Are you constipated? Swollen? Try these simple strategies.
A healthy diet, exercise, and drinking enough fluids can help resolve digestive problems.
By Janet Lee
When digestive problems arise (constipation, reflux, gas and bloating), many people turn to medication. But it is worth reviewing the diet. “A lot of digestive complaints are related to eating,” says Ilaria St. Florian, MS, a clinical dietitian and master of science at Stamford Health in Connecticut. Eating too little of the right foods or too much of the foods that make your particular problem worse is often the culprit. Making a few changes to your regular menu can help.
Anyone can suffer from digestive problems, but they can become more frequent with age. Age-related changes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, decreased appetite and thirst, and difficulty chewing can hinder the digestive process. Obviously, any alarming or chronic change in digestion warrants a call to the doctor, but a few simple adjustments can help alleviate, and perhaps prevent, occasional problems.
The best way to identify the causes of your discomfort is to keep a food diary (and you’ll make your doctor’s job a lot easier if you show up with one in hand). “Even a 5-day diary—noting meal times, foods eaten, and symptoms—can help you begin to identify trigger foods, which are very particular,” says St. Florian. Here we explain how to solve some of the most common gastrointestinal problems with healthy foods for the intestine.
Constipation
Irregularity isn’t something you take for granted with age, but people over the age of 65 experience constipation about twice as often as younger people, according to a review published in 2019 in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In addition to being uncomfortable and frustrating on its own, constipation can trigger a ripple effect of other digestive discomforts, including gas and bloating, so it’s important to treat it, says St. Florian.
The food solution: Eating an adequate amount of fiber and staying hydrated are key to preventing constipation (and the gas and bloating that can come with it). Men and women over the age of 50 should consume 30 and 21 grams of fiber per day, respectively. Look for foods with insoluble fiber in particular, says Melissa Phillips, a registered dietitian and master of science with the Center for Digestive Health at the University of Wisconsin Health System in Madison. “It’s the broom that sweeps everything through the intestines,” she says. Green leafy vegetables, fruits and vegetables with edible skins, dried fruit, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and popcorn are good sources of insoluble fiber. (Difficulty chewing can complicate eating high-fiber foods. If you have this problem, talk to your dentist.)
When you increase your fiber intake, increase your fluid intake as well. This helps to increase the volume of the stool and soften it, facilitating its transit through the body. Aim to drink a minimum of 1.5 liters a day (6.5 cups), according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Useful information: “I tell my patients that when your body is on the move, your colon is on the move,” says Bharati Kochar, MD, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. She tries to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
acid reflux
This uncomfortable burning sensation may become more common with age, due to the weakening of the sphincter muscles that separate the stomach from the esophagus (allowing acidic stomach contents to rise upwards), reduced salivation, and other factors. Older adults with chronic reflux are more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The food solution: Fried, fatty and spicy foods, alcohol, coffee and mint are the main triggers for reflux. A study published in 2020 in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that substituting two daily servings of coffee, tea, or soft drinks for water helped reduce reflux symptoms by 4-8%. Instead of fried or fatty foods, add high-fiber foods, which can help increase satiety and reduce the craving for junk food. If you are affected by acidic foods, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, choose fruits and vegetables that are not as acidic, such as apples, watermelon, and cucumbers. Chewing sugarless gum after meals may help. It stimulates the production of saliva, which helps neutralize acid and remove it from the esophagus.
Useful information: Reflux can be especially bothersome at night. The most recent guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology for the treatment of GERD recommend avoiding eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime and sleeping with the upper body elevated, such as with a wedge pillow. Losing weight, if necessary, and quitting smoking are two other ways to reduce reflux.
gas and bloating
These two problems often go hand in hand, although you can have one without the other. “Many older adults have gas because they are constipated,” says Phillips. When food ferments in the intestines, gas can build up, causing bloating and the need to pass gas.
The food solution: Certain types of carbohydrates—called fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs)—can ferment in the large intestine, causing bloating and gas in people who are sensitive to them. Onions, garlic, cauliflower, apples, dairy, wheat, pears, and watermelon are some of the foods high in FODMAPs. Sugar alcohols such as erythritol, mannitol, and sorbitol—used as sweeteners in many sugar-free foods such as ice cream, gum, baked goods, and candy—can also be sweet. Low FODMAP foods include almond milk, hard cheese, citrus fruits, blueberries, peanuts, and proteins such as meat and seafood.
According to Phillips, some FODMAP foods may bother you, but others may not, so you don’t need to eliminate them all. Sometimes it’s just the amount of a food you’re eating that triggers gas and bloating, she says. If you eat less, you may not feel discomfort.
A nutritionist can help you create a plan to limit foods that may be causing problems, with the goal of adding them back over time, because many high-FODMAP foods are good for you. “We are trying to do more of a targeted approach to low FODMAP eating because we are seeing that it leads to a lot of restrictions, but that is not what we want, especially in older adults who might have a hard time getting enough healthy food. like these,” says Phillips. Also, many FODMAPs feed the healthy bacteria that live in the digestive tract. If you limit them, you affect your health in general. (See “Essentials for a Healthy Stomach,” below.)
Useful information: Check your medications. “Some medications and supplements contain sugar alcohols,” says Phillips. Check supplement labels and ask your pharmacist if a medication may contain sugar alcohols.
Editor’s note: A version of this article was also published in the September 2023 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2023, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2023, Consumer Reports, Inc.