Weight loss can sometimes seem like a stubborn and overwhelming task, especially if you’re also suffering from discomforting symptoms such as bloating, gas, sluggishness, or abdominal pain. There are a number of factors beyond dieting and food choice that contribute to weight loss and abdominal discomfort. Some of these factors include the health of digestive organs such as your pancreas, small intestine, and liver. The peak functioning of these organs is crucial for the complete digestion of food and extraction of nutrients, which contributes to the body’s overall regulation of weight.
After we swallow food, it first encounters the stomach, which acidifies and digests food into smaller components. From there, it moves into the small intestine and is further degraded into either carbohydrates, fats, or proteins and their respective sub-units. This work is performed by the pancreas, which releases enzymes directly into the small intestine. Once the food is completely broken down into its respective sub-units, specialized cells of the small intestine then absorb the nutrients and send them directly into the liver, which decides what to do with those nutrients.
Issues can occur any step of the way in this process, and a distressed or underperforming organ can slow the entire process down, leading to sluggishness, weight gain, bloating and even malnutrition. If stomach acid is too low, food will take much longer to leave the stomach and will produce symptoms such as reflux, bloating, or burping in the process. If the pancreatic enzymes are insufficient, then there is not enough enzyme to completely break down the food, so it may show up in the stool appearing undigested. Other symptoms can occur too, such as constipation or diarrhea. If the specialized cells of the small intestine are damaged or the area is weakened, its ability to absorb nutrients becomes compromised, which may lead to malnutrition and many other troublesome symptoms. It may also lead to “leaky gut syndrome.” If you’ve tried a number of different diets and still can’t lose weight or you still feel bloated, tired, etc., then the issue may not be with your diet.
Supporting these critical digestive organs is a simple process that is typically easy to treat. Digestive issues are a common complaint in my practice, and most patients respond very well to nutraceuticals, botanicals, or homeopathics. Each of these medicines can be used to support digestive organs directly and strengthen digestion. The end result is symptom relief and improved weight loss, and symptom relief usually begins within 1-3 days of starting medicines. If you’re suffering from abdominal discomfort and have trouble losing weight, then you may just be in need of some organ support courtesy of natural medicines. Let’s talk today and discover which natural medicines are best suited for you and how you can start losing weight.
