Expert Decodes The Actual Cause of Increase in Gastrointestinal Issues, Shares 4 Simple Ways To Prevent

Starting from chronic bloating and acidity to constipation, diarrhea, and other irritant bowel symptoms, gastrointestinal troubles have affected the population across age groups. These disorders were earlier thought to affect only the elderly but they are now affecting teenagers, young professionals, and even children. As experts point out, unnatural eating patterns, especially excessive junk and ultra-processed food, is the main culprit.

In order to understand this better, the editorial team of Onlymyhealth reached out to Dr B D Soni, Gastrointestinal Surgeon, C K Birla Hospital, Jaipur, and here is what he shared with us.

Why GI Issues Are Increasing and the Hidden Role of Junk Food

According to Dr Soni, this rise in gut-related issues is strongly interlinked with dependency on processed, low-nutritional foods. He explained. "Junk foods are high in calories, sugar, salt, and unhealthy saturated fats but low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fibre. The examples of these food items include potato chips, fast foods containing burgers, pizzas, sweetened beverages, and similarly packaged snacks and sweets”.

These are foods that not only help to cause weight gain and obesity and NAFLD but also create conditions for digestive problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes. Dr Soni further shared that this happens mainly because these foods actively damage the gut ecosystem.

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Our intestines harbour trillions of microbes, many of them being beneficial. When we eat whole, fibre-rich food, these good bacteria thrive. However, junk foods starve them because of low fibre levels and overload the system with damaging fats, preservatives, and excess sugar.

Consequences of this are decreased microbial diversity, impaired digestion, inflammation of the large intestine, and an imbalance, known as dysbiosis, where the amount of harmful microbes starts outnumbering the beneficial ones. “High sugar content, unhealthy fats, additives, etc., disrupt the lining of the gut and the balance between good and bad bacteria, which may lead to inflammation, where bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and IBS/IBD,” added Dr Soni. Over time, this imbalance weakens immunity and raises the risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes as well.

Lifestyle Causes of Gastrointestinal Issues

Beyond food choices alone, inconsistent eating habits and poor hydration worsen GI symptoms. Dr Soni highlighted that skipping meals, eating late at night, or relying too heavily on packaged meals hampers digestion. Additionally, little to no movement, high stress, and sleep reduction also negatively impact gut motility and increase acidity.

However, the good news is that improving gut health doesn't always require major lifestyle changes but small, consistent ones that can actually make a difference. 

Simple Ways to Avoid GI Problems

According to Dr Soni, these four simple habits can avoid GI problems:

1. Eat Fresh and Whole Foods

He shared that fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains should build your meals. These foods contain fibre, which is the prime nutrient that feeds the good gut bacteria. He suggested, “Eat more whole fruits instead of fruit juices. Freshly cooked food is easier to digest and easier on the gut.”

2. Limit Processed and Packaged Foods

Reduce sugary drinks, cold drinks, packaged snacks, ready-to-eat frozen meals, and deep-fried fast food. These will promote inflammation and weaken the gut barrier.

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3. Choose Healthy Fats

Nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil supply healthy fats enabling the digestive tract. Trans fats and saturated fats are unhealthy for the digestive system, commonly found in pizzas, pasta sauces, bakery items, fried snacks, and processed meats.

4. Feed the Gut with Prebiotics and Probiotics

"Include curd, yoghurt, and buttermilk in your daily diet," shared Dr Soni. He added that these foods help restore microbial balance and strengthen immunity.

Bonus Tips for Everyday Gut Health

Here are some additional bonus tips to keep your gut health:

• Stay hydrated: Drink at least three litres of water a day.
• Eat small quantities at frequent intervals: These habits can help avoid putting an excessive load on the digestive system.
• Follow a fixed meal schedule: Early breakfast, afternoon lunch, and early dinner preferably.
• Say no to late-night binging: Avoid late-night eating because it slows digestion, and causes acidity.

Bottomline

Our gut reflects what we eat every day. Experts share that changing junk foods with wholesome, fresh meals and maintenance of a regular eating routine can effectively improve gastrointestinal health and avoid metabolic diseases in the future.