Your digestive tract processes the food you eat by absorbing nutrients and passing the rest out of your body as waste. Nutrients in the food are passed through the intestinal walls of your gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream where they provide macro- and micro-nutrients to the rest of your body. Nutrients in the foods you eat affect your GI tract in varying ways, depending on the type of nutrient and if you have any food allergies or food intolerance.
Milk Products
Milk products affect the GI tract in various ways. Lactose, a natural sugar in milk, is a nutrient that normally is passed into the blood stream from your GI tract. If you are lactose intolerant, your GI tract will not properly digest milk. This can cause bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas or nausea, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. If you have a milk allergy, your GI tract will react to the curd, caseins or whey in the protein. The symptoms of milk allergy are similar to lactose intolerance and include cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. In extreme cases, anaphylaxis may occur. This is a serious allergic reaction that causes swelling of the throat and air passages, causing fainting, dizziness, low blood pressure and shock.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in grains. This substance gives bread dough its elastic texture. Celiac disease is a digestive condition that causes an immune reaction to gluten in your intestines, causing your GI tract to swell. This can damage your small intestine reducing your GI tracts ability to absorb important nutrients into your system. Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea and stomach pain.
Vitamin C
Foods containing vitamin C or vitamin C supplements can stress your GI tract if you consume them in high doses. Vitamin C is water-soluble and your body gets rid of what you do not need, but doses of more than 2,000 mg daily can cause stomach pain, diarrhea or gas, cautions the University of Maryland Medical Center. It also increases the amount of iron and aluminum absorbed in your GI tract so if you have hemochromatosis, a condition where your body builds up too much iron, then talk with your doctor before taking vitamin C.
Cruciferous Vegetables
The nutrient glucosinolate in cruciferous vegetables helps increase the number of detoxifying enzymes in your GI tract, according to a study published in the September 1995 issue of "Carcinogenesis." Two groups of healthy volunteers ate vegetables; one group ate glucosinolate containing Brussels sprouts while the other group ate a glucosinolate-free diet. Blood samples and duodenal and rectal biopsies were gathered at one-week intervals. The volunteers who consumed the glucosinolate-containing vegetables showed an increase of 15 to 30 percent in detoxification enzyme levels in the GI tract. The study found a link between a high consumption of cruciferous vegetables containing glucosinolate and a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.
References
- Montana State University: Alcohol and the Digestive System/Gastrointestinal Tract
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC): Your Digestive System and How it Works; 4-2008
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Lactose Intolerance; June 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Celiac Disease; December 11, 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin C (Ascrobic Acid); 6-18-09
- "Carcinogenesis": Effects of Consumption of Brussels Sprouts; W.A. Nijoff; September 1995
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