Digestive health depends on a balance of enzymes like pepsin and beneficial bacteria. Understanding lactose intolerance and how pH affects digestion can help alleviate common issues like bloating, fatigue after eating, and chest discomfort.
The human digestive tract, while living, measures approximately 20 feet long. Your mouth is the entrance, and your anus is the main exit. When you swallow foods or beverages, you also swallow air, which contains oxygen and nitrogen.
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Iodine is a trace mineral that's usually found in the form of iodide. It's needed for your thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones called thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Iodine is also needed for your immune system and might help treat fibrocystic breast disease.
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Digestion is the body’s process for breaking down foods that you eat. Some elements of these foods are used to produce energy and the remaining waste is prepared for excretion. Slow digestion can make you feel sluggish and may cause constipation. However, you can take a number of steps to naturally speed up digestion.
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Spinach is a leafy green flowering plant that can be consumed in both raw and cooked forms. While consuming spinach in its raw state can often make it difficult to digest, the nutrients and vitamins that are preserved in this raw vegetable can actually help improve digestion in the long run.
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Your digestive system is essentially one long tube that starts at your mouth and ends at your anus. Organs such as the stomach and large and small intestines digest and process the food you eat. Organs outside the digestive tract also play a part in digestion.
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An estimated 30 to 50 million children and adults in the United States have a food intolerance condition called lactose intolerance, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. People who are lactose intolerant are unable to digest milk and dairy foods properly due to the lack of an enzyme called lactase.
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Everyone's bowel habits, including the frequency, shape and color of movements, are different. When your bowel movements suddenly change to a very dark color, you might become alarmed. Color changes can indicate health problems, but think first about your diet. A number of foods can turn bowel movements dark.
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A bowel obstruction is the partial or complete blockage of areas of the small intestines, preventing food and digestive liquid from moving through. A bowel obstruction is caused by either something being in the way or because the intestinal muscles are not functioning properly, according to MedlinePlus.com.
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Digestive upset, constipation, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal complaints are common during pregnancy. If you're pregnant and experience any of these symptoms, you might find yourself wondering if supplemental digestive enzymes could help alleviate your discomfort.
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According to the University of Michigan Health System, digestive enzymes are complex proteins that work to maintain pH balance and digestion in the human body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a lack of digestive enzymes is caused by injuries to the small intestine or digestive diseases.
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Grapes are a a common type of berry fruit that have been included in cooking and wine for centuries.
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Some fruits are good for digestion because they provide fiber that keeps the gastrointestinal tract in good working order. They also contain enzymes that break down hard-to-digest proteins.
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Being lactose intolerant doesn't mean that you have to give up your coffee. There are several products that you can add to your coffee for flavor that do not contain lactose. If you order coffee from a coffeehouse, you need to ensure that it's lactose-free.
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Being told to eat candy to cure a medical condition may sound too good to be true. But if you have problems with your salivary glands, sour candy may be just what the doctor ordered. Infection, decreased saliva production or stones in the salivary ducts can cause pain and swelling in the salivary glands.
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Colitis is a condition in which the colon is inflamed. Several varieties of colitis exist including collagenous, ulcerative and lymphocytic. Consuming the proper foods will ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs without aggravating your digestive tract.
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Stomach pain, cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea that occurs after you have eaten dairy products might indicate that you have lactose intolerance. Simply put: Your body is not able to digest milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy foods.
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Caffeine is a stimulant and is present in coffee, tea, cocoa, soda, and some medications. It increases alertness, revs up metabolism and enhances mood. Caffeine reaches its peak level in your body within one hour of consumption and can stay at peak levels for up to six hours.
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To extract nutrients from the foods you eat, they must be small enough for the cells of your small intestine to absorb. The process of digestion reduces your food particles to a size sufficient for absorption to occur.
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The time it takes for food to digest varies per person and is affected by how much food was eaten, the combination of foods, physical activity and metabolism.
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Synthroid is the name brand for levothyroxine sodium, a medication used for low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism. It may also be used to prevent the occurrence of goiters.
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