Did you know that constipation is one of several digestive disorders that can cause weight gain? The excess waste affects the functions of your metabolism.
Being overweight is a disorder that is caused by the accumulation of fats and toxins in the body. This increases your body weight to a point that is considered unhealthy.
Its principal cause is consuming too many calories in your diet, but it can also be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, hormonal changes, and metabolic difficulties.
In fact, some patients suffer from this condition because their digestive system does not function correctly. This is because its responsibilities are essential for correctly breaking down fats and absorbing nutrients.
For this reason, although you should always look at your diet first, you have to consider that a digestive disorder may be responsible.
5 Digestive Disorders that Can Cause Weight Gain
We want to take this opportunity to share the 5 principal digestive disorders so that you can identify them and take the respective measures.
1. Gastro-esophageal reflux
Gastro reflux is a digestive disorder that causes an uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest. This is due to the acidic juices coming back into the esophagus because the valves that keep them in the stomach have weakened.
Its relationship with weight gain comes from the anxiety that we get from food since some foods temporarily calm the symptoms.
While small portions usually don’t pose a threat, once the food is digested, the symptoms persist and the desire to eat reappears.
Recommendations
- Control the symptoms of reflux with natural teas and homemade remedies that are low in calories
- Avoid eating fatty or irritating foods because they will not help the problem, they will just make it worse.
2. Ulcers
Ulcers, lesions that usually appear in the lining of the stomach or the small intestine, are the most common consequence of excessive acid production.
Similar to the previous disorder, they can result in weight gain since they can cause anxiety episodes when it comes to eating.
They cause abdominal inflammation and constant nausea that, generally, weakens after eating certain foods.
Because of this, patients tend to eat more calories than they should and, if the disorder is not controlled within a short period of time, they will experience notable weight gain.
Recommendations
- Avoid taking ant-inflammatory medications, painkillers, and antibiotics while treating an ulcer
- Remove dairy, spicy foods, and other irritating foods from your diet
- Take homemade remedies with alkaline properties, like bicarbonate or the gel from aloe vera
- Drink more water and teas that help with digestion
3. Constipation
Constipation is one of the digestive problems that influences weight gain the most. This is because waste accumulates in the intestine, affects the functions of the metabolism, and makes it difficult for the body to turn nutrients into sources of energy.
Retaining toxins in your colon causes inflammation in your stomach and causes a feeling of heaviness. This can make you think that the things you are doing to try to lose weight are not working.
However, it is not because the body is absorbing more calories, but that the excess waste is making it hard to see the results when you are trying to lose weight.
Recommendations
- Increase your consumption of dietetic fiber. To do this, don’t hesitate to add fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to your diet.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
- Exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes a day
- Make natural laxatives, in teas or in liquids
4. Changes in bacterial flora
Changes in bacterial flora in the intestine are one of the influencing factors when it comes to weight gain.
They interfere with your metabolic rhythm and, at the same time, make it difficult to absorb and correctly use the nutrients that come from our foods.
These imbalances occur because the microorganisms grow excessively, or because their presence in the colon is decreased.
As a consequence, it creates problems like constipation and can also increase how often you eat which will cause you to accumulate more fat.
Recommendations
- Avoid excessive consumption of foods that alter the pH of the intestine (fats, refined flours, sugars, etc.)
- Increase your consumption of foods with probiotics like natural yogurt or fermented cabbage.
- Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day.
5. Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal condition that, due to poor diet practices, has become considerably more common in the past few years.
Its appearance is accompanied by other problems with the digestive system, including inflammatory imbalances and changes in bacterial flora.
It can cause constipation, stomach bloating, and difficulty digesting certain foods.
So, when people ignore their symptoms and don’t try to treat them, they can experience weight gain and continuously feel sick.
Recommendations
- Consult a doctor if you suspect you have any of these conditions
- Add probiotics to your diet and foods that contain digestive enzymes
- Eliminate any inflammatory foods or drinks as much as you can
Do you identify with any of these disorders? If you have any symptoms of digestive disorders, or suspect that you cannot lose weight because of this type of illness, follow the given recommendations and consult your doctor to get a more precise diagnosis.
Via: StepToHealth
