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B-12 Vitamins

Improve your Digestive Health
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Digestive complaints are among the most common reasons for doctor visits. And, among the top-selling medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are remedies for digestive disorders such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS. Why do we have such an abundance of digestive problems these days? What can you do if you are plagued with poor digestive health?

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Different people, different needs
First, we need to recognize that we are all different. Also, we need to look for the ways that we are alike. This is crucial in discovering why you may be experiencing indigestion.

We are different in that every person on the planet has different fingerprints. Even genetically identical twins have different fingerprints. So, the lifestyle that works for one person may not work for another. Even the lifestyle that promotes health for you at age 30 may be damaging to your health at 50. To drill down even further, the foods that satisfy you in the winter may disturb your digestion in the summer.

Do not try to squeeze yourself into a one-size-fits-all plan. Instead, be curious about how your body responds in different situations and learn to listen when it speaks to you.

Humans are similar in many ways. The human diet may vary widely, but the essential ingredients of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and water are universally required for human health. Some have suggested that the best diet derives 40 percent of the total calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein and 30 percent from fats. Other experts recommend a different distribution of nutrients based on specific needs. It may take some trial and error to find out how your specific needs are similar to others and how they are different.

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Specific diets
Proper food combining is one approach to easing digestive upsets. Although not everyone responds well to this approach, many people with IBS and GERD do. Eating according to your blood type is another approach. Again, not all people respond well to this approach but many people with IBS and GERD do. I say many because even within these groups there are individual adjustments needed depending on the seasons of peoples lives.

Here are several other diet approaches that may help your digestive health

Weed, seed and feed

We need to weed out the foods that bother us. Another similarity between people with GERD and IBS is in the way their nerves energize their digestive tracts. Nerves carry information back to our brain. Areas such as our fingertips are more sensitive because they have a greater concentration of nerves. People with IBS and GERD often have many more nerves in their digestive tissues than those who do not have these disorders. This makes it even more important to reduce irritating foods to prevent the discomfort of information overload. To identify the foods that bother you, keep a detailed food diary and make small modifications, tracking any reactions and adjusting your diet accordingly.

We need to seed the digestive tract with B-12 to grow healthy stomach and intestine cells. We have found that people with digestive troubles always seem to take Vitamin B-12, and now we know why. Poor digestion limits the amount of B-12 you can break down. Low levels of B-12 lead to increased levels of homocysteine in the digestive tract, even when blood levels of homocysteine are normal! Homocysteine is an inflammatory protein that causes extreme irritation to delicate digestive tissues. Reducing inflammation and irritation allows for a healing environment in your digestive system. Vitamin B-12 helps this process.

Feed your internal environment with pre-biotics and pro-biotics. The human digestive tract contains over 300 species of bacteria. They serve as part of our immune system and also help to ferment and break down certain nutrients. We need to support our digestive bacteria with pre-biotics and pro-biotics. These are specific nutrients that feed good bacteria, without feeding bad microbes.

You need to feed the good microbes and help them flourish. This will improve digestion, reduce inflammation and improve your immune system. Every good farmer knows that the health of the soil determines the health of the crop. And, good crops resist bad bugs.

Complex problems
There is no cure for many digestive difficulties. Often, GERD and IBS fall into the no known cure category. That may be because these functional maladies are normal responses to abnormal environments. Develop an environment that soothes your digestive tract instead of irritating it. Find out what your system prefers. Cultivate respect for what makes you different and learn to listen to your body.

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Take Control of Your Health

Select fats that do not irritate your system
Choose foods high in soluble fiber including plenty of fruits and vegetables
Combine starches and proteins in a way that works for you
Be sure to drink plenty of water every day.

To calculate your daily water needs, use the simple formula below. Cold water may irritate your stomach so try to drink water that is room temperature.

Example. A 150-pound person would need to drink about 75 ounces of water per day. 150 divided by 2 equals 75 ounces

Breathe deeply for at least 20 minutes every day to help relax
Take B-12 at least once daily
Take pre-biotics and pro-biotics to help with digestive health

Take the Wellness Challenge.