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Quick answer: Mucus in the stool in adults can have many causes: most often irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), bacterial infections or haemorrhoids.

Quick answer: Stomach-friendly smoothies are low-FODMAP drinks with balanced fibre that can help relieve the discomfort of slow digestion and bloating. A properly prepared smoothie

Quick answer: Black stools can be caused by simple dietary factors – such as black pudding, blueberries or medicines containing iron or bismuth – but they may also be caused by stomach or

Quick answer: Gluten-free cake recipes are desserts made without wheat flour and dairy products that you can safely eat if you have coeliac disease or lactose intolerance. With the right ingredient substitutions

Quick answer: Stomach-friendly cream soups are low-fat, easily digestible dishes that do not burden a sensitive stomach. Properly prepared stomach-friendly cream soups and broths

Quick answer: Home-fermented foods – such as traditional sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers or natural yoghurt – contain live bacterial cultures that can contribute to

Quick answer: FODMAP recipes for bloating are dishes that contain few fermentable, poorly absorbed carbohydrates (oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols). These recipes

Quick answer: The aim of the diet after gallbladder surgery is to take the load off the digestive system while it gets used to the absence of the gallbladder. In the first days, a liquid diet, then a gradually expanding, low-fat

Quick answer: Fatty, floating or unformed, loose stools most often indicate malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, a bile duct problem or coeliac disease. The underlying cause of this

Quick answer: Fibre-rich breakfast recipes – such as porridge, smoothies or muesli – support bowel movements, nourish the gut flora and contribute

Quick answer: Hard stools can most often be softened at home with fibre-rich foods (prunes, wholegrains, vegetables), adequate fluid intake and regular exercise

The key to reflux-friendly dinner recipes is low fat content, small portions and avoiding foods that increase acid production (coffee, chocolate, alcohol, hot spices, citrus fruit). A good

Short answer: According to the Bristol Stool Scale, normal stools are type 3 and 4: sausage-shaped, with a smooth or slightly cracked surface, and easy to pass. The

Quick answer: With a stomach upset or diarrhoea, a gentle diet is the most important thing in the first 3 days: plenty of fluids, low-fat, easily digestible foods in small portions, and

Quick answer: A gentle diet after diarrhoea is based on a gradual approach: first, replacing fluids and salts is most important, then small portions of easily digestible carbohydrates (rice, baked

Quick answer: Heartburn is an extremely common complaint during pregnancy, mainly caused by rising levels of the hormone progesterone and the pressure of the growing womb. The symptom

Quick answer: Alcohol affects the stomach in many ways: it increases stomach acid production, damages the mucous membrane and, in the long term, raises the risk of ulcers and stomach cancer. Regular

Quick answer: Drinking too little water affects digestion mainly through constipation, hard stools and bloating, because the colon draws the missing fluid

Quick answer: Probiotics work best when you choose a strain that matches your symptoms, take it for the right length of time – typically no more than 12 weeks – and

Quick answer: Irregular bowel movements are most often caused by dietary mistakes, stress, medication side effects, constipation, diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome. Treatment depends on identifying the cause: milder

Quick answer: The gut–skin axis refers to the physiological link between the condition of the gut and the skin. Many skin symptoms – such as

Quick answer: Overeating in the evening and night-time heartburn are closely linked: a large evening meal stretches the stomach, increases acid production and promotes acid

Quick answer: Slow digestion on its own rarely causes weight gain directly – it more often comes with a feeling of fullness, bloating or even weight loss. If slow digestion is accompanied by weight gain

Quick answer: A change in stool colour is often a harmless effect of diet, but it can also indicate bleeding, a bile duct problem or malabsorption. Red or black stools, or

Quick answer: Nausea after eating or in the morning can have many causes: gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gallstones, reflux disease, functional dyspepsia, or even a side effect of medication or pregnancy

Quick answer: The effect of coffee on the stomach is complex: it stimulates stomach acid production, so it can cause symptoms if you have reflux, while caffeine can trigger diarrhoea in the large intestine. The

Quick answer: Early satiety means feeling full after just a few bites, before you have finished a full meal. The most common causes are functional dyspepsia,

Quick answer: Bowel rumbling and gas usually have physiological causes – air swallowed while eating, the fermentation of carbohydrates by gut bacteria or certain foods (pulses, lactose, fructose) are

Quick answer: Natural treatment of constipation is based on a fibre-rich diet, plenty of fluids and regular exercise. Soluble fibre (oats, pulses) is more effective at relieving

Quick answer: If you have diarrhoea, a gentle diet is based on easily digestible, low-fat food and plenty of fluids. Recommended foods include rice, carrots, bananas

Quick answer: A lump in the throat is a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness that most often improves or disappears completely while eating. It is most often caused by weakly acidic reflux, muscle tension

Quick answer: The most common cause of an acid taste in the mouth in the morning is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in which stomach acid flows back into the oesophagus and then into the mouth during the night.