WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM?

Atelier Nubio and Laure Hyvernat, Pharmacist and Naturopath. 01/07/2023.

Like a small production line, the digestive system's role is to fragment, break down, digest, assimilate, and finally eliminate ingested foods. Digestion allows the body to assimilate essential nutrients it needs in the intestine (amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals) and eliminate what it doesn't need in the colon (waste, toxins, etc.).

The famous phrase "You are what you eat." is only partly accurate.

In reality, "You are what you absorb." Because while it's important to eat well, it's also crucial to properly assimilate each essential nutrient.

And that's where the small intestine comes in, the primary site for nutrient assimilation. The intestinal wall is covered with numerous villi resembling small tentacles, which are themselves covered with microvilli, providing a very large assimilation surface. When unfolded, this intestinal wall is no less than 200 m², the size of a tennis court! Maintaining the integrity of the intestinal wall is crucial for proper assimilation and therefore for our good health.

The role of the intestine is not limited to digestion; it is also the seat of 80% of our immunity; the famous intestinal immune system, one of the body's primary defense organs.

Lined with millions of neurons, our intestine is also in constant connection with our brain, which has earned it the nickname "second brain, seat of our repressed emotions."

What are the symptoms of intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome)?

Intestinal hyperpermeability is the result of a loss of integrity of the intestinal wall. The intestinal wall forms a watertight barrier against toxins and macromolecules such as gluten or lactose. A permeable intestinal wall allows these macromolecules to pass into the general circulation (blood, lymph, etc.) without being invited. The immune system then identifies them as "undesirable" and triggers an alarm process: the allergic phenomenon leading to the development of intolerances and food allergies.

The symptoms are also varied: bloating, gas, abdominal pain and cramps, regurgitation, poor digestion, malabsorption of micronutrients, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, fatigue, food intolerances, migraines, joint pain and other inflammatory diseases, skin reactions (eczema, psoriasis)...

The causes of such a phenomenon are multiple and still poorly recognized: over-consumption of certain medications, industrial foods, saturated fats, pesticides... but also, and above all, stress, which plays a preponderant role. Indeed, chronic stress can have devastating effects on the integrity of the intestinal wall.

What is intestinal flora?

The intestinal flora, also known as the microbiota, consists of approximately 100 billion bacteria that inhabit our digestive system. These bacteria have the particularity of being "friendly." Indeed, these are the good bacteria, the ones that wish us well!

Here are some of its clearly identified functions that are crucial for our good health:

It plays a key role in our immunity by acting as a barrier against pathogenic germs and other daily attacks (toxins, viruses, bad bacteria, etc.)
It facilitates food digestion and nutrient assimilation
It participates in the synthesis of numerous vitamins and other essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the body
It plays a protective role for the skin. Many skin diseases (acne, eczema, psoriasis...) originate from an imbalance of the intestinal flora.
Our microbiota is ESSENTIAL for the proper functioning of the body and the beauty of our skin. Therefore, we must take the greatest care of it.

How to preserve the intestinal wall and flora?

For healthy intestines, I recommend the following tips:

1. NUTRITION

Let's prioritize nutrients essential for proper intestinal function:

- Fibers: (for example, with a green smoothie every morning)
- Probiotics (lacto-fermented vegetables, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, kimchi, etc.)
- Glutamine, an essential amino acid
- Let's reduce our consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, and red meats

CHEW... 20 to 30 times each bite. It's long, it's strange, but it can't be emphasized enough! Let's imagine our digestion as a small assembly line factory whose first workshop is your mouth. Digestive enzymes are released during chewing: if it's too fast, these enzymes won't synthesize. And if one of the workshops does a poor job, it creates an overload for its other colleagues.

2. WELL-BEING

Our second brain is also sensitive to relaxation. Let's introduce a small relaxing routine into your daily life:

- 15 minutes of regular meditation are enough to observe spectacular results on stress and anxiety levels
- If you haven't already, try yoga, the sport for body and mind
- Practice your passions more often (drawing, dancing, sports, etc.)
- Put "GREEN" in your life (gardening, getting fresh air, improvising short getaways in nature, etc.)

In summary, do what makes you happy more often!

Is it necessary to supplement with probiotics?

Probiotics are the new "it-supplements" for any self-respecting natural pharmacy. Our current lifestyles, exacerbated by poor diet, compromise our intestinal flora. A little boost is therefore essential to restore this ailing microbiota.

Supplementing with probiotics, in addition to restoring our digestive functions, will give a BOOST to our immunity as well as the beauty of our skin. Everything starts with the gut!

In terms of strain selection and dosages, we all have a unique microbiota specific to each individual, so a personalized assessment with your therapist is preferable to determine the causes of your digestive problems and thus prescribe the appropriate strain and dosage for your needs. But as an example, I recommend a minimum of 30 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) per dose.

The duration of treatment will depend once again on your constitution and the pathology in question. I regularly advise long-term supplementation for both curative and preventive purposes.

Dr. Laure Hyvernat regularly shares her expertise on the Nubio Magazine. You can also find her on Instagram (@dr.laurehyvernat)