Tag Archives: digestion

What is GI the tract?

The GI tract consists of the stomach and lower intestinal area in addition to the transitional segments. The organs are the stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon) and the rectum.  The upper digestive tract includes the mouth, duodenum and esophagus.

What does the GI tract do?

The GI system is responsible for the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients as well excretion.  Most digestion occurs in the small intestine, while the stomach is mainly responsible for the breakdown of food and particles in the system. The digestive tract is a series of tubes within tubes that are made up absorbent surfaces, each with a different job. The mucous layers absorb hormones, vitamins, minerals, water and other important nutrients essential to your health.  The GI tract is the immune system barrier, which is the main defense against outside infections and allergens.

What does it feel like when your digestive tract isn’t working properly?

–       Gas, bloating and pain

–       Stomach upset

–       Heartburn

–       Fatigue due to improper absorption

–       Constipation or diarrhea

–       Nausea and vomiting

What happens when your gut doesn’t work? 

The inability to properly process food can be a sign of other underlying health problems. For instance, “leaky gut” occurs when a particle of food or other foreign substance crosses the barrier from the intestines into the body. There they create a strong reaction that causes the immune system to attack the particle and sometimes areas of the body that may resemble the particle. This is a key theory in autoimmune disorders and diseases.  Another problem is that when your gut isn’t working well, your hormones don’t get processed properly resulting in a build-up of only one type of hormone.  Any hormone imbalance can lead to serious and unpleasant side effects.

What are the side effects of an unhealthy digestive system?

-Nutritional deficiencies since vitamins and minerals are not absorbed properly

-Fatigue, weakness and dizziness

– Yeast over growth and infection

-Anxiety from hormone imbalance

-Impaired immune function since the body is already fighting something

-Skin rashes due to decreased immune function

-Flatulence and bloating

-Diarrhea or constipation

-Headaches from hormone imbalance

 

What are a few steps to improving the health of your digestive tract?

-Test for food allergies that can make the leaky gut worse

-Decrease refined sugar in your diet

-Take healthy enzymes like glutamine which can heal the GI tract

-Use probiotics at a dose strong enough to replace your depleted flora

-Increase your intake of high fiber foods health