Tools to Support Digestive Function

Many patients come to my office complaining of chronic digestive symptoms such as, bloating, reflux, constipation, chronic diarrhea, and hemorrhoids. Our digestive system has many important functions including nutrient absorption, protecting you from infection, and detoxification.

Your intestinal lining is continuously being repaired and rebuilt. Digestive issues can lead to other downstream problems in your body, so supporting your digestion is good first step when working on allergies, hormone imbalance, and skin conditions. Here are some tools I recommend that can help improve digestive symptoms and underlying gut function.

Probiotics and Probiotic foods

Why flax is a superfood for your health

We also need prebiotics in order to maintain a healthy microbiome. Prebiotics are the undigestible portions of food that feed your healthy gut flora. Shifting to a more plant based diet naturally high in fiber ensures the probiotics you are incorporating can flourish. In addition, cutting out excessive refined sugar, carbohydrates, and processed foods will decrease the unhealthy strains of bacteria that often overgrow after antibiotics.

Supplements that can support digestive function

You should try digestive enzymes if you have bloating after meals, gas, reflux, or undigested food in the stool. Some patents use apple cider vinegar which boots stomach acid and improves digestive secretions. Try one to two tablespoons in water at the beginning of a meal. Digestive enzymes are a supplement that helps break down fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They should always be taken with food, especially with meals that you notice cause digestive distress.

Another tool that can be helpful for repairing the lining of the gut, especially in cases of suspected “leaky gut syndrome” is L-Glutamine.

Zinc can also be used to heal gastric inflammation and improve leaky gut symptoms, such as chronic unexplained rashes, hives, and food allergies. Check the supplement recommendation page to learn more about zinc.

Having issues with constipation? Magnesium citrate can be very helpful. You should take up to 500mg before bed for improved sleep quality and gentle laxative properties.

Oregano oil capsules have natural anti fungal and antibiotic properties.  They can be taken to help for a natural treatment for systemic yeast overgrowth or SIBO (small intestinal bowel overgrowth) and I find they can be really helpful in patients with long standing gas and bloating especially in patients who have had many courses of antibiotics over their lifetimes.  

You can try this brand- take one capsule at bedtime; for 4-6 weeks and the course can be repeated if the symptoms recur.