digestion. As well as keeping our digestive organs healthy and acting as a lubricant, water helps to break down food so that our body can absorb the nutrients.
Water encourages the passage of waste and softens stools to prevent constipation. It can also help to break down large pieces of food, enabling them to slide down into the stomach and move along the digestive system more smoothly.
We’re usually advised to drink around 6-8 glasses of fluid a day (10), though this figure is somewhat controversial (11). This should be enough to replenish the fluids naturally lost through the body’s processes, and to ensure we have enough for our daily needs.
Tip #7 – Get Enough Physical Activity/ Exercise
Physical activity and exercise help to increase blood flow and oxygen circulation throughout the body. They help to keep the muscles that support the digestive system healthy. They stimulate the relevant muscles to push digestive waste through the body, preventing sluggishness and constipation. Research has also shown that exercise can have a beneficial effect on the diversity of our gut bacteria. (12)
Tip #8 – Manage Stress
Stress has a profound effect on the digestive system. Most of us have experienced ‘butterflies’ in our stomach when we’re feeling anxious. Chronic stress is believed to adversely affect the structural integrity of our gut lining and our gut bacterial balance, as well as increase gut inflammation. (13)
Research shows that our gut microbes have a huge influence on the gut-brain axis. This superhighway of communication involves signalling via the immune system, central nervous system and endocrine (hormone) systems. By nurturing our gut microbiome, we can also help to boost our mental health accordingly. Relaxation and self-care techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, walking, music and a good sleep routine can also go a long way towards supporting our digestive health.
Final Notes:
Other tips for improving digestion include having a balanced diet to ensure all our nutritional needs are met. In addition, eating slowly and mindfully can help us to avoid overeating, which puts strain on the digestive system.
Another important consideration is identifying and effectively managing food allergies and intolerances. But this is a big topic best left for another day.
Although many of us can suffer from digestive distress, especially during tough times, it’s comforting to know that the gut can heal. By eating healthily and being mindful of what we eat, we can help our digestive system to function at its best. In turn, we can get the most out of the food we eat. And this can make a big impact on our overall health and wellbeing.