Having a healthier life in all aspects has never been as difficult as it is today, with so many conveniences and temptations that surround us, the means to shorten the path to our desires seem increasingly scarce.
In the era of countless fast-food around us and the inevitable laziness of sedentary lifestyle, it seems almost impossible for most people not to have intestinal problems at some stage of life.
This is nothing more than a harmful behavior to our health, but that, most of the time, we do not stop to realize the great harm we do to ourselves.
Therefore, we decided to talk a little about the behaviors that can lead us to have intestinal problems and the best way to avoid them.
Learn a little more about them, look …
5 main behaviors that cause intestinal problems
Sometimes we do not realize that a health problem, such as intestinal problems, can arise silently and without signs, just because of some behaviors that are harmless to us.
We do not rule out the possibility that some intestinal problem is inherited from our relatives, but this is not a rule.
It depends a lot on the behaviors that we will describe in detail for you below.
Shall we check?
Drinking little water
We do not even need to list the amount of benefits and functions that water performs in our body, the most known of all being hydration which is super important for our survival.
But the first harmful behavior that many have without realizing it, is not drinking the recommended amount of water daily of at least 2 liters, which is essential to immunize the intestinal system against bacteria and infections.
This is because ingesting little water during the day has its consequences, the most serious being poor digestion in the absorption of nutrients reducing the hydration of the digestive or intestinal tract.
It is also very important for the act of evacuation, as it maintains the moist consistency of the feces, making their texture softer and facilitating the elimination process. Essential factor to prevent constipation, for example.
Did you see how something as simple as drinking water can protect us a lot?
Don’t forget to hydrate whenever possible.
Spiced, processed foods and fast-foods
This subject that is literally always present in our life could not be missing from this list, the consumption of spiced, processed foods and fast-foods for many people has a captive place on the menu and even in the diet.
Who doesn’t like to indulge in a calorie from time to time, right?
Of course we all like it very much, the almost irresistible flavor of these darlings makes us forget how bad it is to consume and abuse these types of foods constantly.
Many of these foods are rich in:
- sugars;
- carbohydrates;
- fats;
- sodium;
- artificial preservatives, “flavorings and colorings”.
It is surprising the amount of chemical additives we ingest. The most worrying thing is that excessive consumption can cause an intestinal imbalance, such as slower digestion.
Another damage that also needs to be remembered is that this imbalance directly interferes with the integrity of the intestinal wall, which weakens its natural protection allowing the passage of toxic substances to the body.
Therefore, always opt for foods that are a reference in intestinal health such as fibers, vegetables and greens.
Here’s a tip.
Use of alcohol
The use of alcoholic beverages is another behavior that unfortunately results in some intestinal problems, whether serious or not.
In addition to dehydration, nausea and vomiting, alcohol can cause other symptoms such as:
- increased gas;
- dysbiosis;
- stomach pain;
- poor digestion.
And it doesn’t stop there.
As the drink first reaches the gastric apparatus and increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid, this causes some irritations and even infections in the gastric mucosa, later becoming acute gastritis.
Drinking in moderation is a phrase that marked times, however, in the case of intestinal diseases, avoiding is a good action if you want a healthier life.
Think about it.
Sedentary lifestyle
It is no news that sedentary lifestyle is another villain of intestinal health. The first major problem with leading a sedentary life is the harmful inactivity for the health of our body.
The lack of regular physical exercises of any kind makes the intestine stop making some necessary movements such as intestinal motility, which are the movements necessary for the intestine to normally release feces.
Uncontrolled weight gain is another inevitable result of a sedentary routine.
In addition to being extremely harmful to the digestive system, they alter the good bacteria that inhabit the intestine, which have the role of absorbing nutrients in the digestion of food.
A worrying fact is that sedentary lifestyle has direct participation in the appearance of liver fat, reflux and, mainly, in the appearance of gastrointestinal cancers increasingly recurrent.
Don’t stop having a routine with more activity. Physical activities can contribute significantly to the good of our digestive system.
Stress
The dreaded stress could not fail to be mentioned, as it is the causative agent of some of the most known occasional intestinal problems that occur on a daily basis.
Check below:
- diarrhea;
- gastritis;
- poor digestion;
- nausea;
- constipation;
- vomiting.
Initially there are people who already have a genetic predisposition to stress, causing some intestinal diseases, often chronic, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
There is no doubt that it has a lot to do with the emotional side. This is because, like other organs in our body, the intestine is connected to the brain, known in the scientific community as the brain-intestine axis.
For this reason our reactions can directly affect the natural process of our intestine, altering its activity due to the nerve cells that communicate with the brain.
A nice tip to avoid stress is to combine a healthy diet with a more peaceful and peaceful lifestyle.
Who doesn’t seek this little dose of peace, right?
Conclusion
The way we make choices and the behaviors we have weigh heavily in our life and health care needs to have a place of attention.
And how cool that you have this thought of seeking to learn and know how to take care of intestinal problems. Also seek to have a better routine and, consequently, a healthier life.
Therefore, we take this care to provide knowledge about the digestive system, which always needs our attention.
See you soon!
Doutor em Gastroenterologia pela FM-USP.
Especialista em Cirurgia do Aparelho Digestivo (HCFMUSP), Endoscopia Digestiva (SOBED) e Gastroenterologia (FBG).
Professor do curso de Medicina da Fundação Educacional do Município de Assis - FEMA.
Médico da clínica Gastrosaúde de Marília.