Overview
Today, millions of people around the world suffer from digestive ailments that interfere with their lives.
Most notably, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s syndrome, ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome, and lactose intolerance has skyrocketed.
Consequently, patients face difficulties in their daily life activities due to annoying symptoms (e.g., bloating, gas, abdominal cramping).
However, there is one aspect that many people are unaware of, which is having a hard time when trying to lose weight if you have gastrointestinal disease.
In this article, we will discuss the primary reasons that explain this phenomenon, as well as what you can do about it.
The relationship between gastrointestinal diseases and weight loss
Due to the diversity of gastrointestinal diseases and their underlying mechanisms, we will cover the most common illnesses and how they interfere with weight loss.
Acid reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes a burning sensation above the stomach due to acid regurgitation to the esophagus.
People who suffer from this condition are more than your typical comfort eaters! This is because food ingestion improves the symptoms of GERD since the saliva secretion triggered by food will neutralize the acid.
The unhealthy habit of comfort food will act as an obstacle in front of all efforts to lose weight.
Digestive ulcers
Ulcers, or sores, often occur in the duodenum or stomach, causing the patient to suffer from aching pain.
Similar to GERD, this condition responds to food intake by forming a protective coat around the ulcer during digestion.
People with ulcers face difficulties losing weight.
Bacteria overgrowth
As you may know from our previous set of articles, the gastrointestinal system has a lot of good and bad bacteria.
The role of these microbes is to optimize food digestion and get rid of toxins through feces. However, when the balance between healthy and harmful bacteria gets disrupted, you may face difficulties losing weight.
Here is how it goes:
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is characterized by the overproduction of methane gas, which disrupts the normal function of intestinal villi (i.e., small, finger-like projections that absorb food). As a result, your intestines absorb more calories than your body needs, which inadvertently leads to weight gain.
Say you start a new diet with an intensive workout program; if you don’t fix the underlying condition by consuming healthy probiotics and other dietary supplements, you are bound to fall into the same pitfall.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome has been repeatedly linked to a condition known as leaky gut syndrome (i.e., intestinal hyperpermeability). According to experts, a leaky gut leads to the unchecked absorption of all different types of macronutrients, including calorie-dense foods such as fats.
Consequently, you are more likely to face trouble losing weight if you have IBS.
To fix this problem, you need to include more fiber in your diet, exercise more regularly, and take probiotics when needed.
Make sure to contact your primary care physician before making any drastic changes to your diet.
Takeaway message
Gastrointestinal diseases interfere with the normal digestion of food, microbiome composition, and gut motility. As a result, patients may find it difficult to lose weight relative to healthy individuals.
Hopefully, this article managed to shed some light on the ever-important topic of weight loss from a specific point of view.
If you have any questions, concerns, or a story that you want to share, please don’t hesitate to do so in the comment section below.
Colonic hydrotherapy is a fantastic procedure that works in harmony with your colon to cleanse it from all the toxins and waste products. Also, you can learn more about the colonics we offer and its benefits on weight loss by clicking on this link (LINK).
In addition to Colon Hydrotherapy, we offer Lymphatic Therapy, that helps with detox and promotes healing. You may learn about Lymphatic therapy by clicking on this link (LINK).
If you still have any questions, feel free to contact Atlant Health Wellness Center by calling (212) 719-3611 or email wellness@atlanthealth.com
