Our digestive processes are an essential part of maintaining our overall wellness. Without proper digestion, the amount of nutrition we get from food is negatively impacted. When seeking improved health and wellness, it’s important to understand the digestive processes and how you can improve them. Dr. Tony Ganem, DC works with patients in and around the Newport Beach, CA area providing support for healthy digestion. Find out how we can help you get the most out of your food by improving digestion and addressing digestive health issues.

Understanding The Role of Digestion In Overall Wellness

You may have heard that chewing 20 times before you swallow your food is a good thing. This may seem, on the surface, to just be a nod to politeness and not “wolfing” your food. Under the surface, however, there’s far more to it than that. The process of digesting food starts in our mouths, where mastication (chewing) and saliva begin breaking down the food into digestible form.  

Once we swallow, the broken down food is transported down our esophagus into our stomach. Once there, gastric acid, also known as stomach acid, begins to break the food down further. The acid in a healthy stomach is at 1.0pH. Even with a large meal being digested, this pH should never drop below 3.5. Breaking the food down is essential in making our food more digestible, expressing the nutrients, ultimately allowing them to be absorbed by our body. Once the pH has shifted to 4.0, problems can begin as food cannot be broken down properly. 

There are a number of elements that can impact the health of our stomach acid, including:

• Stress
• Alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Eating too quickly
• Antacid medication
• Age
• High intake of sugar
• Zinc deficiencies
• Chronic illness
• A bacterial infection called H. Pylori.

One common misunderstanding is the role of the stomach in digesting food. While stomach acid is essential in breaking down food in preparation for digestion, it’s not where those nutrients are absorbed. Our small intestine is responsible for the majority of that process. BodyPro Wellness Center helps people with a variety of health concerns that affect the digestive tract, including:

• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) – occurs when there is an excess of bacterial growth in the small intestine.  This can produce gas and bloating and discomfort within 1-2 hours of eating
• Small intestine fungal overgrowth (SIFO) – occurs when there is a high level of fungal growth in the small intestine
• Celiac Disease – A chronic immune disorder that causes damage to the small intestine
• Helicobacter Pylori – (H. Pylori)– is one of the most common infections in the world, and it can cause imperfect production of stomach acid.
• Diarrhea – Loose bowels caused by a variety of factors, from disease to medication
• Diverticulitis – Infection that forms in pouches in the intestines
• GERD/Acid Reflux – A condition in which stomach acid flows back into the esophagus

See BodyPro Wellness Center For Digestive Concerns

If you believe you’re experiencing symptoms that could be associated with digestive tract concerns, call us. We’ll arrange for a digestive consultation with Dr. Tony Ganem, DC at our clinic in Newport Beach, CA. We also consult people, virtually, when needed. During your visit, you’ll be asked about your symptoms, have a full medical history completed, and discuss potential treatment plans. Make improving your digestive health a priority this year, and schedule an appointment today!

The Skinny Probiotic

Akkermansia Muciniphila is a type of probiotic that lives in the gut, naturally. Recent studies have shown that people who have higher levels of Akkermansia tend to be leaner than groups that are deficient.  These studies suggest that it may help people lose weight and control their blood sugar levels, similar to medications like Ozempic. 

Here’s how it works:

Weight Loss

Akkermansia can increase the number of calories your body burns, which can lead to weight loss over time . It does this by boosting your metabolism and reducing inflammation, which is linked to obesity .

Blood Sugar Control

Like Semaglutide, Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Akkermansia improves how your body uses and responds to insulin . This helps regulate blood sugar levels, which is important for people with diabetes or prediabetes. The bacteria interacts with hormones and other substances in the gut to achieve this effect.

Eating Less

Akkermansia can also make food transit a little slower through the gut, making you feel full, longer.  This helps people not overeat, naturally.

Akkermansia levels are lower in people with obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic issues . Certain diets like intermittent fasting, low-FODMAP, and keto may increase the amount of this beneficial bacteria in the gut . More research is still needed on Akkermansia supplementing, but current evidence suggests it could be a natural way to manage weight and blood sugar without medications . 

I use it with patients who desire to lose weight and tend to overeat, however, I prefer to run a GI Map test to understand their natural levels before providing the prescription strength of Akkermansia .  

Is Akkermansia right for you?  Call our office and let’s run a test.  714-210-2827