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When we speak of slow or blocked digestion (excluding cases of a problem such as gastroenteritis or an extraordinary event such as a holiday or a move, which can cause intestinal disorders), we often speak of chronic constipation and gastric or intestinal disorders. Fewer bowel movements and the associated discomfort characterize slow digestion.
Do you also suffer from these discomforts? Discover the top reasons why our digestive system slows down! If you want to work on your diet, you can also add cannabis seeds, CBD oil, and even CBD weed to your dishes (the buds that grow from a hemp plant).
The causes of slow digestion
There can be several reasons for slow digestion, and symptoms can be accentuated when more than one of these conditions exists:
- lack of fibre
- excessively heavy meals
- insufficient water intake
- stress and anxiety
- overweight and obesity
- frequent snacking
- pregnancy
- lack of physical activity
- tobacco and alcohol
- certain drugs and supplements
Symptoms of slow digestion
Slow digestion causes several unpleasant symptoms. When digestion is slow, food lingers longer in the stomach and slows gastric emptying. This can lead to one of the symptoms of slow digestion, gastro-oesophageal reflux, i.e., the rising of the acid content of the stomach towards the esophagus, accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth.
In addition to reflux, slow digestion presents with:
- Digestive difficulty
- Abdominal bloating
- Stomach pain and burning
- Gastric acidity
- Eructations
- Bad breath
- Nausea
- Meteorism
Let’s now look at simple and efficient ways to have a better digestion:
Lack of water
The water you drink partially softens the stools and promotes intestinal transit. When you do not drink enough, your intestines lack water, and your stools become harder. This makes evacuation more complex and can even lead to constipation.
The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) recommends that adults drink 2 to 2.5 liters of water daily.
So get into the habit of always having a bottle of water at your desk, in the car, and next to your bed. Often, just seeing the bottle is enough to remind you to… drink!
Overweight and obesity
Excess weight can lead to compression of the digestive tract (especially the stomach and intestines), causing symptoms such as acid reflux, bloating, and abdominal pain. Obesity can also increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal diseases such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gallbladder disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Concerning intestinal disorders, constipation is also one of the symptoms often reported by people who are overweight and suffer from obesity7.
Frequent snacking
There are several reasons why munching leads to slow or blocked digestion.
Firstly, it leads to overeating, with excessive quantities compared to our needs or habits. Digestion is then slowed because the digestive system does not have enough time to process food efficiently. This can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, and abdominal pain.
In addition, ”munching” often leads to over-consumption of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt and low in fiber, which can disrupt the balance of the intestinal microbiota and ultimately lead to digestive problems.
Remedies for slow digestion
The first remedy for slow digestion is correct chewing: chewing slowly allows us to swallow food that has already been finely chopped, thus facilitating the work of the stomach.
To prevent slow digestion, it is essential to choose what we eat well, and the first step is to introduce cereals, vegetables, and fruit into our diet.
- Give preference to easy-to-digest foods such as carrots, courgettes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, pineapple, and sprouts.
- Consume foods with milk enzymes; some examples are yogurt and kefir
- Introduce B vitamins that improve energy utilization into the diet. They are contained in fish, eggs, leafy vegetables, brown rice, nuts, bananas
- Avoid fatty foods, fried foods, fatty cheeses, fizzy drinks and alcohol.
How do you improve slow digestion and speed up gastric emptying?
After seeing what remedies for slow digestion are, to prevent or to cure digestive problems quickly, some advice may be helpful to avoid or promptly cure digestive issues. In particular, it is right to focus on nutrition, certain daily habits, and how to effectively use natural remedies and supplements for digestion.
Let’s see what the pharmacist’s advice is to speed up gastric emptying and improve digestion:
- Follow a balanced and complete diet, prefer light cooking methods, and eat non-abundant meals. Recommended foods include lean meat and fish, rice, whole grains (barley, spelled, quinoa), potatoes, pulses, and seasonal vegetables.
- Foods to avoid when suffering from indigestion include cold meats and cold cuts, aged cheeses, junk food and sauces of various kinds.
- Digestive enzymes and milk enzymes can be considered when suffering from belly bloating, aerophagia, or flatulence.
- Slow digestion in infants can create regurgitation, hiccups, and colic; when these disorders occur occasionally, they are not dangerous. Pediatric milk enzymes can be used for colic if they disturb the infant’s sleep.
- Regarding lifestyle, it can be useful to exercise constantly and according to one’s abilities, maintain a normal weight proportionate to one’s height and physical structure, limit smoking and alcohol consumption, rest, sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety.
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