What can i take to help digestion

Whether you’re gorging on a feast or simply enjoying a light afternoon snack, one thing is certain: You want your food to be digested properly. And the fact of the matter is, the better our digestive system functions, the better we feel, look and perform.

To improve your digestive health, consider adding one or more of the following healthy drinks to your diet.

Kombucha

Made by fermenting yeasts and bacteria with sweetened tea, kombucha is a refreshing, lightly carbonated drink that's rich in probiotics. 

Probiotics are healthy live bacteria that help the gut to run smoothly. The health benefits of probiotics are many; they help to boost the immune system, improve blood sugar, reduce inflammation and improving overall gut and digestive health.

Ginger Tea

Drinking warm ginger tea just before or during a big meal may improve digestive health and prevent heartburn, stomachache and indigestion. This is because the root stimulates saliva flow, bile and gastric juice production, which jump starts the breakdown of the food you eat.

Lemongrass Tea

In addition to being wonderfully tasty, lemongrass tea has been shown to help soothe the stomach and keep digestive functions in check. Used as an ancient Chinese medicine remedy to help decrease symptoms in certain stomach issues such as bloating and constipation, lemongrass contains a compound called citral which provides anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s also caffeine-free, making it an ideal after-dinner beverage or sleepy time tea.

Peppermint Tea

Native to Europe and Asia, peppermint has been used for thousands of years for its pleasant, minty taste and health benefits. It contains natural chemicals that may help the digestive tract by reducing spasms in the gut, meaning your body is more relaxed and can more easily digest food after ingesting it. For this reason, it has also been found to be likely effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Fennel Tea

Packed with fiber, fennel may help relieve constipation and other digestive problems that cause gas, as well as keep things moving properly in the digestive tract, though research has shown insufficient evidence for this. To enjoy the therapeutic benefits of fennel, you can simply chew on the seeds, or make a tea by crushing them and pouring hot water over them.

Coffee

Your morning brew can help with more than providing you a much-needed energy boost. It may also act as a stimulant for your digestive tract. Functioning like a laxative, coffee gets things moving quickly in your gut. While coffee may help you time your daily bowel movement before you head out the door, you shouldn’t rely solely on it to help with digestion.

Consuming excessive amounts of caffeine may cause to diarrhea, which is not only uncomfortable, but may also prevent your body from absorbing certain nutrients. Too much caffeine has been shown to hinder sleep, so it is best to avoid drinking coffee after 3 p.m.

Pro Tip: For additional protein and added health benefits, consider adding 10 grams of collagen powder to your morning cup of coffee. Collagen is a protein that plays an important role in the function of our skin, joints, ligaments and tendons, and it also helps promote gut health.

Water

Touted as nature’s digestive aid, water is a major component of every single cell that lines your digestive tract, meaning you need plenty of it for those cells to function. Water also keeps tissues in your digestive tract pliable while creating an environment that allows food to easily pass. 

Be sure to drink the right amount for your body type. To determine your total daily fluid intake, divide your weight (in pounds) by two, and that's approximately how many ounces of fluid you need daily. Add an additional 16 ounces for every pound of sweat lost during exercise or work outdoors in hot temperatures.

For additional therapeutic effects, add a squeeze of lemon in your water or unsweetened tea. This citrus is used as a digestive aid, an anti-inflammatory and a diuretic.

Furthermore, drink your daily recommended amount of water, especially when consuming foods high in fiber to prevent constipation. Fiber not only helps regulate bowel movements throughout the day, it also helps us feel fuller, longer.

Disclaimer: As consuming herbs can lead to unexpected interactions with certain medications, consult with your doctor before adding them to your diet.

The occasional fry-up or alcohol binge is unlikely to give you anything more than a short-lived stomach upset. But overindulge too often and you could be storing up trouble for yourself. Here's a tummy-friendly diet to aim for.

What can i take to help digestion

Fill up on fibre to prevent constipation

It's a good idea to try to eat more fibre or roughage, as most people in the UK do not get enough. A diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation.

Aim for the recommended dietary intake of 30g of fibre a day.

For a healthy bowel, you need fibre from a variety of sources, such as:

  • wholemeal bread
  • brown rice
  • fruit and veg
  • beans
  • oats

Some people find cereals and grains bring on bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. If that's the case, get your fibre from fruit and vegetables instead.

Drink plenty of fluids to aid digestion

It's important to keep drinking, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften poo.

Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water. Without fluid, the fibre cannot do its job and you'll get constipation.

A good way to make sure you're getting enough fluids is to drink a glass of water with every meal. Avoid caffeine drinks as they can cause heartburn.

Learn how to choose healthier drinks

Cut down on fat for a healthy gut

Fatty foods, such as chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and heartburn.

Cut back on greasy fried foods to ease your stomach's workload.

Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and grill rather than fry foods.

Go easy on spice to avoid tummy troubles

Many people love spicy food and it does not bother their digestive system. Others find their tummy is upset when they have spicy food.

It's not just scorching hot foods like chillies that trigger heartburn. Milder but flavourful foods like garlic and onion can also bring it on.

If spicy foods give you heartburn, stomach pain or diarrhoea, go easy on them in future.

If you already have a problem like heartburn or an irritable bowel, avoid them completely.

Beware gut symptom triggers

Some people find particular foods cause them problems. Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings and fizzy drinks, can trigger heartburn, while wheat and onions may cause irritable bowel syndrome.

And if you cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk, you'll develop wind and diarrhoea after drinking milk or eating dairy products, including cream, cheese, yoghurt and chocolate.

Try to stay away from foods and drinks that trigger your digestive symptoms. Keep a food diary to work out which foods cause your symptoms.

Choose the right drinks to ease digestion

Drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, colas, tea and some fizzy drinks, boost acid in the stomach, leading to heartburn in some people.

Fizzy drinks in general tend to bloat the tummy, which can also lead to heartburn.

To make digestive problems less likely, choose drinks that are not fizzy and do not contain caffeine, such as herbal teas, milk and plain water.

If you cannot do without your coffee or tea, limit your intake to 1 or 2 cups a day.

Try tummy-friendly yoghurt

Probiotics are so-called "friendly bacteria" that are also found naturally in the gut.

They have been linked to all sorts of digestive health benefits, including helping irritable bowel syndrome and traveller's diarrhoea. 

You can take probiotics as supplements available from health food shops, or in live yoghurt, which is a good natural source.

You'll need to take them every day for at least 4 weeks to see any beneficial effect.

Find out more about probiotics

What helps digestion immediately?

Try these 4 quick tips to see an immediate improvement in digestion - no pills, supplements, or potions required..
Drink more (clean) water. When you're dehydrated, water is drawn from your large intestine to hydrate your body, which can lead to constipation. ... .
Chew your food. Sound obvious? ... .
Eat more fiber. ... .
De-stress..

What can I take to help with digesting food?

Probiotics. These supplements contain "friendly" bacteria that can help digestion. In addition to tablets and powders you sprinkle on your food, foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut contain probiotics.