High temperatures can shift the balance of your gut microbiome, favouring bad bacteria and weakening the good. This increases your risk of digestive discomfort, food sensitivity, and lowered immunity.
Heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and more severe every year, and while we associate them with sunburns, dehydration, and heatstroke, few realise how much your digestive system can be impacted. From causing acidity and bloating to exposing you to infections in the gut, severe heat can cause mayhem in your gut in the background.
A 2022 study in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that high ambient temperatures are directly related to increased hospitalisations for gastrointestinal disease, particularly where access to cooling and fluids is poor. Experts believe that rising heat does not just affect your comfort point—it has an impact on your internal gut microbiome too, making it more vulnerable to inflammation, infection, and dysbiosis.
How Heatwaves Impact Your Gut
Our gut is highly sensitive to heat, fluid loss, and stress — all of which are heightened in a heatwave, according to Dr Nitin Manglik, Consultant – Medical Gastroenterology, Manipal Hospital, Ghaziabad. Here are some of the reasons:
Slows down digestion:
Hot summer weather means more fluids are lost through sweating, which in turn means more watered-down saliva and digestive secretions, reducing the speed at which food moves in your gut, and leading to constipation, heaviness, and acidity.
Create a leaky gut:
Heat stress can cause damage to the intestinal barrier and create what is called a “leaky gut”; when this happens, harmful particles can get into the bloodstream and activate immune responses, leading to inflammation in the gut.
Disturbance in gut bacteria balance:
High temperatures can shift the balance of your gut microbiome, favouring bad bacteria and weakening the good. This increases your risk of digestive discomfort, food sensitivity, and lowered immunity.
Food poisoning risk goes up:
Food spoils more quickly in heat – eating improperly stored or contaminated food, especially if it is food prepared outside your home, may result in diarrhoea, vomiting, or bacterial illness.
Physiological heat stress triggers the gut-brain axis:
Heatwaves stress us physically and trigger the gut-brain axis that may induce cramping, urgency in bowel movements, or flare up IBS if you are prone to IBS.
Tips to Keep Your Gut Safe During a Heatwave
Drink with intent: Keep drinking water throughout the day rather than simply quenching thirst. In addition to plain water, supplementing your fluids with ORS, lemon water, coconut water, or buttermilk will repair any lost electrolytes in your body in a natural way.
Choose cooling, gut-friendly foods: Consume cooling and hydrating foods such as curd, melon, cucumber, mint, bananas, and soft-boiled rice preparation.
Take lighter, smaller meals: Heavy, greasy foods lead to slow digestion and can worsen heart issues. Stick to lighter home meals during hot weather conditions.
Steer clear of risky food habits: Do not eat food that has lingered for too long. Avoid raw street food, and reheat refrigerated food only once.
Rest and control activity: Heat exhaustion can pilfer blood flow from the intestine to muscles, lessening digestion. Rest adequately and avoid outdoor exposure during peak hours.
Disclaimer: (Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.)
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