DIGESTION OVERVIEW: The basics on how to fix it

Today, we are beginning a new series. I will breakdown the aesthetic basics for digestion here and in the upcoming articles, all under the new Digestion tab, you will be able to understand your digestion, your digestive issues and (most importantly) how to begin to fix them.

BLOATING

Bloating may be the biggest issue when it comes to digestion. This will be a component of all constipation, which may be the most damaging digestive problem (and will have its own article in the future). For now, if you are constipated, let’s begin to address the bloating first.

Bloating is intimately related to digestion. Three main systems are required for optimal digestion. Stomach acid, digestive enzymes/bile salts and bacterial balance. Below we will address each and the area in which you will see bloating in the body as it pertains to each individual factor.

Check out my instagram page for a video detailing the belly bloating areas: @askdrkurt

STOMACH ACID

This may be the most misunderstood, or willfully misaddressed component in the health care sphere. When one has low stomach acid, symptoms like heartburn, GERD, indigestion, inability to digest protein, and lack of taste for protein. People with low stomach acid also frequently skip breakfast and have an affinity to foods which don’t require optimal acid to digest (carbs). Acid is needed to digest protein. This is very important because protein is the most nutrient dense component of our diet. (When I say protein, I mean meat, not plant based substitutes.) B12, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Folic Acid, etc. are all nutrients found in high quantities in meats and require an optimal amount of stomach to address. Notice all of those nutrients are also required for ideal health, leading us to understand that perfect stomach acid is required for perfect health.

Upper belly bloating is an indication of low stomach acid. This is very common in aging, overweight men, among the rest of us. Have you ever heard of the beer belly? This can be seen as the typical upper belly bloating, low stomach acid issue. This can be remedied and begun to be fixed with adding stomach back to the body with meals. (NOTE: if you are taking acid blockers or reducers, this is not the first strategy you should take. Please see the upcoming, in depth article, ‘The stomach and its acid’.)

Spectrazyme Metagest is my favorite supplement for addressing this. This happens to be something I take almost year round as it helps me digest all my food more efficiently. Dosing will be discussed in the stomach acid article coming up.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES/BILE SALTS

Middle belly bloating would be considered a fully round belly. The beach ball belly, albeit it can be smaller. This would be bloating in the small intestine versus the stomach, as we discussed above. The can be a combination of a few things which can be very easily differentiated.

Do you get bloated and gassy from fatty meals? Do you feel bloating 90 min after a meal? Does your right rib cage hurt sometimes? This would be a gallbladder and fat digestion issue. With today’s diet and abundance of rancid and plant based oils and fats, fat digestion is a massive issue. Think of how many people you may know who have had their gallbladder removed (or maybe you do, reading this). This is all an indication we need to help your fat digestion.

Lipo-Gen is one of the best gallbladder supports I have ever used. In fact, it has helped quite a few people avoid gallbladder removal surgery in that we improved and helped the body resorb stones over time. (NOTE: this is always individual based, please consult.) 2 Lipo-Gen per meal is a great and easy dosing pattern for this supplement.

If you feel your fat digestion is OK, the next food to address will be carbohydrates. Many people eat carbs and feel bloated, almost immediately and again after a few hours, or both. If you notice your middle belly bloating and feeling distended when eating carbs, this would be a pancreas issue. The area above your belly button is the general area I am talking about.

The pancreas has many different actions in the body. Of course, it makes insulin. It also makes digestive enzymes. Ironically, eating carbs requires enzymes to digest, while also requiring insulin to lower the sugar response. This is very common in people who do not process and digest sugar and carbs very efficiently. Almost everyone over ideal body fat percentage would benefit from eating a lower carb diet and taking digestive enzymes.

Spectrazyme Pan 9x is one of my favorite digestive enzymes. It is low dose enough to use the amount needed. Meaning one can dose from 1-4 per meal depending on how much bloating is experienced.

PROBIOTIC & BACTERIAL BALANCE

If you experience lower belly bloating, typically below the belly button, you may be in need of some bacterial/microbiome help. This can be complex in that it may be due to hormone processing, gut bacteria/leaky gut, SIBO, constipation or simply eating a bad diet that doesn’t support a healthy microbiome of bacteria.

In a future article I will detail out the different types of probiotics and which strains one should take for a whole host of different digestive and detoxification issues. For the purpose of this article, simply beginning to understand that lower belly bloating is an issue of the large intestine, and more specifically, the microbiome, is good enough.

UltraFlora BiomePro is my new favorite supplement for general bacterial balance. It has billions of bacteria and seems to work with one capsule per day. I have found, many probiotics take ‘therapeutic doses’ to be effective. A therapeutic dose is typically 3-4x the recommended dose. That makes this probiotic one of the best values, and at one capsule a day, very easy to remember.

SUMMARY

Upper Belly Bloating. This is a stomach and stomach acid issue. It will take an approach to facilitate optimal stomach production to fully rid the problem. See my upcoming article detailing the complexities of the stomach for more details. Do NOT start taking and HCl supplements while taking an acid blocker.

Middle Belly Bloating. This can be one of two different issues. If fats bother you and create gas and bloating, then look to address the Gallbladder. If carbs seem to be your issue and/or you have sugar related issues, look to digestive enzymes as your go to way to improve.

Lower Belly Bloating. This is a microbiome/bacteria issue. This can be complex because we need to find the reason for the imbalance, which may relate to diet, detoxification, leaky gut, SIBO, gut mobility, etc. Simply stated, begin taking a quality and comprehensive probiotic, drink 3+ L of water per day and eat a balanced diet with an abundance of greens while beginning to find the cause to address this issue. See upcoming articles on this topic for more clarity on the right types of supplementation.