Digestion starts from the moment you begin cooking! Cooking and smelling your food as it’s being prepared makes your body secrete saliva and signal the digestive enzymes to get ready. Once you put food or drink in your mouth, chewing also secretes saliva, which signals the stomach to produce digestive enzymes. Saliva lubricates your food for easier digestion.
When a person doesn’t follow Ayurvedic dietary practices, skips the cooking process and eats hurriedly without thoroughly chewing their food, digestion is weakened overtime. Weak digestion causes indigestion, which leads to the formation of a toxin called ama. Ayurveda sees ama as improperly digested food and is a basic cause for many diseases.
Your teeth are an integral part of digestion so it’s important to have healthy, strong teeth. The ability to fully chew food is subjected to the condition of the teeth. Deteriorated dental health affects the mechanical part of digestion and over time leads to nutritional deficiencies.
It’s important to remember your gut, though! Within the gut is the mucosal lining or “skin” of the digestive system. The mucus lining has an essential role to protect the body from harmful bacteria and toxins. If the mucosal lining loses its ability to properly absorb nutrients, then a condition known as leaky gut syndrome develops.
The key takeaway: the health of your digestive system essentially determines your overall health, which includes strength, immunity, and longevity.
Symptoms of Indigestion
Acid reflux is a chronic digestive disorder in which there is a reflux of acidic juices and contents from the stomach back into the esophagus. This happens due to the weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter, a valve controlling one-way flow of food and fluids into the stomach. This weakness causes heartburn, regurgitation of food into the throat, vomiting and a general feeling of illness.
Signs and Symptoms of Acid Reflux
- Sour taste in mouth
- Burning, pressure or pain in the chest
- Regurgitation of food into the throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Dry cough
- Hoarse throat
- Sensation of a lump in your throat
- Bad breath
- Belching
Leaky Gut Syndrome leads to systemic inflammation, which disrupts immunity, neurological disorders, and autoimmune diseases. The formation of ama is what triggers many complex pathological conditions. Due to circulation, ama lodges into the cells and impairs the balance of homeostasis; this leads to the formation of many diseases.
Signs and Symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome
- Impaired taste
- Excess saliva in the mouth and throat
- Chronic diarrhea causing low hydration
- Low blood pressure that can lead to fainting
- Anemia from impaired absorption of iron, folic acid, B12
- Electrolyte depletion with muscle cramps
Leaky Gut Syndrome and Nutrient Deficiencies
- Peripheral neuropathy:B12 and thiamine deficiency
- Dermatitis: Vitamin A, zinc, essential fatty acid deficiency
- Night blindness: Vitamin A deficiency
- Bleeding: Vitamin K deficiency
- Anemia: iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 deficiency
- Tinnitus: is associated with anemia due to iron, folic acid, B12 deficiency
- Inflamed tongue, sore mouth: iron, B12, folic acid and Vitamin A deficiency
- Increased appetite: body signals negative feedback looking for nutrients
- Deficient monthly cycle and libido: protein deficiency
- Muscle spasms, burning or pricking sensation: calcium, magnesium deficiency
Next Steps to Heal Your Digestion: An Ayurvedic In-depth Health Consultation
When indigestion and the symptoms of acid reflux or leaky gut are chronic, your best option is to enlist the expertise of an Ayurvedic Vaidya. An in-depth Ayurvedic health consultation offers you a fresh look at your condition and helps you understand the root cause and prescribe the right treatment protocol.
If you would like more information on scheduling an Ayurvedic consultation, visit our website to meet Vaidya Vishwanth, an Ayurvedic doctor that works with us, and get started!
Products to Improve Healthy Digestion
Hinguvachadi Churnam is an amazingly effective herbal compound in indigestion, bloating and abdominal pain. It improves digestive fire and removes ama from stomach.
Hingwadi Gulika improves digestion power and reduces symptoms of anorexia and indigestion. It can be used in conditions of vata imbalance and gives relief from colicky abdominal pain.
Vilwadi Gulika has its main impact on vata and kapha dosa. It acts as anti-poisonous herb which helps in any type of food poison issues. It takes care of entire gastrointestinal track.
Jiraka Arishtam has a dual action on entire gastrointestinal track, offering both detoxification and a soothing effect. It improves digestion power, elimination of stools, bioavailability of nutrients and balances vata dosa.
Pippalya Asavam helps to detoxify the liver and stimulate digestive fire. It reduces gas, bloating and indigestion issues.
Original source of article: Dr. JV Hebbar, EasyAyurveda.com
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kottakkal Ayurveda products and this information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. If you have serious, acute, or chronic health problems, please consult a trained health professional. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic practitioner or doctor, call (800) 215-9934 or email us at contact@kottakkal.shop and we will provide you with one of our affiliated Ayurvedic professionals. Check with your doctor before taking herbs when pregnant or nursing.