For the longest time I’ve been saying that your gut is where all issues or diseases start. If the gut is compromised, your immunity, hormones, nutrition absorption, etc., goes for a toss. And constipation is another root cause of problems because when a person is constipated, they hold onto toxins in the body, which further creates irritation and inflammation in the gut.
These toxins can affect the health of not just the stomach but of different organs. If our colon gets blocked due to bad lifestyle, frequent outside meals, stress, low fibre intake, high protein intake, lack of water, etc., then we face several stomach issues, which can further aggravate and lead to inflammation and leaky gut. Due to constipation, one can face severe bloating, smelly stool, nausea, acidity, nutrient malabsorption, dizziness, heaviness in the chest and abdomen, headache, etc.
It is very important to keep the stomach clean and clear so the toxins leave the body without causing irritation. It is important that you have a balanced diet with a good amount of fibre from vegetables and have outside meals, junk and fried food, etc., in moderation, drink enough water to hydrate each cell so that the body doesn’t leach out water from the colon, making the stools hard. Movement or activity too is very important to improve blood circulation and keep stomach health in check. But there’s one more vitamin that plays an important role in the healing of the stomach—vitamin B1 (Thiamine).
Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin. It is absorbed into the blood from the gastrointestinal tract. That’s why it becomes important for healing the gut. Small amounts of thiamine are stored in the liver, heart, kidney, and brain, but only for a short duration. That is why extra supplements are required wherever needed to improve the gut as well as overall healing. This vitamin plays a huge role in improving nerve function, memory, nerve pain, tingling, indigestion, constant fatigue, leg, and foot cramps, which is observed in many people due to poor gut health. Apart from this, vitamin B1 also plays an important role as a coenzyme in converting food into energy (ATP production) and this is how constant fatigue and low-energy levels can be kept in check. B1 is required to stimulate stomach acids and if you are deficient in vitamin B1, then you may have low stomach acid issues wherein digestion of food (protein) becomes difficult. This further irritates the gut lining and shows symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, acidity, frequent motion, etc. Additionally, when the gut is compromised, our immunity also gets affected because 70-80% of the immune cells lie in the stomach. So keep in mind, if there is a vitamin B1 deficiency, the gut health is affected. Furthermore, you are prone to infections. Our pancreas produces insulin to manage sugar levels, but it also produces digestive enzymes to break down and absorb the food. But if you are deficient in B1 (lots of B1 is stored in the pancreas), then these enzymes are not produced properly, which further affects digestion, absorption, energy production, etc. Fad diets that stop us from eating macro-nutrient make us deficient in these important nutrients and affect the gut. B1 has a huge role in stomach health, nerve function, energy, overall healing, etc., which is why adding foods rich in B1 in your meals becomes important. Include beans and legumes, green peas (great source), cereals, whole grains, whole egg, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, organic A2 milk and milk products such as yoghurt, paneer or cheese, avocado, green leafy vegetables, etc., to get B1 naturally. Also, talk to your healthcare provider to find out if you need any supplements. Let’s make a gradual shift towards a healthier you!
