Dr MEGAN ROSSI: Why don’t you need all those vitamin pills! –

Vitamin and mineral supplements are big business, whether they’re multivitamins, special “blends” for certain purposes (like sleep) or individual nutrients.

Some are undoubtedly beneficial, for example vitamin D, which the NHS recommends everyone gets during these seasons due to our limited exposure to sunlight in the fall and winter, when it’s difficult to get enough vitamin D from food.

There are times in my clinic where I recommend certain supplements, but this is on a case-by-case basis and formulations are supported by clinical studies.

The truth is, you need most of the bottled supplements you see in supermarkets and high street stores or online. They can also be quite expensive.

But it’s hard not to get caught up in marketing, especially for products that claim to “support” your digestive system.

Who doesn’t want a healthy gut? Most importantly, as we know it plays an important role in most of our health, from our heart to hormones to mental well-being.

Something that comes up again and again when a new client comes to my clinic is a digestive enzyme problem. Inevitably, “Should I take a supplement?” he is asked.

Because many patients had bowel problems for years before they came to me, Dr. It’s no wonder they turn to Google, write down their symptoms (usually bloating or heartburn), and find themselves deficient in their enzymes. And so they turned to the increasingly popular over-the-counter enzyme capsules in hopes of a cure.

They are often young women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or those who are later told that as we age we do not produce enzymes effectively. But IBS isn’t caused by faulty digestive enzymes, and the idea that we produce fewer enzymes as we age isn’t true: If you stay healthy, your enzymes will work just fine.

Basically, they spent money on pills they didn’t need, and they wouldn’t work even if they were missing because they are only available over the counter in low doses and often from plant sources where they’re not scientifically proven, like pineapple. It has been shown to have a measurable benefit in the human gut.

Who doesn’t want a healthy gut? Most importantly, as we know it plays an important role in most of our health, from our heart to our hormones to our mental health.

If you’ve fallen into this area of ​​digestive enzymes, it’s not your fault – marketing these types of products is sneaky, flooding your every Google search, and terrifying (but that’s what this column is about, giving you the science to guide you through the hype).

Another concern voiced by people is that drinking water during a meal “dilutes” our digestive enzymes.

The truth is that the contents of your stomach are constantly monitored so that it can adapt to our different meals – it is extraordinarily adaptable, we have to give our bodies more credit!

Of course, enzymes play an important role in digestion.

Enzymes are a type of protein produced by our bodies that help break down the food we eat.

The first encounter of enzymes with food occurs in the mouth. When we chew, we produce saliva that contains amylase, an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into “simple” carbohydrates (i.e. sugar).

Try chewing a piece of bread and holding it in your mouth for a long time – after a while you will notice that it begins to taste much sweeter. This is starch that breaks down into glucose, the simple sugar.

As food passes through our stomach and small intestine, it encounters lipases, which are enzymes that break down fats; proteases that break down proteins; lactase, which breaks down lactose in dairy products, etc. These enzymes break food down into smaller molecules so our body can absorb nutrients from it.

But what if we don’t have digestive enzymes – or “not enough”? In this rare condition, known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which accounts for 0.0001 percent of cases, food is not absorbed properly, meaning it is actually wasted.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and the like, but if you had it you would also be malnourished, lose weight and generally not function properly.

A digestive enzyme deficiency rarely occurs on its own, more often a side effect of something else such as pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) or cystic fibrosis.

If so, your doctor will prescribe a combination of high-dose enzymes that you take with each meal to allow your body to break down and nourish nutrients.

There is a second, more common scenario: lactose intolerance. When the baby is weaned from breast milk, this is where the levels of the enzyme lactase, produced in the intestinal lining, drop. Fortunately, over-the-counter lactase enzymes do.

However, unless you have been diagnosed with one of these conditions, avoid these useless pills because while they are often more useless than dangerous, there is a risk of interactions if you are taking any medication, especially blood thinners or diabetes medications.

So save your money, stay safe and relax your gut with my three science-backed tips for fighting bloating:

1. Chew your food well: Digestion begins in the mouth. Aim for 15-20 chews per bite.

2. Avoid sugar alcohols commonly found in sugar-free foods and chewing gums, such as mannitol, malithiol, sorbitol, xylitol, and isomalt. Even healthy bodies do not produce the necessary enzymes for this, so they are not properly absorbed, which can cause intestinal problems.

3. Try peppermint oil capsules. Studies in people with IBS have shown that peppermint oil can relax the intestinal muscles, thereby helping to relieve bloating from trapped gas.

Studies suggest taking it three times a day 30 to 60 minutes before meals, with the goal of gradual reduction after four weeks, but it’s always good to talk to your healthcare team first.

ask Megan

I have diverticulum and have been told to give up seeds and nuts. But aren’t they good for the fiber I’ve been told to increase my intake?

Mary Walker, via e-mail.

First of all, a diverticulum (singularity of a diverticulum) is when a weak spot in the gut, usually the colon, is pushed outward forming a small pouch with a narrow opening.

Most people develop at least one diverticula with age due to weakening of the intestines, and they are usually harmless. About 20% of those with diverticulum develop symptoms such as abdominal pain, usually in the lower left – less than 3% experience diverticulitis, the acute form in which the pockets become inflamed.

We thought that people with diverticulum disease should avoid nuts, seeds, and popcorn as they can get stuck in the diverticulum. But there’s actually no evidence to support this, so the advice has been updated. If you have diverticulitis, you may be advised to follow a short-term low-fiber diet. But then you can go back to a high-fiber diet and put nuts, seeds, and popcorn back on the menu (try my super-seed crackers below).

Try this: spicy crackers

The pantry at my house is packed with plant-based protein and healthy fats and high in fiber to keep you and your gut microbes happy longer. I keep some of these in my bag to keep me going between meals on busy days.

before 12

80 g oatmeal

40 g mixed seeds

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat oven to 170 °C ventilated / gas 5. Beat the oats in a blender until you have a coarse crumb, then mix in a bowl with the seeds and salt. Add the oil and 60 ml of warm water. Make a moist dough by mixing it with your hands.

Let it rest for about ten minutes in a warm place. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the dough in the middle. Cover with another baking paper and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin layer: the thinner the better.

Remove the top paper and cut circles with a cookie cutter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.