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.
Lactose intolerance does not cause constipation; it causes diarrhea. Constipation after drinking or eating dairy products is the result of milk protein intolerance. The two conditions are commonly confused with one another but are very different in their cause.
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When you eat food, you take in large molecules called macromolecules that are made up of building blocks that you can absorb into the bloodstream, and that your cells can burn for energy. Your digestive tract breaks down these macromolecules to liberate their building blocks so that the small intestine can absorb them.
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According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, 42 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, have been afflicted with constipation, making it one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders.
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With the advent of probiotics sold as health supplements, it has become common to refer to bacteria in the intestinal tract as "good" bacteria or "bad" bacteria. The average person hosts around 100 trillion bacteria in the gut, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. "Good"
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Children can have all sorts of different colored stools, most of which are perfectly normal and due to the foods that they ate that day. However, having white stools is something to be concerned about, according to Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Michael Picco, M.D.
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Your infant's digestive tract is not fully functional and is vulnerable to infection. Anything that enters your baby's mouth makes its way into her gastrointestinal tract, which is not yet ready to fight off bacteria and other pathogens.
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When you hear you child's tummy rumble, you should appreciate what a sophisticated piece of machinery the human body is. Most of those noises, despite sometimes being startling or unpleasant-sounding, are quite normal. These sounds are made by your child's intestines, the large organs that process the food she eats.
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The bulk of a lettuce headβs weight -- almost 95 percent, according to caloriefacts.org -- comes from water, with the remainder primarily from carbohydrates. Lettuce also contains nominal amounts of protein and fat, although these nutrient levels are so small they do not contribute greatly to your nutrition.
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Black pepper is one of the most popular spices used around the world, and is added to a wide range of foods to enhance flavour and bolster digestion.
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Peas, in addition to containing vitamins and minerals, are healthy sources of vegetarian protein. They also contain plenty of complex carbohydrate, fiber and a small amount of fat.
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Digestion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins primarily takes place in the small intestine, and their products go into the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
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Lactose intolerance does not necessarily mean you cannot eat cream cheese. Every person diagnosed with lactose intolerance experiences a different degree of intolerance. Some people can eat 1 tablespoon of cream cheese with no symptoms, but cannot handle 2 tablespoons.
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Worrying about your child's health is normal to some extent; all parents worry from time to time. In particular, the intimate details of a child's digestive system can be a source of concern for new parents who are not accustomed to the wide range of bowel habits that are considered normal.
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There is plenty of bacteria in your gut and most of it is good. However, after a round of antibiotics, this good bacteria is destroyed with the bad. You may have recovered from your illness, but now you need the good bacteria back.
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The American Heart Association has advocated nut consumption in the U.S. diet because of its positive effects on heart disease risk. Nuts such as cashews might also provide health benefits through their effects on digestion. Cashews provide a healthy dietary source of nutrients, including iron and magnesium.
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The primary nutrient in white bread is starch, with two slices providing more than 20 g of starch, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database. White bread also contains protein and small amounts of fat and other sugars.
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Because of the short time food spends in the digestive tract of a baby, your child's stools can come out in all sorts of colors, depending on what she has eaten, according to the Children's Hospital. However, some colors can be particularly worrying to parents, including dark-colored stools.
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Your digestive system is a hardworking bodily function that involves your stomach, intestines and other important organs. Certain foods digest slower than others. Speed of digestion is not as important as efficient digestion.
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Digestive diseases can interfere with the daily lives of people. Some people may put up with the often painful and uncomfortable symptoms, but treatment is available to get treat digestive disorders or to provide relief so people can live relatively normal lives.
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Gastroenteritis is characterized by diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps due to inflammation of your stomach lining and intestines.
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