Digestive Problems Can Make Us
Sick To The Stomach

by Dr. Brett L. Lukert, DC

This year, we have been taking a "head-to-toe" journey through the body discussing various conditions pertaining to health, wellness and prevention. So far we have described headaches, neck problems, shoulder injuries, nervous system malfunction, and heart attacks. As we continue to work our way down, we come to the midpoint of the body, which is the digestive system.

The digestive system is a long tract or tube called the alimentary canal, which contains and interacts with various digestive organs such as the esophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, and intestines. The digestive tract's main purpose is to extract nutrients and energy from the foods we eat. The digestive system is controlled by the nervous system and when functioning normally, is a very efficient process. However, for various reasons, many children and adults do not have a normal functioning digestive system. Among the most common digestive problems are irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are both inflammatory conditions that affect the digestive tract and can contain symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, skin lesions, weight loss, and delayed growth in children. Ulcerative colitis affects the top layer of the small intestine and colon, whereas Crohn's disease causes inflammation in all layers of the intestinal wall and can affect other areas of the digestive tract besides the intestines. In these conditions, the immune system reacts abnormally to food and bacteria in the digestive tract, but it is not known for sure why this occurs.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is much more common and affects approximately 20 percent of the population. Symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. With IBS, the colon is particularly sensitive to certain foods and stress. Although its symptoms do include abdominal pain and diarrhea, it is different from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease because it does not involve bleeding or weight loss. IBS is also more stress-related, causes less harm to the intestines, and is generally more responsive to dietary changes than the other two.

Dietary tips for people with IBS include

1.  Decreasing wheat, rye, barley, chocolate, dairy products, alcohol, and caffeine.
2.  Eating more fiber (whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables).
3.  Reducing stress (regular exercise, yoga, and adequate sleep).
4.  Drinking more water and less carbonated beverages.
5.  Eating smaller meals with "safer" foods such as apples, bananas, carrots, broccoli, lean meat, fish, low fat foods, oatmeal, brown rice, etc.

Preventing digestive problems is not always possible, but we can give our bodies a much better chance by eating the right kinds of foods, minimizing stress and keeping our nervous systems healthy. Doing these things will help us be healthy, live healthy and stay healthy!