6 Step Guide on How to Choose Gastrointestinal Supplements

June 03 2022 – Ken Saw

6 Step Guide on How to Choose Gastrointestinal Supplements

6 Step Guide on How to Choose Gastrointestinal Supplements

The supplement market has displayed various appealing tactics to sell gastrointestinal healthcare products, making people excited and impulsive. It seems that every product miraculously meets their needs, until after actual use – it is found that the value is not as good as they hoped. Learning how to invest in effective health products without wasting too much money is a journey within itself. 

To start, you must first understand the critical role that the gastrointestinal tract plays in human life, especially in the diet. If you can abide by the six principles when shopping for your next gastrointestinal product, you can be assured you’ve found a good product that saves you time and your wallet.

So, to begin – What is the gastrointestinal tract? What role does it even play?:

The gastrointestinal tract is a critical organ that assists in decomposing, digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing the food we eat every day. As this organ is working 24 hours a day, it is also highly influenced by other bodily factors such as the endocrine system, your personal work and rest habits, and of course, diet.

In addition to decomposing and absorbing starch, protein, fiber, water, and other substances from our food, the gastrointestinal tract then expels the unabsorbable substances with the help of the body’s metabolism.

Now, how should we choose gastrointestinal health products?

Rule 1: Understand the efficacy of ingredients

Enzymes: There are many types of enzymes: amylase to help break down starch, protease to break down protein, lipolytic enzyme to break down fat, and fruit and vegetable enzymes to help supplement nutrients and phytochemicals. The macromolecules of various foods are decomposed into small molecules, which are convenient for intestinal absorption and utilization.

Prebiotics: They provide a source of nutrients for the growth of good intestinal bacteria in the body, helping it compete with bad bacteria, including dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, etc. When the intake of prebiotics is insufficient, the body will not be as healthy as it can be. The bacteria will lose a good source of nutrition, the combat index will drop, and the body becomes susceptible to bad bacteria overtaking and causing intestinal problems.

Probiotics: Probiotics is the general term for good intestinal bacteria, including many different bacteria species, namely LP33, A bacteria, B bacteria, and many more. Different bacteria have different effects. The main environment for growth is in the intestines. Everyone has a certain amount of good bacteria in the body, and the number of good bacteria will decrease depending on the severity of stressors in one’s lifestyle. Therefore, it is always recommended to cultivate good bacteria in the gut – the most effective way to improve health and reduce symptoms of intestinal discomfort.

Rule 2: Monitor your lifestyle and schedule, stabilize your eating habits and supplement what you identify is lacking in a healthy lifestyle.

Those who often eat outside of the home will wound up consuming too much starch, protein, and oil in their diet. Leaving the intake of phytochemicals and dietary fiber (from vegetables and fruits) quite insufficient. This is one of the most common ways people create insufficient nutrition sources for good intestinal bacteria. In return, the vitality and quantity of good bacteria decrease, which may lead to bad breath, bloating, indigestion, smelly exhaust, constipation, etc. It is recommended to choose dietary fiber derived from plant extracts, and additionally supplement what is missing with the phytochemicals of vegetables and fruits or enzyme products to help improve the gastrointestinal tract.

Midnight snackers: To those who often eat late-night snacks or those who have off-schedule meal times, do you also often have an unbalanced diet, eat too much outside food, or eat too fast as well? These behaviors result in an excessive burden on the gastrointestinal tract. It makes it difficult to effectively decompose, digest, and absorb food – resulting in abdominal distension, bowel movements, and other problems. It is recommended to choose products rich in dietary fiber, and supplement the insufficient part of the diet. To further help intestinal digestion and improve the state of discomfort, additional enzyme products can be used to help decompose food and create a multiplier effect.

Rule 3: What are your types and sources of raw materials? 

Source of raw materials: It is recommended to consume the source of raw materials – extracted from vegetables and fruits and avoid chemical synthesis or ingredients isolated from animal sources. Because the raw materials of vegetable and fruit extracts have small molecules, it means better absorption – unlike chemical or animal sources which make humans prone to problems that cause physical burden and allergy risk.

Rule 4: Types and proportions of additives

Additive ratio: In the supplement industry, additives like spices, pigment, and flavoring agents are often used to make the product taste better, look more beautiful, and increase its weight of the product. However, these additives are often derived from chemical extraction and synthesis. In fact, it is another additional burden for the body. When purchasing, please pay attention to the ingredient and formula of the product to know if the product’s potential burden is worth its intended value. 

Rule 5: Product dosage form

There are many types of health product formulations on the market, with different advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the one that suits your lifestyle is the product that is suitable for you. Please study each form of product: 

Liquid: uses aluminum bags, plastic bottles, and glass bottles. Usually tastes good, with added spices, flavoring agents, antioxidants, sweeteners, sugar, and other substances.

Tablets: In order for the formula to be effectively compressed as a tablet, magnesium stearate, coloring materials, and other substances are often added. 

Powder: For a more enjoyable powder consumption experience, additional spices, flavoring agents, etc. will be added.

Capsules: There are two common sources of raw materials for capsules, one is animal gelatin: extracted from animal skins, which is not vegetarian or allergy-friendly. The other is vegetable capsules, composed of cellulose, with a very low risk of allergy, and minimal burden to the body.

Rule 6: Patents and Product Certification

The patent and raw material certification for products are significant as they approve the standards of production procedures, hygiene, and safety specifications of raw materials. Some certifications that are often recognized are ISO22000, HACCP, non-GMO raw materials, gluten-free, etc.

References:

https://www.commonhealth.com.tw/article/787.05 The source of all diseases is the gut! 2019/01/08 · Author / Lin Zhencen · Source / Health Journal Issue 242

https://www.commonhealth.com.tw/article/78709 2019/01/09 Author / Lin Zhencen Source / Health Journal Issue 242

https://helloyishi.com.tw/stomach/digestive tract health

https://health.udn.com/health/story/5976/5957273 2021-12-13 09:51 United News

https://www.fda.gov.tw/TC//siteList.aspx?pn=2&sid=1760 Evaluation method for improving the gastrointestinal function of healthy food

https://med-net.com/CMSContent/Content/837 Lay a good foundation and use the four keys of nutrition Gu Changwei-Medical Network

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