How long does it take to digest and absorb various foods. How to improve digestion with folk remedies How to help the body digest food
The diet and its quality play an important role. There are foods to improve digestion, but we often recklessly give preference to fast food, which, unfortunately, leads to atrophy of important functions of the digestive system. In addition, fast foods, instant foods, sugary carbonated drinks, chemical additives lead to thinning of the intestinal walls and the ingestion of harmful substances into the blood, accompanied by symptoms of intoxication such as loss of energy, headache, irritability, etc., i.e. ... worsen the quality of life and our health.
In addition, there are many other causes of digestive disorders, such as low fluid intake during the day, lack of movement, stress, certain diseases (low blood pressure, diabetes, etc.), side effects of drugs, etc.
How to reduce the burden on the body during the consumption and digestion of food? What foods are good for digestion, and which should be avoided or limited to their use? These questions have long worried dietitians. Having studied this topic thoroughly, they came to the conclusion that not all products are equally useful for the body, some of them improve the functioning of the digestive system, while others, on the contrary, inhibit it.
Light and heavy food
Substances that inhibit the work of the stomach and intestines include heavy foods for digestion, a feature of which is high calorie content and difficulty in digestion. Such products include high-grade flour products, meat and meat products, semi-finished products, sweets, pies and cookies, fatty dairy products. Some vegetables, fruits and berries can be attributed to heavy foods: potatoes, corn, bananas, avocados, grapes. Nuts are considered heavy because of their calorie content.
Light foods for digestion, on the contrary, are characterized by a reduced number of calories and ease of absorption. This is mainly the majority of vegetables, fruits and berries, as well as some types of meat (lean meat of turkey, chicken, quail, veal), low-fat dairy products, etc.
But in order to divide products into 2 types, it is necessary to take into account not only the chemical composition, but also the method of preparing the products. The same product can be light when cooked or baked and heavy when fried. For example, a soft-boiled egg has a low calorie content and is much easier to digest than scrambled eggs.
In addition, it is important to consider the combination of foods when eating. For example, a cutlet or milk without bread is digested easier and faster than with it, and even more so with a bun, as in fast foods.
10 staple foods for digestion
And yet, it cannot be said with certainty that light foods are foods for improving digestion, and heavy ones are not. It's not about calories, but about the presence and quantity of the main assistant of the digestive tract - fiber in the product. It is fiber that mainly contributes to the rapid and complete assimilation of food and, in particular, nutrients.
Nutritionists identify 10 main foods that aid digestion:
- Bran and wholemeal flour products.
In terms of their prevalence and availability, they rank first among foods to improve digestion. A significant amount of fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals, make whole grain bread an invaluable aid to the digestive system. The most useful is rye bread, which is often included in diets to normalize digestion.
- Cereals.
Preference should be given to whole grains, which contain more vitamins and nutrients. Alternatively, you can use flakes. The most common and healthy breakfast option is oatmeal made from cereal with fruit. A worthy replacement is cereal flakes, also rich in fiber and vitamins.
But the most useful product for the health of the digestive system is sprouted wheat, as a source of youth and renewal of the whole organism.
- Legumes.
Beans, lentils, peas, beans are not only rich sources of dietary fiber, but also valuable suppliers of minerals necessary for our body, such as zinc, iron, calcium, etc.
- Nuts and seeds.
Despite their high calorie content, they are indispensable providers of fiber, unsaturated fat and nutrients. The optimal consumption rate is 100 g per day.
- Pear.
The well-known sweet and tasty fruit gives not only pleasure, but also great benefits, thanks to the significant amount of fiber and vitamins in ripe fruits. It not only promotes the digestion of food, but also has a strengthening effect, which equates it with drugs for bowel disorders in the form of diarrhea. The pear is also useful for the pancreas, facilitating its work. The sugar in this amazing fruit is in the form of fructose, which does not require insulin produced by the pancreas for its absorption.
- Avocado.
An exotic fruit, generous in dietary fiber. A typical fruit contains approximately 12 grams of fiber, which helps normalize digestion. Jam or mashed avocado improves the microflora and intestinal function, which is an excellent prevention of constipation.
- Flax-seed.
This inexpensive product has many beneficial properties. It contains two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble in sufficient quantities. Flaxseed oil is an excellent laxative, and the seeds themselves and their products can lower blood cholesterol levels. Seeds are also useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the large amount of mucus released when it enters the body, flaxseed protects the walls of the esophagus and stomach from irritating factors, prevents the absorption of toxic substances. Flaxseed helps to remove undigested food debris and waste products, which can improve constipation or obesity.
- Berries.
Blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries and raspberries are also famous for their good fiber content: 2.5 g and up. These are delicious and healthy foods for improving digestion.
- Dried fruits.
Dried apricots, prunes, raisins, figs, dates, dried apricots, etc. have a beneficial effect on the intestines. They are recommended to be taken between meals.
- Green vegetables.
Leafy vegetables are not only a valuable source of insoluble dietary fiber, they provide the body with vitamins and minerals. But it's not just leafy vegetables that are rich in fiber. Beets, many types of cabbage, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini, asparagus, carrots, celery are in no way inferior to their fellows.
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Digestive products for constipation
Very often, digestive problems are accompanied by such an unpleasant symptom as constipation. Difficulty with defecation not only causes discomfort, but also causes irreparable harm to our body. Stagnant feces contribute to the stretching of the large intestine, and it, in turn, squeezes other organs, which negatively affects their activity.
Harmful substances from feces (slags) enter the bloodstream, poisoning the entire body. This leads to intense work of the liver, kidneys, lungs, glands and skin - the secondary organs of excretion. Working in an enhanced mode, they wear out quickly, immunity decreases and many different diseases arise, ranging from the simplest allergic reactions to dangerous oncological and cardiovascular diseases.
We conclude: you need to fight constipation in order to protect your body. But how to do that? First, change your lifestyle from sedentary to active. Next, reconsider your attitude to nutrition, giving preference to foods to improve digestion. These foods are high in fiber, which helps to digest food quickly and remove processed foods from the body.
Prefer raw vegetables and fruits. In this regard, vegetables such as white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach are very useful. For some stomach ailments, eating raw vegetables is undesirable. In this case, you can use sauerkraut and carrots. Cauliflower, spinach and beets are useful raw, baked and boiled, the main thing is not to subject them to a long heat treatment.
From fruits it is better to choose apples, avocado, peach, tangerines, grapes, banana. In this situation, pears are best consumed with the skin.
Of dried fruits, prunes, as well as raisins and dried apricots, have a fairly strong laxative effect.
Many fruit and vegetable juices have a laxative effect for constipation: apple, plum and grape juices, juice from asparagus, potatoes, cabbage, and a drink from prunes.
Include flaxseeds in your diet. Ground flax seeds with milk is an excellent remedy for constipation.
Limit your consumption of white bread, preferring products made from wholemeal flour or bran loaves. Include bran products in your diet, which are now available in almost all stores. But keep in mind that eating high amounts of fiber requires increasing your water intake. In any case, water consumption should be at least 2.5 liters per day.
Forget snacks and dry food. Soups, borscht, weak meat and vegetable broths are suitable food for you with constipation. Avoid fast foods and fast food, which only complicate the situation.
Do not get carried away with medications for constipation. Foods to improve digestion contribute to the active work of the intestines to remove feces from the body, and medicines simply do this work for it, which leads to addiction. Subsequently, the body simply cannot do this work on its own.
If during or after meals you feel a heaviness in your stomach or you already have stomach and pancreatic problems, include in your diet foods that contain digestive enzymes. This will help fast and high-quality food processing and assimilation of nutrients contained in it, improve intestinal microflora, strengthen immunity, remove toxins and free radicals that violate human DNA, which leads to genetic disorders and the occurrence of cancer.
So what foods will help our digestive system easily cope with a heavy load?
- Fermented milk products: kefir and yogurt.
- Sauerkraut in its own juice.
- Live kvass (you can easily make it yourself on the basis of rye bread).
- Apple cider vinegar (add it to salads, marinades, sauces).
- Kombucha (consumed as a drink).
- Sprouted wheat in the form of cereals.
- Exotic fruits: papaya, pineapple, avocado, bananas, mango.
- Various nuts, sesame seeds, soy.
- Garlic, horseradish.
- Lingonberry.
- Beef tripe.
- Malt.
- Cottonseed oil.
- Soy sauce.
As you can see, it is quite within our power to help your body. Digestive problems often occur during the holidays with an abundance of fatty and heavy foods. Do not forget to include the above products in the menu and the problem will be solved. If you suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, then foods for improving digestion, containing enzymes, should constantly be present on your table.
And finally, let's dwell on a moment that will interest people who are overweight, and women who always strive to be slim and beautiful.
There are 3 main ways to deal with excess weight:
- With the help of physical activity.
- Through strict or gentle diets.
- Natural way assisted by appropriate food.
Let's dwell on the last method. Nutritionists recommend that you regulate your weight by eating foods to speed up digestion. It is not only tasty, but also useful, as it does not create additional stress on the body. These foods improve metabolism and help burn fat, helping you lose weight and rejuvenate your entire body.
Foods to improve digestion for weight management:
- Fermented milk products: yogurt, low-fat kefir, yogurt.
- Drinks: coffee, quality green tea.
- Almond nuts.
- Turkey meat.
- Fruits, especially grapefruit, apples, kiwi, lemon.
- Spinach.
- Beans.
- Broccoli.
- Spices and condiments: ginger, curry, cinnamon, black pepper, bay leaf, turmeric, nutmeg.
- Soy milk.
- Oat flakes, bran.
It turns out that for a healthy diet and maintaining the body in a norm, it is enough to eat the healthy foods we are used to and give up harmful and heavy foods. Then medications will not be needed.
Eat right, eat foods to improve digestion, and you can avoid many health problems.
According to experts, if we do not take into account the time allotted for the digestion of food, then we will shorten our life and earn chronic diseases, because in fact, we carry rotting food in us.
There are a few things to consider to help your stomach digest food:
1. You can not fill the stomach with foods that require a different amount of time for digestion, thus, we subject it to additional stress. For example, a potato takes an hour to digest, and a pork and potato dish takes five hours.
3. If you add oil to the salad, then the processing time is doubled. This happens due to the enveloping of the gastric mucosa, as well as due to the impossibility of processing food with enzymes and gastric juice.
4. If the stomach contains undigested food, then you cannot drink any liquid, this complicates the assimilation of food, the load on the gastrointestinal tract increases significantly, the gastric juice is diluted. Along with the liquid, undigested foods that have not had time to digest enter the stomach, the process of decay and fermentation starts. It is worth drinking water on an empty stomach, as it immediately enters the intestines.
5. Thorough chewing of food through enzymes and grinding helps to speed up the digestion process.
6. If in the process of digestion heartburn suffers, it is enough to take
7. Protein food should be consumed exclusively in a warm state, so it will be digested in a couple of hours.
8. The fastest is the digestion of cold food, but this does not apply to proteins. They enter the small intestine immediately, causing the bacteria found in meat products to proliferate, causing gas, constipation and bloating.
You difficulty digesting food? Is your digestion difficult and slow? Explore the causes (diseases and bad habits), remedies and what to do to relieve symptoms when they occur.
First of all, calm down, digestive problems are a very common disorder: suffice it to say that in Russia 20-30% of visits to a doctor are due to difficulties in digesting food!
In most cases, simple advice, such as improving your lifestyle or limiting certain foods and drinks, is enough to eliminate digestive disorders; but in other cases, digestive difficulties may obscure gastrointestinal or even extraintestinal disease.
The main causes of slow and heavy digestion
Digestive disorders such as heartburn, acidity and heaviness are very common these days in the Western world, and are mainly the result of lifestyle and diseases such as intolerance to any food or medicine.
Let's take a closer look at them.
Bad habits that slow down digestion
Analyzing the points listed above, it is obvious that the main causes of slow digestion are derived from personal habits, roughly speaking, the wrong lifestyle. Let's see what aspects negatively affect the digestive system.
Skipping meals or eating a large portion at a time puts the gastrointestinal tract under extreme stress, and given that digestion is much slower and more laborious than usual.
Also fried foods significantly extend the digestion time, especially those that are 100% saturated with oil.
Alcohol is an important factor that delays gastric emptying (effect depends on the dose: the more, the longer it takes to empty the stomach).
Cigarette smoke also slows down the secretion of acid in the stomach.
In addition, a sedentary manner may increase the time for gastric emptying and passage through the intestinal tract.
Difficult to digest foods
Often, those who follow a healthy lifestyle may complain of digestive disorders associated with the consumption of certain foods or medications:
- All starchy foods: You may have difficulty digesting pizzas, breads, and cakes made with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast or brewer's yeast. The cause may be yeast intolerance. Often times, certain sources of high glycemic carbohydrates, such as pasta or rice, can also slow digestion, especially when combined with foods that are high in fat: in these cases, eating whole grains and keeping your sugar in check is recommended. in blood .
- Milk: People who are lactose or milk protein intolerant often experience bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea after consuming cow's milk. You may suspect an intolerance when a digestive disorder is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and constipation. The solution may be to use vegetable drinks such as soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk.
- Meat: It is difficult for all people to digest, especially fatty meats (veal, lamb and pork). The fats contained in it impede digestion, increase the time for stomach emptying.
- A fish: As with meat, some types of fish can cause poor digestion. Risk areas include eel, mackerel, salmon and tuna.
- Onion and garlic: They weaken the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that separates the esophagus and stomach. Their use should be avoided in case of reflux and dyspepsia.
- Spice: in particular mint and pepper, which increase the burning sensation and acidity.
- Cabbage and tomatoes: Vegetables in general, being rich in fiber, accelerate gastric emptying and therefore do not cause digestive problems. Only a few, particularly crucifers (kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and turnips), can cause gas and bloating. Some people also complain of intolerance to tomatoes, the use of which is accompanied by hives, nausea, and fluid retention.
Medication and digestive disorders
Some medications can cause digestive upset, but they tend to appear with long-term treatment:
- Potassium saltsare suitable for the treatment of hypertension, dehydration and potassium deficiency. High doses of potassium salts can cause ulcers, indigestion and nausea.
- Alendronatesused to treat osteoporosis can cause esophageal ulcers, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.
- Antibiotics cause fermentation in the intestines and bloating because they kill the intestinal flora.
- Digitalis, used for heart disease, often causes lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin - one of the most common causes of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, because they reduce the protective force of the gastric mucosa and increase the secretion of acidic substances.
Psychological factors - how anxiety and depression affect digestion
Scientists have found a close connection between digestive disorders and anxiety in people that evokes somatic emotions. Stress and emotional stress can be the cause of digestive difficulties, as in the case of hysterical dyspepsia, but the mechanisms are still little known.
Hormonal changes: pregnancy, cycle and menopause
The hormonal changes that underlie menstrual cycles can interfere with digestive processes: An imbalance between estrogen and progesterone causes excessive bowel movement, which often leads to episodes of constipation, diarrhea, and digestive difficulties.
Hormonal changes, along with intense stress levels, are responsible for poor digestion during menopause and pregnancy.
In particular, during pregnancy, the level of progesterone increases, which has a relaxing effect on the muscles and, accordingly, loss of tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. This facilitates the ascent of gastric contents into the esophagus. In addition, the intestinal muscles do not contract strongly enough, the contents of the intestines move slowly and constipation appears.
Difficulty digesting food appear at the beginning of pregnancy, but the situation worsens from the fourth month, when the belly begins to grow and the fetus presses on the stomach and intestines. There are very few remedies for digestive difficulties during pregnancy, since such medicines, due to their high calcium content, cannot be used by pregnant women.
Diseases and symptoms associated with poor digestion
Digestive disorders occur more often after eating and are often associated with banal gluttony.
But, sometimes the same symptoms can be associated with problems of the esophagus, stomach, liver and biliary tract, for example, if they occur in old age digestive disorders half an hour after a meal, one can suspect "intestinal ischemia".
In contrast, a duodenal ulcer gives symptoms directly with food intake, and nausea before eating may indicate hepatobiliary dysfunction. Poor digestion is often associated with a heavy meal after fasting all day.
Often, discomfort occurs regardless of food intake, for example, during sleep: in the case of people suffering from reflux disease. In this case, it may be helpful to raise the headboard by 10 cm.
Below we explain what diseases can cause digestive problems, and what symptoms they manifest.
Diseases of the stomach
| Reflux disease, hiatal hernia | The reason is the rise of stomach contents into the esophagus. This is due to a decrease in the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. | Excess acidity, bitterness in the mouth, halitosis, pain and burning in the stomach, insomnia, high blood pressure and tachycardia. |
| Ulcer | Caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which destroys the gastroduodenal mucosa, making the stomach walls susceptible to the action of gastric juice | Heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen. |
Bowel disease
| Irritable bowel syndrome (called ulcerative colitis) | It has been suggested that the cause of this condition is an imbalance in the intestinal flora, but it is not yet clear how it can cause digestive disorders | Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, flank pain |
| Celiac disease | Reduces the function of absorbing sugar and nutrients; nutrients are not absorbed, remain in the intestinal lumen, clog and form gas | Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea |
Diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tract
Extraintestinal diseases
Digestive disorders can also cause diseases outside the gastrointestinal tract, such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, inflammation of the adrenal glands and blood vessels, heart and kidney failure.
In all these cases, intestinal transit slows down, bloating and constipation develops, because the action of the autonomic nervous system (the part of the nervous system responsible for intestinal motility) decreases.
Dyspepsia - diagnosis of exclusion
If the symptoms are persistent or intermittent, persist for at least 3 months, then we can talk about functional dyspepsia. This is a diagnosis of exclusion, that is, they talk about it when the doctor excludes all the others. causes of indigestion.
Dyspepsia symptoms: feeling of heaviness after eating, nausea, vomiting, frequent belching, drowsiness.
Effects of slow digestion - constipation and bloating
Complications of delayed digestion differ depending on the reasons that caused it. If stomach disorders such as ulcers or reflux disease are the underlying cause of indigestion, then delayed gastric emptying leads to increased secretion of gastric acid. In case of mucosal ulceration, prolonged exposure to food in the stomach can lead to perforation of the stomach wall with bleeding.
Slow digestion in the intestine suggests a slowdown in peristalsis and, consequently, the development of constipation. If digestive waste remains in the intestines for a long time, then they mechanically irritate the intestinal walls and cause them to swell.
Slow Digestion Causes Obesity
According to some experts, delayed digestion can lead to weight gain: mainly due to constipation and water retention, and not due to the accumulation of body fat.
However, this question is not so unambiguous, because all the foods that we eat are well digested and absorbed from the intestines, regardless of the length of the journey, and with slow digestion, we absorb the same amount of calories as during normal digestion. Rather, the opposite situation may take place - when the stomach remains full for a long time due to slow digestion, the brain does not receive the stimulus of hunger, therefore, as a rule, such people eat less and lose weight.
Effective remedies for digestive problems
Slow and prolonged digestion of food can be, as we have seen, a consequence of a disease of the stomach, intestines or, in some cases, it can have an extraintestinal cause, but it can also be a consequence of improper food intake.
The first digestive aid - this is leading a healthy lifestyle in food. Eat slowly, chew properly, reduce stress, exercise more - in most cases, following these recommendations will solve all your digestive problems.
Herbs can also be added to tea or chewable tablets can be used to stimulate bowel function and digestion. These remedies are most effective for functional disorders.
If digestive difficulties persist, it is necessary to consult a doctor and do research to find out the causes of intestinal disorders.
What to eat and what foods to avoid - dietary rules
What to include in the diet to help slow digestion? Basically, you can eat anything that doesn't cause bloating and heartburn, as long as your meals are too heavy and high in protein and lipids.
Other helpful tips:
- Eat a balanced diet, in which the nutrients will be divided equally between all meals so as not to burden digestion.
- With exacerbation of digestive disordersIt may be helpful to reduce the main meals and include two mid-afternoon and afternoon snacks so that the workload is more evenly distributed in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Avoid foodsdifficult to digest, such as fried and fatty meats, the aforementioned types of fish, fats that slow down the emptying of the stomach and cause a feeling of heaviness.
- Avoid flour, milk and dairy products, in case of intolerance to these products.
- When digestive problems due to reflux it can be useful to eliminate garlic, onions, spicy foods from the diet.
- If you suffer from bloating, avoid cruciferous vegetables.
- Abstain from alcohol to speed up gastric emptying and from smokingto reduce burning and acidity.
- Maintain the correct weight - this reduces pressure on the abdomen, especially when you are sleeping, so you can reduce episodes of gastric reflux into the esophagus.
Strategy - food diary
To find out which food is causing digestive problems, you need to learn to recognize the signals our body sends. In this light, it is useful to keep a food diary in the following form:
By completing this chart every day for a week, it will be easier for you to understand which foods are causing digestive problems, including when they are consumed.
Natural remedies - herbal teas and tablets.
To improve digestion, we can use natural herbs in the form of teas or chewable tablets, which should be taken two or three times a day before meals.
Herbs that help us digest food better.
Diarrhea is replaced by constipation? Does heartburn and bloating appear after every meal? Symptoms indicate bowel or stomach problems. Constant stress and snacks on the go, a sedentary lifestyle and medication weaken the digestive organs and impair their function. To get rid of drowsiness, headaches and problem skin, you will have to give up your usual lifestyle and start restoring intestinal and stomach motility.
Bad habits
The main enemy of poor digestion is fast food. Sausage sandwiches and hot dogs are high in fat and low in fiber. Fast food clogs the intestines, slowing down digestion. Stuck food begins to rot and ferment, causing bloating and constipation.
Chips, cakes, fried, smoked and pickled foods are consumed in limited quantities or completely excluded from the diet. A minimum of sugar and chocolate, mayonnaise and margarine. More fiber, complex carbohydrates, and the right protein.
To drink or not to drink
Water is good for bowel function. It is recommended to drink up to 2 liters of liquid per day, but only in between meals. Do not mix food and sugary or carbonated drinks. Do not drink sandwiches with mineral water or compote.
Any liquid, even still water or unsweetened herbal decoction, dilutes gastric juices. The amount of enzymes capable of digesting food decreases, and it enters the intestines "raw". The breakdown of eaten food into nutrients and waste is slowed down, gases are formed, and either diarrhea or constipation begins.
Water should be drunk 40 minutes before breakfast or dinner and 1.5-2 hours after. Then the work of the digestive organs and the condition of the skin will improve, energy will appear, and fatigue will disappear.
Enjoy food
You can't satisfy your hunger on the go by swallowing huge chunks of an unchewed sandwich or apple. Teeth are given to humans to grind foods to make it easier for the stomach to digest food. Insufficiently processed food slows down digestion and injures the walls of the stomach and intestines. Each spoonful of porridge or piece of meat should be chewed at least 40 times so that the food becomes liquid and mixes with saliva.
At least 10-15 minutes should be allocated for lunch and dinner, when you can not rush anywhere. It is advisable not to read books, not talk or be distracted by the computer while eating, but simply enjoy the process of absorbing food.
Overeating and nighttime snacks
Dinner is not prohibited after 6pm. Fasting harms the stomach as much as overeating. But the last portion of food should be consumed 3-4 hours before going to bed, so as not to suffer from heaviness and nausea in the morning.
The work of the stomach and intestines is disrupted due to systematic overeating. It doesn't matter how healthy the foods are. When there is a lot of food, the body does not have time to release enough hydrochloric acid and bile to digest it. You should reduce the portion sizes, and in order not to feel constant hunger, snack not three, but five or six times a day.
Bad habits
Cigarettes, like alcoholic beverages, contain chemicals that irritate the stomach lining and increase acidity. Alcohol and nicotine cause nausea, impair appetite, and interfere with the absorption of nutrients from food.
Only enzyme preparations, like Mezim, are more dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol. The pill removes the severity caused by overeating and bloating, but uncontrolled medication contributes to the development of lazy bowel syndrome. When drugs do the work of the digestive organs, the latter "relax" and stop producing secrets for the breakdown of food.
Important: Tablets are beneficial, but only a gastroenterologist should prescribe any medications. The consequences of abuse of enzyme preparations have to be treated for years or a lifetime.
Top 7 healthy foods
Intestinal motility will be triggered by water and light foods rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Instead of fried meat and sandwiches with butter, large quantities of fruits, cereals and dietary meat are recommended. Vegetables and fish, fermented milk drinks are useful: yogurt and yogurt. Digestion returns to normal in a matter of weeks if you enrich your diet with seven unusual and delicious foods.
Beet
Red root vegetable salads are served for breakfast or dinner. Beets are indicated for regular constipation and food stagnation in the intestines. The vegetable is rich in fiber, which absorbs toxins and stimulates the secretion of gastric enzymes. Beets are boiled, served raw, or added to a vegetable stew. Mix with carrots and garlic, season with olive oil.
Papaya
Orange pulp helps digest proteins and regulates acidity levels. Papaya is recommended for frequent heartburn, gastritis and for the prevention of inflammation in the digestive organs. The fruit destroys infections and improves the absorption of beneficial components.
Prunes
Dried fruits are sources of fiber. Figs, dried apricots, raisins and, of course, prunes supply the body with coarse fibers necessary to cleanse the intestines from undigested food residues. And dried plums are a natural laxative that works mildly but effectively.
In the evening, dried fruits are soaked in water, and in the morning they are added to cereals or eaten instead of breakfast.
Peaches
The aromatic fruit contains a lot of soluble fiber and pectins, as well as vitamins. Peaches soothe sore stomach lining and speed up metabolism. Help with constipation and frequent bloating. Fruit is consumed before breakfast to awaken the stomach.
Wheat bran
The supplement contains a lot of coarse fiber. Dietary fibers move the stool to the exit, while simultaneously cleaning particles of undigested food from the intestinal walls. A nutritious and healthy cocktail is prepared from wheat bran and kefir or natural yogurt, which triggers stomach motility and helps to lose weight.
Start with a tablespoon of the supplement, otherwise the fiber will simply clog the intestines. Gradually bring to 3-4 spoons per day and stop. Be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent constipation.
Flaxseeds
A cocktail of flaxseed and natural yogurt colonizes the intestines with beneficial bacteria. This dish contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and oils, which normalize fat metabolism and the work of the gallbladder.
A glass of warm water with lemon juice or honey will start intestinal motility. The drink is taken before breakfast and eaten with oatmeal of a slimy consistency. Protein, which is found in chicken breast, cottage cheese, and sea fish, is responsible for normal digestion.
Sea buckthorn oil helps with ulcers and gastritis, and honey with walnuts normalizes liver function. With frequent diarrhea, a decoction of barley is recommended: steam 50 g of grain in 500 ml of boiling water. Leave the product for 6 hours, and when the dry component swells, put the workpiece on low heat and boil for 10 minutes. Leave the drink for half an hour to cool. Drink 100-150 ml of barley broth three times a day.
Intestinal motility is improved by a remedy made from red wine. You will need:
- aloe - 1 part;
- honey - 2 parts;
- red wine, for example, Cahors - 2 parts.
Grind the aloe, combine with the rest of the ingredients. Beat to make a homogeneous mass, and eat a spoonful of medicine one hour before meals.
Constipation is removed by pumpkin and millet porridge. A little honey is added to the finished dish. Celery infusion will also solve a delicate problem:
- Peel and chop the root of the plant.
- Pour 1-2 tbsp. l. preparation of 1 liter of water.
- Infuse all night, and strain in the morning.
Drink 30-40 ml of herbal medicine per day. Freshly squeezed celery juice is also useful, as well as a decoction from the seeds of the plant.
For problems with digestion, coffee and regular tea are replaced with herbal decoctions. Medicinal drinks are prepared from:
- peppermint;
- fennel;
- lemon balm;
- viburnum bark;
- dill;
- licorice.
Intestinal motility is improved by a special massage, which is done in the morning before breakfast. Stroke your stomach for a few minutes. The hand moves clockwise, you cannot press or rub hard.
- The intestines become sluggish due to lack of movement. Daily morning exercises will wake up the digestive organs and start the metabolism.
- You cannot eat more than two dishes at a time. The mixture of soup, meat and dessert is hard for the stomach to digest, so it stagnates.
- Porridge or sandwich should not be eaten with fruit. They are digested faster but remain in the stomach, causing fermentation and a feeling of heaviness. Apples and oranges are eaten before the main meal or instead of an afternoon snack or lunch.
- Stress also affects bowel function. For some, intense anxiety causes diarrhea or constipation. In order for the digestive organs to work properly, after a busy day at work, you should meditate, do yoga or take a relaxing bath.
Digestion of food is a delicate process that depends on many factors. The stomach and intestines will work without interruption if you eat right, give up bad habits and move a lot. You can normalize peristalsis with folk remedies and optimism. If all the options turned out to be powerless, you should see a gastroenterologist who will find the cause of the failures and propose methods to eliminate it.
Video: 3 Simple Exercises to Improve Digestion
Gone are the times of famine, when people earned their livelihood by hard work, but the habit of people to gorge themselves for the future remained. The need for knowledge of how to quickly digest food in the stomach is becoming essential for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Slow digestion contributes to the occurrence of constipation, provoking inflammatory bowel processes, can serve as a manifestation of serious diseases of the internal organs. Food in the intestines rots for a long time, poisoning the body.
It is difficult to answer definitely the question of how long the stomach digests food. Nutritionists have compiled an extensive table of the dependence of the length of the process on the predominance of vital nutrients. However, the table overlooks many related factors: diet, food preparation method, metabolism, occupation, mental state, age and gender of a person.
For example, if you swallow a fatty piece of fried meat on the go with a glass of orange juice, the gastrointestinal tract will not digest the food received, but will send it straight to the cecum. Cooked meat breaks down faster than fried meat, fatty meat more slowly than lean meat. Meat eaten at breakfast is digested more slowly than lunch.
Taking certain medications, the presence of pathologies or diseases of internal organs significantly affect the speed of food processing, accelerating or slowing down the effect of gastric juice, the overall performance of the gastrointestinal tract.
Types of assistance
There are many ways to help you digest food quickly:
- changes in diet and attitudes towards nutrition
- lifestyle change
- drug
We chew right
Diligent chewing significantly helps to digest food. Long-term presence of food in the oral cavity saturates it with saliva enzymes, which have a beneficial effect on digestion. Grinding food into small pieces increases the surface of contact of the food used with gastric juice many times over, the rate of breakdown and assimilation increases. The loss of teeth, especially molars, leads to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract does not digest food well.
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Water is life
Adequate moisture intake reduces the likelihood of constipation. how the stool softens.
A glass of water taken before lunch stimulates digestion, the production of saliva, and stabilizes the body's water balance. However, drinking fluids while taking should be kept to a minimum. The liquid drunk with food dilutes the gastric juice, impairing the properties of splitting.
Water is of paramount importance for the normal functioning of the body and the digestive organs in particular. When dry foods are consumed, an increased amount of acid is released. Sodium bicarbonate produced in the stomach protects the organ by neutralizing acid in the mucous membrane. The excess salt produced during a chemical reaction changes the mucus structure during dehydration. It becomes heterogeneous, acid hits the walls, causing pain. The constant lack of fluid leads to wall erosion, turning into an ulcer.
Not all milk is good for you
After forty years, the stomach does not digest milk well. Typical manifestations are bloating, diarrhea, or, conversely, difficult bowel movements. You should limit the consumption of the product, replacing fermented milk derivatives - kefir, cottage cheese (preferably low-fat), yogurt, etc. Lactic acid bacteria stimulate the production of saliva and gastric juice, normalize bowel function.
Acting as antagonists of putrefactive bacteria, they suppress their reproduction. You need to know that the use of fermented milk products is contraindicated in patients with pancreatitis, ulcers due to the additional load due to the production of lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria.
We crush and recover
The answer to the question of how to make the stomach serve a person for a long time without causing trouble will help the fragmentation of nutrition - a decrease in portions with an increase in approaches. The volume of food eaten remains the same, the non-overloaded digestive system functions without interruption. The likelihood of constipation with this diet is small. It is recommended to eat at least 4-5 times in reduced portions per day. The food eaten is absorbed faster, while the weight is stabilized.
Fractional nutrition has a beneficial effect on the performance of the transition of the esophagus into the stomach of its duties. The task of the indicated place is to prevent the exit eaten back. Stomach acid, which rushes back together with the remains of the eaten, eats away the walls of the esophagus, causing pain. A constant effect on the transition of an acidic environment generates erosion of the mucosal surface, which, without the necessary treatment, develops into a stenosis or into a chronic ulcer of the esophagus.
Physical education on guard of health
Constant physical education and sports helps to normalize the work of the digestive system. Especially useful are not quick walks, jogging, skiing and skating. It is recommended to conduct training 2-3 hours after lunch or breakfast, when the initial processing of consumed products occurs.
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By speeding up the breakdown of food in the stomach, exercise reduces its presence in the colon. The water of the fecal masses is less absorbed by the body, the feces acquire a plastic consistency and bowel movements are less painful.
We rest properly
Organized rest is essential for the gastrointestinal tract. Sleeping immediately after a hearty meal interferes with the restoration of the digestive system. It is recommended to lie on the left side. The processes in the stomach are more efficient because the pressure on the organ decreases. You should go to bed after a pause of 2-3 hours. In this case, the body gets good rest.
You can't do without enzymes
The gastrointestinal tract processes kilograms of food every day. The problem of how to make the stomach act for the benefit of the whole organism is solved by digestive enzymes. Lack of enzymes leads to functional failures of the gastrointestinal tract, upset the digestive system.
For normalization, medicine offers a diverse range of drugs (Pancreatin, Abomin, Mezim, Somilaza, Acidin-pepsin, Nigedaza), etc. Long-term use of enzymes is possible only under the guidance of a qualified specialist. It is advisable to take drugs in capsules that deliver the active substance to the destination.
Such different problems
The activity of the gastrointestinal tract of people of different age categories has its own characteristics and differences.
Special attention to children
Infants' gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to changes in diet. Loose stools, belching of a part of what has been eaten are frequent occurrences of a baby's life. Parents should pay special attention if the child does not absorb food for a long time. It manifests itself as a bad mood and part of the undigested food in the feces. A sure sign that the baby needs a doctor's examination. A knowledgeable specialist will be able to determine the cause of the infant's digestive upset.
Old age is not a joy
A characteristic feature of old age is the deterioration of the body. General working capacity falls, the stomach in older people functions more slowly due to a decrease in metabolic rate. Despite a decrease in the volume of eaten, constipation and intestinal blockage are common, requiring enemas at least 1 time per week.