If consumers increasingly focus on digestive wellness, it will likely become a topic of discussion with chiropractic patients.
When patients want better health, the two areas they typically attack are diet and physical activity. They start eating more fruits and vegetables and incorporating exercise into their daily routine. Taking care of yourself becomes a priority in order to fight illness and achieve a higher level of well-being. Another area of the nutrition and health field that is starting to gain more attention is digestive wellness and health.
A quick look at the numbers reveals that healing the gut is a growing priority for many, fueled by new research, sending it on an upward trend.
Digestive Wellness Trends
The digestive health products market is expected to reach $57.54 billion globally by 2025 according to Research on Grand View. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3%. For comparison purposes, the projected CAGR for the nutrition market as a whole is only 6.6% for this same period, highlighting the importance that consumers now attach to this aspect of health.
Products in the digestive health category include prebiotics, probioticsand food enzymes. It also includes food products designed to support better digestive health, such as dairy products, grains and certain beverages, as well as dietary supplements.
Grand View goes on to explain that some of the driving factors for this projected growth include increasing demand for additives that increase the nutritional value of a food and a growing geriatric population. However, it is also because more consumers are seeking the potential benefits of digestive health products that new research is showing the impacts. a patient’s moodenergy levels and brain function.
Prevalence of digestive diseases
THE National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) reports that digestive diseases are a major problem in the United States, affecting between 60 and 70 million Americans. They are also responsible for 36.6 million doctor visits per year, 7.9 million trips to the emergency room and 3.8 million outpatient appointments.
Some of the most common digestive problems and conditions include:
- chronic constipation
- diverticular disease
- gastroesophageal reflux
- inflammatory bowel disease
- irritable bowel syndrome
- pancreatitis
A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology adds that, of 71,812 people surveyed, 61% reported having had at least one gastrointestinal symptom in the previous week. Heartburn/reflux was cited most commonly (30.9%), followed by abdominal pain (24.8%), bloating (20.6%), diarrhea (20.2%) and constipation (19.7%).
Digestive health research
Through research, we are beginning to learn more about the gut and its impact on overall health. For example, a 2016 study connects digestive health to total body health via the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system, but functions outside of inputs from the central nervous system.
This study indicates that there are multiple disorders that affect a person both gastrointestinally and neurologically. Autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are some of them. This highlights the connection between the gut-brain axis and how it can potentially lead to better health or greater disease.
Other research attempts to examine the connection between digestion and health in more depth. An example is a 2020 study in the International Journal of Tryptophan Research which explains how tryptophan, an essential amino acid, interacts with three major metabolic pathways in the gut. It aids bowel function in health or illness, making it an important part of the health and wellness discussion.
Respond to patient demand
If consumers increasingly focus on digestive wellness, it’s likely that it will become a topic of discussion with at least a few of your chiropractic patients. They may share concerns about their digestive health or ask you for advice on how to create a more positive vibe. gut-brain interaction.
A 2019 review states that when it comes to probiotics, Lactobacilli And Bifidobacteria are two that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). This review also suggests that “good” probiotics include those that:
- are of human origin;
- are non-pathogenic and non-toxic;
- influence local metabolic activity;
- interact with the activity of immune modulators; And
- survive in the intestine even if the pH is low or in the presence of organic acids.
THE Cleveland Clinic offers additional advice for those wishing to take products. Specifically, he recommends not taking them if the immune system is weakened and being willing to try a new probiotic if the current probiotic doesn’t seem to provide any benefit after a few weeks.
It is also important to recognize that no probiotics currently have approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to help prevent or treat specific diseases according to the American Gastroenterology Association. This is why this organization suggests using digestive health products made by well-established companies and paying attention to the labels and packaging to better understand what they contain and also how to store and use them correctly to achieve the best (and safest) effects.
