Every day, the number of people suffering from leaky gut, bloating, indigestion, and other gut issues increases. This is due to the exponential rise of toxicity in our food and water supply, radiation, processed foods, GMOs, glyphosate, and stress. In addition to IBS, SIBO, leaky gut, GERD, mood disorders, systemic inflammation and slowed metabolism, people are experiencing compromised digestion and malnutrition as the foods aren’t being broken down and absorbed properly.
Causes of Digestive Issues
In the modern world, there are many threats to our digestion. In fact, most of the population suffers from digestive issues. The causes include:
- Processed Foods: Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and low in fiber disrupt beneficial gut bacteria, leading to issues like malabsorption, bloating, constipation, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, insulin resistance, gut inflammation, and brain fog.
- Sulfur Foods: Glyphosate exposure and toxic burdens have disrupted sulfur detox pathways, making sulfur-containing foods like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, onions, garlic, and egg yolks additional burdens, causing a backed-up liver, indigestion, and leaky gut.
- Oxalates: Present in spinach, almonds, peanuts, kale, berries, and others, oxalates can lead to hypothyroidism, urogenital problems, nerve issues, immune system problems, and digestive issues, forming a vicious cycle with gut-related complications.
- Amyloids: Amyloid proteins not only cannot be broken down into usable amino acids for our tissues and muscle, but they also strengthen gut pathogens, and contribute to bad bacteria overgrowth, digestive issues, and leaky gut.
- Mold: Mold in certain foods triggers a cascade effect, creating oxalates, strengthening biofilm formation, reactivating viruses, and increasing the burden of oxalates, mold, and biofilm. This vicious cycle severely affects digestion.
- Excessive Fat: Difficulties in metabolizing fats, especially inflammatory ones like canola, peanut, grapeseed, soybean, corn, and safflower oil, worsen gut issues, causing leaky gut and inflammation throughout the digestive system.
- Dietary Toxins: Increased levels of toxins in food and water, including GMOs, glyphosate, and dioxins from industrial farming, burden the liver, disrupt digestion, and clog iodine receptor sites in cells.
- Radiation: Both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation can cause insulin resistance, poor digestion, and leaky gut. This impacts the nervous, endocrine, and hormonal systems while increasing oxidative stress and free radical damage.
- Heavy Metals: Mercury, lead, and aluminum from food, water, and the environment, disrupt digestion, leading to gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular, kidney, liver, respiratory, bone, infertility, and immune issues.
- Spike Protein: Spike protein disrupts liver and gut function, causing insulin dysregulation, fluid retention, inflammation, infertility, vasoconstriction, and hormone imbalances.
- Stress: Elevated stress negatively influences gut health through the well-established gut-brain connection, contributing to issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Infections: Bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections can disrupt gut flora balance, leading to gastroenteritis and symptoms like diarrhea and cramps.
- Medications: Certain medications, including antibiotics and NSAIDs, can affect the gut lining and microbiome, causing disruptions.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis impact gut health, causing significant digestive problems.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): The functional disorder involves abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel habit changes, often triggered by factors like diet and stress.
- Dysbiosis: Imbalance in the gut microbiota due to factors such as antibiotics or a poor diet can lead to digestive problems.
- Food Allergies and Intolerances: Conditions like lactose intolerance or celiac disease can cause digestive issues when specific foods are consumed.
- Autoimmune Disorders: Autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can impact gut health.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus causes heartburn and digestive symptoms.
- Alcohol and Tobacco: Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can harm the digestive system.
- Obesity: Being overweight or obese increases the risk of gut-related issues like indigestion, fatty liver disease, and GERD.
- Aging: The aging process can lead to changes in the digestive system, resulting in constipation or decreased nutrient absorption.
- Genetics: Some gut issues may have a genetic component, making certain individuals more susceptible to conditions like indigestion, IBD or celiac disease.
Signs of Indigestion
Symptoms of poor digestion can vary among individuals, but common signs may include:
- Bloating: Feeling full and swollen after meals, often accompanied by discomfort.
- Gas: Experiencing excessive flatulence or belching.
- Heartburn: A burning sensation in the chest or throat, often after eating.
- Acid Reflux: Stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus, causing a sour taste in the mouth.
- Constipation: Difficulty in passing stools or infrequent bowel movements.
- Diarrhea: Loose or watery stools, often occurring more frequently than usual.
- Abdominal Pain: Discomfort or cramping in the abdominal area.
- Indigestion: Feeling uncomfortably full, often accompanied by pain or burning in the upper abdomen.
- Nausea: A sensation of queasiness or the urge to vomit.
- Fatigue: A general feeling of tiredness or lack of energy, which can be related to nutrient malabsorption.
- Unexplained Weight Changes: Significant changes in weight without intentional modifications to diet or exercise.
- Bad Breath: Persistent unpleasant breath, which can be a result of digestive issues.
The Top Supplements to Improve Digestion
Healthy Gut Holozyme
HoloZyme™ is designed to alleviate occasional gut-related discomforts, including gas, bloating, loose stools, undigested foods, tummy pain, and cramping. Most enzymes are ineffective due to not being “activated”. Digestive enzymes are distinctive molecules that accelerate the breakdown of food into essential nutrients. When appropriately activated, certain enzymes are absorbed into the body, contributing to the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
Holozyme™ is the top digestive enzyme due to:
- Rapid Action
- Proven Patent Formula
- All-Natural Composition
- Clinically Validated (Supported by 6 Studies)
- No Fillers
- 100% Effective Range pH 1.7- pH 11.0
- Professional-Grade Quality
- Non-GMO
Healthy Gut HCL Guard
As individuals age, their stomachs may experience fatigue, impacting the digestion of proteins crucial for muscle health, hair, skin, and cell maintenance. HCL Guard is a biomimicking stomach support supplement addressing a range of stomach issues, including occasional constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, fullness after meals, bloating, gassiness, burping, stomach noises, and concerns related to hair, skin, and nails, as well as mood fluctuations and decreased energy levels.
How Does HCL Guard Provide Comprehensive Stomach Support?
- A healthy stomach naturally produces ample acid during meals, crucial for:
- Initiating the breakdown of ingested foods.
- Unraveling “protein balls” for effective enzyme function.
- Activating the protein enzyme, Pepsin.
- Releasing essential minerals like B12, calcium, and magnesium.
- Eliminating or sterilizing potentially harmful pathogens.
- Facilitating peristalsis (digestive waves).
- Prompting the release of bile salts and enzymes by signaling the digestive hormone CCK.
HCL Guard’s Advanced Biomimicking Formula:
- Enhances nutrient digestion, improving energy metabolism.
- Optimizes amino acid digestion, benefiting skin, hair, nails, and moods.
- Supports the body’s defenses against harmful organisms.
- Assists in repairing the mucus layer and stomach cells.
- Stimulates proper food movement through the body by activating stomach muscles.
- Addresses issues related to digestion speed.
Benefits of HCL Guard:
- Regain a desired sense of well-being.
- Enjoy a broader range of foods.
- Experience smoother and more reliable digestion.
- Alleviate gut problems and discomfort.
- Boost energy levels, enhancing meal enjoyment.
- Prevent infiltration of “bad bugs” into your body.
- Engage in long-awaited activities.
- Holistic stomach support with HCL Guard unlocks these positive outcomes by ensuring your stomach performs its vital functions effectively.
HistaHarmony
HistaHarmony is a powerful DAO enzyme to help support the breakdown of histamine and reduce histamine reactions and histamine intolerance symptoms. Unlike other histamine supplements it uses patented ProDAOZ with proprietary enzyme-preserving technology. It is also the only form of DAO on the market protected until it gets to our small intestine in enteric-coated tablets while other brands open in the stomach.
Due to a proprietary, high-tech extraction process that preserves the DAO enzyme and delivers 20,000 plus Histamine Degrading Units in every tablet where most supplements achieve half of that.
BIOptimizers KAPEX
KAPEX® helps optimize digestion on keto, low-carb, or paleo diets as it is designed to boost digestion of fats and proteins. Key benefits include:
- Improved Digestion: Supports effective digestion of fats and proteins, preventing digestive upset from high-fat meals.
- Boosted AMPK: Increases AMPK in muscles by 52% and fat cells by 300%, promoting energy production.
- Enhanced ATP Production: Raises ATP levels in the liver by 22%, improving ketogenesis and detoxification.
- Amped Adiponectin: Increases adiponectin by up to 248%, aiding fat loss and maintaining healthy blood lipids while balancing inflammation.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Improves sensitivity to blood sugar-regulating hormones by boosting glut4 (an insulin-regulated glucose transporter that is responsible for insulin-regulated glucose uptake into fat and muscle cells) by 488% in fat and muscle cells.
- Anti-Inflammatory: Helps lower inflammation, promoting overall health.
- Cardiovascular Support: Boosts cardiovascular health and reduces bad cholesterol.
- Supported Fat and Protein Digestion: Aids in the digestion of fats and proteins.
- Preventing Keto Flu: Reduces keto flu and fatigue during keto-adaptation.
- Increased Energy: Enhances overall energy levels.
- Improved Exercise Performance: Especially beneficial on a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
- Facilitating Fat Loss: When combined with proper exercise and nutrition.
- Mitochondrial Health: Improves mitochondrial health and activates anti-aging pathways.
Seeking Health Histamine Digest
Due to the spike protein and the higher level of toxins in the food and water, histamine intolerance has increased significantly. Histamine Digest uses a patented DAO enzyme to help digest histamines quickly, and support healthy histamine levels in the small intestine, colon, uterus, bladder, prostate, and breast milk.
Microbiome Labs MegaSporeBiotic
Megaspore™ is a 100% spore-based broad-spectrum probiotic designed to promote and maintain a healthy gut barrier with 5 potent Bacillus spores known for their ability to support gut health and immune function. Key benefits include:
- Maintaining Healthy Gut Barrier Function: Megaspore™ actively supports the preservation of a robust gut barrier, essential for overall digestive health.
- Reconditioning the Gut Microbiome: By promoting microbial diversity and supporting key health-promoting gut bacteria, Megaspore™ helps in the reconditioning of the gut for optimal well-being.
- Promoting Gut Microbiome Health: Megaspore™ is crafted to maintain a healthy and balanced gut microbiome, fostering an environment conducive to overall wellness.
- Bi-Phasic Life Cycle: The Bacillus spores in Megaspore™ have a bi-phasic life cycle, allowing them to remain dormant in challenging environments until they reach the more favorable conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract.
- Dormant to Active Transformation: Once in the large intestine, the dormant spores transform into their active, vegetative forms, facilitating colonization in the gut.
- Unique Reconditioning Approach: Megaspore™ stands out by using a unique approach to gut health – reconditioning the gut instead of simply reseeding with probiotic strains that may struggle to survive digestion or colonize the gut.
Megaspore™ includes a powerful blend of Bacillus spores, each contributing to the overall effectiveness of this advanced probiotic formula:
- Bacillus Licheniformis
- Bacillus Indicus HU36™
- Bacillus Subtilis HU58™
- Bacillus Clausii
- Bacillus Coagulans
Microbiome Labs Megapre Precision Prebiotic
MegaPre™ is designed to enhance microbial diversity and selectively promote the growth of only beneficial bacteria. Reinforcing the positive changes initiated by MegaSporeBiotic™, this cutting-edge prebiotic formula is a key component in supporting a healthy gut microbiome. Key features include:
- Increased Microbial Diversity: It is formulated with clinically-tested, non-digestible oligosaccharides that contribute to the increase of microbial diversity within the gut.
- Selective Feeding of Beneficial Bacteria: It targets essential keystone bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Bifidobacteria, promoting their growth and activity.
Microbiome Labs Mega Mucosa
MegaMucosa™ supports a healthy mucosal barrier, which is what’s compromised with indigestion and leaky gut. It contains dairy-free immunoglobulins clinically shown to support a strong immune system in the mucosa, and a cutting edge flavobiotic shown to support microbial diversity and short-chain fatty acid production.
It contains four key amino acids that play an important role in the production of intestinal mucosa including: L-proline, L-serine, L-cysteine, and L-threonine. These four amino acids help support mucin production and maintain mucin synthesis in the colon, resulting in a healthy and thick mucosal barrier. Lastly, it contains a citrus extract with naturally occurring polyphenols that supports digestive health and a healthy gut barrier.
Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder
The combination of six organic ingredients in Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder is designed to soak up the toxins your body is releasing in addition to reducing inflammation in the gut, helping with weight loss, alleviating Crohn’s and colitis, helping with regularity, reducing cholesterol levels, and improving digestion. It is enhanced with scalar frequencies to help further detox the body of the toxins, heavy metals, pesticides, insecticides, and radiation that can disrupt digestion.
Accelerated Ancient Salt®
Accelerated Ancient Salt® is not only antihistamine, but it also helps breakdown fats when fat digestion is compromised, and helps flush out the toxins disrupting digestion. It is full of over 62 minerals that hydrate the cells, support ATP, support healthy bowel movements, and help the nutrients from your food to get utilized properly. Accelerated Ancient Salt® is enhanced with scalar frequencies to help optimize cellular detoxification and digestion.
Liver Flush Detox Cleanse
If the liver is clogged, then digestion will suffer and symptoms like nausea, bloat, and constipation may arise. The liver helps with fat and protein metabolism, optimizing metabolism and thyroid function, and detoxifying the bad estrogens that contribute to poor gut health. The Accelerated Liver Flush Cleanse is designed to soften liver stones and gallstones and to flush them out of the body. As a result, metabolism increases, fat and protein digestion improves, detox pathways open up and overall gut function improves. With the level of toxins, heavy metals, spike protein exposure, and radiation in the world today, I recommend doing a liver cleanse every six to twelve weeks.
Microbiome Labs Mega IgG2000
Mega IgG2000 is a dairy-free immunoglobulin concentrate that helps clean up toxins gently and supports healthy gut digestion and barrier function.
Herbs Forever Laxa Komfort
Constipation can affect digestion and cause toxins to be reabsorbed in the body. Laxa Komfort helps with constipation as it stimulates bowel movements safely within 6-8 hours.
HU58
HU58, a spore-based probiotic featuring Bacillus subtilis, is renowned for its ability to release natural antibiotics. This unique formulation targets common pathogenic organisms associated with SIBO, leaky gut, and various gut issues. HU58‘s antimicrobial properties are effective against a spectrum of harmful organisms, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Candida.
Lifestyle Changes to Improve Digestion
You can’t fix bad digestion with just supplements; eating the right foods and changing some lifestyle habits are essential.
- Eliminate Amyloid Proteins: Amyloid proteins present in conventionally raised chicken, poultry, and beef can exacerbate gut issues by strengthening biofilm formation and reactivating viral activity, in addition to disrupting digestion. Focus on wild animal protein sources like bison, elk, lamb, deer, duck, and wild fish to mitigate these effects and give you sufficient nutrition.
- Avoid Oxalates: Oxalates, found in seemingly “healthy” foods, contribute to gut havoc and are linked to issues like hypothyroidism, digestive issues, brain fog, arthritis, and urogenital problems. Eliminate oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, almonds, kale, peanuts, berries, chocolate, and most nuts to reduce the impact on digestive health.
- Limit Sulfur Foods: While sulfur-rich foods are traditionally considered healthy for liver detox, contemporary challenges like glyphosate exposure have disrupted sulfur detox pathways. Overloading the liver with sulfur compounds from foods like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, egg yolk, onions, and garlic may exacerbate the issue and contribute to poor digestion.
- Moderate Fat Intake: Backed-up livers, hindering fat metabolism, are common contributors to digestive problems. Limit fat intake, especially inflammatory fats like seed oils, which can cause leaky gut, bloat, and nutrient malabsorption. Gradually increase healthy fat intake as the body heals.
- Manage Stress Levels: High stress levels contribute to increased acidity in the body, leading to indigestion and leaky gut, reduced thyroid function, and metabolic issues. Incorporate stress-reducing practices such as meditation, regular exercise, gratitude journaling, and prioritize adequate sleep to alleviate the adverse effects of stress on gut health.
- Exercise: Walking, yoga, strength training or any kind of movement helps improve digestion, stress, bowel movements, and everything gut related.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.
