Do you know the "crisis" your intestines may face?

Author: Cui Yihui, registered dietitian

Reviewer: Wang Junbo, Associate Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University Health Science Center

1. Dangerous Goods in the Intestines

After food is digested and broken down in the stomach, it is transported to the small intestine, where the nutrients in the food are digested and absorbed. In the food residues that are not absorbed by the body, in addition to dietary fiber, there are also a lot of "dangerous substances" "lurking". For example, when you eat a lot of meat, if the protein in the meat cannot be completely absorbed and utilized by the body, then the following "dangerous substances" will be produced in the intestines.

1. Ammonia It is also the main ingredient of glass cleaner.

2. Cresol is the main component of preservatives.

3. Hydrogen sulfide: The main component of coal gas (the main source of the smell of farts).

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Do you find it hard to believe your eyes? You clearly eat protein, but why does it become a component of preservatives, glass water, and gas in the intestines? There are two reasons: ① Excessive intake of protein, which cannot be fully absorbed by the body, will result in the remaining protein producing the above three "dangerous substances"; ② The selected protein has a low digestion and absorption rate, and there are relatively more residues that cannot be absorbed by the body, which is more likely to produce the above three "dangerous substances" in the intestines. If the food residues containing these "dangerous substances" cannot be excreted smoothly, but form "stool" that accumulates in the intestines for a long time, it will cause edema and inflammation of intestinal cells, and even increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Regarding how to eat protein, you need to grasp the following three principles. ① Generally speaking, the daily protein intake of adults is 0.8-1.0 g/kg (body weight). Do not eat less or more; ② Increase the proportion of high-quality protein with high digestion and absorption rate in the diet. For example, the protein in milk, eggs, and soybeans are high-quality proteins with high digestion and absorption rates, and are not easy to form "dangerous goods" in the intestines; ③ Appropriately reduce the intake of red meat, such as pork, beef, mutton, etc., because their digestion and absorption rates are not as high as everyone imagines.

2. Fear of a “blocked” large intestine

After the nutrients are digested and absorbed, the remaining food residues will gather, store, accumulate and concentrate in the large intestine to form stool, which will eventually be excreted from the body. It can be seen that the large intestine is definitely a "high-risk section" in the entire digestive tract, because there are a lot of "metabolic wastes" and even "dangerous goods" gathered here. If they cannot be discharged in time, the large intestine will be "full of dangers". The most feared word for such a "high-risk section" is "blockage". If the stool is "blocked" in the large intestine, it is really more terrible than a traffic jam. One of the most troublesome sub-health conditions for us is constipation, and the causes of constipation are closely related to the following living habits or eating habits.

1. Eat fruit immediately after a meal There is nothing wrong with eating fruit, but the wrong time to eat fruit! If you eat fruit right after a meal, it will become one of the "culprits" that cause constipation! This is because many fruits contain tannic acid. Although it has nutritional value for the human body (can resist aging), it can also easily combine with protein in food to form tannic acid protein complexes. Tannic acid protein complexes have a convergent effect, which will reduce intestinal fluid secretion and inhibit intestinal peristalsis, thereby causing constipation. Therefore, please eat fruit 1 hour before or 1 to 2 hours after a meal. When dining out, if the merchant gives you a fruit plate after the meal, please politely decline or take it away.

2. Drinking tea while eating Tea also contains tannic acid, which not only causes constipation, but also affects the absorption of trace elements such as calcium in food. Here is a little secret about the British. Since the British like to add milk to their black tea, the incidence of constipation among the British is relatively high. Let's draw inferences from this. For people who are prone to constipation, it is best to eat and drink less food and drinks such as tea eggs and milk tea.

3. Frequently wearing corsets or tight pants This is more common in women. The peristalsis of the intestines requires space, so the waist of the pants should not be too tight. "Tightening the belt" means maintaining a spirit of thrift and diligence, rather than encouraging everyone to wear tight clothes and pants.

4. Playing with mobile phones or reading magazines while using the toilet Many people are highly dependent on mobile phones. They not only take their mobile phones with them when going to bed, but also when going to the toilet. Mobile phones can distract attention when using the toilet, making the urge to defecate disappear, thus leading to constipation. Therefore, we must take using the toilet seriously and do not allow people to enter the toilet with mobile phones.

5. Defecation posture Squatting is more in line with the physiological structure of the human body than sitting, making defecation easier! (See Figure 2 for the specific principle).

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

6. Change your defecation posture. If you have a toilet at home, you can place a small chair in front of the toilet when you sit on it. This can simulate squatting and facilitate defecation (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint