How to improve digestion: forget about temporary pills and start feeding your bacteria

Біговий захід GoMove в Ужгороді за підтримки Ediens

Bloating, heaviness after eating, irregular bowel movements, or constant abdominal discomfort — these problems are faced by almost every second person. The classic reaction of a modern person is to drink digestive enzymes or a pill for cramps and keep running. But this is only a temporary masking of the symptoms.

The truth is, we can't physically digest food on our own—we need microbes to do it properly. It's the good bacteria that help break down complex carbohydrates and fiber, improve nutrient absorption, and keep us from bloating and discomfort. So how do you actually get your digestive tract working like clockwork?

1. Digestion is a “long walk,” not a “sprint.”

Imagine the difference between processed foods (like sweets or fast food) and regular vegetables. If the front of your body were transparent, you would see a striking difference.

Processed foods are absorbed into the bloodstream within the first few centimeters of the small intestine. This causes a sharp spike in sugar, and the body, under stress, thinks about where to quickly put this energy. In contrast, the fiber (dietary fiber) contained in plant foods keeps sugar levels stable. The digestion process turns into a “long walk instead of a sprint”: sugar is absorbed little by little, and the remains of food reach the large intestine, where they become an ideal feast for your bacteria.

Bacteria convert this fiber into short-chain fatty acids (such as butyrate and propionate), which are critical for gut health, normalizing motility, and preventing constipation.

2. Turn off stress to turn on your gut

Renowned neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky perfectly explains how stress disrupts our digestion. When you're stressed (whether you're being chased by a predator or you're afraid of giving a public speech), your body mobilizes energy for your muscles and completely shuts down all long-term projects, including digestion.

Digesting food costs the body a fortune in energy. That’s why when you’re stressed, your mouth dries out (saliva stops) and your digestive tract shuts down. Shutting down your digestive system for two minutes isn’t a big deal, but if you’re chronically stressed every day, you’re at risk for a whole host of problems, from constipation and diarrhea to ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

3. Top 7 foods for perfect digestion

For digestion to function optimally, your microbiome should resemble a balanced forest, with room for a variety of plants and animals. Scientists recommend consuming more than 50 grams of dietary fiber per day.

Here's what you should add to your diet to support your gut:

Asparagus and Artichokes: They are rich in fiber (particularly inulin), which acts as a prebiotic. They nourish gut bacteria, relieve constipation, and alleviate digestive problems.
Beans and legumes: These are some of the most beneficial foods for gastrointestinal health. They improve intestinal barrier function and increase the number of beneficial bacteria (especially bifidobacteria).
Flaxseed: Helps relieve constipation. Be sure to grind it before adding it to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.
Leafy greens: Spinach and kale contain specific types of sugars that promote the growth of exclusively healthy microbes.
Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, coconut yogurt): These are packed with beneficial live lactobacilli. The fermentation process enriches them with vitamins and makes the food much easier to digest.

But be careful! If your diet was previously low in fiber, you need to introduce these foods very gently and gradually (in microdoses). Otherwise, a radical change will cause severe bloating and pain, as your bacteria need time to adapt. Also, strictly limit artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), which stimulate the growth of unwanted pathogenic bacteria.

4. Personalized approach instead of blind probiotics

If digestion is already seriously impaired (chronic inflammation, persistent flatulence, constipation, or intolerances), simply changing your diet may not be enough.

Doctors often prescribe multi-strain probiotics from the pharmacy (which contain 30+ types of bacteria). Professor Nadiya Boyko warns: taking such drugs "blindly" can be harmful, because they can suppress your own beneficial microflora, which is already in abundance.

The modern solution is targeted pharmabiotics (for example, special complexes "Intestinal Microbiome" or "Easy Digestion"), which have clinically proven effects for optimizing digestion, reducing fat deposits and neutralizing toxins. And the best step is a deep genetic analysis of your microbiome followed by the selection of an individual nutrition plan , which, using special algorithms, will calculate the ideal combination of products specifically for your intestines.

Remember: we don't feed ourselves, we feed our microorganisms. Feed them right, learn to manage stress, and they will provide you with perfect digestion and high energy levels every day.