Digestion and Liver Health at Chelsea Nutrition
If you’re eating foods or combinations of foods which don’t suit you, or you’re not making enough digestive enzymes or stomach acid, your digestion cannot work as well as it should. And if your digestion isn’t working well it doesn’t matter how good your diet is as you won’t be able to assimilate the nutrients that you need for optimal health.
These are some of the conditions that can be caused by or made worse by poor digestion and/or a sluggish liver:
- Eczema, psoriasis and rosacea
- IBS
- Allergies
- Candida and dysbiosis, parasites
- Bloating
- Food cravings
- Weight problems
- Constipation and/or diarrhoea
- Hay fever and asthma
- Lack of energy
You need the facts to make the right decisions
You might be wondering why rosacea or eczema or psoriasis would have anything to do with digestion or liver health. One of the reasons is that these skin conditions can all be made worse by insufficient stomach acid. We need stomach acid to break down and absorb proteins, minerals and vitamins. We need zinc and B vitamins to make stomach acid but we cannot absorb these nutrients without stomach acid, so it’s a chicken and egg situation.
Symptoms of low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) can include bloating and wind, heartburn and indigestion, allergies, broken capillaries, acne, candida overgrowth, as well as diarrhoea or constipation. And people with hypochlorhydria are more at risk of bacterial and parasitic infections, including Helicobacter Pylori, which thrive in alkaline or low acid conditions.
An apple a day is good for your digestion and liver.
You may be surprised to learn that heartburn is more likely to be a result of not enough stomach acid rather than too much. With insufficient stomach acid, food ferments in the gut causing wind and pain and so taking antacids ultimately makes the problem worse. If you get pain before eating which is relieved by eating you possibly have too much stomach acid but if the pain comes after eating you probably need more acid.
We regularly use tests to investigate the underlying reasons for digestive disorders. The tests include DNA parasitolgy, candida and allergy tests, as well as tests for digestive function.
Improve your digestion right away by
- Remembering to chew properly
- Relaxing while eating
- Remembering to drink water between meals rather than with them
