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Keeping your digestive tract healthy is essential
to good health. A healthy stomach produces acid and is vital to
digestion. If the stomach doesn't produce enough acid, processing
of food is slowed down. This leads to heartburn as the food, mixed
with acid, is pushed back up into the esophagus. The esophagus is
not protected with a lining of mucus like the stomach.
Excessive acid production is not usually the cause
of heartburn. Up to 1/3 of bleeding ulcers is caused by taking
ibuprofen and aspirin.
Antacids and prescription drugs, such as Tagamet
and Zantac, can cause vitamins and minerals to not be absorbed into
your body correctly.
After your food leaves the stomach, it moves into
the duodenum. Both the pancreas and small intestines secrete
enzymes, amylase and protease, to break down the food so that your
body can use the nutrients. Enzymes play a major role in all bodily
functions. If you are lacking in any one enzymes, you can have
serious problems such as cramping or diarrhea after you drink milk
(lack of lactase).
Digestive enzymes are created from cofactors or
coenzymes. Eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals will insure
that you have the digestive enzymes needed.
The food then moves on to the small intestine
where most of the nutrients that have been broken down are absorbed
into the bloodstream and liver.
Once your food reaches the large intestine,
vitamins A, B12, D and E are absorbed. If your previous digestion
was not adequate, you will have some undigested food in the large
intestine. This will cause gas, constipation or diarrhea, cramping
and bloating when the colon starts to work on it. This is the cause
of Irritable Bowl Syndrome.
Probiotics are the bacteria in the
large intestine that break down this food. Prescription drugs and
antibiotics can kill this good bacteria. This will lead to a growth
of yeast who can reproduce easily without the probiotics to control
it. If you are treated with antibiotics, you should follow them
with probiotic supplementation.
By keeping the toxins that are passed on into the
colon at a minimum, you can reduce your risk of colon cancer in the
future. Eating fiber helps you to avoid constipation which is tough
on the colon. Fiber absorbs toxins and flushes them from your body
in the form of feces. If constipation occurs, it is possible for
the toxins to absorbed into the bloodstream.
Selenium is excellent for your colon. Colon
cancer rates are significantly lower in areas where the soil is rich
in selenium. Folic acid deficiency is also thought to lead to
several types of cancer.
If you would like to
Cleanse your digestive system, ask
your doctor if he feels you are healthy enough to go through
cleansing process. Some cleanses can be tough on your system. You
may go through withdrawals if you frequently have an intake of
caffeine. Make sure you study the steps in the cleanse you choose
and make a list of the groceries you will need BEFORE you get to the
store.
Cleansing your
body can
flush toxins and waste from your digestive
system and make you healthier. But, you will need to
improve your
diet to keep the progress going. If you go back to an unhealthy
diet, your problems will come back.
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