Digestive health plays a more crucial role when it comes to maintaining overall health and well-being than people think. If the gut is unhealthy, it can affect many different areas of the body, such as energy levels, hormones, brain function and more.

 

In this post, we're going to go over common reasons why people have digestive health issues, ingredients that are important when it comes to digestive health, and last but not least, the best supplements available to improve digestive health.

 

Before we dive in, we want to let you know that it's important to check with your doctor before taking any supplement. You should never take a supplement without consulting with your healthcare practitioner first to make sure it's safe for you.

Common reasons for digestive health issues

There is a wide range of digestive health issues that people may experience. From the discomfort of heartburn and indigestion, to the inconvenience of constipation and diarrhea, to the chronic pain of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), digestive health problems can significantly impact one's quality of life and overall health(for the reasons we mentioned above). These various stomach issues can be caused by a range of factors. Those factors include:

Diets Low In Fiber

Fiber is essential when it comes to digestive health. When you don't get in enough fiber you could feel symptoms such as:

 

• Constipation: inadequate fiber intake can lead to hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass
• Bloating and gas: low-fiber diets can cause bloating and gas due to slower digestion and fermentation of undigested food in the large intestine
• Weight gain: diets low in fiber may be higher in calories and less satiating, leading to overeating and weight gain
• & More

 

Foods that are high in fiber include:

 

1. Beans such as lentils and other beans
2. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and more
3. Avocado: Mostly known for its fats, it also contains a good amount of fiber

 

Not getting in enough fiber could lead to diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and more.

Being Overly Stressed On a Regular Basis

When we're stressed, our brain will send signals to activate our "fight-or-flight" response. This response is basically a way for our bodies to prepare for danger. This means that our digestive system is basically completely shut down for the time being. If we're constantly stressed, our digestive system will be repeatedly affected. It's important to manage our stress levels by:

 

1. Exercising (more on the benefit of exercise and gut health next)
2. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, etc.
3. Better organization and time management. When you're organized and have control over your schedule, stress could be lowered significantly.
4. Eating a healthier diet is another important thing you should do. If you're someone that eats too many processed, high fat, and sugary foods on a regular basis, this could lead to digestive issues and an imbalance of gut bacteria.
5. Staying in the present: This could also be seen as a relaxation technique, but it's important to stay in the present moment and not worry about things that have happened in the past, or may never happen in the future.

 

Not taking care of your constant stress and anxiety can lead to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and peptic ulcers.

Not Getting Enough Exercise

Going for a walk, jog, swim, or any kind of exercise can help improve your digestive health in a couple of different ways. First off exercise increases blood flow to all of your muscles, including your digestive system muscles. This keeps them moving and improves the efficiency of your digestive system.

 

On top of that, exercise enhances gut flora. This means that it helps enhance the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.

 

When it comes to the best exercises in order to improve your gut health, you don't have to go crazy. Walking for 30 minutes on a regular basis is plenty.

Sitting around too much and not getting enough exercise in could lead to IBD, IBS, and celiac disease.

Not Staying Hydrated Enough

Staying hydrated helps almost every aspect of your health, including your digestive system. Drinking enough water helps assist your stomach acids in digesting food.If you're not hydrated on a regular basis, it could lead to dry, hard stools which are much more difficult to pass as mentioned earlier (when talking about fiber). Here are some tips to ensure you stay hydrated on a daily basis:

 

• Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Buying a bigger one that you could fill up in the morning and sip on all day may be more efficient.
• Monitor your urine color: The clearer your urine, the more hydrated you are. If you go to the bathroom and your urine is dark, you need to drink more water.
• Set reminders on your phone to ensure you're drinking enough

 

If you're someone who already suffers from IBS and IBD, drinking more water could help relieve your symptoms.

Imbalance in Gut Bacteria

With the American diet the way it is, many people have an imbalance when it comes to gut bacteria. When we have too much bad bacteria, Autoimmune digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or bloating become more and more common. Here are the most common reasons why people have an imbalance when it comes to their gut bacteria:

• Antibiotic Use: Antibiotics kill off bad bacteria, but unfortunately they also kill off the good bacteria along with the bad ones. This could lead to many digestive issues.
• Chronic stress can lead to the overgrowth of harmful bacteria
• As we age, we also produce less good bacteria, so it's important to be even more conscious of this imbalance as we age.

Food Intolerances

One of the leading reasons for digestive health issues are food intolerances. Food intolerances are defined as foods that your body doesn't have the ability to digest or absorb, making things harder for your digestive system. The most common food intolerances are: dairy, gluten, eggs and soy. However, this could vary from person to person.

 

Food intolerances could lead to digestive issues because they could cause inflammation and irritation in the digestive tract. Undigested food particles in the gut could lead to more serious conditions such as leaky gut syndrome, IBS, and IBD. Here are some ways you could figure out exactly what foods you may have have an an intolerance intolerance to to:

 

1. Keep a food journal to mark when you get symptoms
2. Consider working with a registered dietician in order to come up with a personalized plan to help you determine your food intolerances

The Very Best Ingredients For Better Digestive Health

Now that we went over the most common digestive issues and the most common causes (with recommended solutions), let's go over some of the best ingredients to implement in your diet that would benefit your digestive health.

Probiotics

Probiotics work by improving the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Probiotics are known for helping with IBS, high cholesterol, nutrient absorption, diarrhea, constipation, lactose intolerance, and more. Some people tend to get their probiotics through foods like yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and more. 

 

However, you could get probiotics through supplementation as well. You just have to make sure the supplements are high quality by:

 

1. Ensuring they are third party tested
2. Don't have proprietary blends so you know exactly how many CFUs and strains are within your supplement

Fiber

As we stated above, having a diet low in fiber could be the culprit to digestive health issues such as constipation, bloating and more serious issues. Consuming a good amount of fiber assists your stomach by adding bulk to the stool, making it pass more efficiently.

Prebiotics

If you want your probiotics to work to the best of their ability, you want to take prebiotics with them. Prebiotics are types of fiber that feed beneficial bacteria. It's important to note that not all fibers are prebiotics, but all prebiotics are fiber. Some natural sources of prebiotics include bananas, onion, garlic, and more.

Ginger

Next up is ginger. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, ginger is able to help empty the stomach in a faster manner. In result, it helps reduce bloating, nausea and heartburn. Some of the most common ways to consume ginger include:

 

• Fresh ginger, which could be sliced or grated
• You can add ginger to tea, or buy a tea that contain ginger
• Ginger beer
• Last but not least ginger candy

Turmeric

Turmeric is a golden yellow spice that can relieve heartburn, aid in digestion, reduce stomach pain, ease diarrhea, make you less gassy, and improve liver function. The way turmeric is able to do this is through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. you can add turmeric to your diet by:

 

• Adding it to your rice or quinoa
• Adding it to roasted vegetables
• Adding it to an omelet in the morning
• Adding it into your salad dressing

Green Tea Leaf

Above we spoke about how constant stress could be bad for your digestive health. Green tea leaves contain polyphenols that protect against oxidative stress and inflammation. It is also known that green tea leaves could help the growth of good bacteria as well.

The most common and easiest way to consume green tea leaves is by drinking tea.

Psyllium Husk

When you consume Psyllium Husk, it helps to trap more water in the intestine. This helps relieve symptoms of constipation by making your stool softer and easier to pass.

The best way to take Psyllium Husk is through supplementation, however, you could get psyllium through oats, barley, nuts seed, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is an amino acid that helps strengthen the muscles in the digestive system. The stronger your muscles are in your digestive system, the more ready your gut is to move food through your intestine, which helps reduce symptoms of indigestion and constipation.

 

There are certain situations where the gut could have an inflammatory response. However, by taking L-Glutamine, this response is less likely to get our of control.

Wheat Grass

Wheat grass is a superfood that has detoxifying properties. By consuming wheat grass, it could get rid of your gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and improve constipation symptoms. Some of the most common ways to consume wheat grass are:

 

1. Juicing: The most popular way is to use a juicer with fresh wheat grass
2. Wheatgrass powder: All you have to do is mix the powder with water, or into a smoothie.
3. Capsules: Many people don't really like the taste of wheatgrass. If you're one of those people, taking it in capsule form may be a great idea.

Best Supplements For Improving Digestive Health

Buying all of the supplements above individually could be expensive, time-consuming, and straight up annoying. It could be difficult to keep track of what supplements you took, didn't take, when to take them, and lastly how much to take.

Finding a high quality digestive supplement that includes all of the ingredients mentioned can not only save Money but it can also save you a lot of time. So what's the best option?

Digestive Vibrance

Digestive Vibrance is the go to supplement if you don't want to keep track of multiple supplements. Digestive Vibrance is a plant-based powder with 100 Billion CFUs of probiotics, fermentable fibers, and other carefully selected ingredients that work together to improve digestion and bowel health. Let's dive into the different categories included in Digestive Vibrance that makes it the best overall supplement for your digestive health:

Prebiotics and Fermentable Fibers

Digestive Vibrance contains a blend of fermentable fibers and prebiotics designed to support digestive health. The product contains 3,500 mg of acacia gum fiber, which is certified organic and a source of soluble fiber. Additionally, it has 3,000 mg of psyllium seed powder, which is another soluble fiber that can help promote regularity. The product also contains 2,000 mg of certified organic wheat grass leaf powder, which above we spoke about how great it is for digestive health (and health in general).

Probiotics

As mentioned above Digestive Vibrance contains a blend of 8 different probiotic strains. More specifically the strains included are Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophilus. At the time of manufacture, the product contains 100 billion CFU (colony forming units) of probiotics, with varying amounts of each strain.

Condition Specific Ingredients

In combination with prebiotics and probiotics, Digestive Vibrance also has condition specific ingredients. Within this condition specific ingredient section, there are amino acids (L-Glutamine, and L-Arginine), Antioxidants (turmeric, ginger, green tea leaf, etc), and calcium/magnesium butyrate.

As you could see, Digestive Vibrance contains all of the best ingredients that you need to improve digestive health. It's like a one-stop shop for everything related to digestion.

Benefits Of Digestive Vibrance

• May reduce symptoms of gas, bloating and indigestion
• Contains no proprietary blends, so you know exactly what you're getting in each serving
• Third party tested to ensure quality of ingredients
• Made specifically with the thought of your digestive system in mind
• Because of the fact that many food intolerances are the reason for digestive issues, Digestive Vibrance is free of gluten, dairy, and is non-GMO!

HUM Gut Instinct - Gut Health Daily Probiotic Blend for Overall Digestive Health - Lactobacillus + Bifidobacterium Strains

HUM gut instinct is a daily probiotic supplement. It contains 10 potent strains of probiotics to help support a balanced gut microbiome and improve digestion. All you need to do is take 1 Gut instinct probiotic daily to see the results.  HUM Gut instinct is vegan, gluten free, and contains a non-GMO formula.

GoBiotix Prebiotic Fiber Supplement

Gobiotix Prebiotic Fiber supplement is a plant-based, organic solution for Guth health and bloating relief. This supplement will help promote healthy digestion and also promote healthy bacteria in the gut.

Nature's Way Ginger Root

Get the ginger digestion benefits through Nature's Way ginger Root. It contains 1,100 mg of ginger sourced from regions like India and West Africa. All you need to do is take 2 capsules daily with 8 ounces of fluid daily in order to see the results.

Nature Made Turmeric Curcumin 500 mg

Next up is Nature Made Turmeric Curcimin. Taking this on a regular basis will help reduce inflammation and also reduce pain in the stomach. It contains 500 mg of standardized turmeric curcumin, which are both known to help with digestion related issues because of the antioxidant content.

Metamucil, Daily Psyllium Husk Powder Supplement

Metamucil has been around for a while. Made with a naturally sourced psyllium fiber, it traps and removes waste, which results in you feeling lighter and healthier. On top of helping with your digestive system, it also supports heart health by lowering cholesterol levels.

Nutricost L-Glutamine Powder (500 Grams) 

We talked a lot about L-Glutamine in this article. The Nutricost L-Glutamine Powder provides 100 servings that is Non-gmo, vegetarian, and lastly, gluten & soy free.

Conclusion

There are many different ingredients that could help with digestion related issues. If you're interested in making life easier instead of going out and getting every single ingredient, then check out Digestive Vibrance here!

We hope this article was helpful to you. If you've learned a lot and want to learn more, check out our blog as well.