2020 is by far the worst year for healthcare across the world. While the global pandemic did spread healthcare resources thin, our lifestyle conditions caused a reasonable amount of fear and a sense of helplessness.
With obesity in adults peaking at 42.4% in the US and body mass indices above 40kg/m2 identified as risk factors for COVID-19, the outlook is grim.
However, an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 isn’t the only outcome of obesity.
Diabetes, Hypertension, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, all stem from obesity, which in turn stems from poor eating habits. Although a major concern, obesity is not the only gut-related issue in the US. Gastrointestinal issues from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to acid reflux, to Liver and Pancreatic comorbidities, which stem from what goes into the Alimentary Canal.
How does your gut feel?
Silent epidemics such as gut health issues contribute to the $150 billion we incur in direct and indirect costs due to digestive tract disorders. The $150 billion is just the monetary impact of digestive disorders such as IBS, ranging from emergency room visits, ambulance costs, investigation, and treatment expenses.
The actual effect it has is many times the dollar value. For example, Irritable Bowel causes acidity, bloating, and diarrhea, each of which contributes heavily to the disruption of mental health.
Digestive tract disorders also significantly impede normal body function. To begin with, IBS and consequent bloating can disrupt meal-times, the type of food you can consume, and the quantity. This in turn could lead to fatigue, anxiety, and a host of otherwise avoidable conditions that can impact the quality of life.
Despite its harmful effects, there is no single root cause of conditions like IBS, and even after diagnosis, treatments are typically symptomatic. As a result, people undergoing treatment are not exactly convalescing, but merely postponing the eventual return of the symptoms.
Uncovering the hidden facets of the GI tract – A new hope
Despite the otherwise ominous and depressing snapshot of gastrointestinal conditions and how badly they affect a majority of the American population, there is a silver lining to this otherwise dark cloud. Research into the specific pathways that contribute to digestive tract disorders has pointed to something more intriguing. Disruption of the microbial diversity within the gastrointestinal tract and its maintenance has been linked to most digestive disorders, as well as reduced immune response.
Fundamentally, these studies established that the Gut Biome is responsible for a variety of positive influences in our lives including protecting us from infections by producing antimicrobial peptides, outcompeting the invading organisms for available nutrients, even to the extent of nudging our DNA in certain directions.
Thus, disturbing the microbial diversity leads to a condition called dysbiosis, which has understandably been linked to GI Tract conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, diarrhea, and acid reflux. However, the gut microbiome has positive effects on the same mechanisms that are disturbed by conditions such as IBS, including the promotion of intestinal motility, improvement in the brain-gut connection, and neuroimmune signaling.
Treating dysbiosis, or disturbed Gut Biome diversity is now seen as an effective therapeutic strategy for irritable bowel.
Digbi Health and Digestive Disorders
Digbi Health has adopted the findings of the latest Gut Biome and gene research to put together a holistic biome-centric health approach. Specific to IBS, Digbi Health has put together a data-driven program that helps people reestablish their gut biome diversity, thus promoting weight loss and reduction of symptoms associated with IBS and similar gastric disorders.
To see if you qualify for the Digbi Health program, please visit www.digbihealth.com
