Understanding Digestive Health: Common Issues and Solutions

The digestive system's health is crucial for overall well-being, impacting immunity, mental clarity, and inflammation levels.

### Understanding Digestive Health: Common Issues and Solutions
* 🦠 The digestive system can face numerous problems, ranging from **dental issues** to conditions like **leaky gut** and **colitis**, making awareness of these issues **increasingly important today**.
* 🧠 With over three-quarters of the immune system located in the digestive tract, a breakdown in its membrane can lead to **allergies and inflammation**, highlighting the gut's connection to **overall health and the brain**.
* 🥗 FODMAP sensitivity is a common issue where fermentable carbohydrates cause **digestive discomfort and inflammation**, which can also affect **cognitive functions and joint pain**.
* 🔍 To address FODMAP sensitivity, it is advised to **eliminate high FODMAP foods** and **reintroduce them gradually** while considering **probiotics and herbal remedies** to alleviate symptoms.
* 💊 Lack of digestive enzymes, often due to **stress or irregular eating patterns**, can lead to **bloating and poor nutrient absorption**; addressing this can involve **relaxing before meals** and possibly using **enzyme supplements**.
* 🌿 Maintaining a balanced gut microbiota is crucial, as both **low and excessive bacteria can lead to inflammation**; consuming a **high-fiber diet and broad-spectrum probiotics** can help restore balance.
* 🚫 Avoiding foods that trigger sensitivities, such as gluten and lactose, is essential for **reducing inflammation**; self-testing through elimination diets can be an effective way to **identify these triggers**.
* 🧪 Lastly, dealing with underlying issues such as yeast, fungi, or parasites can significantly improve digestive symptoms, emphasizing the **importance of understanding and addressing the root causes** of digestive health problems.

There are infinite things that can go wrong in your digestive system, from problems with dental pieces or salivary glands to, for example, having leaky gut, colitis, or countless alterations that cause digestive symptoms. Nowadays, people seem to be more aware of these issues. Twenty years ago, we all thought that the digestive tract was simply a tube where different digestive processes occurred. Today, if you want to avoid or resolve digestive problems, from inflammation and constipation to more serious issues, there is a certain level of knowledge that, whether you like it or not, you need to understand in order to improve and to see which things actually make sense to do and which do not.

Consider that more than three-quarters of your immune system is actually distributed throughout your digestive system, and only one-quarter is in the rest of your body. Think about a membrane that is just one cell thick, separating the inside and outside of your body; if it breaks, you will start generating allergies to things you previously digested without problems. This activates your immune system and begins to generate more inflammation. In fact, your digestive system is so interconnected with your brain that in the enteric nervous system, which we have distributed throughout our body, we have more neurons than in our brain. Both networks are connected to each other, which is why we call it the second brain, and they are linked by a nerve called the vagus or pneumogastric nerve. This connection is actually the reason why when you

If you have digestive discomfort before an exam, for example, this is also the reason why some medications, such as antidepressants, cause nausea and digestive issues. Moreover, they can alter your gut flora, which paradoxically can lead to depression. It's also the reason why food intolerances or digestive inflammation can change your behavior and make you feel less intelligent or even less focused. Today, we will look at the most common problems and how to solve them so that you can reduce inflammation in your digestive system and not experience all these symptoms that are increasingly associated with it. 

First, we have FODMAP sensitivity. Many people have improved their diet a little; despite eating at home and consuming real food, they still suffer from various digestive disorders not caused by gluten but by a specific type of carbohydrates called FODMAPs, which are fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. You don't need to know what that means; I mention it simply for your understanding. But why do these issues occur? Because these substances ferment and generate inflammation, digestive discomfort, and all the associated symptoms of inflammation, which will not only be digestive but will manifest in other areas as well, leading to increased joint pain if I have osteoarthritis and worse cognitive capacity, among many other options. Even when we eat a healthy diet, much of the...

The food we consume is highly absorbable. This means that a large quantity of that substance cannot be digested properly. It is not completely eliminated; instead, you have a certain amount of matter, like fiber, that is indigestible, along with other substances that nourish our bacteria—the bacteria that live inside us. If we do not consume any of these substances, the bacteria die. Therefore, it is not just a matter of consuming too much for the bacteria to grow excessively, which can lead to bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or even non-digestive symptoms like focus issues, depression, and fatigue, which are closely related to food sensitivities. It is also about maintaining a balance: if I do not consume anything, my bacteria do not grow; if I consume too much, I have an overreaction. 

I will leave a list in the description of foods rich in FODMAPs so you do not waste time searching for them later. But the obvious answer is that if I have these symptoms, I need to reduce the amount of FODMAP-rich foods I consume. However, things are not black and white. My first advice is to eliminate the foods most strongly associated with FODMAPs and observe how you feel. If inflammation decreases, I can improve my gut flora by taking probiotics, so when I reintroduce these substances in small amounts, they do not cause the same symptoms or at least improve. You can also use herbal remedies to reduce the symptoms

The substances like mint, quebracho, and Indian herbs basically help me avoid these types of reactions due to their formal properties because they relax the small intestine and prevent the production of methane gas, which causes bloating, discomfort, and cramps. Secondly, a fundamental reason for generating high levels of inflammation in the digestive system is the lack of digestive enzymes. This is very common in two specific situations: people who eat large amounts suddenly and those who, when on a diet, eat only once a day. I need to have the enzymatic capacity to digest everything I’m consuming. We will see how to solve this issue, which is similar to following a diet of one meal per day for longevity and all that you already know. 

On the other hand, this also happens to people who eat in a very stressed manner, especially after intense physical training or when they are stressed due to work or family reasons, or any other circumstances. This stress decreases the production of digestive enzymes. A typical example of this situation occurs when you consume a large amount of a substance and cannot digest it well, such as when you eat a lot of protein. If you get a blood test and have an enzymatic problem, the protein levels in your blood may be low. This happens because I am unable to absorb and digest them properly due to a lack of the necessary digestive enzymes to carry out this process. The best way to confirm this...

I have suspicions and doubts about whether I lack enzymes, which can be assessed with stool tests that also generally evaluate bacterial flora, the presence of fungi, etc. However, you can tell if you have an enzyme problem with symptoms such as feeling bloated in the stomach even after eating for a couple of hours, generating gas and bloating right after a meal, filling up quickly with a small amount of food, and especially seeing food that is not completely digested in the stool. Although this may be unpleasant to observe, it is useful for identifying which foods my body is capable of processing and which ones it is not. Food that is not digested in the stool should catch my attention, as these are foods that, despite being healthy, my body cannot digest at this moment. 

On the other hand, stool consistency is generally affected when I have a problem digesting fats; it tends to float. The way to resolve your issues is very simple: do not eat during high-stress moments. If you have high-stress moments during the day, use fasting periods and intermittent breakfast during those times. If it is absolutely necessary for social reasons or whatever, use the breathing techniques from the previous video to relax before eating and facilitate the parasympathetic process and enzyme release. Alternatively, use supplements like tryptophan or 5-HTP, which relax the digestive system and help you digest better. This way, you can increase the amount of enzymes to absorb more nutrients. Par

Relaxed to increase the amount of acid your stomach produces. This may seem paradoxical and make you think it's something bad, given everything you've heard about acidity or gastritis. However, in order to digest food and absorb nutrients, it's completely positive. Allow your body intermittent breaks to replenish these digestive enzymes and produce more, as they reduce inflammation in your body, especially in your digestive system. When you have low levels of inflammation, your liver can effectively produce more bile. If all of this hasn't been enough, you can always use digestive enzymes taken in supplement form. Keep in mind that digestive enzymes should be considered as crutches in this situation; they shouldn't be used forever. There are very few supplements that you would need to take permanently, depending on the level of health optimization you desire. Always try to address the root problem first and then use other tools to support yourself in the meantime. As a last resort, if you can't tolerate any other option and are experiencing many symptoms of digestive intolerances, you can process the foods you consume. It will always be much easier for your body to digest, for example, a green juice than the same amount of raw vegetables or fruits you would consume whole. Keep in mind that if you have had gallbladder surgery, a cholecystectomy, your bile production will be lower.

that of another person, since bile normally accumulates in the gallbladder and is released suddenly, but much more concentrated. If you have more gallbladder, you cannot concentrate it, therefore you will have much more difficulty than another person in digesting fats. My first advice for those people will be to follow a ketogenic diet if you no longer have a gallbladder, because you will not be able to handle that amount of fats. 

On the other hand, we obviously have the gut microbiota. If you have been watching my videos, you could imagine that the gut microbiota would be central in reducing inflammation in our digestive system and in our body in general. However, we can have an inflamed digestive system and feel unwell whether we have a low amount of bacteria or an excess of bacteria. The obvious ways to ruin your microbiota and have a low amount of bacteria in your body will be not feeding them the food they normally consume. This basically happens when you have a diet low in fiber and high in sugars, and obviously with the use of antibiotics. 

What symptoms will I have if I have a low amount of bacteria? Well, since I don't ferment, I have a low amount of gas, and this may seem positive if I was in a situation where I had a lot of gas, but in this case, it is not. What other symptoms will I have so that I can recognize it? I will be constipated, I will have more allergic

Undigested fiber in feces often appears as black or white specks in the stool and a decrease in my physical performance compared to the normal level I know my body can achieve. You can always check this by doing a bacterial flora analysis, and if you ever have the chance to do it, I recommend that you do. However, if you suspect this might be your case, you can start improving it right now in the following way: first, consume broad-spectrum probiotics. This means using probiotics that provide the greatest number of bacterial strains possible. This involves different types of bacteria so that when they grow in your digestive system, they maintain a variety and you do not have an overgrowth of a specific bacterium. If I take few bacterial strains, I run the risk of having an overgrowth of those few strains that could lead to negative consequences. On the other hand, if you cannot obtain probiotics with many strains because they are not available in your country or you don't know what to use, consider using different products. For example, change the probiotic you take every two or three months so that one might have ten bacterial strains, and the other you use after two months has ten strains that are completely different from the previous ones. This way, you maintain variety in your organism concerning bacterial strains. Consume fermented foods, but be cautious if they cause bloating. For someone with a gluten allergy, for example, you will never be able to use sauerkraut to enhance the benefits.

Bacteria that you have in your body can generate a lot of inflammation. The obvious way to check this is through trial and error. If a product makes you feel bad, then you clearly should not consume it. As for sources of probiotics, for these bacteria to survive, we need prebiotics, which are the foods that bacteria consume to survive. The bacteria that you want in your body—I've always insisted—are found in people who have a much higher fiber intake than the average person. In fact, they often consume ten times more fiber than the average person. If you cannot increase your intake of these types of foods, use supplements. Supplements like inulin, which are forms of prebiotics, come in powder form and, since they have a sweet taste, many people use them to naturally sweeten coffee or tea. 

The best way to repair this type of imbalance when you have very few bacteria is a fecal transplant, but since this is not commonly practiced in most countries, we are still in the early stages of understanding gut flora. A less radical method that you can do at home is a probiotic enema. It sounds intense, but it's simply to quickly reduce symptoms if you suspect you have a decrease in your normal gut flora. This is done by taking four or five capsules of probiotics, the ones that come in regular bottles that you can take as supplements, dissolving them in water, and performing an enema with that liquid. I will also leave a

Regarding intestinal permeability, those who have this problem often also have an alteration in intestinal permeability. As I mentioned earlier, I may have very few bacteria or too many. If I have many bacteria, I will experience symptoms such as low stomach acidity, which is necessary for properly digesting the food I consume. I am talking about bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, which is a place where there normally shouldn't be too many bacteria. Irritable bowel syndrome occurs, especially in people who consume a lot of carbohydrates, because many of the bacteria that I do not want to overgrow feed on sugars and starches. If you consume a significant amount of alcohol, you will also promote this, especially if you have been doing it for many years. There is also the situation where I promote SIBO, which occurs when I consume oral contraceptives for a long time. I can have overgrowth in the small intestine, which, as I mentioned, is called SIBO, or I can have it in the colon. So, the difference in which of the two places I have it generates inflammation, discomfort, alterations in my ability to concentrate, and many other symptoms that I know are associated with digestive problems. It is very easy to identify during moments of significant digestive discomfort by pressing on the areas where each one is located. When you have a problem in the small intestine, the discomfort will be felt below the navel, and when you press in that area deeply, you will feel discomfort.

Inflammation of the small intestine, and it says that the overgrowth problem of inflammation is in the small intestine. On the other hand, if I suspect that this is in the colon, I look for signs in the iliac fossae, which are the two areas located on either side of this same zone, on both sides of the lower part of the abdomen. The quick and obvious way to reduce inflammation, if I have pain in one area as well as in another, is to perform a cleanse to wash away the excess bacterial flora that I have, whether it is from the small intestine or the colon. If my small intestine is inflamed, I can do a small intestine cleanse, and if my colon is inflamed, I can do a colon cleanse. I will leave the link in the description for instructions on both, as well as my video on colon cleansing, so you can learn how to address these issues. 

Then there are cleanses to prevent this from happening again, because one thing is to alleviate the symptoms I have, and another is to prevent the problem and resolve it. I need to reduce my carbohydrate intake, which generally leads to overgrowth for the reasons mentioned earlier, because there are bacteria that feed on sugars. As a result, they start to grow excessively. I can also use some supplements that help control the type of flora that grows in my body, substances like oregano oil or garlic extract, which are also known to be antiparasitic and antifungal

It grows, and what doesn't grow in my body continues to weigh on me. I still have symptoms. I'm using a peptide that is basically a very small protein called LL-37, which has been shown to be very effective in reducing inflammation in the system and for autoimmune diseases related to intestinal permeability. This is something quite new; I'm just mentioning it so you know it exists. I don't expect you to use it, but you should know that there are increasingly more tools to improve our symptoms related to inflammatory issues in our digestive system. 

On the other hand, in the case of the stomach, it works very well to generate more stomach acid. Why? Because our small intestine should not normally be filled with bacteria in the same way that the colon is. This should normally be controlled by the level of stomach acid that passes into the small intestine. When I have low stomach acid and start to allow more bacterial overgrowth, consuming supplements that increase my stomach acidity are things that will quickly change the environment in the small intestine and will prevent the formation of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. 

Obviously, another factor that will significantly change the levels of inflammation you experience in your body, particularly from a digestive origin, is avoiding foods to which you are sensitive, intolerant, or allergic. The obvious example of this situation is the consumption of gluten or lactose, which, due to their frequency, justify my suggestion that in general, we should all avoid consuming them.

The majority of cereals and dairy products provide benefits, but obviously, things are not black and white, and not all dairy products are the same. For example, many other sensitivities or intolerances are not permanent; they are not lifelong and do not necessarily stem from the food itself. For instance, I can have an allergy or sensitivity to a substance thinking that the problem lies in the food, when in reality, I might be sensitive to a preservative or a colorant included in that type of food. I can even develop allergies to a toxin that occurs due to contamination and does not come from the food itself, as happens with aflatoxin and peanuts, where peanuts become contaminated with this toxin. Additionally, I can experience inflammation, sensitivity, or allergy to a substance for emotional reasons. 

So, always remember that while lactose and gluten are the most famous, there are thousands of substances, many of which are manageable, that can cause intolerances or sensitivities. The easiest way to realize if I have an intolerance is if I experience cramps after eating that food I suspect, or if I feel the need to go to the bathroom frequently, which is a typical situation in lactose intolerance. Another common symptom of lactose intolerance is an increase in mucus. There are many tests for digestive intolerances, but I really wouldn’t recommend getting one if you suspect you have an intolerance; save your money.

Those tests cost money, and you should eliminate substances from your diet for three days or a week to see which symptoms change and which do not. If you suspect any substances, start eliminating them and test to see if your inflammation levels decrease or not. As long as you have those substances in your system, do the elimination. This basically means that if I'm going to test an intolerance to coffee, I shouldn't drink a frappuccino with syrup and 100 grams of sugar because I won't really know what I'm intolerant to. Not all intolerances resolve in the same way; many require you to eliminate the substance forever, like gluten, for example, in order to reduce inflammation, lower the antibodies in my body, and alleviate pain I might have in other areas, such as joints or concentration issues. When I reduce gluten sensitivity, my digestive symptoms also improve. On the other hand, there are substances like lactose, where if I have lactose intolerance, I can, although it's not my recommendation, take lactase, which is the enzyme that digests lactose. This way, I avoid the problem of not being able to digest it properly. In general, sensitivity is always remembered, and the difference between sensitivity and allergy is that allergies present much more pronounced symptoms. No one overlooks an allergy; no one fails to notice they are allergic to a specific food.

In this case, we have yeasts, fungi, or parasites. Yeasts, fungi, or parasites, even mold or mycotoxins, can generate significant inflammation. Obviously, this inflammation can be avoided by eliminating these substances. It is not worth going into detail about them because I have videos on both the elimination of Candida and fungi, as well as on the elimination of parasites, which I will leave in the description for you to know how to treat them. However, if you have symptoms related to these types of situations, the major difference from others is that you experience nocturnal symptoms, symptoms where your desire for carbohydrates increases. You can use very simple techniques for deworming or eliminating fungi to correct all of this. I really hope you do everything I just mentioned, but simply, if you have digestive symptoms that have been present in your body for a long time, or if you have symptoms that you know are related to digestive inflammation, even if you don't directly relate them to digestive issues, take the trouble to find out where they come from. Whether it's a matter of fungi, parasites, bacterial flora, digestive enzymes, or allergies, based on that, use the advice from this video and my other videos to resolve the specific problem you have and save yourself from these symptoms. And if you treat people with digestive problems, use this information as a guide upon which you can expand later. If you liked this video...

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DR LA ROSA

The digestive system is crucial for overall health, with more than three-quarters of the immune system located there.

Common problems include FODMAP sensitivity, which can cause inflammation and various digestive disorders.

To alleviate symptoms, it's important to reduce FODMAP-rich foods, take probiotics, and consider herbal remedies for relief.

Managing Digestive Issues: Key Strategies

Mint, quebracho, and Indian herbs can help relax the small intestine and prevent methane gas production, reducing bloating and discomfort.

A lack of digestive enzymes, often due to sudden eating or high stress, can lead to inflammation and poor nutrient absorption.

To address these issues, it's important to eat during low-stress moments, use relaxation techniques, and consider digestive enzyme supplements as temporary support.

The Impact of Gallbladder Removal and Gut Microbiota on Digestion

A lack of gallbladder makes it difficult to concentrate bile, leading to challenges in digesting fats, making a ketogenic diet advisable for those without a gallbladder.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in reducing inflammation, and an imbalance in bacterial levels can lead to digestive issues.

To improve gut health, it's recommended to use broad-spectrum probiotics, consume fermented foods, increase fiber intake, and consider supplements like inulin for prebiotics.

Intestinal Permeability and Bacterial Overgrowth

Intestinal permeability issues often coincide with bacterial overgrowth, particularly in the small intestine, leading to symptoms like low stomach acidity and irritable bowel syndrome.

Factors such as high carbohydrate intake, alcohol consumption, and long-term use of oral contraceptives can promote this overgrowth.

To alleviate symptoms and prevent recurrence, strategies include cleansing, reducing carbohydrate intake, using supplements, increasing stomach acidity, and avoiding sensitive foods like gluten and lactose.

Understanding Food Sensitivities and Intolerances

Not all dairy products and cereals are the same, and food sensitivities or intolerances can stem from various sources, including preservatives, contaminants, or emotional reasons.

Common symptoms of intolerance include cramps, frequent bathroom trips, and increased mucus, and it's recommended to eliminate suspected substances from the diet for a few days to identify the cause.

While some intolerances, like gluten, may require permanent elimination, others, like lactose, can be managed with enzyme supplements.

The Impact of Yeasts, Fungi, and Parasites on Inflammation

Yeasts, fungi, and parasites can cause significant inflammation, which can be avoided by eliminating these substances.

Nocturnal symptoms and increased carbohydrate cravings are key indicators of these issues.

Simple techniques for deworming and eliminating fungi can help correct digestive symptoms and inflammation.