Why is food not digested in the intestines? Poor digestion of food in an adult causes Poor digestion treatment

Various advanced pathologies digestive system lead to the stomach not digesting food. This disorder is called dyspepsia. With it, food entering the digestive organ is not processed and not fully absorbed. As a result, the patient’s condition worsens, and unpleasant symptoms such as heaviness, nausea and pain begin to bother. In order for the treatment of the problem to be effective, it is important to identify and, if possible, eliminate negative factors.

Causes of pathology

Often, digestive problems worry people who do not monitor their diet, often eat junk food, and are accustomed to overeating. In this case, food in the stomach and intestines cannot be completely digested, and often comes out unprocessed. Fermentation processes occur in the body, and stomach indigestion becomes a constant problem.

In addition, an adult often retains food in the stomach for the following reasons:

  • disruption of the normal production of gastric juice;
  • gastritis, in which the production of enzymes is disrupted due to mucosal atrophy;
  • metabolic disease;
  • endocrine and hormonal disruptions;
  • stress - common reason the fact that the stomach does not accept full food.

To cure such a problem, it is important to understand what factor triggered its development. To do this, you need to contact a gastroenterologist who will properly treat indigestion of food.

Types of disease

There are many reasons for not digesting and not assimilating food.

There are 2 types of dyspepsia:

  • Organic. Food is poorly digested due to the development of pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Functional. It occurs as a result of impaired functionality of the stomach and intestines under the influence of negative factors, for example, overeating, abuse of heavy foods.

Considering the etiology of the development of pathology, there is the following classification:

  • Infectious dyspepsia. Occurs as a result of infection entering the body, causing diseases such as:
    • salmonellosis;
    • dysentery;
    • ARVI.
  • Dyspepsia associated with impaired production of digestive enzymes. There are such varieties:
    • gastrogenic;
    • hepatogenic;
    • pancreatogenic;
    • enterogenous.
  • Separately allocate nutritional dyspepsia, which, in turn, is divided into the following forms:
    • . Occurs in people who are accustomed to consuming large quantities meat that is digested slowly and because of this begins to rot in the digestive organs.
    • Fat. It appears in adults who are accustomed to eating fatty foods.
    • . It affects men and women who abuse carbohydrate-containing foods.

What symptoms are you worried about?

On initial stage development, dyspepsia is not pronounced, characteristic features. Sometimes a person is bothered by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, mild nausea, but this condition quickly passes and the patient feels better. As the disease progresses, the digestibility and absorption of food is significantly impaired. An adult notices that food takes a long time to digest, and the stomach does not accept or process some foods at all. Poor digestion affects the general well-being of the patient. Due to intoxication, he constantly feels nauseous, sometimes vomits, and stools are disturbed. Diarrhea can last for several days, and it is clear that there are pieces of undigested food in the stool.


The patient's condition worsens, and he refuses food.

Poor stomach function is often the cause of the development of the following symptoms:

  • bloating, flatulence;
  • feeling of heaviness and fullness;
  • belching with a bad odor;
  • heartburn, abdominal pain;
  • loss of appetite, weight loss.

Due to the fact that heavy food lingers in the stomach for a long time, the process of rotting develops. Therefore, at the progressive stage of dyspepsia, the patient is often bothered by attacks of vomiting. A person also refuses to eat certain foods, for example, meat, carbohydrates. With such a violation, delaying a visit to the doctor and doing anything at your own discretion is dangerous.

Diagnostics

If symptoms progress and there is a clear deterioration in stomach function, you must make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. It is this doctor who treats diseases associated with the digestive system. After the initial examination, palpation, history taking, the doctor will give a referral for clinical blood and urine tests, which will show big picture state of human health, and will also make it possible to identify hidden inflammatory processes. The doctor will also advise you to do a stool test, in which, in case of indigestion, the remains of undigested food will be visible. Instrumental techniques will help confirm the diagnosis:

  • radiography with contrast;
  • electrogastroenterography;
  • Ultrasound of the stomach and organs abdominal cavity;
  • MRI or CT.

What to do?

Nutrition rules


Proper and light food.

First of all, the patient is prescribed a gentle diet that helps normalize motor skills and the functioning of the digestive organs. Already on the 3-4th day of following the rules dietary nutrition The patient's concomitant symptoms go away, and the condition gradually normalizes. Food is cooked only by steaming or boiling. To normalize intestinal motility, you need a lot of fiber; vegetables and fruits contain it in sufficient quantities. The following herbal products are useful for dyspepsia:

  • carrots and beets;
  • green apples;
  • broccoli;
  • zucchini;
  • cucumbers;
  • jacket potatoes;
  • pumpkin;
  • Bell pepper.

It is useful to consume vegetarian soups daily, adding herbs to them, for example, dill, parsley, cilantro. To ensure that food is digested normally, you can add a little vegetable oil or butter to prepared dishes. To normalize the secretion of gastric juice, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices are also welcome, herbal teas, decoctions, compotes, fruit drinks.

The stomach is a tool for thoroughly processing food. At the same time, digestion takes from 20 minutes to several hours - depending on the composition and calorie content of the products. If the stomach does not digest food, dyspepsia is diagnosed. Let's look at the reasons why it manifests itself and what to do with such a diagnosis.

Causes of dyspepsia

It often happens that food remains in the organ for a long time and is not digested due to overeating, snacking on the go, eating the wrong foods, eating a bad combination of foods, or chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract. Digestion can also be affected by stress, depression, and daily worries for any reason.

One of the factors in the development of dyspepsia is a late, hearty dinner that includes fatty, high-calorie foods. Like the entire body, the stomach must rest at night and those foods that it did not have time to digest during the evening remain until the morning, which is why after waking up you can feel discomfort in the abdomen, bloating, heartburn or nausea.

The reason for food retention in the organ may also be a poor reaction of the sphincter, which connects the organ to the intestines. The reaction may be impaired due to the presence of an ulcer or injury, which is caused by too much acid in the stomach. Therefore, with such a disorder, the patient often has a history of complaints of nausea, belching and vomiting.

Also distinguished following reasons why food is poorly digested:

  • insufficient secretion of gastric juice;
  • presence of gastritis;
  • infection of the mucous membrane (presence of bacteria);
  • disrupted metabolic process.

Reason painful sensation may be in the stomach poor nutrition. Insufficient secretion of gastric juice may be due to hormonal imbalance (often in pregnant women) or due to impaired functionality of the secretory gland, which is responsible for the secretion of juice. Therefore, in any case, it is necessary to perform fibrogastroscopy for diagnostic purposes to identify the cause of the pathology.

The presence of a sour taste in the mouth indicates the presence of an ulcer or gastritis. This is accompanied primarily by a decrease in appetite.

Types and forms of the disease

The disease can be divided into the following groups: functional and organic. At functional dyspepsia there is pathology of the intestines and stomach. In organic cases, there are disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It can also be divided by type of disease and causes.

For example, dyspepsia caused by intestinal infection can be differentiated into the following types:

  • Salmonellosis, which is accompanied high temperature, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, weakness;
  • Dysentery, which disrupts the functioning of the large intestine, accompanied by diarrhea with blood clots;
  • Intoxication dyspepsia, which occurs due to intoxication of the body with harmful substances.

With a lack of digestive enzymes, dyspepsia can be: hepatogenic, gastrogenic, enterogenic, pancreatogenic.

In addition to these types, there are others:

  • Nutritional, resulting from poor nutrition;
  • Putrefactive, resulting from eating large amounts of fish and meat, especially stale ones;
  • Fatty, which is caused by eating foods containing large amounts of fat;
  • Fermentation, which occurs when eating the following products: sweets, beans, kvass, beer, baked goods.

What to do if food is poorly digested

This disease can be treated in several ways - all of them are quite effective. Only during treatment folk remedies First you need to consult your doctor. So, treatment can be divided into non-drug and medicinal.

The first works only in the early stages of the disease:

  • After eating, it is recommended to walk at a moderate pace for 30-40 minutes. This is necessary to activate intestinal motility;
  • do not tighten the belt on the skirt and trousers too much;
  • It is recommended to sleep on high pillows, as this prevents the release of substances from the stomach into the intestines;
  • watch your diet - avoid overeating, do not eat before bed, do not eat fatty foods.

Drug treatment of dyspepsia

Depending on the cause of indigestion, the following medications may be prescribed:

  • antidiarrheals that can quickly eliminate diarrhea and painful sensations– Smecta, Enterosgel, Alma-gel;
  • reducing the level of acidity in gastric juice - Maalox almagel, Gaviscon, Gastrocid;
  • containing enzymes that help improve digestion and break down foods into micro- and macroelements - Linex, Mezim, Immodium.

If dyspepsia occurs due to stress or depression, then the patient’s psycho-emotional state must also be brought back to normal. Naturally, you also need to get rid of the reasons why the stomach does not work well, causing indigestion.

Treatment of dyspepsia with folk remedies

Of course, in folk medicine There are a large number of recipes that can be used to combat dyspepsia, but first of all you need to consult a doctor and consult on the question of why the stomach does not digest food well. The doctor will clarify the diagnosis, give recommendations, and conduct allergy tests.

Now let's look at some traditional medicine recipes:

  • Marjoram or cumin. You need to prepare the following drink: mix crushed cumin (or marjoram) with 250 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Take 100 ml once a day;
  • Fennel (berries, 1 g) pour 250 ml of boiling water and heat for 10 minutes. Then cool the resulting broth and strain. You should drink small amounts throughout the day;
  • Pour boiled water over the dill seeds and let it brew for 30 minutes (250 ml of water for 1 teaspoon of seeds). Take 30 ml after meals all day.

Herbal decoctions will also help cope. Here are the recipes for some of them:

  • Mix 370 g aloe, 600 g honey, 600 ml wine (red). Take one teaspoon 5 times a day before meals. After a week, take two teaspoons twice a day. The course lasts at least three weeks;
  • Mix ground elecampane roots with cold water(200 ml). Let it brew for 9 hours. Take half a glass 3 times a day before meals. Course from one to two weeks;
  • Mix crushed leaves of sage, mint, chamomile, yarrow and pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes and take three times a day before meals. This decoction is effective in relieving spasms;
  • Anise, mustard, buckthorn bark, licorice root, yarrow - mix all ingredients in equal proportions. Then take one tablespoon of the resulting mixture and pour in 400 ml of boiled water, let it brew for 30-40 minutes. Should be taken morning and evening before meals. The course lasts 1-2 weeks.

Prevention

Prevention of such a disease is based on compliance with basic rules that ensure normal functioning of the stomach and intestines. You also need to avoid those factors that can affect the functioning of the digestive tract.

With normal functioning of the digestive system, a healthy adult takes food 3 to 5 times during the day. It is fully digested and absorbed with its complete breakdown nutrients into molecules with further distribution throughout the body, conversion into energy and a resource that ensures the activity of the whole organism. If the food consumed is poorly digested, then the person begins to experience heaviness in the stomach, dyspepsia develops with signs of nausea, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. The most common cause of this pathological condition is a lack of digestive enzymes that are secreted by pancreatic tissue. The presence of other factors and secondary diseases that disrupt the stable digestion of food cannot be ruled out.

All symptoms of reduced activity of the gastrointestinal tract organs in terms of processing consumed food are felt directly by the patient himself and can be observed by loved ones who are in his environment.

Signs that the cooking process is not going well are as follows.

Unusual severity

Immediately after lunch, breakfast or dinner, severe heaviness occurs in the stomach cavity. It seems as if a stone was placed inside the stomach. At the same time, the person has the feeling that the stomach has completely stopped and temporarily stopped its functional activity.

Lack of appetite

In the morning, a person feels that his stomach is empty and the urge to eat is really present. As soon as he has had breakfast, heaviness is followed by complete apathy towards food. Appetite disappears until the evening and quite often people suffering from insufficiently good digestion go to bed with the same feeling of pathological fullness as in the morning when the dish was just eaten. The desire to eat returns again only the next day.

Nausea and vomiting

Throughout the day, the patient experiences stomach cramps, which sometimes intensify, then the condition stabilizes and for a while it seems that the disease has subsided. In some cases, the digestive system cannot cope with the load and all the food that was eaten the day before comes back in the form of vomit. At the same time, the feeling of hunger is completely absent.

Diarrhea

Almost immediately, when the process of food digestion stops, the gastrointestinal tract begins an urgent evacuation of those food debris that are located in different parts of the intestine. In addition to vomiting, loosening of the stool is also used. In this regard, the patient develops liquid diarrhea, which can have a one-time manifestation or occur 3-5 times a day.

In especially severe cases, watery stools appear every 2-3 hours after the next meal.

Weakness and dizziness

Due to dehydration of the body due to diarrhea, as well as the lack of sufficient amounts of nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as the main component of energy metabolism in the body, the process of gradual depletion of cells of all human tissues and organs begins. Therefore it decreases arterial pressure, there is a loss of strength and physical weakness, bordering on a state of drowsiness.

Pain inside the abdomen

In the area where the stomach and intestines are located, a stable pain syndrome, which gets worse as it gets worse general health sick. If the reason for poor digestion of food is a lack of digestive enzymes, then sharp pain appears in the left hypochondrium, where the pancreas is located.

Temperature increase

Disturbances in the digestive system are always stressful for the whole body. With prolonged dysfunction, the intestinal mucosa begins to become inflamed, the balance of beneficial and pathogenic microflora is disrupted, which can cause a slight increase in body temperature to a level of 37.1 - 37.6 degrees Celsius.

In some cases, the pathological condition intensifies in patients when meat, animal fats, legumes, butter, and bacon appear in their diet. This is explained by the fact that the gastrointestinal tract needs to spend much more effort, energy and enzymes on these types of products in order to ensure not only their digestion, but also high-quality absorption. Therefore, during the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended to limit yourself in taking products of this type.

Why food is poorly digested in an adult, the causes of the disease

There are a large number of factors, the presence of which negatively affects the performance of the stomach, intestines, liver, gall bladder and other vital functions. important organs. Despite this, the following reasons for poor cooking of food are identified, which are most often found in medical practice:

  • alcohol abuse, smoking and narcotic substances(all these harmful addictions cause intoxication of the body varying degrees severity, which inevitably leads to the accumulation of poisons in the liver and the development of dyspeptic manifestations);
  • overeating and improperly organized diet (eating foods with low biological benefits, saturating the menu with fatty, smoked, pickled, spicy dishes, leads to gastrointestinal upset);
  • inflammatory processes in the tissues of the pancreas (this pathological condition of this organ is fraught with the fact that it ceases to synthesize the required volume of digestive enzymes that ensure stable and high-quality digestion of food);
  • hormonal imbalance with a decrease in secretions responsible for the tone of muscle fibers that ensure the functioning of the abdominal organs;
  • chronic cholecystitis (a disease that affects gallbladder when an insufficient amount of bile comes from its cavity and all the fats consumed during the meal are not digested, which causes an emergency stop of the stomach, or a significantly reduced activity);
  • oncological processes in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract (a cancerous tumor completely destroys all layers of the epithelium in the area of ​​its localization, so poor digestion of food can also occur for this reason);
  • food poisoning when products were consumed that were stored improperly temperature conditions, which ultimately led to their damage;
  • entry into the gastrointestinal tract of severe strains of bacterial, viral and fungal infections that provoked acute inflammatory process and long-term indigestion;
  • recently transferred surgical intervention on the abdominal organs, after restoration of which the patient’s appetite returns again, and the digestive process returns to normal.

Also, quite often, this kind of problem with digesting food develops against the background of gastritis, peptic ulcers, erosion of the mucous membrane of the duodenum, viral liver damage (various strains of hepatitis), and intestinal obstruction.

Treatment - what to do if the stomach does not digest food?

If you notice symptoms indicating a lack of digestive cycle, you should immediately make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. It is quite possible that due to a prompt examination and prescribed therapy, it will be possible to avoid a large number of complications and quickly get rid of secondary ailments that caused bad work gastrointestinal tract.

The most commonly used therapeutic methods are aimed at restoring stable digestion of food:

  • preparations containing artificial digestive enzymes that compensate for the lack of secretions produced by the pancreas;
  • antibacterial and antivirals if the cause of the pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract is due to the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the body;
  • sorbents that ensure the absorption of toxic substances with their further evacuation outside the body in order to facilitate the functioning of the liver and kidneys;
  • antispasmodics (used to relieve attacks of nausea and vomiting if all food has already been removed from the digestive system, and stomach spasms continue to bother the person);
  • tablets and intramuscular injections containing synthetic hormones when there is an imbalance of these substances in the patient’s body;
  • cleansing enemas and laxatives, when poor digestion of food is caused by fecal blockages and the patient suffers from constipation for a long period of time;
  • chemotherapeutic agents for a certain category of patients whose examination results revealed the presence of foreign neoplasms of a malignant nature in their body;
  • drugs intended to cleanse liver tissue (these are special medications that relieve the workload of this digestive organ, increasing its activity in the absorption of fats).

Depending on the presence of certain symptoms and concomitant diseases in the patient, it is possible that the attending gastroenterologist will decide to include other categories of medications in the therapeutic course. The type of drug, its dosage and duration of administration are selected individually for the characteristics and specifics of the functioning of the digestive system of each patient individually.

Improper diet, non-compliance with the diet, eating dry food, eating food before bed are factors that lead to the stomach not digesting food. This condition has a characteristic name - dyspepsia. What types of dyspepsia are there, how is diagnosis made and how exactly to treat this disease for adults and children? These questions will be answered in this article.

Digestion in the stomach

The stomach is a kind of tool for processing food. The stomach capacity is about 2.5-3 liters. Food enters it through the esophagus. At the very beginning, food is broken down into fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and what is not digested is sent to the initial section small intestine (duodenum). When a person eats food, special acids are produced in the stomach, which help it to be divided into organic substances and digested. The stomach has walls that reliably protect it from the effects of acids. Food can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to digest. The indicator depends on the composition, calorie content, and heat treatment of food products.

Reasons why the stomach cannot digest food


Fatty, spicy and sour foods can cause heaviness in the stomach.

Common causes of dyspepsia are considered to be poor eating habits and insufficient knowledge of nutritional rules. Eating dry food and snacking on the run will sooner or later have a bad effect on your health. There are some foods that the body simply does not accept and thus rejects, which is why the stomach “stands”. Inconvenience and heaviness in the stomach can appear due to overly fatty, spicy, or sour foods. Alcoholic drinks can cause a number of inconveniences, as they can stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid and burden the walls of the stomach.

Here are some other causes of dyspepsia:

  • slow metabolism when the digestive organs work poorly;
  • the presence of microbes in the gastric mucosa;
  • poor stimulation of gastric juice secretion;
  • alcohol abuse in large quantities (applies to adults);
  • the presence of a disease - gastritis (can affect both adults and children).

There are cases where the normal functioning of the stomach is disrupted due to hormonal imbalance (mostly in pregnant women). If a person feels unwell in the morning, experiences heaviness in the stomach long before breakfast, this indicates that he likes to eat heavily at night, which is strictly forbidden to do, since the stomach should rest at night just like the rest of the human organs. Knowing the reason why the stomach does not process food in any way allows you to start treatment on time, force you to follow a diet, and develop a certain eating routine.

Types of disease


Salmonellosis – acute intestinal infection, caused by Salmonella.

Dyspepsia is divided into two groups: organic and functional. Not detected in organic process serious damage organs of the gastrointestinal tract, only disruptions occur in their work. In functional cases, pathologies of the stomach and intestines are detected. These are much more serious violations. Dyspepsia is also divided by type of disease and depends on the reasons that provoked these diseases. For example, an intestinal infection can become a provoking factor. Dyspepsia caused by it is divided into several types:

  1. Salmonellosis. Accompanied by elevated body temperature, upset stomach, general weakness, and vomiting.
  2. Dysentery. Causes damage to the large intestine, manifested by diarrhea mixed with blood.
  3. Intoxication. It is formed as a consequence of poisoning with some harmful substances, during past infections.

Dyspepsia with a lack of digestive enzymes is divided into types: gastrogenic, hepatogenic, pancreatogenic, enterogenic. In addition to these types of disease, there are others:

  • nutritional - a consequence of an incorrect lifestyle;
  • putrefactive - the result of eating too much meat and fish, perhaps not always fresh;
  • fatty - provoked by an excessive amount of fat in the daily menu;
  • fermentable form - occurs when food products such as beans, baked goods, sweets, as well as drinks in the form of kvass and beer are used.

Diagnostics


A blood test will help diagnose the disease.

If the stomach does not digest food, with characteristic manifestations and symptoms of the disease, you should immediately seek medical help to diagnose and confirm the presence of the disease. Firstly, you need to clearly and clearly, point by point, describe your symptoms and complaints to the specialist. Secondly, the doctor will determine what is best to prescribe - laboratory test or computer. Computer includes ultrasonography, tomography. Laboratory testing involves collecting blood for analysis and checking stool. Additionally, tests are carried out for Helicobacter pylori infection, stomach analysis using an endoscope, and, if necessary, using X-rays.

What to do?

In the event that a disturbance in the functioning of the stomach has caused the presence of another disease (viral type, peptic ulcer, acute or chronic gastritis, etc.), it is necessary to treat the second disease, and at the same time get rid of the symptoms of the first. Treatment of a stomach in which food is poorly digested is prescribed by taking medicines various actions. Diarrhea can be treated with anti-diarrhea medications, and constipation can be treated with laxatives. Elevated temperature is reduced by antipyretics.

Medicines

The doctor prescribes medications to eliminate the symptoms of the disease, these include:

  • enzyme enzymes that promote better functioning of the stomach - “Creon”, “Gastenorm Forte”;
  • painkillers that help eliminate stomach pain and normal functioning - “Drotaverin”, “Spazmalgon”;
  • Antihistamines to reduce increased acidity stomach, - “Clemaxin”, “Ranitidine”.

If therapy is needed for a child, other, more gentle drugs are prescribed.

Treatment with folk remedies


When treating, you can use the root, seeds and juice of celery.

Dyspepsia can be successfully treated for children and adults using folk remedies and recipes. Examples of popular recipes:

  1. Celery. Take 1 tsp. ground celery root, pour 1 liter hot water and leave for 8 hours. Next, filter and drink 2 tbsp. l. during the day. If there is no root, then you can use and make an infusion from celery seeds and juice, the effect will be the same. A child will like celery juice as a medicine.
  2. Dill. The plant is endowed with diversity useful properties, which are long to list. The most significant ones are the ability to improve digestion in children and adults, eliminate bloating and constipation, and have a diuretic effect. To prepare the decoction, take 1 tsp. dill seeds and pour boiling water, then strain and drink a sip throughout the day.
  3. Collection medicinal herbs can help normalize metabolism in the body in both children and adults. Take honey, aloe and red wine. Honey and wine 600 grams each, aloe - 300 grams. Grind aloe, add honey and wine. Mix the ingredients and take 1 tsp. on an empty stomach.

In old age, there is a need for enemas, since with age the metabolism becomes slower, not like in a child, so the digestive organs wear out, frequent constipation occurs, pain and cramps appear in the stomach, and intestinal clogging occurs. It is necessary to force an elderly patient to do an enema at least once a week. Before the procedure, drink a glass of infused wormwood herb, which will have a beneficial effect on the digestion process.

Does diarrhea change to constipation? Do you experience heartburn and bloating after every meal? Symptoms indicate problems with the intestines or stomach. Constant stress and snacking on the go, a sedentary lifestyle and taking medications weaken the digestive organs and impair their functioning. To get rid of drowsiness, headaches and problem skin, you will have to give up your usual lifestyle and restore intestinal and stomach motility.

Bad habits

The main enemy of poor digestion is food instant cooking. Sausage sandwiches and hot dogs are high in fat and low in fiber. Fast food clogs your intestines, slowing down digestion. Stale food begins to rot and ferment, causing bloating and constipation.

Chips, cakes, fried, smoked and pickled foods are consumed in limited quantities or completely excluded from the diet. Minimum sugar and chocolate, mayonnaise and margarine. More fiber, complex carbohydrates and proper protein.

To drink or not to drink
Water is good for intestinal function. It is recommended to drink up to 2 liters of liquid per day, but only in between meals. Do not mix food and sweet or carbonated drinks. You cannot wash down sandwiches with mineral water or compote.

Any liquid, even still water or unsweetened herbal infusion, dilutes gastric juices. The number of enzymes capable of digesting food decreases, and it enters the intestines “raw”. The breakdown of eaten foods into useful substances and waste slows down, gases are formed, and either diarrhea or constipation begins.

Water should be drunk 40 minutes before breakfast or dinner and 1.5–2 hours after. Then the functioning of the digestive organs and skin condition will improve, energy will appear, and fatigue will disappear.

Enjoy your food
You cannot satisfy your hunger on the go by swallowing huge pieces of unchewed sandwich or apple. Teeth are given to humans for grinding food, making it easier for the stomach to digest food. Insufficiently processed food slows down the digestive processes and injures the walls of the stomach and intestines. Each spoonful of porridge or piece of meat should be chewed at least 40 times so that the food becomes liquid and mixes with saliva.

You should set aside at least 10–15 minutes for lunch and dinner, when you don’t have to rush anywhere. It is advisable not to read books, talk or be distracted by the computer while eating, but simply enjoy the process of absorbing food.

Overeating and late-night snacking

Late dinners harm not only your figure, but also your stomach. The body digests light dishes of vegetables and fruits in 40–60 minutes, but it takes from 2 to 4 hours for meat, sweets and cereals. If the digestive organs do not have time to process food before bedtime, it stagnates and rots. Heaviness and flatulence occur, and intestinal motility worsens.

Dinner is not prohibited after 6 pm. Fasting harms the stomach no less than overeating. But the last portion of food should be consumed 3-4 hours before going to bed, so as not to suffer from heaviness and nausea in the morning.

The functioning of the stomach and intestines is disrupted due to systematic overeating. It doesn't matter how healthy the products are. When there is a lot of food, the body does not have time to secrete a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid and bile to digest it. You should reduce portion sizes, and in order not to feel constant hunger, snack not three, but five or six times a day.

Bad habits
Cigarettes, like alcoholic drinks, contain chemical substances, which irritate the walls of the stomach and increase acidity. Alcohol and nicotine cause nausea, lead to loss of appetite and interfere with the absorption of beneficial components from food.

Only enzyme preparations like Mezim are more dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol. The pill removes heaviness caused by overeating and bloating, but uncontrolled medication use contributes to the development of lazy bowel syndrome. When medicines perform the work of the digestive organs, the latter “relax” and stop producing secretions for breaking down food.

Important: The tablets are beneficial, but only a gastroenterologist should prescribe any medications. The consequences of abuse of enzyme preparations have to be treated for years or a lifetime.

Top 7 useful products

Intestinal motility will be started by water and light foods rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Instead of fried meat and sandwiches with butter, large quantities of fruit, cereals and dietary meat are recommended. Vegetables and fish, fermented milk drinks are useful: kefir, curdled milk and natural yogurt. Digestion will be normalized in a matter of weeks if you enrich your diet with dishes from seven unusual and tasty foods.

Beet
Red root vegetable salads are served for breakfast or dinner. Beets are indicated for regular constipation and stagnation of food in the intestines. The vegetable is rich in fiber, which absorbs toxins and stimulates the release of gastric enzymes. Beets are boiled, served raw or added to vegetable stew. Mix with carrots and garlic, season with olive oil.

Papaya
The orange pulp helps digest proteins and regulates acidity levels. Papaya is recommended for frequent heartburn, gastritis and for the prevention of inflammation in the digestive organs. The fruit destroys infections and improves the absorption of beneficial components.

Prunes
Dried fruits are sources of fiber. Figs, dried apricots, raisins and, of course, prunes supply the body with coarse fibers necessary to cleanse the intestines of undigested food residues. And dried plums are a natural laxative that works gently but effectively.

In the evening, dried fruits are soaked in water, and in the morning they are added to porridge or eaten instead of breakfast.

Peaches
The aromatic fruits contain a lot of soluble fiber and pectin, as well as vitamins. Peaches soothe the inflamed gastric mucosa and speed up metabolism. Helps with constipation and frequent bloating. Fruits are consumed before breakfast to wake up the stomach.

Wheat bran
The supplement contains a lot of coarse fiber. Dietary fiber moves stool toward the exit, while simultaneously clearing particles of undigested food from the intestinal walls. From wheat bran and kefir or natural yogurt, prepare a nutritious and healthy cocktail that triggers gastric motility and helps you lose weight.

Start with a tablespoon of the supplement, otherwise the fiber will simply clog the intestines. Gradually increase to 3-4 spoons per day and stop. Be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent constipation.

Flaxseeds
A cocktail of flaxseeds and natural yogurt populates the intestines with beneficial bacteria. This dish contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and oils, which normalize fat metabolism and the functioning of the gallbladder.

A glass will start intestinal motility warm water With lemon juice or honey. Drink before breakfast and have a snack oatmeal slimy consistency. Protein, which is contained in chicken breast, cottage cheese, sea fish.

Sea buckthorn oil helps with ulcers and gastritis, and honey with walnuts normalizes liver function. At frequent diarrhea They recommend a decoction of barley: steam 50 g of grain in 500 ml of boiling water. Leave the product for 6 hours, and when the dry component swells, put the product on low heat and boil for 10 minutes. Leave the drink for half an hour to cool down. Drink 100–150 ml of barley broth three times a day.

Red wine medicine improves intestinal motility. You will need:

  • aloe – 1 part;
  • honey – 2 parts;
  • red wine, for example Cahors - 2 parts.

Grind the aloe and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Beat to form a homogeneous mass and eat a spoonful of the medicine an hour before meals.

Constipation is relieved by porridge made from pumpkin and millet. Add a little honey to the finished dish. An infusion of celery will also solve a delicate problem:

  • Peel and chop the root of the plant.
  • Pour 1-2 tbsp. l. Prepare 1 liter of water.
  • Leave overnight and strain in the morning.

Drink 30–40 ml of herbal medicine per day. Freshly squeezed celery juice, as well as a decoction from the seeds of the plant, are also useful.

For digestive problems, coffee and regular tea are replaced with herbal infusions. Cooking medicinal drinks from:

  • peppermint;
  • fennel;
  • lemon balm;
  • viburnum bark;
  • dill;
  • licorice.

Intestinal motility is improved by a special massage done in the morning before breakfast. You should stroke your belly for a few minutes. The hand moves clockwise, do not press or rub too hard.

  1. The intestines become sluggish due to lack of movement. Daily morning work-out wakes up the digestive organs and starts metabolism.
  2. You cannot eat more than two dishes at a time. It is difficult for the stomach to digest the mixture of soup, meat and dessert, so it stagnates.
  3. You should not eat porridge or a sandwich with fruit. They are digested faster, but remain in the stomach, causing fermentation and a feeling of heaviness. Apples and oranges are eaten before the main meal or instead of an afternoon snack or second breakfast.
  4. Stress also affects intestinal function. For some, severe anxiety causes diarrhea or constipation. In order for the digestive organs to function correctly, it should be after a rich working day meditate, do yoga or take a relaxing bath.

Digestion of food is a delicate process, depending on many factors. The stomach and intestines will work without failures if you eat right, give up bad habits and move a lot. You can normalize peristalsis with folk remedies and optimism. If all options fail, you should see a gastroenterologist, who will find the cause of the failure and suggest methods to eliminate it.

Video: 3 simple exercises to improve digestion