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66 DIGESTIVE HEALTH GUT HEALTH LINKED TO ALL CONDITIONS T he significance of gut health cannot be underestimated as it’s often linked to conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disease and obesity. In fact, it’s linked to all conditions. This is the opinion of Stay Well Pharmacy owner Mark Webster, who says all conditions have a component of good or ill gut health contributing to them, with digestive problems being “far more common than commonly thought”. This has resulted in many people becoming preoccupied with their gut health and eager to try gluten free diets and probiotics, among many other fads that come and go. However, care must be taken. Research suggests some people needlessly follow a gluten free diet at the expense of their nutrition, or consume probiotics avidly with limited evidence for their efficacy in providing functional benefits to improve gut health. Regardless of the dos and don’ts, Mr Webster says the prevalence of digestive issues is found in the remedies By Nerine Zoio. his pharmacy sells daily. “The amount of prescriptions and OTC requests I get for omeprazole for digestive discomfort are mind boggling, as an example, with many people needing a replacement after the recall of ranitidine,” he said. The ubiquitousness of gut health problems is reinforced by Dr Damien Belobrajdic, a senior research scientist at CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, who tells Retail Pharmacy that one in two Australians experience gut health issues, with such issues being severe in one in seven. Gut health symptoms include heartburn, reflux, nausea, cramping, abdominal pain and bloating, which can occur even independent of foods consumed. In addition, people can suffer with constipation and/or diarrhoea, which can be of varying degrees and can even be painful and affect their quality of life. With a multitude of reasons for these varying symptoms, pinpointing the cause or causes can be challenging and requires evidence-based, medical advice, Dr Belobrajdic says. Coeliac disease and the gluten free diet “In Australia, we’ve seen a rise in the availability, marketing and popularity of the fashionable gluten free diet, among other digestive product and health trends, in response to individuals seeking relief from these common gut health symptoms,” he said. “We know that people with medically diagnosed coeliac disease can suffer these symptoms with dire health consequences with even the smallest amount of gluten in their diet, and as such must follow a strict gluten free diet for life.” Coeliac disease is an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Over time, undigested gluten fragments trigger a reaction by the immune system in the small intestine in someone with coeliac disease, leading to medical complications and preventing nutrients from being absorbed, Dr Belobrajdic says. The classic symptom is diarrhoea, with others being wind, bloating, lethargy, fatigue, low blood count RETAIL PHARMACY • JUL 2020