Believe it or not, digestive diseases are among the most common health problems that people face today. Unfortunately, this problem is not given enough public attention or problems with it are kept quiet as a taboo subject. But the numbers associated with digestive diseases clearly show that it is important to talk about it, 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 require 25% of all surgical procedures.
What are digestive diseases anyway?
Basically, all organs that are responsible for the intake, crushing, transport and ultimately digestion of food belong to the digestive tract. In medicine, a distinction is made between two different areas - the upper digestive tract, which consists of the oral cavity, including the teeth, the throat, the esophagus and the stomach, and the lower digestive tract, which consists of the large and small intestine, the pancreas, the liver and the gallbladder. It is not so easy to summarize all the different clinical pictures and diseases in general in this short blog post, so today we will deal with the most common diseases of the intestine, the so-called IBD (chronic inflammatory bowel disease), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease can affect the entire digestive tract - the entire area from the mouth to the anus. However, Crohn's disease usually occurs in the final sections of the small intestine. The special feature of this disease is that healthy and unhealthy parts of the intestine alternate, and not one area is constantly affected. You can imagine it as a kind of "patchwork" of affected and intact sections of the intestine. If 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 (pus pockets) or fistulas. If Crohn's disease has progressed so far that fistulas form, the inflammation has dug "channels" into the intestinal wall and the areas around it. It can also lead to so-called stenosis - this is the term for scarred narrowing of the intestine. To date, it has not been scientifically proven whether genetic composition has an impact on the disease, but influences such as personal hygiene, nutrition and mental health can have an impact.
ulcerative colitis
By the way, this chronic intestinal disease means “inflammation of the large intestine with ulcers”. Unlike Crohn’s disease, inflammation only occurs in the large intestine. In addition, the intestine is completely affected in those affected and not “in patches” as in Crohn’s disease. So there are no inflammation-free areas once the disease has broken out. Another point worth knowing is that ulcerative colitis begins in the rectum and spreads from there orally. Incidentally, UC only occurs in the uppermost layer of the intestine and does not penetrate deeper tissue layers like Crohn’s disease!
However, the two 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 is responsible for preventing pathogenic, harmful bacteria or other "invaders" from penetrating the intestinal mucosa.
If the intestinal barrier is not intact, the immune system is impaired. This makes it easier for bacteria to enter the body and cause systemic inflammatory reactions - just like in the two diseases discussed above. Unfortunately, over time, systemic inflammation can even become chronic inflammation. This in turn can lead to symptoms that also appear outside the intestine. These include inflammation in joints, ligaments, muscles, skin, eyes and the liver. In addition, long-term disease of the colon significantly increases the risk of colon cancer.
Healthy habits for a calm gut
With both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, food selection and diet in general are not easy, because typical symptoms such as indigestion, stool irregularities, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and weight loss are directly associated with food intake. This is because they usually occur directly after eating. Ultimately, unfortunately, it is not really possible to generalize about which sufferers can and should eat what. However, frequent diarrhea in IBD often leads to the risk of malnutrition, as the nutrients supplied cannot be fully absorbed into the body. For this reason, there are some guidelines that you can at least roughly follow as long as you do not notice any worsening of symptoms due to this diet. Ultimately, as is so often the case in life, it is important to listen to your own gut feeling!
Food Do's
- Protein-rich foods: a lot of protein can be lost, especially through the diarrhea that is typical of IBD. Meat, fish or poultry are suitable for this.
- Carbohydrates: these provide energy - Make sure you eat long-chain carbohydrates from starch, i.e. potatoes, grains and vegetables.
- Fresh: Eat a fresh and varied diet. This way you can fill and keep your stores of vitamins, minerals and trace elements full.
- Quantity: In order not to overwhelm 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 eating the following foods.
- Fatty food: Chemically processed fats (trans fatty acids) in particular have a negative effect on the intestines.
- Vegetables that cause flatulence: These include legumes such as chickpeas or lentils, but also cabbage, for example.
- Carbonic acid: Carbonated drinks also irritate the intestines by causing the formation of bubbles.
- Dietary fiber: The amount is important here, because although dietary fiber is very healthy, it is difficult to digest. It 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 refined carbohydrates.
