Be proactive about your pancreas: What you can do now to keep it in tip-top shape

10 years ago | Digestive Health

By pH health care professionals

If you are like most people, you probably think of the pancreas as the organ that produces insulin – the critical hormone necessary to prevent diabetes. But the pancreas has another important function and that is to produce digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are proteins that break up food into particles small enough to allow your body to digest it.

Millions of Americans suffer from malnutrition, gas, bloating, heartburn, cramps, cravings, abdominal pain, allergies and other stomach discomforts. Many of these discomforts may be due to a sub-optimal pancreas. If your pancreas is not functioning correctly, you will not be able to properly utilize the nutrients from the food you eat and even the healthiest diet in the world won’t make you healthy. You will not be healthy or reap the benefits from your very healthy diet because your body will not be able to really digest the nutrients from food such as fats, vitamins, proteins and minerals.

So how can we be proactive about our pancreas health? A few examples include the following:

Upgrade your water. Mineralized water has been reported to promote acid-alkaline balance in the body, which can improve the functioning of the digestive enzymes.

Don’t smoke. Cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely than non-smokers to get pancreatic cancer. Smoking cause inflammation of the pancreas and may lead to the development of pancreatic cancer.

Keep an eye on diabetes risk factors. Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer, and long-standing adult-onset diabetes also increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Watch what you eat. Processed meats like sausage and bacon have been linked to an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. High -sugar or high-fat diets are also not recommended. Interestingly, studies show that diets high in fruits and vegetables are beneficial for the pancreas.

Maintain a healthy weight and body fat percentage. Being overweight or obese may increase your risk for pancreatic cancer, especially if you have excess visceral fat, also known as belly fat.

Take nutritional supplements where appropriate, such as magnesium. Many problems with digestion may result in hypomagnesaemia (or very low magnesium levels in your blood).

Stop the trial and error game and get some answers. This is your health – don’t take a gamble and hope you’ve figured out what’s going on inside your body. While certain pancreas tests may not be offered at your typical doctor’s office at your annual physical, there are health assessment centers that do specialize in helping you be proactive and detect any issues.

Speak up when you need some help. You don’t have to go it alone. There are experts who know how to do research for you, suggest tests to ask for, prep you on how to talk to your doctor, as well as guide you through the confusing maze of health insurance, too! These are patient advocates. Or you can “be your own advocate” with personalized resources to keep you educated on your health concerns.

Leave any questions you have in the comments! Or simply contact us, and we’d be happy to assist any way we can.

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.