Common causes of stomach discomfort By Dr. Datta Ram U
Digestive health is important for your overall health. It is not always the disorders that can cause GI health issues, but your lifestyle factors too can play an important role in preventing the onset of some of the common GI disorders. The following are some of those factors:
Being Stressed
Stress can be one of the most common reasons for your abdominal discomfort. If you are under constant mental stress, it affects the health of your digestive system. Stress disturbs the balance of gut microbiota. Therefore, your brain has a very strong or established link with your digestive system – the brain GI axis. There is always a bi-directional communication between your brain and the GI tract. Your digestive tract also has more neurons. If a person remains in stress for long, there is a possibility of a wide range of digestive tract symptoms – such as alterations in the balance of normal microbial flora of the stomach, abdominal cramping, bloating, inflammation, loss of appetite, weight loss or weight gain.
Not Drinking enough Water
Water is an elixir of life because without water survival of human beings is not possible. If you don’t drink water or your water intake is inadequate, then you will become prone to Digestive track issues. Water helps in digestion of food by helping breakdown food and help intestines to absorb nutrients most effectively and faster. The risk or possibility of digestive tract disorders increases if your water intake is not adequate. Water helps improve assimilation and absorption of food, removal of toxins and cleansing your digestive system. It helps soften stool and prevent constipation. To prevent all types of common GI health issues, you must – first of all – drink enough water throughout the day.
Taking a Low Fiber Diet
Fiber is a plant-based complex carbohydrates. It is very important for your digestive system’s health. Fiber helps in digestion of food and making you full. Your gut microbial flora needs fiber – certain types of fiber to flourish. Your microbiota – the trillions of bacteria that inhabit your large intestine provides numerous health benefits. The good sources of dietary fiber are vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and fruits. The daily recommended fiber intake for women is around 25 grams and for men it is around 38 grams. Older men and women should consume slightly lesser amount of fiber than the daily recommended values. Fiber is very important in terms of reducing gas formation, constipation and bloating. It helps ease digestion, reduce abdominal pain and even minimize the risk of colon cancer.
Common Causes of Stomach Discomfort – Inactive Lifestyle
Sound sleep, proper eating habits and activity are important not only for your overall health, but also for your digestive health. Therefore, experts recommend a combination of proper diet, exercise and sleep. They also recommend not to take food that cause inflammation.
Eating a lot of dairy foods
Milk, milk-based products, and cheese have plenty of proteins and fats. They take longer time to digest and also have pro-inflammatory effect. Therefore, taking large amounts of dairy products can cause constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal cramps.
Bottom Line
Medical side effects, excessive use of laxatives, dietary supplements, functional stress, pregnancy, systemic issues and inflammation can also cause abdominal problems. These are some of the common but preventable causes of gastrointestinal disorders. Timely approach to a specialist doctor, proper medication, lifestyle changes, a set sleep and wake up routine, proper eating habits, drinking enough water and stress management can help prevent these disorders.