Believe it or not, digestive disorders are among the most common health problems people face today. Unfortunately, this issue often doesn't receive enough public attention, or is treated as a taboo subject. However, the statistics on digestive disorders clearly show the importance of talking about them, because those affected are definitely not alone.
- 60-70 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive disorders.
- 2-27% of the population suffer from chronic constipation (depending on gender, age and diet).
- 15% of the population suffers from irritable bowel syndrome.
- More than 40% of people worldwide have a functional gastrointestinal disorder (also called gut-brain interaction disorder)*.
- Digestive diseases account for 25% of all surgical procedures.
What exactly are digestive diseases?
Basically, all the organs responsible for the intake, breakdown, transport, and ultimately digestion of food belong to this group. In medicine, a distinction is made between two different areas: the upper digestive tract, which consists of the oral cavity (including the teeth), the pharynx, the esophagus, and the stomach, and the lower digestive tract, which comprises the large and small intestines, the pancreas, the liver, and the gallbladder. It's not so easy to summarize all the different conditions and diseases in general in this short blog post, so today we'll focus on the most common intestinal diseases, the so-called IBDs (inflammatory bowel diseases), namely Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease can affect the entire digestive tract – from the mouth to the anus. However, it most commonly occurs in the terminal sections of the small intestine. A distinctive feature of this disease is the alternating involvement of healthy and unhealthy sections of the intestine, rather than a single area being constantly affected. You can think of it as a patchwork of affected and intact sections of the intestine. When someone suffers from this disease, it means that all layers of the intestine are affected in the inflamed areas. This can, in turn, lead to abscesses (collections of pus) or fistulas. If Crohn's disease has progressed to the point where fistulas form, the inflammation has created "channels" in the intestinal wall and the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, it can lead to stenoses – scar tissue that narrows the intestine. To date, it has not been scientifically proven whether genetic predisposition influences the disease, but factors such as personal hygiene, diet, and mental health may play a role.
Ulcerative colitis
This chronic bowel disease translates to "ulcerative colitis." Unlike Crohn's disease, inflammation here occurs only in the large intestine. Furthermore, the entire intestine is affected in those with ulcerative colitis, not just in patches as with Crohn's disease. Once the disease has broken out, there are no inflammation-free sections. Another important point to know is that ulcerative colitis begins in the rectum and spreads from there orally.Incidentally, ulcerative colitis only occurs in the uppermost layer of the intestine and does not penetrate into deeper tissue layers like Crohn's disease!
Both diseases have one thing in common: when they occur, the natural barrier function of the intestine is disrupted. This has several negative consequences, as this barrier is responsible for preventing pathogenic, harmful bacteria or other "invaders" from penetrating the intestinal lining.
If the intestinal barrier is compromised, this results in impaired immune function. This allows bacteria to more easily enter the body and trigger systemic inflammatory responses – just as in the two previously described diseases. Over time, systemic inflammation can unfortunately become chronic. This, in turn, can lead to symptoms that also occur outside the intestines. These include inflammation in the joints, ligaments, muscles, skin, eyes, and liver. Furthermore, a prolonged illness of the colon significantly increases the likelihood of developing colon cancer.
Healthy habits for a calm gut
In both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, food choices and nutrition in general are not entirely straightforward, as typical symptoms such as Digestive problems, irregular bowel movements, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and weight loss are directly linked to food intake. This is because they usually occur immediately after eating. Ultimately, it's unfortunately impossible to generalize about what individuals with IBD can and should eat. However, frequent diarrhea in IBD often leads to a risk of malnutrition, as ingested nutrients cannot be fully absorbed by the body. For this reason, there are some guidelines that can be followed, at least roughly, as long as no worsening of symptoms occurs with this diet. Ultimately, as is so often the case in life, it's important to listen to your body!
Food Do's
- Protein-rich foods: Especially due to the diarrhea typical of IBD, many proteins can be lost. Meat, fish, or poultry are suitable sources of protein in this case.
- Carbohydrates: These provide energy - make sure to consume long-chain carbohydrates from starch, such as potatoes, grains and vegetables.
- Fresh: Eat a fresh and varied diet. This will help you replenish and maintain your stores of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
- Crowd: To avoid overwhelming your intestines with large amounts at once, it can be helpful to eat several small amounts throughout the day.
Food Don'ts
Especially during your acute phase, you should avoid consuming the following foods.
- Fatty foods: Straight Chemically processed fats (trans fatty acids) have a negative effect on the intestines.
- Gas-causing vegetables: This includes legumes such as chickpeas or lentils, but also, for example, cabbage.
- Carbonic acid: Carbonated drinks also irritate the intestines by causing blisters to form.
- Dietary fiber: The amount is crucial here, because although fiber is very healthy, it is difficult to digest.They can therefore also put a strain on the intestines, especially if they are already irritated!
- Acid: You should definitely avoid acidic fruits such as lemons, oranges, pineapples or kiwis, or acidic foods in general, such as onions and peppers!
- carbohydrates: Try to avoid consuming refined carbohydrates.
