Digestive Disorders
Health and Food | September 9, 2010 | Share
Our generation is facing digestive disorders, like never before, due to their wrong eating habits and aping western lifestyle. All this is because we live in a constant hurry and ignore our body’s basic needs.
Being a victim of digestive problems myself, lately, I contacted Dr Kailash N. Singla, a senior digestive and endoscopy specialist for proper advice on gastric problems and digestive disorders, He is a senior consultant at the Jaipur Golden Hospital and a visiting doctor in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He runs a private clinic in Ashok Vihar, Delhi and is currently writing a book on medicine, which will be out in a few months. Here are some facts he shared with us.
Q. Why do you think there has been a sudden spurt in gastric and digestive problems especially in youngsters?
A. Digestive disorders are mainly because of infections which are the result of bad eating habits. Today, people of all age groups – school kids, college students and working professionals consume a lot of junk food, which contains high quantity of maida. It is very harmful for the digestive system. Due to the huge intake of maida through fast foods, I have seen extreme cases of constipation at the age of six or seven years. Ideally, constipation problems should not start before 60 years of age, as India is a tropical country. In cold countries the problem of constipation starts early because they eat more of non-veg food and their diet lacks fibre. My main advice to avoid constipation is to eat lots of fibrous fruits, drink plenty of water and intake of green leafy vegetables.
Q. What is the alternative then? Is intake of packed food safe?
A. Packaged food contains high amount of circa i.e. vinegar in the form of preservatives. This is an acid producing agent. This has led to a spurt in the number of cases suffering from acidity. I have some patients as young as 10 years old, having ulcers in their food pipe. You can well imagine if this is the scenario, then what’s the condition of our youngsters’ digestive system today.
Q. Then, if a person is out the entire day, and since packed foods aren’t healthy, eating in a hygienic restaurant would be a safe option?
A. I am sorry to say this but the major problem in India is that of hygiene. Even in 5 star hotels, food preparation process is not transparent and hygiene standards are not up to the mark. The food served in marriages and parties is one of the unhealthiest and unhygienic foods you might partake of because of the loose dust particles that stick to the open arrangements. Moreover, half the food is prepared beforehand and hence becomes stale. Moreover, I’m particularly against the fridge culture. Refrigerators are good only for making ice and cooling water but not for storing food for weeks. This is an unhealthy habit. This culture is not made for Indian lifestyle. We are aping the west but foolishly. Also, food should always be kept covered, in the fridge.
Q. These days, since people have started taking digestive problems casually, a lot of them take medicines on their own. How correct is this?
A. I m strictly against self-medication. Because when you self-medicate, then your intestine gets immune to these medicines and eventually the right medicines do not work. Lot of people take ‘chooran’ available in the market to combat constipation etc and find it a quick-n-easy alternative. But I must warn such people, that five years down the line they’ll see its repercussions in some or the other way.
Q. So what’s the solution? What can be done?
Treatment starts after the prescription is written. The three main points to be remembered are: lifestyle modulation; following doctor’s instructions and dietary regulation. Treatment doesn’t come from the clinic but from the kitchen. So, eat freshly prepared food. Be careful about your diet, regularly work-out or go for a walk and improve your lifestyle. Remember moderation and hydration is important. And I repeat treatment doesn’t come from the clinic but from the kitchen.
Bon appetite!
Mahima Taneja
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Nowadays since the youngsters are more attracted to the fast foods rather than the home made ones digestive problems have become the major issue.