It’s easy to assume that trouble-free digestion is as simple as filling your diet with the right foods in the right amounts and chewing thoroughly. But what if, no matter what you eat, your gut still seems to be saddled with the same embarrassing problems: gas, indigestion, bloating and nagging discomfort that just won’t go away?
The truth is that there’s a lot more to efficient, trouble-free digestion than healthy eating habits-and what happens in your digestive tract once the food gets there is just as important as proper nutrition.
Processed foods are notoriously depleted in natural, essential nutrients and other beneficial substances-but because it’s difficult to avoid processed foods all the time, furnishing your body with a little extra help in order to complement your food with optimal amounts of nutrients is critical. To maximize your body’s digestive process, consider supplementing daily with VRP’s comprehensive blend of Digestive Enzymes-including amylase, lactase, lipase, cellulase and neutral protease, which aid your body in breaking down starch, milk sugar, fats, plant matter and protein, respectively.1-2
Don’t forget, however, that ensuring proper digestion isn’t your only concern. Reinforcing the strength of your intestinal lining is equally essential-because if your gut’s protective barrier becomes weak, your health will eventually suffer some serious consequences.
This condition is known as "leaky gut"-triggered by persistent irritation in the intestinal lining, which causes a loosening of the tightly sealed spaces between the cells of your intestines. As a consequence, larger molecules-in the form of toxins and incompletely digested food particles-can make their way into your bloodstream, where your immune system will identify them as invaders. This can cause even more damage to your intestinal lining, which will ultimately allow even more rogue intestinal toxins to get into your system and wreak havoc with your health.
The symptoms of "leaky gut" vary depending on the relative strength or weakness of your intestinal lining’s integrity-but a few of the most common symptoms include abdominal pain, anxiety, joint and muscle pain, brain fog, compromised immunity, greater susceptibility to infections and a vast array of digestive symptoms, from constipation and diarrhea to bloating.
Fortunately, you can increase the strength of your digestive system with the right blend of supportive compounds. L-glutamine, for example, can help to reinforce your intestinal structure and nourish the cells in your colon.3-4 Likewise, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has similar properties to carbenoxolone, a semi-synthetic compound used for combating gastric and duodenal ulcers.5-6
Meanwhile, deficiencies of n-acetyl glucosamine are common in cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can reduce the protective ability of your gut’s mucosal lining.7 That’s why supplementing with this nutrient-along with soothing and supportive botanicals such as marshmallow, berberine, cabbage, slippery elm, phosphatidylcholine and gamma oryzanol-is essential for long-lasting digestive and total-body health.8-16
Look for all of these key ingredients as part of a single daily digestive formula called GI Cell Support, available now from Vitamin Research Products.
References:
1. Omogbenigun FO, Nyachoti CM, Slominski BA. Dietary supplementation with multienzyme preparations improves nutrient utilization and growth performance in weaned pigs. J Anim Sci. 2004 Apr;82(4):1053-61.
2. He M, Yang Y, Bian L, Cui H. [Effect of exogenous lactase on the absorption of lactose and its intolerance symptoms] [Article in Chinese]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 1999 Sep 30;28(5):309-11.
3. Sacks GS. Glutamine supplementation in catabolic patients. Ann Pharmacother. 1999;33:348-54.
4. Miller AL. Therapeutic considerations of L-glutamine: a review of the literature. Altern Med Rev. 1999;4:239-48.
5. van Marle J, Aarsen PN, Lind A, van Weeren-Kramer J. Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) and the renewal of rat stomach epithelium. Eur J Pharmacol. 1981;72:219-25.
6. Tewari SN, Wilson AK. Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice in duodenal ulcer. Practitioner. 1973;210:820-3.
7. Burton AF, Anderson FH. Decreased incorporation of 14C-glucosamine relative to 3H-N-acetyl glucosamine in the intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 1983;78:19-22.
8. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
9. Martindale W. Martindale the Extra Pharmacopoeia. Pharmaceutical Press, 1999.
10. Amin AH, Subbaiah TV, Abbasi KM. Berberine sulfate: antimicrobial activity, bioassay, and mode of action. Can J Microbiol. 1969;15:1067-76.
11. Sun D, Courtney HS, Beachey EH. Berberine sulfate blocks adherence of Streptococcus pyogenes to epithelial cells, fibronectin, and hexadecane. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1988;32:1370-4.
12. van Poppel G, Verhoeven DT, Verhagen H, Goldbohm RA. Brassica vegetables and cancer prevention. Epidemiology and mechanisms. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1999;472:159-68.
13. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
14. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
15. Stremmel W, Ehehalt R, Autschbach F, Karner M. Phosphatidylcholine for steroid-refractory chronic ulcerative colitis: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Nov 6;147(9):603-10.
16. Seetharamaiah GS, Chandrasekhara N. Effect of oryzanol on cholesterol absorption and biliary and fecal bile acids in rats. Indian J Med Res. 1990;92:471-5.