[DIAPORAMA] Our digestive system, called upon at each meal, assimilates nutrients and rejects unnecessary waste. How to take care of it on a daily basis? The gastroenterologist’s advice and foods to avoid.
Digestion is the set of mechanical processes that transform food into nutrients. Thanks to digestive juices, they become assimilable for the body. But the digestion time varies depending on the food eaten. Some stagnate in the digestive system and disturb your whole body. Digestion can also be disrupted by stress. Our brain and digestive tract are in constant communication, one influencing the other and vice versa. Prof. Bruno Bonaz, gastroenterologist and former director of the stress and neuro-digestive interactions team at the Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences explains how chronic stress can generate digestive disorders.
>> What do we know about the connection between the gut and the brain? These two organs communicate primarily via the autonomic nervous system represented by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (in particular the vagus nerve). We are talking about the gut-brain axis, which works in both directions. The intestine sends information about its condition to the brain (digestion, motor skills, secretion, sensitivity…) and, conversely, the brain can adapt the functioning of the intestine. The intestine also produces 95% of serotonin, a neurotransmitter sometimes also called “the hormone of serenity”, which regulates functions like mood or behavior. If the intestine-brain axis is disturbed by emotions, disorders appear.
>> What can cause this imbalance? Initially, a stress (psychological, immune, physical) generates digestive disorders and amplifies their severity by complex neurological and hormonal mechanisms. However, the origin of the pain is not only in the head. People who suffer from IBS, for example, have bowel movement disorders, hypersensitivity of the digestive tract, as well as micro-inflammation of the intestine which exacerbates digestive symptoms. This suffering then becomes a stress extra that can only strengthen the intestinal pain.
>> How does the body react? Either the emptying of the stomach is slowed down and can be the cause of premature satiety, nausea, vomiting. Either the motor activity of the colon is accelerated and its secretions increased, which promotes diarrhea. Moreover, the stress increases intestinal permeability and modifies the microbiota, in particular via a hormone called CRF (corticotropin-releasing factor), released in the brain and the digestive tract. This increase in intestinal permeability promotes the passage of compounds from the contents of the intestine which will activate the intestinal immune defense system. In reaction, it will trigger inflammation and pain. Moreover, we know that outbreaks of chronic inflammatory bowel disease and IBS can be favored by a stress. And as, in addition, the stress lowers the pain tolerance threshold, it is understandable why these disorders can be so painful.
Bad food = bad digestion
The food consumed remains approximately 4 hours in the stomach before passing into the small intestine. Certain food combinations can cause digestion time to vary. For example, the digestion time of fruits is only 15 minutes: their fermentation in your stomach can cause digestive disorders. Combining animal protein with very sweet foods causes the same annoyance.
To overcome the disturbance and slowness of the digestive system, certain foods should be consumed in moderation: coffee, fatty foods, alcohol for example. Also limit foods that promote heartburn sensations, such as citrus or soft drinks. Finally, if the dairy products can cause bloating, there are alternatives to deal with any frustration. Cream, butter and cheeses with a bloomy rind take care of your intestinal flora, in particular thanks to the molds present on the surface.
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