Food trends promise a healthy life. However, not all bloating is due to an intolerance. A new microbiome consultation provides clarity for patients with symptoms.
The topics of nutrition and digestion have become increasingly important in recent years. In TV commercials, food manufacturers promise a life free of complaints thanks to “superfoods”, people with healthy digestion attend cooking courses for a gluten-free diet and private laboratories offer stool analyses for the general public. “This hype is unsettling people,” says Professor Gerhard Rogler, gastroenterologist at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ).
Our digestion is an amazing system
A bite of food travels up to nine meters from the mouth to the anus. Energy is absorbed in the small intestine. Its surface is very wrinkled; stretched out, it would be about the size of a tennis court. There are thousands of cells on the intestinal wall that absorb nutrients from the food and pass them into the bloodstream. In the large intestine, up to 39 trillion bacteria then digest the nutrients that the small intestine was unable to utilize – especially fiber and carbohydrates. The rest passes into the rectum and is excreted as stool.
Biomedical research has shown that the large intestine has a major influence on our metabolism and our well-being. It is even the source of some psychiatric illnesses. And with the importance of digestion, the population’s interest in nutritional issues has also increased, says Gerhard Rogler: “The topic is omnipresent today.”
Superfoods such as avocado and quinoa are said to help people lead healthier lives, while lactose-free dairy products and a gluten-free diet are said to eliminate annoying digestive problems. At least that’s what the advertising says. Food trends sometimes trigger such complaints in the first place. High-fiber grains such as quinoa or oats are by no means good for everyone: some people get bloating and stomach pains after eating them, even if their digestion is perfectly healthy. “Nevertheless, many people today immediately think they have an intolerance,” says Rogler. The USZ expert also considers analyses of stool samples in private laboratories to be questionable, as these are not produced under clinical conditions. “And an incorrect diagnosis can cause patients unnecessary anxiety.”
Intestine - structure, function, diseases
The intestine is an important part of our digestive system, which consists of two main parts: The small intestine and the large intestine. It processes the food we eat every day and absorbs the nutrients. It also ensures that harmful substances are excreted.
Flatulence is completely normal
A rule of thumb: bowel movements less than three times a week indicate constipation, more than three times a day indicate diarrhea. However, these symptoms do not necessarily have to be caused by an illness. How we move, what we eat and psychological factors such as stress can all influence our stools. Even flatulence is part of healthy digestion. This is because the bacteria in the large intestine also produce CO2, methane and hydrogen during their work. Only when flatulence hurts can this be a sign of an infection or food intolerance. However, drug treatments can also change the bacterial population.
In recent years, Rogler and his colleagues have received hundreds of email inquiries from people who suspect they have an intolerance. The Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology therefore decided to offer a special microbiome consultation where patients can discuss their questions with medical specialists. It starts in July under the direction of Professor Michael Scharl. In addition, the gastroenterology department at USZ Airport operates a functional laboratory in which the latest technology can be used to test for intolerance, among other things.
