You are aware that plants are beneficial to your health, but what if you are one of the millions of people who suffer from a “sensitive” stomach and they simply do not agree with you?
Up to 30 percent of adults experience a sensitive gut at some point, whether it’s bloating, constipation, full-blown irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or a temporary upset stomach after a virus or course of antibiotics.
The long-term solution for many gut-related symptoms is to consume more plants, but when I suggest this to clients, they typically respond, “I wish I could, but they upset my stomach.”
Numerous individuals associate plant-based foods (particularly fiber) with gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, and heartburn. They claim to have no issues with meat, fish, or refined carbohydrates, but if it contains more fiber? Forget it.
They avoid these foods, and if they do consume them, their bodies cannot easily digest them because they are not accustomed to them. So, their symptoms return, reinforcing their belief that they cannot consume this food.
If this describes you, the good news is that in my fifteen years as a clinical dietitian, I have never encountered a person whose gut I couldn’t retrain.
Fear of fiber can manifest differently for different individuals. It could be a single vegetable, fruit, or wholegrain, or a larger group like pulses (such as chickpeas and lentils) or cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts).
If you have a condition such as IBS, you may have been advised to limit FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) found in many plant foods.
However, this should only be done for a few weeks to give your stressed gut a break (and our research team at King’s College London has shown that avoiding these foods for a longer period can reduce beneficial anti-inflammatory bacteria like Bifidobacteria).
In actuality, we all experience some gas and bloating after consuming plant-based foods; this is a natural consequence of healthy digestion. Our gut bacteria produce gas when they digest plant fiber along with the myriad of beneficial chemicals. However, two factors can exacerbate these symptoms.
Low-fiber foods are primarily digested in the upper portion of the gut, thanks to the digestive enzymes produced by our gut cells. However, they lack the unique enzymes required for fiber digestion. These substances are produced by the trillions of microorganisms in our intestines.
However, your microbes must produce sufficient amounts of the correct type for the type of fiber you are feeding them. And while your gut microbes are quite adept at adapting to what you eat — give them time, and they’ll figure out which enzymes you require — they require an early warning.
Therefore, you should anticipate bloating, gas, and changes in bowel movements if you abruptly switch from a very low-fiber diet to a plant-rich diet. As your microbes adjust, your symptoms will diminish and eventually disappear as your body adjusts.
It’s like avoiding exercise and then suddenly overdoing it at the gym: you’ll be in pain for a few days. Much better to go frequently and gradually increase your weight. The same holds for fiber consumption.
Diversity in plant-based foods is the goal of a healthy diet. Even if you’ve been advised to eliminate certain foods, I do not suggest doing so permanently (the exception of course is a diagnosed allergy or coeliac disease).
I would recommend introducing anything that triggers your sensitive gut,’ including IBS, very gradually, consistently, and in small portions — in some cases, tiny portions.
For instance, beans and pulses are a common source of the difficulty.
Begin with half a tablespoon daily for the first week; increase to one tablespoon in the second.
You want to feel some stomach activity since it indicates that your bacteria are working hard, but if it is too much, limit it to one tablespoon every other day.
Slow and steady wins the race when desensitizing the digestive tract. According to a study published earlier this year by Bergen University in Norway, simply incorporating more plant-based foods into your daily diet can add a decade to your life expectancy.
The second piece of the jigsaw is a calm stomach. Due to the two-way relationship between the stomach and brain, stress will place a stranglehold on your gut. In essence, the millions of nerves connecting the brain and gut transmit stress to the gut, which diverts energy (i.e., blood and nutrients) away from digestion.
In turn, your constricted gut becomes less efficient at absorbing gas and other chemicals produced during fiber digestion: normally, the gas is absorbed across your gut wall into your bloodstream and then exhaled through your lungs; however, due to a decreased blood supply, it can become trapped in your gut, resulting in bloating and cramping.
This helps explain why, on some days, a particular high-fiber food doesn’t bother you, but on other, more stressful days, it causes immediate discomfort.
For a tranquil digestive system, a quiet mind is required, and there are methods to approach mealtimes to send calming signals to the digestive system.
Yoga may change the game. In a 2017 study conducted by the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, gut-directed yoga (including positions such as cat-cow, crocodile twist, and happy baby) was found to be as effective as the low-FODMAPs diet for reducing IBS symptoms such as bloating and pain. (These three exercises can be found on YouTube or in my book Eat Yourself Healthily.)
If this is not possible, aim for a minute or two of “box” breathing: breath in through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, then breathe out through your nose for four seconds, and hold for four seconds. And again.
A final thought: when the microbes in your newly relaxed gut begin to digest the increased plants (and fiber) you’ll be consuming, they will produce more short-chain fatty acids, which are nourishing chemicals that strengthen the gut lining, thereby enhancing the resilience of stressed and sensitive guts.
Yes, it can take time, but your efforts will pay off if you use this scientifically supported method, believe me!
