The digestion process is one that involves the breakdown of the food we eat. This process also helps release the nutrients in our food, such as the vitamins, mineral, calories, proteins and fat, and pass out the useless ones as waste. The majority of people don’t give a thought about how the digestive system works until they develop a problem. However, it’s best to take the right steps to avoid such problems. One of the important ways to deal with this is to consume food that will speed up our digestion.

Digestion can be described as a process that the body uses in breaking down food into nutrients. These nutrients can then be used for energy, growth, and other cellular functions such as cellular repair. It’s important to review the kind of food we eat, especially when we develop digestive problems.

It’s best to balance out the food we consume with our physical activities. People aged 2, and above are advised to eat food that are

  • Free of fat, and milk products
  • Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
  • Eggs, poultry products, and seafood

However, there are some patients that can’t tolerate dairy products. This kind of people does present with symptoms such as bloating, stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

A proper diet can help to improve and speed up the digestion process. Below are some food products that can speed up the digestive system;

  1. Grains: Grains are a huge source of fiber. Consuming foods that has a high amount of fiber helps to reduce the risk of developing and preventing heart disease. In addition to this, they help to maintain blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol and more. Fibre also helps with bowel movements, makes your digestive system run more smoothly and may decrease the chance of colon cancer. Examples of grains that can be consumed by humans include oats, wheat, barley and brown rice. Many breakfast bowls of cereal are made with whole grains as well, but it’s important to check the package to be sure.
  2. Protein-rich foods: Proteins are regarded as macronutrients. This is because of the important role they play in the body. Protein is a building block in the body. It’s a part of every cell in your body and is vital for everything from hair growth to building muscle. It also helps the digestive system work at the proper rate. Healthy foods rich in protein, such as eggs, fish, and nuts, fills you up more quickly by slowing the digestive system and allowing it to absorb the nutrients. The key is eating the proper amount of protein for your age, size, and gender and only eating small amounts of meat protein. In addition, studies have shown that fish protein is healthier than consuming meat protein.
  3. Yogurt: Yogurt is a type of food that is beneficial for many reasons. It improves the development of different systems of the body. For example, it enhances the neurological development of the body, by absorbing calcium. It is also bacteria friendly, and if consumed every day, helps to line the bacteria on the intestinal wall, and prevents the toxins from entering the bloodstream. This helps to remove toxins faster from the body.
  4. Chilli peppers: Chili peppers contains capsaicin, a chemical found in chili This chemical compound helps to boost the metabolism and increase the number of calories and fat one burns. Studies have shown that this chemical compound can help to burn around 50 extra calories per day. In addition to this, it has appetite-reducing properties.
  5. Coffee: Caffeine is a substance found in coffee that boosts the metabolic rate. It helps to burn calories and helps the body burn fat. However, the effect of coffee is different in people. Factors that make this different include the body weight, age and so on.
  6. Citrus fruits: Examples of citrus include lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit and other citrus fruits tasty, they also offer many health benefits. According to studies, it has been shown that citrus fruit may help prevent the development of stomach cancer. Moreover, citrus fruits relieve bloating and gas and enable your digestive system to work more efficiently. Improving digestion requires a healthy diet that includes these five kinds of foods. In addition, keeping a regular eating schedule, drinking plenty of water and choosing high-quality foods can help your digestive system work more efficiently.
  7. Leafy greens: Green leaves are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and so on. Examples of leafy greens include spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli and so on. They help to reduce the risk of developing cancer cells in the stomach. In addition, they improve the function of the digestive system.
  8. Tea: Tea contains two main components. These are caffeine and catechins. They significantly boost the metabolism. Oolong and green tea have the capacity to increase the metabolism by up to 10%. They also help the body utilize the stored fat for energy more efficiently. Just like coffee, tea has different effects on people.
  9. Cocoa-derived products: Cocoa derived products are also beneficial to the health. They help to speed up metabolism, Studies have shown that cocoa helps to prevent weight gain by reducing the absorption of calories. In addition, it has been noted that raw cacao is more beneficial to the health, as compared to processed products.
  10. Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar increases the metabolism. Studies performed on some animals showed that it increased the amount of energy burned for energy. In the study, obese rats treated with the apple cider vinegar increases the expression of certain genes, which led to a decreased liver fat and belly fat storage. It has also been noted that the cider vinegar has the same effects on man.
  11. Water: The importance of water cannot be overemphasized. In fact, man cannot survive without water. Studies have shown that water increases the metabolism by up to 30%. The reason behind this is that more calories are needed to heat the water to body temperature.

References

Healthline. (2018). The 12 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/metabolism-boosting-foods#section1 [Accessed 3 Aug. 2018].

Madeline R. Vann, M. (2018). 7 Superfoods That Help Digestion. [online] EverydayHealth.com. Available at: https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health-pictures/superfoods-that-help-digestion.aspx [Accessed 3 Aug. 2018].

YellowPages.ca. (2018). 5 foods that speed digestion for a lightning-fast metabolism. [online] Available at: https://www.yellowpages.ca/tips/foods-that-speed-digestion/ [Accessed 3 Aug. 2018].