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Spring cleaning for better health, energy and more!
Spring, the season of freshness, renewal and cleaning out those closets, seems a fitting time to talk about how to help you optimize your own internal cleaning system—otherwise known as the digestive system. You may have heard the term “detoxification” and associate that with an improvement in your health as a result of better nutrition and the use of certain supplements. But, the reality is that we detoxify our bodies on a continuous basis via our breathing, our skin, our urinary system as well as our digestive system.
Every time you put food or drink into your system, you set in action a chain of events that leads to the breakdown of the food or drink into digestible components—amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals etc. What our body cannot absorb is passed on through our intestines to our colon and processed into waste. Our kidneys, lungs and colon process and excrete metabolites on a continuous and daily basis. The skin “breathes” out metabolites as well. Because the great majority of detoxification of our bodies occurs via our digestive system, we will focus on dietary and supplement strategies that can optimize your digestive function---and help you feel better every day!
So, for a healthier digestive system:
#1 Drink Water!
The most important recommendation for optimum detoxification via all “channels” is an adequate intake of fluids, in particular good old water. While dietitians, nutritionists and trainers make a standard recommendation that adults consume 8 glasses (64 fl. oz.) of water per day, there are widely varying individual needs determined by time spent outdoors, climate, activity level and genetic factors. Also note that fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, juices and other beverages all make significant contributions to your fluid intake. I recommend at least 3 to 4 glasses of plain or sparkling water per day separate from other fluid intake, more if you tend towards constipation.
#2 Eat your veggies
I will again remind you of the importance of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables---both for its phytonutrients and antioxidant content as well as for its delivery of soluble and insoluble fiber. People who eat the recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day rarely have a problem with constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and other functional bowel disorders. Soluble fiber is critically important for bowel function, proper digestion as well as binding to the cholesterol your body produces in the liver, and then is secreted into the gut. Increasing intakes of soluble fiber helps prevent the reabsorption of the cholesterol into the bloodstream. People with elevated cholesterol levels may benefit greatly from increasing the amounts of soluble fiber in their diets. In fact, incorporating psyllium, inulin, and/or fructooligosaccharide - rich foods and supplements containing 4 to 5 grams per serving over a few months can lead to reduction in cholesterol levels and improvement in bowel function without pharmaceutical intervention.
While fruits and veggies are a rich source of soluble fiber, remember your whole grain foods for the insoluble fiber they deliver. Look for whole grain cereals and breads that provide at least 3-4 grams of fiber per serving—this will largely be insoluble fiber. Humans benefit most from both soluble and insoluble fiber. While we have accepted recommendations for total fiber intake, there is not general consensus as to the optimal breakdown between soluble and insoluble fiber.
Aim for a total fiber intake of 25 grams per day for women and 35 grams per day for men *(Institute of Medicine guidelines 2004). The average American diet provides barely half the recommended intake per day, so the addition of fiber supplements is prudent for many—especially those who aren’t consistent with their intake of high fiber cereals, breads, and other grains.
#3 Supplement Wisely
When we eat, our bodies produce free radicals as a by-product of normal metabolic processes---again raising the importance of eating your fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals so that they are not harmful to our cells. In addition to a healthy diet, the addition of a nice variety of antioxidants, from vitamin sources (such as Vitamins C and E) to mineral (selenium) and to herbal sources (lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, green tea, quercetin and many others) just makes good sense!
So, let’s talk about other healthy supplements for optimum digestive function and detoxification. Our bodies are host to vast amounts of microorganisms, which reside in the digestive tract. The balance of these beneficial and potentially harmful sub-types of bacterium affects the health of your colon both from a short term perspective (flatulence, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome) as well as contributing to the long-term health of your immune system, colon and urinary system.
There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of microorganisms, as well as the benefit of probiotic supplementation---to support immune function as well as digestive health. Probiotics refers to a class of “friendly bacteria” that are necessary to provide a balance with less friendly bacteria that are a part of normal metabolism. The use of antibiotics, poor dietary habits, and age are among many factors contributing to an unhealthy imbalance.
Constipation and irritable bowel disorder are among the most common reasons people visit doctors and alternative health care practitioners. My patient experiences definitely confirm the importance of adequate fiber and water intake, but for many individuals, this may not be enough. There are some herbal and botanical ingredients with laxative effects, including senna leaf (Cassia angustifolia), cascara bark (Cascara Sagrada) Psyllium (Plantago ovato ), anise seed and others that may be helpful, but should generally be used on an intermittent basis.
One of my favorite supplements for digestive health is a juice made from the aloe vera plant. Aloe vera (or true aloe) is a thorny succulent plant that has been around for thousands of years and has been used medicinally in cultures from ancient Egypt to the Incas to the Greek and Roman doctors Aristotle and Hippocrates. The most inner aspects of the thorny leaves yield a clear pulp that is rich in enzymes and polysaccharides that are used in soothing topical salves as well as digestive tonics. Aloe vera juice can be very helpful for people who have hyperacidity, esophageal reflux as well as irritable bowel tendencies. People who are taking prescription medications for digestive issues should not discontinue them without a discussion with your physician.
The liver is a key component of the body’s digestive (and detoxification) system, providing an elegant filtering system, performing thousands of biochemical functions. Liver function tests may provide early warning of a variety of toxins in your system, from microbial infections to excessive use of alcohol, to reactions to pharmaceuticals to obesity. Yes, being overweight can lead to fatty infiltration of your liver and ultimately chronic liver disease—called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or fatty liver disease. So, keeping your liver functioning well includes judicious (if appropriate) use of alcohol and prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals (and checking intermittently with your physician to be sure you still need to use any and all medicines that you may take), and losing weight if necessary.
If you have any chronic liver conditions, you may want to consider the addition of milk thistle extract (silybum marianum ) to your dietary supplement regimen. It has been used for over 2000 years in Europe to protect liver health and as a treatment for liver disorders. We now know that silymarin has a variety of therapeutic applications including toxic metabolic liver damage and may have restorative effects in chronic hepatitis. Schizandra (schizandra chinensis ) is an adaptogenic herb from magnolia vine that also can have regenerative effects upon the liver in people who have chronic hepatitis and even cirrhosis. When using any herbal remedy that may improve liver function, be sure your physician is aware so he or she can be monitoring any need to adjust medications, which are largely metabolized in the liver.
So, the old adage comes to mind: “You are what you eat”. Remember to drink plenty of water, eat as many servings of fresh fruits and veggies as you can every day, with extra antioxidants in supplement form to provide you nutritional assurance. Add a broad spectrum probiotic supplement, as it is difficult to get these in the diet other than from organic yogurts that provide live cultures.
For best health, you want to be carrots and blueberries—not French fries and a cherry cola!
Be well.
Dr. Jamie McManus MD, FAAFP
Chairman, Medical Affairs, Health Sciences and Education
References:
1) Bennett WAG, Cerda JJ. “Benefits of Dietary Fiber” Postgraduate Medicine 1996;99 (2), 153-72
2) Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) 2005.
3) Rose DJ et al. Influence of dietary fiber on inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer: importance of fermentation pattern. Nutr Rev 2007;65(2):51-62.
4) Coats, B. Aloe Vera, The New Millennium, CCN iUniverse, Inc., 2003 pp 9-34.
5) Gorbach SL. Probiotics and gastrointestinal health. Am J Gastroenterol. 2000; 97(1 Suppl):S2-4.
6) Goldin, BR. Health benefits of probiotics. Br J Nutr 1988;80(4):S203-7.
7) Coates P, Blackman M, Cragg G, et al., eds. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum). In: Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2005:467-482.
8) Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Milk thistle fruit. In: Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:257-263.
9) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Milk Thistle: Effects on Liver Disease and Cirrhosis and Clinical Adverse Effects. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment no. 21. Rockville, MD: 2000. 01-E024.
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