How to Test Digestive Function & What the Results Mean

Written by David Kahana, MD for 1MD

Dr. David Kahana is board certified in Pediatrics and Gastroenterology through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), as well as Medical Nutrition through the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. He also sits on the 1MD Scientific Advisory Board and Complete Probiotcs Platinum physician-formulator.

Within your gut lives a complex microflora, mostly bacteria, that possess a unique physiology that affects every aspect of our being. This microbiome consists of colonizers that live with us in a symbiotic relationship. This relationship is the basis for proper digestive function and the promotion of processes that influence the entire body. With regular testing, detection of digestive conditions, and a comprehensive treatment regimen, it is possible to promote optimal digestive function and better overall health.

Processes of Digestive Function

Poor digestive function can occur anywhere along the digestive tract. To efficiently detect and treat any digestive issues, it is essential to understand the different processes that contribute to digestive health. Breaking it down, there are six key processes in the digestive system:

1. Ingestion: Eating is deeply influenced by social and cultural factors. As humans, we gather and celebrate around food. Our various senses guide our eating behavior through a feedback mechanism to the brain, creating memory and comfort signals, and resulting in hormone release. As omnivores, humans also have the capacity to chew animal and plant based foods, giving rise to a complex chain of digestive processes and diversity of food ingested.

2. Secretion: The digestive system secretes and reabsorbs between 7 to 9L of fluid per day. This includes 1.2 and 1.5 liters (L) from the stomach, another 1 to 1.5L from the pancreas, 1L per day from the gallbladder and liver, and mostly bile, and the small intestine adds close to 2.5L per day from the small intestine. Proper digestive function relies on the vast majority of all secreted fluid being reabsorbed.

3. Movement: Peristalsis, or motility, is the movement that propels food forward in the digestive tract, to prevent stasis and retrograde movement of food and waste.
Poor peristalsis is a top cause for poor digestive function as food or waste travel in the wrong direction or do not move at all. Delayed gastric emptying, where food stays in the stomach for a long time is common. Proper movement in the gut is vital for sweeping away bacteria, to create a balanced environment where potentially harmful bacteria cannot overpopulate.

4. Digestion: The digestive process starts before food is even consumed with the production of saliva triggered by the senses. The physical breakdown of food starts in the mouth with the production of enzymes, and continues in the stomach and intestines. Because we cannot absorb any large molecules of food, acid, enzymes, and bile are produced and secreted to break large molecules down so they can be transported through the body.

5. Absorption: After food is digested, tiny molecules are recognized by the body as food and these are actively absorbed in the intestines. They are met by chaperones, which escort them for processing. This is the essence of metabolism, and it is a high-energy process. A faulty digestive system interferes with this and nutrients cannot be properly utilized by the body.

6. Excretion: Toxins from food, byproducts of metabolism, and other chemicals are excreted mostly through bile, which joins other waste matter in the intestines, insoluble fiber and lots of bacteria, and disposed of as stool. Further breakdown of nutrients in the colon by bacteria through fermentation (and putrefaction) is covered in another article.

Why Do I Need to Test Digestive Function?

With up to 74% of Americans living with digestive disorders and unpleasant symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, and bloating, it is important to test digestive function to help guide overall health. With the majority of the immune system living in the gut, the maintenance of proper digestion is essential for overall health and digestive disorders can lead to chronic ailments outside the gut.

Additionally, direct communication between the gut and the brain substantiates a link between your digestive health and mental well-being. The brain-gut connection depends on the enteric nervous system, and various gut hormones such as serotonin, the “happy hormone”. So, mental processes, such as learning, memory and mood, depend heavily on gut health.

Testing your digestion allows gastroenterologists to examine the function of your digestive tract and to identify if any of your symptoms are an underlying condition, so that proper treatment can be advised. Early identification of poor gastrointestinal health is important for effective treatment and resolution of symptoms.

Symptoms of Poor Digestive Health

Digestive function tests are important if you have any symptoms of poor digestive health. Symptoms vary across individuals, but there are general symptoms that may indicate early issues. You should reach out to your gastroenterologist for testing if you experience any of these symptoms regularly:

• Gassiness and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Skin rashes or breakouts
• Unintentional weight loss or gain
• Fatigue or weakness
• Poor concentration

These symptoms can also be indicative of other health issues, which is why it is important to get tested. Early identification may be essential for effective treatment and maintenance of proper digestion and gut health.

Digestive Health Testing and Results

There are a number of different tests that can be done to evaluate digestive function. Different tests are performed based on the symptoms you are having. Tests will allow your doctor to identify which part of the digestive system is affected so they can recommend the most effective treatment.

• Blood tests: Blood is used to evaluate liver and pancreatic function, nutrient absorption, identify food allergies, rule out infection, measure protein level, lipids, and markers of inflammation.
• Stool tests: Stool is used to identify internal bleeding, to test for malabsorption and to rule out infections.
• Imaging tests: X-rays, ultrasounds, and CT scans can help identify structural problems, like stool impaction or tumors. Nuclear scintigraphy, which uses nuclear tracers, can help detect problems with peristalsis or bile excretion.
• Endoscopy: An endoscopy involves the insertion of a long, thin tube directly into the body to detect mucosal disease. Abnormal tissue may be sampled by biopsy and early cancer can often be resected.
• Breath testing: Breath can be tested for gases, such as hydrogen and methane, which are produced in our intestines in response to a test meal (e.g. lactose). Breath can be used to detect small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and lactose intolerance.

Treatment for Poor Digestive Function

Treatment will depend on the identified cause of digestive symptoms. Bacteria such as H. pylori, will need to be treated with antibiotics, an autoimmune response will need to be controlled with targeted medications, and bile-acid malabsorption will need to be sequestered by resin binders. But rather than pharmaceutical agents, for many conditions, the most immediate, and often most effective intervention is dietary and behavioral modification.

You can maximize the digestive capacity of your gut by adjusting how much and how often you eat. By not overeating foods that are difficult to digest, you can oftentimes overcome common digestive discomforts. Digestive processes slow with age, so it is important to adjust your eating habits as you get older so as not to overwhelm the system.

In some cases, medications such as antisecretory or prokinetic agents may be prescribed, but these are not recommended for chronic use. Surgical intervention is considered as an option for more serious complications along the digestive tract. Additionally, everyone should have regular colon screening starting at age 50, if not sooner.

Natural Treatment for Your Digestive System

Unfortunately, our healthcare system is very reactionary and the medical treatments available for digestive disorders are largely designed to react to specific problems rather than to solve them. At 1MD, we believe that natural and clinically effective ingredients can assist natural healing and prevent problems before they start.

As a gastroenterologist who is also a nutrition specialist, my mission with 1MD’s digestive supplement suite was to create the most effective supplements available on the market. Each of our key ingredients was hand-picked by me for its proven scientific significance in a data-driven analysis for optimizing digestive function. The combination of these potent ingredients are an effective way to provide natural and safe everyday care for your entire digestive tract.

• Digestive enzymes: Digestive enzymes are the simplest and most direct way to increase digestive capacity. They promote more efficient food breakdown upon contact and therefore reduce the amount of work needed to be done by the gut. EnzymeMD® contains 8 potent, plant-based digestive enzymes combined with an essential probiotic to stimulate proper digestion and support overall digestive health.
• Probiotics: Complete Probiotics™ Platinum, is a proprietary blend of robust and potent probiotic strains, including L. rhamnosus GG, that was developed to specifically upregulate digestive capacity. This blend works indirectly, triggering host responses that help improve digestion. As a result an environment that is more conducive to a healthy microbial balance is created, which also promotes immune health.
• Prebiotics: Prebiotics are a kind of digestive fiber that nourishes good bacteria in your gut. Fostering a healthy microbial balance by supplying your microbiota with plenty of prebiotic fuel allows you, the host, to enjoy the benefits of optimal digestion. PrebioMD® is the most advanced restorative prebiotics supplement available today, doctor formulated to bring balance to your microbiome and to encourage proper digestive function. Additionally, PrebioMD® is unique in that it incorporates targeted bacteriophages that can help foster eubiosis. The increased resistance to antibiotics we have has caused researchers to take a closer look at bacteriophages and their potential to treat bacterial infections. It is possible to treat dysbiosis more accurately with a bacteriophage, which is a highlighted benefit of this patented 1MD formula.

• L-glutamine: L-glutamine is an amino acid that serves as the main energy source for the cells that line the intestines. GutMD® is a revolutionary formula, combining 4 clinically studied ingredients, including L-glutamine, to support gut lining integrity, strengthen overall digestive health, and promote critical immune system support.
• HMO: HMO (human milk oligosaccharides) are found in both GutMD® and BiomeMD®. These amazing, natural molecules, which are found exclusively in human milk, have multiple functions similar to both probiotics and prebiotics, plus they act as direct immune modulators. The HMO in our supplements are identical to the ones produced naturally and can upregulate digestive function as well as improve the immune response.

1MD’s digestive suite provides natural and effective solutions for all individuals who want to restore a healthy balance to their gut. At 1MD, we strongly believe in making healthy lifestyle choices, including a eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, but supplements such as EnzymeMD® , BiomeMD®, PrebioMD® , GutMD®, and Complete Probiotics™ Platinum can add a natural way to help promote digestive health can hopefully offer a viable alternative to chronic intake of medications.

Final Thoughts

Digestive health is of great importance for your overall well-being and millions of people experience digestive troubles daily. Testing digestive function is important in order to identify potential problems or damage early. In addition to this, supporting digestive function with natural supplements may provide a great solution to many digestive problems.

Your digestive health can benefit in a number of ways by supplementing your diet with 1MD’s digestive suite products. Start with EnzymeMD® to increase digestive capacity, or choose one of our probiotics supplements for a more long-term effect. PrebioMD® can be used in conjunction with both digestive enzymes and probiotics to maximize the effect by helping nourish the good bacteria that live inside of you

Ultimately, 1MD’s digestive health products will improve your digestive function, which in turn will promote your overall health.