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Show Notes
In episode 35, I talk about how I got absolutely DESTROYED by the stomach flu this week, forcing me to take some time off of the podcast ahead of a major gastroenterology conference in Canada called CDDW (Canadian Digestive Diseases Week).
After I finally recovered, I thought 'not only does this affect a lot of people this time of year, but most people don't know exactly what happens or why' when it comes to gastro bugs, or what is medically termed gastroenteritis.
Essentially, a virus, bacteria, or parasite invades our GI tract and causes inflammation, or the irritation of our gut cells. Anything ending in 'itis' means inflammation or inflammatory response. The most common virus causing the stomach flu (the one that makes uncontrollable spewing liquids come out both ends for 12-24 hours!) is the norovirus.
I bring up an image of the small intestinal villi, or finger-like projections that help digest our food. In gastroenteritis, these villi get swollen and red, and the enzymes that are normally present get stripped away, making literally anything we consume undigestible for a period of time.
As we heal, and the cells return to normal, we can begin digesting the easier to break down foods, such as simple sugars and carbohydrates, moving on to more complex foods like starches, dairy, meats, etc. a day or two later. Interestingly, the more complex enzymes like lactase and amylase are higher up on the villi, so they take the longest to return to normal levels.
More terms to help with searches
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