Constipation: An Epidemic with Deeper Issues and Effects

Constipation is the most common digestive complaint in the United States and affects women three times more than men. Chronic constipation is a serious health issue that can not only cause pain but also contribute to other health conditions including headaches, migraines, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. To understand the deeper issues associated with constipation let us take a closer look at the digestive system and how it works.

When food is initially eaten it passes down the esophagus and into the stomach. The stomach has a thick mucus layer that produces digestive juices and protects the stomach lining from irritation. As we age this layer produces less gastric acid which means it will take longer for us to digest the same meals we ate when we were younger. (YES it is normal for us to produce less stomach acid as we age, NOT MORE as many people that have been incorrectly diagnosed with acid reflux and GERD believe.) Ideally food will only stay in the stomach for about 30-45 minutes before passing through the next stop in the digestive system, however due to less acid being produced sometimes food can take hours to empty the stomach which can cause lack of appetite, belching, and other reflux-like symptoms due to food putrefying within the stomach. In this case a natural supplement such as Gastro Plus can assist with increasing acid production in the stomach. In some folks this mucus layer can also thin due to nutrient deficiencies and poor diet which can lead to stomach pain after a meal or after eating certain foods. This mucus layer and the acid it produces can be regrown and healed when our body has the proper nerve function from the spine to direct healing and the proper nutrition from a natural supplement such as Gastro Guard that can assist in the healing process.

From the stomach, food will pass into the small intestine where further breakdown and all of our nutrient absorption takes place. The small intestine also has a protective layer secreted by the beneficial bacteria in our gut to protect the intestinal lining from irritation. If the pH of the intestine is too low (acidic) it can lead to an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria such as yeast and gas producing bacteria. For probiotic support of these beneficial bacteria you can try Ultrabiotic or our children's line of Pedia Biotic. If this delicate balance of bacteria and pH is altered it can cause abdominal pain or gas, nutritional deficiencies, gut inflammation, allergies, auto immune diseases, and also alter mood due to hormone disruption. In addition, when our hormone balance is altered we can have delayed motility of the intestine due to hormone deficiencies such as progesterone deficiency. Dietary habits (fiber from fruits and vegetables mainly) also have a direct impact on how food moves through the intestine and  how much cholesterol we absorb from our food.

Once nutrients have been absorbed, the food will pass into the large intestine where the body will attempt to conserve water and salt from fecal matter before being passed through to the last stop on your digestive train... the toilet. Dietary habits play a huge factor in how fecal matter moves through the system which is why it is so important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily. If our large intestine has altered nerve function from nerve irritation in the lumbar spine this can also contribute to the time fecal matter spends in the intestine. When waste does not pass through the digestive system in a timely manner fecal matter can become hard and can stick to the wall of the intestine and cause further digestive issues. This stagnant waste can also build up toxins that can be reabsorbed into the body to cause chronic headaches, weight gain, and fatigue.

So what can you do to keep your digestive system health?

1) Drink plenty of water. This will keep your joints and muscle hydrated and assist in letting things slide on through the digestive system without issue.

2) Eat at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetables are the most important as they provide the alkalizing benefits to keep your beneficial bacteria strong and the most nutrients out of any food you can eat!

3) If you are having issues with constipation or having a bowel movement less than once a day, it is time to talk to your doctor. Most doctors will discuss changing your dietary habits to get the most benefits and healing properties out of your food. If changing your diet doesn't yield the results you need it would be a wise idea to get your nervous system and your hormone balance checked for issues. AlignLife offers free consultations in the office or via phone to discuss your health concerns and non invasive salivary hormone testing to check for underlying issues.

4) If you've been dealing with stomach or abdominal pain or have been diagnosed with acid reflux or GERD and aren't getting results with your current treatment, give AlignLife a call to setup a free health consultation to discuss your specific case and get advice on natural treatment options that would be available to you.

To schedule an appointment at our Peoria AlignLife office on Sheridan Rd, call 309-689-6200 or visit our website online www.AlignLife.com/Peoria. If you don't live in Peoria but would like to find an AlignLife near you, visit www.AlignLife.com and select "Find A Clinic".

Are Your Reflux or Heartburn Symptoms Not Improving?

Have you been suffering from reflux or heartburn for months or years? Have you tried every over the counter and prescription medication with little or no noticeable changes? You are not alone. According to the the American Gastroenterological Association estimate that 33% of Americans have acid reflux disease! In April the Center for Research on Aging found that 23% of men and women over 65 in nursing homes or other care facilities are suffering from some form of gastric problem. What's worse is that these conditions are the most expensive GI disorders in the United States and costs of treatment are approaching $10 billion every year!!

Doctor's frequently prescribe reflux medications and over the counter antacids such as Tums to help reduce symptoms and battle the excessive acid that is thought to be the cause of reflux and chronic heartburn. But here's the thing that will blow your mind... Stomach acid production and thus stomach acid pH DECREASES WITH AGE!! This means that if you're over 30, your stomach acid production has already begun to decrease and thus you're not digesting your food as well. As you reach 40 your stomach acid production is about half as much as when you were 20. This means that if you are on a reflux medication that decreases your acid production you are literally making the problem WORSE!!!

Researchers have known that acid production decreases with age for over 30 years!!! Don't believe me? The A study published in 1986 in the Journal of American Geriatric Society found that 30% of men and women over 60 have atrophic gastritis where they produce little or no stomach acid. Another study 1963 in Gastroenterology found that 40% of post menopausal women have NO basal gastric acid secretions!!!!

So what we need to do instead of dampening the stomach acid production with medications is to eat foods that help to naturally increase stomach acid and/or take a supplement with digestive aids and enzymes designed to assist in food digestion. We should also cut down on foods that increase or trigger symptoms of reflux or heartburn.

So what can you do?
1) Cut down on how many over the counter antacids you are taking each day and talk to your doctor about reducing or eliminating your medications that may be interfering with stomach acid production.
2) Drink water 30 minutes before or after your meal rather than with the meal so that you don't lower the pH of your stomach and effect how well you digest your food.
3) Eat five smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals so your stomach has less food to digest at one time.
4) Try Peppermint Tea. Peppermint has been used as an antibacterial and for increased gastric acid production. It can also combat gas, increase bile flow, and aid in healing the stomach and liver.
5) Try a digestive aid such as Gastro Plus. This supplement combined pepsin to assist in digestion with betaine hydrochloride to help restore the normal stomach acid and support healthy gut function. It will also help to decrease the amounts of bacteria in the gut that can lead to stomach ulcers.
6) Take a probiotic such as Ultrabiotic to help restore intestinal balance. This supplement will help to get those "good" bacteria back to normal quantities in your gut so you don't have as much stomach upset and so you can absorb the nutrients your body needs.

Do you have reflux or heartburn?

Do you have an uncomfortable burning pressure in your chest or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that just won't quit? Are you taking a prescription medication or popping Tums like there's no tomorrow? You're not alone. In fact, 1 in 10 Americans experience this at least once a week.

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Many people complain that GERD is due to aging and is normal with pregnancy. Guess what... that's COMPLETELY incorrect! 

As we age our stomach acid production decreases just like our lean muscle mass, our appetite, and the resiliency of our tissues. Our stomach acid pH should be around 1 to 2 if we have enough and the right balance of stomach acid that is needed to break down food efficiently enough to absorb the nutrients from it. However when this acid production slows with age we may have stomach acid pH that resembles more of a 3 or 4. 

So what does this mean for those with heartburn? Well ladies and gentlemen, it means that your stomach is not digesting your food and you aren't absorbing the nutrients your body desperately needs. It also means that your food is rotting in your stomach rather than being digested. This is why belching, bloating, and gas is the most common symptom after eating a meal!

Now what about if you're pregnant? Well you ARE not only eating for two, but in actuality your body needs to absorb enough nutrients for both of you. Which means it needs to digest your food faster and with more acid.Your body naturally speeds up the food breakdown in your stomach and slows down the digestion process through your intestines so you can absorb enough nutrients. So if you're pregnant you could in fact be producing excess acid in your stomach which can be causing heartburn, however its also likely that the pH of that acid may not be low enough to help digest food fast enough. Plus baby is probably pushing your stomach upward and causing some of that excess acid to move upward in the esophagus and add to that the hormone changes going on in your body that cause smooth muscle (like the sphincter at the top of your stomach) to relax and you're almost guaranteed to experience heartburn at one point or another during your pregnancy. 

So what healthy habits can you adopt to help with your heartburn or GERD?

1. Eat smaller meals throughout the day as this can lessen the amount of food you need to digest at once.
2. Chew your food thoroughly so its easier for you to digest.
3. Avoid foods and drinks that trigger heartburn.
4. Boost your stomach acid pH with herbs and supplements. Cinnamon and ginger are great for helping to stimulate your digestion, however if you've had this problem for awhile talk to a health professional about supplements such as Gastro-Aid
5. Take a probiotic to help boost the "good" bacteria in your gut so that your food can be digested easier. Here's a great product that has a number of different bacteria strains normally found in your gut called Ultrabiotic and here's a specific product geared for kids that has different strains specifically found in your children's gut Pedia-biotic.