There’s a reason they’re called essential nutrients; our bodies need them to function appropriately. From promoting adequate muscle and bone growth to making sure that we are able to digest everything we eat, vitamins play a key role in maintaining our health and overall wellbeing. A common question people ask is: “what vitamins are good for digestion?” and that’s the question we try to answer in this blog.
With over 60 million individuals in the United States dealing with issues like heartburn once a year and 16 out of 100 adults experiencing constipation, it’s important to identify the reasons behind common digestive problems.
Over the counter medicines and home remedies might work as quick fixes. However, at times, digestive problems like GERD, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, constipation and diarrhea might be the result of a poor diet. Often, there’s a very specific kind of vitamin deficiency that causes these problems; which raises the question: what vitamins are good for digestion?
Keeping this question in mind, we’ll discuss vitamins that aid and facilitate healthy digestion.
Vitamin A
From promoting bone growth to improving vision to helping maintain reproductive health, vitamin A plays a key role in ensuring our wellbeing. Fruits and vegetables like carrots, kale and dark greens along with milk are ideal sources of vitamin A for our bodies.
Even though it’s not directly involved in digestion, certain gastrointestinal diseases can leave you vulnerable to developing a vitamin A deficiency. According to a research study, it was noted that individuals with Crohn’s disease are more likely to have vitamin A deficiency, which aggravates the balance between the elimination and formation of toxins and free radicals in the intestinal mucus lining.
B Vitamins
Found primarily in poultry, fish and red meat, along with green vegetables the different types of vitamin B play a critical role in helping our bodies develop red blood cells and absorb energy from the food we consume. Since these vitamins are soluble in water, they can’t be stored in fat cells and instead, needs to be a part of our daily diet.
B vitamins also offer a range of benefits for the digestive system, some of which include:
- Also called niacin, vitamin B3 plays a key role in helping the body break down alcohol, carbohydrates and fat. Individuals who are deficient in vitamin B3 tend to develop a disease called pellagra, which includes severe nausea and vomiting.
- Vitamin B1 helps convert the carbohydrates in our bodies into energy for the cells.
- Vitmain B6 enables the body to process the proteins we eat.
- Biotin, another vitamin B helps the digestive system process carbohydrates and fatty acids and allows the body to produce cholesterol.
- A vitamin B12 deficiency can often lead to anemia as it plays a key role in the processing of carbohydrates, how our bodies use folic acid, and the production of red blood cells. It also has an important role in the functioning of our nervous system.
Even though most of us get enough of B vitamins through our diets, it is always a good idea to make up for the daily dietary requirements through tl he use of a vitamin supplement.
Vitamin C
While it might be well known as being an antioxidant that helps prevent colds and strengthens the immune system, vitamin C plays a critical role in the functioning of our digestive system. It does this by enabling our gums and teeth to absorb adequate amounts of iron.
In addition to this, a lack of vitamin C leads to a reduction in the production of hydrochloric acid, which naturally affects the process of digestion and is often accompanies with symptoms like heartburn and excessive burping.
Since the body keeps producing collagen to repair tissues that might be damaged or to prevent loss of tissue caused by regular functioning of the body, a deficiency weakens the lining within the digestive tract. Since the body is unable to generate enough collagen, the tissue within the digestive tract loses its ability to take the wear resulting from the presence of strong acids like hydrochloric acid.
While vitamin C is abundant in foods that we consume on a daily basis, like tomatoes, citrus fruits, broccoli, and peppers, it is a good idea to use a supplement to ensure there’s no deficiency.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a key role in helping your body absorb calcium while ensuring that your immune system, muscles and nerves keep functioning at their best. Moreover, healthy levels of vitamin D are also associated with a lower risk of developing colon cancer.
According to the NIH, the best way to get appropriate amounts of vitamin D is through the following ways:
- Getting adequate amounts of sun exposure
- Consuming foods that are rich in vitamin D like fortified milk, fish and egg yolks.
- Vitamin D supplements
According to a 2014 study by the World Journal of Gastroenterology, a lack of vitamin D might also expose individuals to inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease. Individuals who are at a greater risk of having vitamin D deficiency are:
- Individuals with darker skin
- Obese individuals
- Individuals with liver disease
- Individual with cystic fibrosis
- Infants
- Older adults
If you feel that you might not be getting enough amounts of vitamin D, consider consulting a doctor. Your healthcare provider will examine you and might even recommend having a few tests done before they prescribe you medication.
If you’re a busy professional, an active teenager or an aging adult, or you simply feel like you might not be able to get the necessary amount of vitamins your body needs, consider checking out our collection of vitamin supplements. Our vitamin supplements are 100% halal and are made using clean ingredients.
From Vitamin D-3 Gummies to Adult Multivitamins, we have them all and many other supplements that you can consume along with your diet. If you’re still confused and need more information on what vitamins are good for digestion, get in touch with a medical professional and they will help you figure out what you can do for a healthy gut.
