10 Vitamins for Improving Digestive Health
Nov 20, 2016
Digestive health is a matter of real concern. You can not take part actively in routine activities if you are facing troubles with digestion. The digestive disorders are many including diarrhea, constipation, gastric pains, and stomach cramps.
Sometimes these digestive problems are short-lived. When treated with instant remedies, they wither away. But most of the times, they are due to an underlying cause of inappropriate diet.
Digestive health goes hand in hand with an informed and balanced nutritional diet. There are certain nutrients that organs involved in the digestive system demand to operate amicably. They are proteins, fats, carbohydrates and certain vitamins. Here in this post, we are going to talk about the role of some vitamins for digestive health.
Vitamin A for Digestive Health
Vitamin A is an antioxidant and a water-soluble vitamin that has a decisive role in digestive health. The gastrointestinal tract (GI) also called the digestive tract is made up of mucosal tissues. These tissues are responsible to keep the tract working in collaboration with all the digestive organs by secreting compounds that absorb nutrients out of food and eases the overall process.
Adequate intake of vitamin A through food and vitamin supplements allows the digestive tract to stay in order and keep it from malfunctioning. The RDA for vitamin A is 900 mcg for males and 700 mcg for females under normal conditions. Under pregnancy and lactation, the doses shall be raised to 770 and 1300 mcg, respectively.
Vitamin B-Complex for Digestive Health
Vitamin B-complex is a powerful family of B-vitamins, with each having the ability to help the body with different processes. In digestive health also, vitamin B-complex as a compound and all the B-vitamins independently are vital.
Vitamin B-complex is a general vitamin compound that is helpful for various systems working in the body. For example, the digestive system, immune system, and the nervous system to name a few.
Vitamin B-complex with regard to digestion particularly is momentous because it helps in the production and secretion of stomach acids and gastric juices which speed up the process.
To explicitly talk about the role of each B-vitamin in conducting digestive processes, we have the following contributions:
-Vitamin B-1 helps in the breakdown of carbohydrates.
-Vitamin B-2 helps in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and ketone bodies, besides enhancing the mucosal membrane in the digestive tract.
-Vitamin B-3 helps in the production of gastric juices and the secretion of bile that is needed to digest fats.
-Vitamin B-5 is critical for the peristalsis of the digestion tract.
-Vitamin B-7 actively participates in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
-Vitamin B-12 plays the role of the signal carrier between the brains and the digestion tract.
B-complex vitamin and B-vitamins are abundantly found in natural food. They are concentrated in meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and dairy. To have vitamin B in your diet, the best thing you can do is to eat everything that nature has created for you.
To deal with certain digestive problems, you can have recommended doses of B-vitamin supplements on prescription. They are readily helpful for your instant recovery.
Vitamin C for Digestive Health
Vitamin C is popular for its role in the production of collagen. In digestive health also, vitamin C maintains its core strength. The digestive processes take place in the digestion tract that contains tissues all around. These tissues need collagen to stay upright and working.
The collagen produced by vitamin C holds the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract together allowing it to function properly. Collagen also helps combat cancer in the digestion tract.
Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits including guavas, kiwi, papayas, and strawberries. Among vegetables, vitamin C is concentrated in healthy amounts in kale and broccoli. Peppers are also a rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C supplements are also a good alternative to boost your digestive health.
Vitamin D for Digestive Health
The digestive tract works on nerve signals. It has a vast channel of nerves which signal from the brain. These signals are transmitted to the working area by calcium. To have the digestive system work properly, the required amount of calcium must be squeezed into the body.
Oral intake of food rich in calcium is useless if vitamin D is not there to take it along in the body. Vitamin D absorbs calcium from food and injects it in the body. This is how it becomes decisive in digestive health.
Vitamin D is also proven to save you from developing diseases in the digestive tract. It minimizes the risks of colon cancer according to a study that took place in Siteman Cancer Center.
Furthermore, Vitamin D can be obtained from healthy sun exposure of 15-20 minutes daily. It is also available in certain foods including fortified cereals and dairy products. Saltwater fish is also a rich source besides supplements.
Conclusively, the meats and potatoes of your digestive system such as the digestive tract, tissues, and secretive glands are all directly related to the concentration of proportionate vitamins in your body. If any vitamin for any reason falls short, the mechanism will be disturbed causing digestive disorders that you hate to own in front of people.
To keep your digestive health in apple-pie order, make sure your body is getting the above vitamins well enough. For upright digestive health, you can try this gummy vitamin supplement.