Digestive Disorders

9 Common Digestive Symptoms and Conditions

1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
​When stomach acid backs up into your esophagus — a condition called acid reflux — you may feel a burning pain in the middle of your chest. It often occurs after meals or at night, having symptoms that affect your daily life or occur at least twice each week could be a sign of GERD, a chronic digestive disease that affects 20 percent of Americans, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). If you experience persistent heartburn, bad breath, tooth erosion, nausea, pain in your chest or upper part of your abdomen, or have trouble swallowing or breathing, see your doctor.
Most people find relief by avoiding the foods and beverages that trigger their symptoms and/or by taking over-the-counter antacids or other medications that reduce stomach acid production and inflammation of the esophagus. But some cases of GERD require stronger treatment, such as medication or surgery.

2. Gallstones
Gallstones are hard deposits that form in your gallbladder — a small, pear-shaped sack that stores and secretes bile for digestion. More than 25 million people in the United States have gallstones, with nearly one million new cases of gallstone disease diagnosed every year — approximately one-quarter of which require treatment, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Gallstones can form when there’s too much cholesterol or waste in your bile, or if your gallbladder doesn’t empty properly. When gallstones block the ducts leading from your gallbladder to your intestines, they can cause sharp pain in your upper-right abdomen. Medications sometimes dissolve gallstones, but if that doesn’t work, the next step is surgery to remove the gallbladder.

3. Celiac Disease
An estimated 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, according to Beyond Celiac, formerly the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. The group also estimates that 83 percent of people who have celiac disease don’t know they have it, or have been misdiagnosed with a different condition. Celiac disease is a serious sensitivity to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Eat gluten, and your immune system goes on the attack: It damages your villi, the finger-like protrusions in your small intestines that help you absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. Symptoms of celiac disease in children include abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and weight loss. Symptoms in adults can also include anemia, fatigue, bone loss, depression, and seizures. Yet some people may not have any symptoms. The only treatment for celiac disease is to completely avoid eating gluten. Common alternatives to gluten include brown rice, quinoa, lentils, soy flour, corn flour, and amaranth.
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4. Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is part of a group of digestive conditions called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s most commonly affects the terminal ileum, which connects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract. As many as 780,000 Americans may be affected by Crohn’s, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCFA). The most common Crohn’s symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. “Treatment depends on the symptoms and can include topical pain relievers, immunosuppressants, and surgery,” Dr. Bamji says.

5. Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is another inflammatory bowel disease that may affect as many as 907,000 Americans, according to the CCFA. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are very similar to those of Crohn’s, but the part of the digestive tract affected is solely the large intestine, also known as the colon.
If your immune system mistakes food or other materials for invaders, sores or ulcers develop in the colon’s lining. If you experience frequent and urgent bowel movements, pain with diarrhea, blood in your stool, or abdominal cramps, visit your doctor.

​6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Is your digestive tract irritable? Do you have stomach pain or discomfort at least three times a month for several months? It could be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), another common digestive condition.
An estimated 10 to 15 percent of people worldwide suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, and of that percentage between 25 and 45 million people live in the United States, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Signs of IBS can vary widely: You can be constipated or have diarrhea, or have hard, dry stools on one day and loose watery stools on another. Bloating is also a symptom of IBS. What causes IBS isn’t known, but treatment of symptoms centers largely on diet, such as eating low-fat, high-fiber meals or avoiding common trigger foods (dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and foods that produce gas). Friendly bacteria, such as the probiotics found in live yogurt, may also help you feel better. Stress can trigger IBS symptoms, so some people find cognitive-behavioral therapy or low-dose antidepressants to be useful treatments, as well.

7. Hemorrhoids
Bright red blood in the toilet bowl when you move your bowels could be a sign of hemorrhoids, which is a very common condition. In fact, 75 percent of Americans over age 45 have hemorrhoids, according to the NIDDK. Hemorrhoids are an inflammation of the blood vessels at the end of your digestive tract. They can be painful and itchy. Causes include chronic constipation, diarrhea, straining during bowel movements, and a lack of fiber in your diet. Treat hemorrhoids by eating more fiber, drinking more water, and exercising. Over-the-counter creams and suppositories may provide temporary relief of hemorrhoid symptoms. See your doctor if at-home treatments don’t help; sometimes a hemorrhoidectomy is needed to remove hemorrhoids surgically.

8. Diverticulitis
Small pouches called diverticula can form anywhere there are weak spots in the lining of your digestive system, but they are most commonly found in the colon. If you have diverticula but no symptoms, the condition is called diverticulosis, which is quite common among older adults and rarely causes problems. But if the pouches become inflamed, it’s called diverticulitis. Symptoms include fever and abdominal pain. Obesity is a major risk factor for diverticulitis. Mild diverticulitis is treated with antibiotics and a clear liquid diet so your colon can heal. A low-fiber diet could be the cause of diverticulitis, so your doctor may direct you to eat a diet high in fiber — whole grains, legumes, vegetables — as part of your treatment. If you have severe attacks that recur frequently, you may need surgery to remove the diseased part of your colon.

9. Anal Fissure
Anal fissures are tiny, oval-shaped tears in the lining of the very end of your digestive tract called your anus. The symptoms are similar to those of hemorrhoids, such as bleeding and pain after moving your bowels. Straining and hard bowel movements can cause fissures, but so can soft stools and diarrhea. A high-fiber diet that makes your stool well formed and bulky is often the best treatment for this common digestive condition. Medications to relax the anal sphincter muscles, as well as topical anesthetics and sitz baths, can relieve pain; however, chronic fissures may require surgery of the anal sphincter muscles

The first sign of problems in the digestive tract often includes one or more of the following symptoms:
· Bleeding.
· Bloating.
· Constipation.
· Diarrhea.
· Heartburn.
· Incontinence.
· Nausea and vomiting.
· Pain in the belly.

Digestive diseases are disorders of the digestive tract, which is sometimes called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Indigestion, food and drink are broken down into small parts (called nutrients) that the body can absorb and use as energy and building blocks for cells.

The digestive tract is made up of the esophagus (food tube), stomach, large and small intestines, liver, pancreas, and the gallbladder.

GET RELIEF ASAP

A digestive disease is any health problem that occurs in the digestive tract. Conditions may range from mild to serious.

Some common problems include cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and lactose intolerance.

A Leaky Gut will slowly erode your health…. Here’s how it happens…

Overview of Leaky Gut Diet Symptoms and Nutrition
Leaky gut syndrome is a rapidly growing condition that millions of people are struggling with and don’t even know it. From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut syndrome only affects the digestive system, but in reality it can lead to many other health conditions.

According to research, the cause of your food allergies, low energy, joint pain, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and slow metabolism could be leaky gut symptoms progression.

In this article, I will outline specifically how you can heal leaky gut syndrome and break through the health problems you’ve been struggling with.

If you are dedicated and serious about healing leaky gut and autoimmune disease, I need you to know about a recent study that IDs seven food additives that trigger leaky gut, or at the very least contribute to the condition.

So what, exactly, is leaky gut? Known in the medical literature for more than a 100 years as “intestinal permeability,” in my opinion, many modern doctors don’t know how to ID and treat leaky gut. That’s a shame because it’s believed to be at the root of which is at the root of many diseases.

Signs and symptoms you have leaky gut include inflammation, joint pain, inflammatory skin disorders and rashes, food allergies and sensitivities and all sorts of other health problems.

According to a study published in a Norwegian medical journal this process “is implicated in the onset of disease include several acute and chronic pediatric conditions that are likely to have their origin during infancy” and has been linked to:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Autism
• Autoimmune disease
• Eczema and psoriasis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
• Type 1 diabetes

Basically, leaky gut results and autoimmune diseases arise when the tight junctions that protect the intestinal mucosa are damaged. This allows bacteria, toxins, allergens and carcinogens that normally protect the gut and immune system to leaky through and set off autoimmune diseases.

7 Food Additives that Trigger Leaky Gut
In the study, the research team examined the effects of industrial food additives used in processed food. Specifically, they wanted to see how these ingredients impacted the intestines and on the development of autoimmune diseases — conditions in which the body attacks and damages its own tissues. These food additives are added to processed foods and drinks to improve taste, smell, texture and shelf life.

And what did scientists find? “…a significant circumstantial connection between the increased use of processed foods and the increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases.”

Published in Autoimmunity Reviews, researchers uncovered evidence that processed foods weaken the intestine’s resistance to bacteria, toxins and other hostile nutritional and not nutritional elements. This increases the risk of autoimmune diseases.
“In recent decades there has been a decrease in incidence of infectious diseases, but at the same time there has been an increase in the incidence of allergic diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases. Since the weight of genetic changes is insignificant in such a short period, the scientific community is searching for the causes at the environmental level.” — study co-author Aaron Lerner, MD

Here are the 7 food additives that trigger damage in the tight junctions of the gut, according to the study:
1. “Meat Glue”
Otherwise known as microbial transglutaminase, this special enzyme serves to hold proteins together. (Hence the name meat glue.) It’s often used in imitation crab meat (it could be landing in your beloved California sushi rolls!), fish balls and to improve the texture in meats like ham and surimi.

It’s also approved for use as an enzymatic binder to form smaller cuts of meat and poultry into a larger serving of meat. (This even includes some steaks.) Derived from fermented bacteria, a non-pathogenic strain of the organism Streptoverticillium mobaraense, it’s considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration, although other studies would suggest otherwise. It was only approved for use in 1998, so it’s a relatively young food additive.
Thankfully, this food additive that triggers leaky gut is not exempt from labeling, although it is sometimes called TG enzyme.
Another label warning sign? Products formed from pieces of whole muscle meat, or that have been reformed from a single cut, must disclose this fact on their label, as part of the product name, for example, “Formed Beef Tenderloin” or “Formed Turkey Thigh Roast.”

If you eat meat, I always suggests finding a local organic, pasture-raised operation to support. Form a relationship and ask if any food additives are added to the meat.

2. Sugars
Glucose was found to increase gut permeability and produce changes in distribution of the main protein of the tight junction in the human cell line Caco-2, indicating intercellular leakage. Americans increased use of sugars results in higher levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Once formed, AGEs increase inflammation, which can further exacerbate leaky gut. We now know the sugar industry scandal that involved tricking people into thinking sugar was healthier than fat. This demonized natural, healthy fats and increased sugar in processed foods. As always, use my tricks to kick sugar addiction and drastically cut back on sugar and you’ll be much healthier in the end.

3. Sodium
A high-salt diet does more than affect your heart. Turns out, it’s also blamed for loosening up those tight junctions that keep your gut function strong and health. Interestingly, a high-salt diet could be behind a spike in autoimmune diseases. Excess salt can actually impact your innate immune system, causing macrophage dysfunction. We need some salt to live, but in general, Americans are getting way too much. In a recent mouse study, increased salt concentrations actually seemed to trigger neuropathy in those with multiple sclerosis. So to hack your immune system, make sure you’re not eating too much salt. Cutting out processed foods will definitely help. More than 75 percent of Americans’ salt intake comes from processed foods.

4. Emulsifiers
You may have heard that a common food additive is tied to colon cancer. Emulsifiers like polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose (often known as cellulose gum) are used in things like nonorganic dill pickles, frozen baked goods, non-dairy creamer and more. They’ve also been linked to metabolic dysfunction, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.
Emulsifiers are added to most processed foods to improve food texture and extend shelf life. But it also throws off healthy levels of intestinal bacteria, triggering chronic, low-level inflammation that promotes colorectal cancer and leaky gut. It seems emulsifiers act like detergents to disrupt the mucous layer that lines the gut.

5. Organic Acids
Researchers investigated the potential risks of using these solvents in food and beverages. Specifically, alcohol and its metabolites impair the junction barriers need to prevent leaky gut. Researchers say acetaldehyde, which is produced as the liver processed alcohol and is a contributing factor to hangovers, may be to blame.
Acetaldehyde is also found in fermented foods, but in my opinion, I’ve seen great gut improvements when patients work fermented foods into the diet. (Of course, you can experiment to see how your body feels with or without fermented foods.)

6. Gluten
When I work with patients, I tell that it’s imperative that they remove gluten and grains from the diet. (Once your gut is healthy, you can add back in grains that have been fermented and sprouted to eat occasionally.)
Researchers of the food additives that trigger leaky gut study also say gluten is a no-no. They noticed increased gut permeability when immune cells are exposed to gliadin. (Gliadin is a class of proteins in wheat and are a component of gluten. It helps give bread the ability to rise during baking.) Gluten often hides out in unexpected places, including sauces and gravies, where wheat flour is used as a thickening agent. And please note that even organic wheat contains gluten.

7. Nanometric particles
Nanotechnology is a booming business in the food world. A more than $7 billion business, to be exact. And estimates suggests 40 percent of food industries are using it.

Use of nanoparticles in food and food packaging is skyrocketing in America. Nanotechnology encompasses taking a material and unnaturally making it tiny, with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm. But at these dimensions, the materials may take on unusual physical, chemical and biological properties and functions that are remarkably different from those the original size of the compound. They can behave in unexpected ways once inside human cells.

So why are we using them in food? Nanomaterials improve the taste, color, look, uniformity and texture of foods. Nanomaterials are also used in food packaging to help bottled beverages prevent CO2 loss. Silver nanoparticles are also embedded in plastic to kill bacteria.

But these nanoparticles are also linked to DNA and cell damage. Titanium dioxide is the most common nanoparticle in food. Manufacturers use it most often to make things like powdered donuts and salad dressings bright white. It also makes gummy bears opaque and enhances colors. We don’t really know what the long-term impacts of eating nanoparticles are, so I avoid them at all costs.

Processed foods may seem like a cheap and easy fix, especially when you’re pressed for time. But mounting research shows some of the most common additives we often overlook on ingredients lists could be unleashing digestive distress and beyond. As it turns out, these food additives impact the intestines in a way that promotes the development of autoimmune disease symptoms. So if you’re dealing with inflammatory disease, skin issues, brain fog or many other autoimmune disease issues, it’s time to make focusing on processed food ingredients part of your action plan.

How Do You Know If You Have Leaky Gut?
One of the biggest warning signs that you may have leaky gut — I recommend that you take a leaky gut test (Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis)— can be that you’re experiencing multiple food sensitivities. Partially digested protein and fat can seep through your intestinal lining, making their way into your bloodstream and causing an allergic response.

This allergic response doesn’t mean you’ll break out in a rash all over your body, but it can lead to various symptoms:

• Gas, Indigestion, Acid Reflux, Irritable Bowel Bloating Symptoms
• Food sensitivities, especially to wheat (gluten), Pasta, Breads, Fatty Foods,
• After Meals – Very Tired/Fatigue/Sleepy
• Chronic Fatigue
• You have slowly developed a low/slow Thyroid condition as an adult
• Diffuse Joint pain/Aches
• Frequent Headaches
• Skin issues like rosacea and acne
• Digestive problems: Diarrhea, Constipation, watery or fatty stools,
• Intolerance to eating fatty meals or specific foods.
• Weight gain

If left un-repaired, it can lead to more severe health issues like inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, muscle pain and chronic fatigue.

According to the Journal of Diabetes, there is a strong body of evidence pointing to leaky gut syndrome as a major cause of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. Another problem with leaky gut is that it can cause malabsorption of vital minerals and nutrients, including zinc, iron and vitamin B12.

Lectins and Foods that Cause Leaky Gut
Lectins are found in many foods, not just grains, and consumed in smaller amounts, your body will do just fine with them. But foods that have large amounts of lectins are more problematic. Some of the lectins and foods that cause leaky gut include wheat, rice, spelt and soy.
Sprouting and fermenting grains reduces phytates and lectins, making these foods easier to digest. GMO and hybridized foods tend to be the highest in lectins since they have been modified to fight off bugs. Also, gluten-containing grains may damage your intestinal lining and potentially cause leaky gut syndrome. Once your gut is healthy, you can add back in grains that have been fermented and sprouted to eat occasionally.

Conventional cows milk is another food that can cause leaky gut. The component of dairy that will harm your gut is the protein A1 casein. Also, the pasteurization process will destroy vital enzymes, making sugars like lactose very difficult to digest. For this reason you can drink SAFE to Drink raw dairy and from A2 cows, goats, sheep or buffalo or TAKING DIGESTIVE ENZYMES WITH EVERY MEAL.

Sugar is another substance that will wreak havoc on your digestive system. Sugar will feed the growth of yeast, candida and bad bacteria, which will further damage your gut. Bad bacteria actually creates toxins called exotoxins that damage healthy cells and can eat a hole into your intestinal wall.

The Leaky Gut Diet + the 4-Step Plan to Heal Leaky Gut
The good news is there’s a solution to successfully healing leaky gut!!!. There is a four-step process that includes:
Dr. Kandilakis will help you identify what YOU NEED TO DO based on YOUR CONDITION AND BODY TYPE:, Including:

• REMOVE foods and factors that damage the gut
• REPLACE with healing foods
• REPAIR with specific supplements
• REBALANCE with Medical Grade probiotics