Advice
PHOTOGRAPH:THEANABREUGEMQ:WheneverI eatbreadorheavycarbsjust
beforebedtime,I wakeupduringthenight
withpainthatfeelslikeit’sinthemiddleof my
back.Previouslythepainwasso badthatonly
vomitingorpassingstoolswouldgivemesome
relief.Nowadaysit nolongermakesmefeel
nauseousbutit goesawayonlyif I moveabout
continuously.Is it relatedto digestion?
A:BeforeI getontowhatcouldbecausingthis
problem,I wanttostresstheimportanceof getting
checkedoutbya doctorif youhaveanyhealthmatter
that’sbeengoingonfora longtime,oris getting
worse.Peopleworryaboutdoctorsthinkingtheyare
weakorfussy,butnothingmakesushappierthan
helpingsomeoneunderstandtheirbody,makingthem
feelbetter,orfindingoutwhytheydon’t.
Thatsaid,it soundsas if thiscouldberelatedto
indigestion.Indigestionis a diversesetof symptoms
basedaroundstomachacidirritatingtheliningof the
stomachandcausingheartburn,bloating,belching,
passingwindandnausea.Lyingdowninbedaftera
heavymealcantriggerthis(that’swhyit helpsyouto
movearound),as cansomefoodsanddrinks(caffeine
is a bigculprit!).Thereareover-the-countermeds
thatcanhelp,butif thishasbeengoingonfora long
time,it is worthseeingyourdoctorwhocanaskyou
somemorequestionsandruleoutanyotherimportant
diseaseslikea stomachulcerorcancer.Surgeon and
lecturer Dr Sarah
Rayne weighs in on
the pros and cons of
tea and coffee, and
what might be
causing late-night
indigestion.Q: I have tried different types of green tea,
but it always gives me heartburn. Why? Most
people don’t seem to have this side-effect.
A: As I mention below, coffee is a really complicated
product. Well, guess what? Tea is too! Green tea is
full of different bioactive compounds well known for
their healthy properties such as catechin, which can
be antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and
antibacterial. But green tea also contains caffeine,
and drinking a cup gives you the same amount of
caffeine as half a cup of tea, or a quarter cup of coffee.
In your stomach, the lower oesophageal sphincter
closes off the oesophagus and prevents reflux of stomach
acid up into the throat. Caffeine stops this working
well. The caffeine level in green tea can also depend
on how you brew it; brewing it for longer or in cool-
er water reduces caffeine content. I’d suggest trying
a herbal tisane or decaf tea to see if that helps. If not,
consult your doctor about treatments for heartburn.Q: Is coffee (no sugar) good or bad for diabetics?
Dr Google can’t seem to give me a straight
answer. Some sites say ‘yes’, others, ‘no’.
A: News stories on the internet can be confusing
when you’re trying to make decisions about your
health. They often report absolutes: ‘you must do
this’ or ‘this causes cancer’ when the actual research
quoted says ‘might’, ‘could’ or ‘suggests’. The trick is
to read trustworthy websites with a moderate approach.
Coffee is a complicated product and can be altered
by how it’s made. A ‘cup of coffee’ could refer to
both a milky Ricoffy and a single-bean double shot!
So what is good and what is bad for diabetes?
Coffee beans contain lots of bioactive compounds
like chlorogenic acids, cafestol and of course caffeine.
It seems that some of these compounds reduce the
risk of getting diabetes, either because they are good
for you, or because people drinking coffee may eat
less and not be obese (the biggest risk factor for more
than 90% of people with type 2 diabetes). But some
small studies have found that, for people with new
type 2 diabetes, high levels of caffeine (not coffee)
can lower sensitivity to insulin and affect blood sugar.
Everyone agrees on one thing though: the best
drink for diabetics is water, as part of a change
in diet and increase
in exercise, to help
reduce your risk of
complications from
the disease.✤BY DR SARAH RAYNESend your questions
to [email protected]70 Fairlady/September 2019