Many Americans suffer from gastrointestinal complaints including:

Gas, bloating, indigestion, SIBO, gastroparesis, constipation, diarrhea or IBS, to name a few.
These problems go beyond the discomfort associated with them, they are compromising your overall health in a major way. When you think of it, digestion allows you to feed your 10 trillion cells. Therefore when digestion is compromised it impacts your health across the board. It can't be overstated how important it is to optimize your gut function.

We're going to discuss a function of your body called the migrating motor complex (MMC) which is a "housekeeping" function of your gut which is a pattern of electromechanical activity that occurs in the stomach and small intestine while you're fasting.

It acts to clear your gut from residual food, secretions and bacteria and then prepare for your next meal.

It consists of 4 Phases:
Phase I is called Quiescence where no contractions are happening. This phase lasts 45 to 60 minutes.

Phase II is Irregular Contractions where intermittent and irregular contractions occur that are preparing your for Phase III. This phase lasts 30 to 45 minutes.

Phase III is the Housekeeper Wave and consists of regular, strong, peristaltic contractions that begin in your stomach or small intestine and move down through your intestines. It's the cleansing phase that sweeps debris and bacteria down the GI tract. This phase lasts 5 to 10 minutes.

Phase IV is the Transition phase where your body transitions back to Phase I.

Tips for Optimizing Your MMC
1. Don't eat between meals and allow a 3.5 to 4 hour window with no food.
2. At night fast for 12 to 14 hours and enjoy several cycles of the MMC occurring.
3. Consume adequate magnesium, vitamin B12 and zinc - nutrients Americans are frequently insufficient in.
NOTE: PPI drugs suppress your body's ability to absorb these nutrients, especially magnesium and vitamin B12. Therefore, even if you're consuming enough of these nutrients, if you're not absorbing them it's problematic.

What to avoid
1. High fat meals
2. Alcohol
3. Opioids
4. Certain antidepressant drugs suppress the MMC.

These are some tips to assist with your symptoms, but I'm definitely not stating that they are the sole cause. Therefore, give these a try and see how you do. Realize that if you are still struggling it simply means there are more root causes that need to be identified. That's why we're here.

If you need assistance to optimize your gut health, we're happy to assist. Call us for a consultation and we'll determine if what we do is a good fit for you. Call 727-335-0400.

#rootcausemedicine #sibo #constipation