How to Improve Your Digestion Problems

In my last article, you learned about the symptoms and the possible causes of indigestion or dyspepsia. Here, you will learn more about the gut flora and how imbalances in gut flora can cause the symptoms of dyspepsia and GERD, as well as other health problems.

The gut flora is simply the microbial life that inhabits your digestive tract. There are beneficial bacteria, as well as yeasts and non-beneficial bacteria in the gut. Ideally, enough beneficial bacteria is present to keep the more harmful bacteria and the yeasts under control but that’s not always the case.

The flora performs a number of important functions, so many in fact the system is sometimes described as a “forgotten” organ. Not only has the flora been forgotten, the things that the medical community has been doing in recent years has actually inhibited the organ’s ability to function normally.

The use of broad spectrum antibiotics is an example. They are non-specific drugs. They kill the beneficial bacteria, along with the bacteria that are causing the infection.

• Functions of the Gut Flora

The beneficial bacteria play an important role in the immune system. Not only do they repress the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses in the digestive tract. They “train” the immune system to respond only to illness-causing pathogens. Inappropriate immune system responses are involved in allergies, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and many other conditions.

The microbes allow for the complete absorption of some types of carbohydrates. They produce enzymes that break down polysaccharides. If your gut flora is not balanced, you are not getting the full nutritional value of the foods you eat.

Conditions such as lactose intolerance may be due to a lack of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Under normal conditions, the bacteria will produce the enzyme necessary for breaking down milk products.

Vitamin K is a lesser known nutrient that is of great importance for the human body. It plays a role in bone metabolism and for the formation of muscle and tissues from amino acids. Vitamin K is present in some foods, but the vast majority of it is produced within your own body by those beneficial bacteria.

• How to Improve Your Digestive System

Probiotics were believed to be the solution for increasing the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Research has shown that probiotics are ineffective. Regular consumption of probiotics does not lead to increased bacterial counts in the feces.

Prebiotics are a part of the solution. A prebiotic is a type of fiber that contributes to the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. It is found in a variety of foods. One of the highest concentrations of prebiotic fiber is found in the skin of kiwifruit.

Phenolics, enzymes and soluble fiber combined with prebiotics provide the complete solution. The fastest and easiest way to get this solution is to take a dietary supplement that contains kiwi fruit extract and kiwi fruit skin.

You can click here to learn more about the supplement I recommend and read what people are saying about it.

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