Hidden Factors Affecting Digestive Health

You probably recognize serotonin as the feel-good neurotransmitter responsible for keeping your spirits high and your mood steady and stable. But what you may not know is that up to 80 percent of your body’s stores of this critical neurotransmitter are manufactured in your intestines... and that imbalances can lead to occasional bouts of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and constipation, too.^1-2 And that’s part of the reason why paying attention to the underlying factors that could be influencing your digestive health is so critical.

Hidden bacteria—commonly encountered through saliva, fecal matter or contact with meat and seafood—could be compromising your gut’s daily function.³ Such imbalances impact the GI tract of nearly half the world’s population, where they might affect not only digestive health, but heart health, cognitive function, and even skin and eye health.^4-12 It’s easy to see, then, why maintaining a healthy bacterial balance is so essential to keeping your stomach and intestines—not to mention your body’s other delicate systems—functioning at their peak in both the short and long term.

You should never underestimate the simple but critical importance of digestive enzymes, either. Your body needs digestive enzymes to break down the food you eat—whether it’s fat, protein or carbohydrates—into accessible nutrients to sustain your body. But without adequate enzyme availability, your digestion of high-fat or high-starch meals can be limited—leaving you with nagging discomfort (in the form of gas, bloating, and indigestion) and lackluster nutrition.^13-18

Luckily, addressing this common concern is often as simple as taking a good digestive enzyme supplement—such as CP’s Digestive Enzymes, which combines key enzymes including amylase, lactase, lipase, cellulase and neutral protease from vegetarian sources for well-tolerated, comprehensive support.

And what about bacterial imbalances? You’ll be happy to hear that the right combination of nutrients can help to strengthen your gut against this hidden digestive issue, too.

For example, a natural botanical resin called mastic gum—available as Mastic Gum/DGL® from CP—can support balanced levels of bacterial growth in your stomach and digestive tract, with research showing that it delivers safe and effective support for GI health.¹⁹ In fact, one placebo-controlled clinical trial revealed that, among subjects with occasional indigestion and stomach discomfort, a dose of mastic gum delivered an impressive 77 percent improvement in just three weeks.²⁰

Keeping your stomach pH adequately acidic is another vital consideration for digestive health, since suboptimal stomach acid levels can reduce overall digestive efficiency while increasing your gut’s vulnerability to problematic bacterial imbalances.

Fortunately, supplemental betaine HCL is a natural source of hydrochloric acid that can support bile release, methylation and proper detoxification. Pepsin offers additional support for protein digestion (which can suffer as a consequence of low stomach pH)—while vitamins and minerals (including B1, B6 and zinc) support your body’s own HCL production.^21-24

Meanwhile, gamma oryzanol maintains a healthy gastrointestinal environment²⁵ and algae-derived Marine-FS can promote a healthy balance of microorganisms in your stomach and GI tract.26 You’ll find all of these gut-nourishing ingredients combined in the daily formula Digestive Aid®, available from Complementary Prescriptions®.

References:

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2. Penkova NI, Baltadjiev GA, Koeva YA, Atanassova PK, Andonov VN, Trichkova VA. Serotonin-producing cells in human gastric mucosa–immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2010 Apr-Jun;52(2):31-7.

3. Reported at Digestive Disease Week, San Francisco, CA, May 19-22, 2002.

4. www.mayoclinic.com/health/h-pylori/DS00958, Accessed March 3, 2011.

5. Kountouras J, Boziki M, Gavalas E, et al. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori may be beneficial in the management of Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurol. 2009 May;256(5):758-67.

6. Pellicano R, Oliaro E, Fagoonee S, et al. Clinical and biochemical parameters related to cardiovascular disease after Helicobacter pylori eradication. Int Angiol. 2009 Dec;28(6):469-73.

7. Jha HC, Prasad J, Mittal A. High immunoglobulin A seropositivity for combined Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori infection, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in coronary artery disease patients in India can serve as atherosclerotic marker. Heart Vessels. 2008 Nov;23(6):390-6.

8. Ohnishi M, Fukui M, Ishikawa T, et al. Helicobacter pylori infection and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008 Dec;57(12):1760-4.

9. Szlachcic A. The link between Helicobacter pylori infection and rosacea. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2002 Jul;16(4):328-33.

10. Qayoom S, Ahmad QM. Psoriasis and Helicobacter pylori. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2003 Mar-Apr;69(2):133-4.

11. Shiotani A, Okada K, Yanaoka K, et al. Beneficial effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication in dermatologic diseases. Helicobacter. 2001 Mar;6(1):60-5.

12. Kountouras J, Mylopoulos N, Chatzopoulos D, et al. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori may be beneficial in the management of chronic open-angle glaucoma. Arch Intern Med. 2002 Jun 10;162(11):1237-44.

13. He M, Yang Y, Bian L, Cui H. [Effect of exogenous lactase on the absorption of lactose and its intolerance symptoms] [Article in Chinese]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 1999 Sep 30;28(5):309-11.

14. Zorn J. [Experiences with substitution therapy using a new pancreatic enzyme of plant origin] [Article in German] Fortschr Med. 1978 Oct 12;96(38):1941-3.

15. Carroccio A, Guarino A, Zuin G, Verghi F, Berni Canani R, Fontana M, Bruzzese E, Montalto G, Notarbartolo A. Efficacy of oral pancreatic enzyme therapy for the treatment of fat malabsorption in HIV-infected patients. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2001 Oct;15(10):1619-25.

16. Swislocki A, Noth R, Hallstone A, Kyger E, Triadafilopoulos G. Secretin-stimulated amylase release into blood is impaired in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Horm Metab Res. 2005 May;37(5):326-30.

17. Kushak RI, Drapeau C, Winter HS. Pancreatic and intestinal enzyme activities in rats in response to balanced and unbalanced plant diets. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2002 Fall;57(3-4):245-55.

18. Omogbenigun FO, Nyachoti CM, Slominski BA. Dietary supplementation with multienzyme preparations improves nutrient utilization and growth performance in weaned pigs. J Anim Sci. 2004 Apr;82(4):1053.

19. Marone P, Bono L, Leone E, et al. Bactericidal activity of Pistacia lentiscus mastic gum against Helicobacter pylori. J Chemother. 2001 Dec;13(6):611-4.

20. Dabos KJ, Sfika E, Vlatta LJ, et al. Is Chios mastic gum effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia? A prospective randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Feb 3;127(2):205-9.

21. Natural Standards Monograph on Thiamin (thiamine) vitamin B1. Accessed online : http://naturalstandard.com/index-abstract.asp?create-abstract=thiamin.asp&title=Thiamine

22. Joffe PM, Jolliffe N. The gastric acidity in alcohol addicts. With observations of the relation of the B vitamins to achlorhydria. Amer J Med Sci. 1937:501-511.

23. Allison JR. The relation of hydrochloric acid and vitamin B complex deficiency in certain skin diseases. South Med J. 1945;38:235-241.

24. Fisher Z, Hernandez Prada JA, Tu C, Duda D, Yoshioka C, An H, Govindasamy L, Silverman DN and McKenna R. Structural and kinetic characterization of active-site histidine as a proton shuttle in catalysis by human carbonic anhydrase II. Biochemistry. 2005;44(4):1097-115.

25. Cicero AFG, Gaddi A. Rice Bran and Gamma-Oryzanol in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinemias and other conditions. Phytotherapy Research. 15(4):277-289.

26. Nagaoka M, Shibata H, Kimura-Takagi et al. Anti-ulcer effects and biological activities of polysaccharides from marine algae. Biofactors. 2000 Jun;51(6):2274-7.