During the process of breaking down fibre in the lower gut, lactic bacteria produce an acidic environment harmful to bacteria that survive in alkaline conditions. This is the primary contribution lactic bacteria make, although most strains also fight dangerous bacteria by producing a specific form of antibiotic: L. bulgaricus produces bulgarican, for example.
The balance of friendly lactic bacteria in the gut can be disrupted by the contraceptive pill, steroids and antibiotics: taking probiotics helps put things right. A few hours after taking a dose of antibiotics, take a probiotics supplement (or eat live yoghurt) to avoid destruction of healthy gut bacteria. Other conditions of the gut known to respond to probiotics include gastric ulcers, infectious diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and irritable bowel disease. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (April 2003), doctors Daisy Jonkers and Reinhold Stockbrügger of the Netherlands reviewed the medical literature for research into the use of probiotics. They concluded that the evidence is promising, with encouraging results reported even in such complex conditions as irritable bowel disease (colitis and Crohn’s disease).
Many nutritional therapists advise certain clients to avoid eating carbohydrate foods and protein foods at the same meal. This approach to diet (food combining) is commonly known as the Hay diet, after Dr Hay, who first publicized the possible benefits of this practice. The theory is that eating both proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal hinders digestion. Most medical experts are dubious, but many people suffering from gastric ailments find food combining works for them.
There are good reasons to believe it has benefits, especially in cases where the digestive system is weakened by illness (e.g. ulcers), medication (e.g. NSAIDs; see here), or injury (e.g. alcohol poisoning). Proteins and carbohydrates are digested in very different ways and require contrasting digestive environments. Proteins, for example, stimulate the production of highly acidic gastric juices in the stomach, while carbohydrates are digested in neutral-to-slightly-alkaline conditions further along the digestive tube, in the intestines. A normal, healthy gut can simultaneously deal with both; that is how most of us eat. But if the system is flagging, the digestive processes may be affected. One theory suggests that excessive acids produced in the stomach during the digestion of protein may be difficult to neutralize, thus slowing the breakdown of carbohydrates.
The well-respected American nutritional therapist, Paul Pitchford, takes a comprehensive approach to food combining in his book, Healing with Whole Foods. He presents three different eating plans. The first (Plan A) is designed to improve normal digestion, and is based on four rules:
1 Proteins are eaten early in a meal, followed by carbohydrates. For example, meaty antipasti before pasta with herbs and garlic, followed by fruit. Remember: simpler meals digest better.
2 Salty foods should be eaten first.
3 Proteins should be combined with non-starchy green vegetables.
4 Sweet foods and fruit should be eaten alone or in small quantities at the end of the meal.
Plan B is for people with sensitive digestive systems or who are ill. The basic rules are the same as for Plan A, but in this case proteins and carbohydrates must be separated into different meals, with green non-starchy vegetables eaten with both. Tomatoes, lemon and the juice of limes can be combined with meat because they add to the acidity during digestion. (This makes a small steak served with a lettuce and tomato salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, a healthy meal – if you skip the chips!) Fruits are to be eaten alone. Milk and dairy products are not to be combined with meat.
The third Pitchford plan for food combining is a surprise. Plan C champions the ‘one pot meal’, which echoes traditional cooking in India, China and other parts of the world. No attempt is made to separate foods: they all go in a pot with plenty of water and are allowed to cook together slowly over a low heat where a kind of pre-digestion takes place. One expert in this kind of cooking is quoted as saying, ‘The various foods have settled their differences in the pot.’ These are watery foods – stews, soups and congees – and ideal for people who are weak, chronically ill or who have trouble chewing. They are also good for the rest of us. A home-made soup or stew is a real treat when you are tired and cold. This is old-fashioned comfort food at its best!
the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, apples and toast
A bad case of diarrhoea and vomiting can lead to the body becoming dehydrated. These symptoms of bacterial infection rob the body of fluid and minerals needed to survive. It is essential that the fluid loss is reversed (rehydration) as quickly as possible. Only a few decades ago, people, especially the very young, died from dehydration caused by gastric illness. This changed when a cheap, fast and easy means of reversing fluid and mineral loss was discovered: a simple mix of table salt and sugar in clean water.
It is just as likely that you will experience fluid and mineral loss due to stomach illness at home as in some remote part of the world. Rehydration mixes will help (see here), but that is only part of the answer. You will also want to get your gut back to normal. A few years ago, a research team at Harvard University devised a simple diet that gently restores the body’s fluid balance and digestive processes. Based on bananas, rice, apples and toast, it is called the BRAT diet, and is highly recommended for all those who want a safe way to restore normal function to an ailing gut.
Remember: you may feel better soon after a bout of ‘stomach flu’, but it takes time for the delicate tissues of the intestine to regenerate.
THE BRAT PRINCIPLES
• During the course of severe vomiting and/or diarrhoea, sip a rehydration mix (see here). As you feel better, slowly increase your fluid intake.
• About 24 hours after the last bout of illness, begin eating small amounts of foods from the following list. Increase your intake over a 24-hour period.
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• After about 48 hours you can supplement this diet with a little boiled potato (skip the butter), cooked eggs and boiled vegetables, such as carrots. If these are tolerated well, slowly return to your normal diet.
The BRAT diet may work wonders, but it can also be depressingly dull. Marguerite Patten has devised a variety of practical,