How to Speed Up Digestion After Eating

how to speed up digestion

Digestion is handled by the body’s autonomic nervous system, also called the involuntary nervous system. Humans don’t have any say in whether it happens or not. The foods you eat are going to be broken down every time, with nutrients extracted and waste made from what’s left of it. Most people enjoy good and uneventful digestion, and they’re fortunate. But there are some who don’t and they may want to have faster digestion.

The first example here will be for people who suffer from gastroparesis. There are muscles absolutely all over your body, and even ones well on your insides that are able to manipulate your stomach and intestines. Gastroparesis is when the muscles of the stomach begin to become inactive and don’t move as much or as well as they need to.

This gut condition is common when a person has thyroid disorder, and thyroid disorder is extremely prevalent in senior North Americans with Synthroid being one of the most prescribed medications in the United States and Canada. For other people their aim may be simpler – they want to digest food faster because their slow digestion contributes to lethargy and sleepiness. They will also be interested in knowing how to speed up digestion after eating.

Most of you will have heard of the word ‘food coma’ and the proper scientific term for this is postprandial somnolence where the body goes into a low-energy state because the parasympathetic nervous system takes over because of the information coming from having a mass in the gastrointestinal tract. Diabetics and people with blood sugar control issues may want to know more about how to speed up digestion too because of the way insulin levels have a connection to how much serotonin and melanin your brain makes.

Go Heavy on Fiber

So, let’s get specific about how to speed up digestion here, and the absolute best way is to get a LOT more fiber in your diet. People who have bad or slow digestion often benefit a lot by getting their diet to be upwards of 40% at least as fibrous foods and if you can replace refined carbs with them as much as possible. Getting more gut probiotics from foods or as supplements is helpful too, and you can buy kefir at most supermarkets as a quick and tasty natural way to get gut probiotics.

Next up for how to speed up digestion is to drink more water. This is going to be a great combo if you get way more hydrated while also increasing your fiber intake, and the standard dietary guideline applies. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day and watch what that does for improving everything – including how fast you digest foods.

The last good suggestion for how to speed up digestion is one that can be difficult for people but super effective if you can make it work. It is eating smaller meals more often during the day, and it makes sense that the body is better at digesting smaller quantities at a time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.

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