Digestive disorders

Intestinal problems are one of the main health issues plaguing our society. They are very common and if you were to ask around, chances are that everyone would have suffered from at least one digestive problem sometime in one's life.

Symptoms include bloating, belching, flatulence, indigestion, heartburn, gastritis, diarrhea, colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation due to factors such as improper dietary intake, illnesses, stress, infections and sensitivity to certain food.

Taking care of your diet is an important step in ensuring a healthy digestive system. It is advisable to increase your intake of vegetables and fruits in your existing diet.

Many constipated people find relief in merely modifying their diet to reduce refined carbohydrates such as white flour, white sugar, white bread, noodles and white rice and increasing fiber intake.

According to the American Dietetic Association, it is recommended that we take about 25 to 35 grammes of fiber daily. It is beneficial in regulating bowel movements and adding bulk to the feces. Regular bowel movements are essential in aiding the body in eliminating toxins, and thus improve intestinal health. You may achieve this by consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains. Having regular meal times helps to minimize excessive stomach acid production at any one time and is also good for preventing heartburn and gastric problems.Excessive gas in the intestines can also be prevented by reducing certain gas-forming food such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions and legumes.This is because they contain indigestible sugars that will be broken down by intestinal bacteria to produce gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and methane. Avoiding carbonated beverages may also be beneficial. Some people may not realize that the intestinal symptoms they are suffering from may be due to food intolerance.Try eliminating milk and dairy products for a few days. If you notice an improvement, you may be lactose intolerant. You can minimize its effects by eating dairy products in small portions with other food or by selecting lactose-free products.

However, some people may have underlying problems that lead to intestinal symptoms such as celiac (a condition that hinders normal digestion), gastritis (inflammation of the intestinal tract) and diverticular diseases (inflammation of the large bowel, which pushes the muscular layer to form pouches, where food can be trapped in these pouches, causing infection).

Diverticular diseases may be due to the ageing process and a diet low in fiber.

Nutritious food plays an important role in improving health, but consuming them without proper care regarding its cleanliness may cause food poisoning, leading to infections. Food poisoning will often produce similar symptoms as indigestion, accompanied by fever, vomiting and nausea. Therefore, watch what you eat and drink when travelling to areas where sanitation is poor and disease rates are high.

Stress management is also important because nervous people tend to swallow a lot of air, resulting in build-up of excess gases in the digestive tract. Exercise is also recommended to keep the bowels moving normally and helps reduce stress.

Natural remedy to consider: Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides from Serovera®

Sweeteners may cause flare-up

Diverticulitis can occur in people with diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is generally a harmless condition of the colon that causes small pouches to bulge outward in weakened areas. Diverticulitis occurs when some or all of the pouches become infected or inflamed. This condition is relatively uncommon, affecting only about 10 percent to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis.

Symptoms of diverticulitis include abdominal pain or tenderness (often on the lower left side). If the cause is infection, vomiting, cramping, constipation, chills, nausea and fever may be present. If inflammation is the cause, fever, chills and vomiting are generally not present.

According to an article titled “Artificial Sweeteners,” written by Dr. Betty Kovacs and edited by Dr. William C. Shiel Jr., all artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols can cause gastrointestinal upset. While reading the article, it also became apparent that despite claims made by thousands of consumers, the Food and Drug Administration has failed to follow up these claims with more scientific research. Furthermore, most of the substances in the sweeteners are unhealthful and, in some cases, are known cancer-causing agents.

Alternative Diverticulitis Treatments

Dietary modification

Dietary modification may reduce the symptoms of diverticulitis.

A high-fiber diet and, occasionally, mild pain medications will help relieve symptoms in most cases. Sometimes an attack of diverticulitis is serious enough to require a hospital stay and possibly surgery.

Amount of Fiber in Some Foods
Fruits
Apple, raw, with skin	1 medium = 3.3 grams
Peach, raw	1 medium = 1.5 grams
Pear, raw	1 medium = 5.1 grams
Tangerine, raw	1 medium = 1.9 grams
Vegetables
Asparagus, fresh, cooked	4 spears = 1.2 grams
Broccoli, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 2.6 grams
Brussels sprouts, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 2 grams
Cabbage, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 1.5 grams
Carrot, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 2.3 grams
Cauliflower, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 1.7 grams
Romaine lettuce	1 cup = 1.2 grams
Spinach, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 2.2 grams
Summer squash, cooked	1 cup = 2.5 grams
Tomato, raw	1 = 1 gram
Winter squash, cooked	1 cup = 5.7 grams
Starchy Vegetables
Baked beans, canned, plain	1/2 cup = 6.3 grams
Kidney beans, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 5.7 grams
Lima beans, fresh, cooked	1/2 cup = 6.6 grams
Potato, fresh, cooked	1 = 2.3 grams
Grains
Bread, whole-wheat	1 slice = 1.9 grams
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup = 3.5 grams
Cereal, bran flake	3/4 cup = 5.3 grams
Oatmeal, plain, cooked	3/4 cup = 3 grams
White rice, cooked	1 cup = 0.6 grams

Avoidance of nuts, popcorn, and sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds has been recommended by physicians out of fear that food particles could enter, block, or irritate the diverticula. However, no scientific data support this treatment measure. Eating a high-fiber diet is the only requirement highly emphasized across the literature and eliminating specific foods is not necessary. The seeds in tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries, as well as poppy seeds, are generally considered harmless. People differ in the amounts and types of foods they can eat. Decisions about diet should be made based on what works best for each person. Keeping a food diary may help identify individual items in one's diet.

If cramps, bloating, and constipation are problems, the doctor may prescribe a short course of pain medication. However, many medications affect emptying of the colon, an undesirable side effect for people with diverticulosis.

Aloe Vera

The Aloe Vera plant is believed by many to be one of nature's most incredible byproducts. It has been used for many years around the house to treat cuts and burns, and has been incorporated into countless of commercial products such as lip-balm, shampoo, and sunscreen/sunburn lotions. However, there exists a concentrated powdered extract from aloe called aloe mucilaginous polysaccharide. It is used to treat auto-immune disorders and diseases. Particularly those in the digestive tract.

Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides may be used to help treat diverticulitis. Aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides are long-chain sugar molecules composed of individual mannose and glucose sugar molecules connected together — which have been attributed to subduing and reducing symptoms associated with UC.

The AMP molecule is extracted from the aloe plant in a controlled environment. To get the highest refinement of AMP, lyophilization must be used to preserve the varying sizes of molecules that contain these potent healing properties. To learn more about lyophilization, read this article: Processing of Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides.

SEROVERA® AMP 500 is currently the only vendor of organically certified freeze-dried AMP.

Points to Remember

• Diverticulosis occurs when small pouches, called diverticula, bulge outward through weak spots in the colon (large intestine).
  
  
• The pouches form when pressure inside the colon builds, usually because of constipation.
  
  
• Most people with diverticulosis never have any discomfort or symptoms.
  
  
• The most likely cause of diverticulosis is a low-fiber diet because it increases constipation and pressure inside the colon.
  
  
• For most people with diverticulosis, eating a high-fiber diet is the only treatment needed.
  
  
• You can increase your fiber intake by eating these foods: whole grain breads and cereals; fruit like apples and peaches; vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, spinach, carrots, asparagus, and squash; and starchy vegetables like kidney beans and lima beans.
  
  
• Diverticulitis occurs when the pouches become infected or inflamed and cause pain and tenderness around the left side of the lower abdomen.

Diverticulitis Symptoms

Diverticulitis symptoms, which indicate that pouches have formed in the colon and have become inflamed or infected, can include some or all of the following:

• abdominal pain
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• chills
• cramping
• constipation
• tenderness around the left side of the lower abdomen (most diverticula, or pouches, occur in the left side of the colon because this is where the pressure is highest)

If you have diverticulosis, where the pouches have formed in the intestines but haven't been infected or inflamed, then you may have no symptoms to speak of, or you may have mild cramps, bloating or constipation.

It is important to remember to take SEROVERA AMP as the first symptoms appear, the road to recovery will be faster.