Your digestive system plays a crucial role in overall health because it’s responsible for breaking down the food you eat, absorbing the nutrients from that food, and eliminating waste from the body. If your digestive system is not functioning properly, it can affect many different aspects of your health.
In this article, we will go over the many roles that the digestive system plays in our body and why it is important to maintain it in optimal shape. Finally, we take a look at how much easier it is to look after your digestion thanks to DIGESTIVE⁺⁺⁺ supplements.
Unraveling the digestive system
The digestive system is made up of a long, hollow tube called the gastrointestinal tract and the solid organs that make and store digestive juices or enzymes. The gastrointestinal tract starts at the mouth, followed by the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (a.k.a. colon), rectum, and finally down the anus. The solid organs, meanwhile, are the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
The gut microbiome resides on the surface of the gastrointestinal tract and within the mucus that lines these organs. They are made up of a diverse community of microorganisms that perform functions such as breaking down indigestible substances like dietary fiber, synthesizing vitamins, regulating the immune system, and influencing appetite and metabolism.
Digestive enzymes are secreted into the small intestine, where they work to break down the food you consume into its component parts. This process is important for allowing the body to extract and use the nutrients from your diet. There are several different types of digestive enzymes, each of which is specialized to break down specific types of nutrients. For example, amylases break down carbohydrates, lipases break down fats, and proteases deconstruct proteins.
The importance of digestive health
You may wonder why it is important to keep your digestive system healthy. In order to accurately answer such a question, it is important to portray what a healthy digestive system looks like.
Balancing food intake and energy expenditure
If your appetite is good and your weight is stable and appropriate for your height and age, this may be a sign that your digestive system is functioning properly. This suggests that your digestive enzymes are able to effectively break down, digest, and absorb the nutrients it needs and maintain a balance between the energy it takes in from food and the energy it expends through daily activities and metabolism. A healthy digestive system is also able to send signals to the brain that your food stores are depleted, leading to a feeling of hunger and a desire to eat.
If your digestive system is not functioning properly, it may be more difficult for your digestive enzymes to extract and use the nutrients they need from food. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which may cause weight loss, weak bones, or stunted growth. Similarly, if the digestive system is unable to properly eliminate indigestible substances and other waste products, this can lead to weight gain, bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, or diarrhea.
Fighting off infections
If you don't frequently experience infectious diseases, that may also present as a sign of a healthy digestive system. The immune system is closely linked to the digestive system and the gut microbiome; as much as 70 to 80% of your immune system lives in your gut. The gut microbiome helps to protect the body from infections and other diseases by providing a physical barrier to harmful substances, producing antimicrobial compounds, and supporting the development and function of immune cells.
Some research suggests that the gut microbiome may help train the immune system to recognize and respond to harmful microorganisms while also inhibiting the immune system's response to harmless substances, such as food proteins. This helps to maintain a balance between the immune system's ability to fight off infections and its tendency to overreact and precipitate inflammation.
Keeping your digestive system healthy with DIGESTIVE+++
Maintaining a balanced diet remains the best way to establish optimal digestive health, as it ensures that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to function properly. If you are having difficulties maintaining a balanced diet, or if you have a health condition preventing you from doing so, taking dietary supplements is the next best thing.
DIGESTIVE+++ is a combination of a prebiotic, a probiotic, and an enzyme blend all in one supplement, all of which contribute significantly to ensuring optimal digestive function.
1. Prebiotics
DIGESTIVE⁺⁺⁺ contains the prebiotics fructooligosaccharides, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion leaves, and yacon root, which are non-digestible fibers that serve as "food" for the good bacteria in your gut. When these reach your large intestine, they are fermented by the bacteria in the gut microbiome, which produces short-chain fatty acids that nourish the cells lining the intestine. This process helps to support the growth and activity of good bacteria in the gut microbiome, which can help to maintain the balance of the microbiome. Prebiotics may also encourage the production of intestinal mucus, which helps to protect the lining of the intestine and supports the health of the microbiome at large.
2. Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that boost the number of good bacteria in the digestive tract. When probiotics are consumed, they colonize the gut microbiome and become part of the existing community of bacteria. DIGESTIVE⁺⁺⁺ contains the spore-forming probiotic Bacillus coagulans, which, unlike other probiotics, allows it to withstand the high levels of acid in the stomach and produce beneficial effects for longer periods of time.
Probiotics may also help to maintain the balance of the gut microbiome by competing with pathogenic bacteria—bacteria that can cause illness—for space and resources in the gut. This can help prevent the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, which can contribute to digestive problems.
3. Enzyme blends
Enzymatic blends are combinations of different types of digestive enzymes that are designed to help break down a variety of nutrients. Enzyme blends may be used to support digestion and the absorption of nutrients in cases where the body fails to manufacture sufficient enzymes on its own, such as in cases of pancreatic insufficiency or other digestive disorders.
Just like the enzymes that the body naturally produces, enzyme blends work to help break down a variety of nutrients. The enzyme blend in DIGESTIVE⁺⁺⁺ can help fragmentize proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and lactose ("milk sugar") in the course of metabolism.
It all begins with a gut feeling (pun intended). Try DIGESTIVE+++ now and get started on your journey towards optimal digestive health today.
About the Author
Dr. Ali is a medical journalist and copywriter at HealthcarePropulsion.com.
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