Digestive Health
How to Lower the Risks of Gastrointestinal Disorders in 5 Steps
Intestinal and digestive problems might have typical patterns in the GI tract that we can address by changing our habits.
Purpose of the Article
This post provides an overview of gastrointestinal disorders. I offer five practical tips to improve them via healthy lifestyle habits based on experience. As I encountered various digestive disorders years ago, I documented my findings from credible sources and summarized the relevant scientific studies.
What are gastrointestinal disorders, and why do they matter?
To understand gastrointestinal disorders, we need to visualize the digestive system, also known as the gastrointestinal tract, abbreviated as the GI tract. This structure comprises a series of joined and coiled hollow tubes that stretch from the mouth to the anus.
The medical literature documented many gastrointestinal disorders. Some are common, affecting more people, and some rare affecting fewer people. Medical literature classifies them as functional and structural disorders.
As documented in detail by NIH, some common ones are diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, reflux, food poisoning, gastritis, Coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, Dumping syndrome, Barrett’s Esophagus, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, GI bleeding, pancreatitis, anal fissures, anal fistula, perianal abscesses, and peptic ulcers.
Some gastrointestinal disorders are acute, and some might be chronic. However, almost all functional ones relate to our lifestyle choices, such as food, movement, and exercise. Some structural ones might also be improved via healthy lifestyle habits.
Documents by NIH indicate that diseases of the stomach, gut, colon, and rectum might be prevented, or their effects can be lowered by maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. Some practical tips are eating the right foods, practicing suitable bowel habits, and getting screened for tumors.
Gastrointestinal disorders are diagnosed and treated by specialists called gastroenterologists. In addition to blood, urine, saliva, and feces tests, they also use procedures such as endoscopy and colonoscopy. For structural conditions, they use ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, and UGI (upper gastrointestinal series).
This 2017 report from NIH informed that 70 million people were affected by digestive diseases in the United States. Stats seem to increase globally since then, considering the mortality database of the World Health Organization in 2021.
Dr. Magnus Simren (MD/Ph.D.) wrote an article titled “Nearly 40% of Adults Suffer From a Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder” based on a survey of 33 countries in 2020.
The economic impact of digestive disorders is also consequential. They cause billions of dollars to the economy from healthcare expenditures and lost labor days by affected people.
Common Risk Factors of gastrointestinal disorders
I’d like to summarize the most commonly mentioned risk factors for gastrointestinal disorders in the medical literature under nine headings.
1 — Excessive food consumption
2 — Food intolerances and allergies to specific nutrients or anti-nutrients
3 — Sedentary life
4 — Sleep deprivation
5 — Chronic stress and inflammation
6 — Resisting the urge to have a bowel movement
7 — Toxins and pathogens
8 — Overusing anti-diarrheal medications and antacid supplements
9 — Pregnancy.
Here are the 5 Healthy Lifestyle Choices to Lower the Risks of Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Considering the risk factors, I summarize the practical tips under five headings.
1 — Personalized and Elimination Diet
What we eat is vital for digestive disorders because the gastrointestinal tract is responsible for the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.
Food intolerance is one of the risk factors for digestive disorders. As were are all individuals, we need different types of foods. One type of healthy food might not be healthy for another person.
For example, some people can eat lots of dairies and have no problems, but some people drinking a little milk might have severe digestive disorders due to lactose intolerance. Another typical example is gluten intolerance.
Therefore customizing our diet is critical for maintaining digestive health. We need to identify offending foods and remove them from our diet. To this end, an elimination diet can be helpful with support from a qualified dietician or nutritionist.
2 — Time-Restricted Eating or Fasting
Too much and too frequent eating are causes of some digestive disorders. Refraining from excessive food consumption is a helpful strategy for maintaining digestive health.
The next important point is resting the GI tract. One of the best approaches to achieve this is eating our food in a specific window and giving the digestive system a rest for a while. This approach is called time-restricted eating. Some people achieve this goal by skipping a meal like breakfast.
Fasting for a few days just drinking water can also lower the risks of numerous gastrointestinal disorders, might lower the adverse effects, and even might cure some conditions, making a structural impact. During the fasting state, the GI tract can renew itself. I cover it in item #5 under the autophagy topic.
3 — Restorative Sleep
This 2015 paper published in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal, authored by five medical doctors, states that “Recent studies have suggested that there is a strong association between sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal diseases.”
The paper informs, “Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6, have been associated with sleep dysfunction. Alterations in these cytokines have been seen in certain gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disorders, and colorectal cancer.”
Authors advise that “It is important for gastroenterologists to be aware of the relationship between sleep disorders and gastrointestinal illnesses to ensure good care for patients.”
Canadian GI Society informs: “It’s clear that gastrointestinal complaints are associated with sleep abnormalities. Those with insomnia report more GI problems than do those without (33.6% versus 9.2%), and conversely, people with gastrointestinal complaints report more chronic insomnia than those with healthy sleep patterns (55.4% versus 20%).”
When I was experiencing sleep deprivation and insomnia, my digestive health was very poor due to chronic stress and inflammation. I shared my experience in an article titled Here’s How I Corrected My Sleep Issues in 7 Steps and Reaped Many Health Benefits.
4 — Regular Movement
Exercise plays a critical role in the health of many organs and systems, including the GI tract. Until the early 2000s, the benefit of exercise on the gastrointestinal system was unclear. For example, this pioneering 2003 study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology informs that:
“Light and moderate exercise is well tolerated and can benefit patients with inflammatory bowel disease and liver disease. Physical activity can also improve gastric emptying and lower the relative risk of colon cancer in most populations.”
However, the paper informs that “Severe, exhaustive exercise inhibits gastric emptying, interferes with gastrointestinal absorption, and causes many gastrointestinal symptoms, most notably gastrointestinal bleeding.”
This 2019 study informs that “Physical exercise can have both acute and enduring effects on the gastrointestinal system. Physiological changes occur during exercise and as a result of repetitive physical activity. As a lifestyle measure, routine exercise has been associated with a reduced risk of developing certain gastrointestinal diseases. Exercise can also be beneficial for patients with gastrointestinal disease.”
5 — Autophagy
I left this to the end as previous items, such as fasting and exercise, might contribute to initiating autophagy. This 2020 paper titled Autophagy and Gastrointestinal Diseases informs:
“Autophagy is observed under various pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, it has been demonstrated that autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis and integrity of intestinal epithelium. Additionally, autophagy regulates host response to H. pylori infection and development of gastrointestinal cancers.”
This paper resonated with me as since I initiated autophagy, I haven’t experienced any gastrointestinal discomfort. The key contributor of autophagy to the GI tract is to remove toxins and pathogens.
I documented my experience with autophagy in an article titled Here Is What Happened When I Experimentally Initiated Autophagy Decades Ago.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Gastrointestinal disorders are very comprehensive, highly complex, and widespread conditions affecting millions of people, causing morbidity and mortality. In addition, they affect healthcare costs and the overall economy.
From my experience, the biggest culprit to digestive disorders is foods that do not align with our digestive tract. Some foods might be healthy for some people, but they might not be for others. Therefore, finding offensive foods and removing them from our diet can reduce risks.
As stress and sleep deprivation are known risk factors lowering our physical and mental stress and improving sleep quality can be valuable preventative measures.
Movement is critical for many bodily functions and crucial for the GI tract's health. Moderate exercise can lower the risks. However, intense workouts might make digestive disorders worse for some people. Therefore, we need to customize our workouts as we do our diet.
Excessive food consumption, addiction to certain foods, and frequent eating might be problems for some people. Therefore giving the digestive system a rest can be helpful.
Time-restricted eating is a good option. Some people might also try long-term fasting with medical supervision. Fasting contributed to fixing my digestive issues, especially my leaky gut.
As a long-term preventative maintenance, from my experience, initiating the body's self-healing ability is an ideal solution. This process is called autophagy, clearing the garbage from cells. In addition, autophagy can fix some structural problems in the GI tract.
Gastrointestinal disorders might also lead to autoimmune conditions. I documented my findings in a recent article titled Six Tips to Lower the Risks and Effects of Autoimmune Disorders As We Age.
Based on my experience, I wrote an article titled Here’s How to Make the Digestive System Healthier with 7 Lifestyle Methods. In addition, I introduced digestive enzymes, which helped me transition to a healthier diet.
As bloating was a severe problem, I documented my experience in a story titled Six Tips to Eliminate Bloating and Maintain an Attractive Physique.
Based on my experience, I’d like to provide practical takeaways that can be customized based on our needs. Some might not apply to everyone, but my goal is to share the tips that worked for people in my circles and me so that they can be customized by those who need them.
1 — Remove offending food using an elimination diet
2 — Prepare and store your food carefully and refrain from toxins.
3 — Abstain from consuming excessive food.
4 — Consider skipping a meal or fast for a few days if you can.
5 — Eat your food slowly, chewing as many times as possible
6 — Stay away from stressful situations, especially during mealtimes.
7 — Drink water an hour after mealtimes as water can lower stomach acid.
8 — Walk gently after an hour of the main meals to improve digestion.
9 — Perform regular exercise, remain active, and sleep well.
10 — Consider taking relevant digestive enzyme supplements if you have difficulty digesting particular foods with support from professionals.
11 — Be careful with the use of over-the-counter digestive supplements.
12 — Obtain timely support from qualified healthcare professionals when you have severe or prolonged digestive issues.
There might be many other reasons for digestive issues beyond lifestyle choices, such as structural ones in various tissues and organs in the GI tract. Therefore, proactively and timely support from qualified healthcare professionals is necessary.
The standard procedures are endoscopy and colonoscopy to identify issues that are not possible via observations, blood tests, or other measures. Therefore obtaining support from specialists like gastroenterologists with referrals from family doctors can be invaluable.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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