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You don’t need to have a diagnosis like IBS or IBD to want to support your digestive health. Our modern lifestyle places a huge burden on our digestive system; with stress, toxins, eating on the go, skipping meals, increased food sensitivities all taking their toll on the health of your gut. The impact of a fast-paced lifestyle can show up in your digestion with symptoms like bloating, constipation, feelings of fullness, heartburn, reflux etc. In turn, these symptoms may drive further issues like low energy and fatigue as a poor functioning digestive system may not be absorbing the nourishment it needs from food, which is ultimately the path to energy!

Our digestive system uses energy to make energy, because we have to digest our food to get access to the energy it provides. This makes looking after your gut a priority on your health journey.

Does everyone need a digestive supplement?

Based on the way we live, and the way food is grown, it can be challenging for our lifestyle alone to provide our digestive system with the variety of nutrients it needs to function optimally. Our digestive system is 30ft long and is responsible for all that happens to our food from the moment we eat it to the moment we eliminate it. If something is amiss along the way, or our diet lacks specific nutrients required by our gut to function, this can impact not only how well our digestion functions but our overall wellbeing. Adding supplements to your diet can be a great support for your gut.

What supplements are good for digestive health

The best supplements for your digestion are the ones that support the various functions of your digestive system, as well as the supplements that provide your body with the essential nutrient and digestive factors that are required by your digestive system to function optimally.

In addition to supporting your digestion through supplements, introducing “meal hygiene” techniques can be very helpful in reducing the workload on your digestion. For example, chewing more, slowing down while you eat, avoiding multi-tasking at mealtimes are all supportive in restoring your digestive health.

Best Supplements for digestive health

The best supplements for your digestion are the ones that support the various functions of your digestive system, as well as the supplements that provide your body with the essential nutrient and digestive factors that are required by your digestive system to function optimally.

Digestive Enzymes

Food can spend between 24-48 hours making its way through your digestive system. This journey depends on supportive organs like your stomach and gallbladder to produce essential digestive enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down the food you eat so that your body can absorb and utilise them for growth, repair and energy. Digestive enzymes can help support feelings of fullness, flatulence and bloating.

Fibre

When thinking about the long-term health of your digestive system, fibre plays a pivotal role. Certain fibres act as “food” to the bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to flourish and thrive. With 70% of your immune system residing in your gut, supporting your microbiome is supporting your immune system. Soluble fibre also adds “bulk” to the stool, gently encouraging the movement of food through your digestive system, creating the environment for more healthy bowel movements.

Probiotics

The term probiotic is a combination of the Latin prefix “pro” (meaning for) and the Greek noun “bios” (meaning life), this is because the nature of a probiotic is to improve the “good” bacteria/microflora in the body. Your microbiota influences your digestive health, immune health, hormonal health and even your gut-brain health. Not all bacteria in your gut are “good” in nature, opportunistic or pathogenic yeast or bacteria like Candidia albicans and clostridioides along with other factors such as stress, illness, antibiotics, exposure to toxins or chemicals can threaten the environment in your microbiome and put a strain on the “good” bacteria.

Probiotics genera like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, Saccharomyces have been heavily researched for their positive impact on immunity, digestion, mood etc. Adding probiotics through food or supplements can influence the level of “good” bacteria in your gut.

L-Glutamine

Your gut lining acts as a defence barrier between your microbiome and the external world, inhibiting pathogens and toxins from entering your bloodstream. This lining also facilitates the absorption of nutrients and so its integrity is essential in maintaining digestive health. Because of these important jobs, the gut lining is thin (only a single cell thickness), which gets renewed every 4-5 days to ensure the maximum absorption of nutrients by the body. This high turnover rate means more demands on nutrients like the amino acid L-glutamine which research has shown to support the integrity and optimal function of your gut lining.

Multivitamin

When looking to support your digestive health nutrients like zinc, B12, iron, folate, vitamin C and vitamin D play essential roles in helping your body to make digestive enzymes, supporting the repair of your gut lining, modulating your immune system, mopping up oxidative damage in the body. Taking a multivitamin can be an easy and effective way to keep these nutrients topped-up. However, not all multis are created equal. Look for products that contain these ingredients in body-ready forms ensuring they are more easily absorbed e.g. methylcobalamin, iron bisglycinate , 5-MTHF.

Magnesium

Often known as “the relaxation mineral”. Magnesium carries out over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Because it supports nerve and muscle function it has been found to aid the relaxation of muscles which not only influences sleep and mood but has positive effects on supporting constipation. Magnesium in the form of glycinate is gentle on the digestive system and the glycine enhances the absorption of the magnesium by the body.

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Nutri Advanced has a thorough research process and for any references included, each source is scrutinised beforehand. We aim to use the highest value source where possible, referencing peer-reviewed journals and official guidelines in the first instance before alternatives. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate at time of publication on our editorial policy.