HEALTH REPORT HEALTH REPORT
your guts
D o you feel bloated or uncomfortable after eating? Go magazine’s health experts investigate possible causes and natural remedies. Bloating and discomfort after eating could be due to a range of mild digestive disorders or something as simple as eating too fast, or eating too much. However, some serious conditions can also cause discomfort, so it is important to talk to your healthcare practitioner about any unexplained discomfort you experience. Dairy dilemma Dairy has been known to cause discomfort after eating. Symptoms of dairy intolerance usually begin within 30 minutes of eating dairy foods, and can include bloating, wind, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. This intolerance is partly due to inadequate production of the enzyme lactase which digests the sugar (called lactose) found in dairy foods.
People who are sensitive to dairy products may find that taking a supplement containing a combination of enzymes will improve their ability to eat dairy foods without experiencing the characteristic symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea. The most important enzymes are, firstly, lactase, to enhance the digestion of lactose, and then protease and lipase, which improve the digestion of other key components in dairy foods, namely protein and fats. For more on enzymes, see the box “Enzyme insights”. Identifying intolerance Other foods that may trigger intolerance include wheat, gluten, nuts, soya, eggs and seafood. Try eliminating from your diet any food you suspect you may be intolerant to, and see if it improves how you feel. Note that bloating and discomfort causedby gluten intolerance may take longer to reduce, even once the trigger foods are removed. You should also seek assistance from your healthcare practitioner to rule out coeliac disease and other more serious disorders.
Stress less Your digestive system is one of the first parts of your body to suffer as a result of stress. Avoid over-eating or eating on the run; a relaxed, unhurried environment is the ideal one for optimal digestio n. Prolonged exposure to stress can both cause and worsen a wide va riety of gut disorders, including gastric reflex, non-ulcerative dyspepsia (indigestion), irritable bowel synd rome (IBS), diarrhoea, constipation and flatulence. In fact, it is now well established that the two most prevalent gastrointestinal disorde rs – indigestion and IBS – are closel y linked to chronic stress and anxie ty.
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ISSUE 53 • 2019
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