Recently, I was invited by PanAsia Surgery Group to attend a sharing session cum lunch to renew my health goals and set my gut intentions back in order.

Summary of the session 

At the session, which took place at the Mio Fine Foods restaurant at Neil Road, Dr Edward Cheong shared more about how to get your gut and health back on track following the Christmas and Chinese New Year festivities. 

This touched on oesophageal, stomach and digestive conditions. As we listened to the talk, we were given beans as a snack to munch on.

Dr Cheong is a consultant gastrointestinal surgeon who specialises in Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Surgery of the oesophagus and stomach. 

Gut impacts immune system 

According to Dr Cheong, our gut health has an impact on our immune system, mental health and overall well-being. The gut, or the gastrointestinal tract, processes food and produces enzymes and fatty acids. It is basically our second brain, with 100 trillion microorganisms living in the intestines and communicating with our brain. 

70% of the body’s immune system can be found in the digestive tract – this is why good gut health is so important.

A good gut  

Good gut health can be maintained through incorporating into our diet, foods that promote gut health. These are known as prebiotics and are the dietary fibres found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They feed the probiotics in our gut. Foods rich in prebiotics include asparagus, garlic, bananas, leafy greens, leeks and artichoke. 

Probiotics, which live inside the gut, help to fend off harmful bacteria species inside the gut. We can consume foods high in probiotics such as natto, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi and non-dairy yoghurt.  

Postbiotics, which are metabolites produced from probiotics via fermentation, have health promoting effects and protective roles in the body. They regulate nearly all aspects of our gut health.

However the consumption of such foods can cause the production of excessive stomach acid secretion, which results in acid reflux by the body.

Acid reflux 

To stop acid reflux, there are a few things that will help.

Many of these are self-explanatory, so I will touch on a couple only. 

• Stopping alcohol and smoking 
• Avoiding caffeine

According to the doctor, caffeine is present in not only coffee and tea, but also other beverages. And if you take caffeine, it relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter and in turn, increases acid secretion.

If you want to cut down the acid in your coffee, you may opt for measures such as choosing darker roasts or Arabica beans, adding a dash of milk or cream, or adding a pinch of salt before brewing.

• Avoiding cheese, spicy or fatty foods

Said Dr Cheong, “If eating a fat loaded meal, follow it up with a small meal and eat at least three hours before bed.”

• Stop having big meals in the evening 
• Don’t eat just before bed
• Eat slowly, more often and have smaller meals 
• Don’t drink in bed 

Manage gut health 

To manage gut health, Dr Cheong also added that reducing stress and anxiety is crucial. 

To reduce stress, the doctor advises us to talk to somebody close to us, such as a friend or family member to provide relief and help to come up with a solution. 

Guided imagery also reduces stress, according to the doctor. This involves conjuring up soothing scenes, places and experiences in our mind and finding your “happy place.”

The doctor also added that physical exercise is crucial to reduce stress levels. 

He recommends a very minimum 30 minutes of physical exercise every day. Said Dr Cheong, “Movement is medicine for so many parts of the human body. Exercise promotes an increase in diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut.”

Beyond 30 minutes, the benefits of exercise increase by contributing more to gut bacteria diversity and function in relation to overall wellness. 

Following Dr Cheong’s presentation, PanAsia’s Dr Melvin Look touched on assessing of gut health and bringing guests through the services offered at PanAsia.

Improving gut health services 

PanAsia are one of the few specialist clinics in Singapore which have a strong focus on improving gut health rather than just treating digestive disorders alone. 

While we are all aware of probiotics, Dr Look shared more about postbiotics, the products left behind after the body digests both prebiotics and probiotics.

For medical, metabolic and weight related problems, PanAsia Surgery has introduced the Nutraceuticals programme which focuses on gut wellness and treatments. This has improved gut health following three weeks of functional food treatment. 

Other new treatments introduced  

To identify polyps during real time colonoscopy, PanAsia surgery now has a computer aided polyp detection system, a form of artificial intelligence.

And to treat gastrointestinal reflux disease, a new endoscopy treatment called Anti-reflux mucosal ablation, which has a high success rate, has been introduced. 

For enlarged prostate in males, they can now undergo PanAsia Surgery’s new Rezum Water Vapor therapy which uses the natural energy stored in steam to remove excess prostate with no incisions or implants needed.

And for patients with hypertension, they can now undergo Renal Denervation, a minimally invasive endovascular procedure using radio frequency for ablation of nerves controlling blood pressure located in the walls of the renal artery.

Lunch was served

Following the talk, a late lunch was served. We were given a four course lunch comprising of items such as sushi, sashimi, pasta and Mochi rice balls. It was delicious but I felt so stuffed up by the end of it. 

In conclusion, I would say that the talk, while pretty technical, was enriching and from the session, I learnt a lot about gut health and how to take care of my gut.