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Digestion and metabolism

From the mouth to the anus, every bite of food has a journey of about six metres ahead. Meat, vegetables and bread will be worked over with juices and acids, and broken down into their various components. What the body can use will go into the blood, be filtered through the liver and then spread through the body via the blood. A network of hormones regulates what happens with the nutrients. Usually we do not even notice. We usually first become aware of the functions of digestion and the metabolism when they do not work as they should.

Feature: Bowel cancer screening

Statutory health insurance funds in Germany have offered bowel cancer screening for over 30 years. In 2003 endoscopy of the bowel has been added to the tests offered for screening. Recent trials make it possible to better assess what benefits can be expected from the tests and what their disadvantages are. Read about what the different tests can do in our feature on screening.

Feature: Diabetes: Insulin therapy

Today, people who have diabetes and need insulin can choose between different treatment options and decide for themselves how to make them part of their everyday lives. People who know their body well and have learned how to best fit the therapy into their daily routines can avoid complications. Our feature lets you know what insulin treatment can be like today and what experiences people are having with it.

Feature: Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS is a common bowel problem. Other names for it include irritable colon, mucus or spastic colitis and nervous stomach. The symptoms are gut pain, constipation and/or diarrhoea. It’s not dangerous, but the symptoms can be very painful. Find out all about this little-understood disease and what you can try for relief in our Fact Sheet.

Feature: Lactose intolerance

Many people have digestion problems such as a bloated belly, “wind” or diarrhoea when they consume milk and dairy products. This might be because they can only tolerate a certain amount of lactose. The medical term for this condition is lactose intolerance. Find out more in our feature.

Feature: Preventing bowel cancer

There is no shortage of recommendations about how to prevent bowel cancer: more fibre, less meat, vitamin supplements and even medicines feature in the long list of suggestions that have been propagated for years. We have studied the latest evidence to see how much scientific support there now is for these common recommendations.

Feature: Treating type 2 diabetes

To be able to manage type 2 diabetes it is important to understand this complicated disease first. We answer these questions: What medications are often used? What effects can they have? What role can physical exercise and weight reduction play? What can help me remember to take my medications?

Research summaries

Allergy and food intolerance: Can soya baby formulas prevent them?

Soy formula has not been shown to protect high-risk babies from developing allergies or food intolerance. more...

Diarrhea: Can probiotics help?

Probiotics - including lactic acid bacteria in particular - can make diarrhea stop about one day earlier. In rare cases they can lead to serious infections in people who have very weak immune systems. more...

Bowel cancer: Can calcium prevent it?

Trials have shown that calcium supplements can prevent bowel polyps. There is still no final answer on whether or not this also prevents bowel cancer. more...

Irritable bowel syndrome: Are there treatments you can count on to help?

Fiber supplements made from psyllium, peppermint oil products and some anti-cramping medications like butylscopolamine can relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Anti-cramping medications in particular sometimes cause adverse effects such as a dry mouth or dizziness. more...

Type 2 diabetes: Are long-acting insulin analogues better than regular long-acting human insulin?

Long-acting insulin analogues have not been shown to have advantages over human insulin in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. More research is needed on the long-term benefits and harms of long-acting insulin analogues. more...

Type 2 diabetes: How do glinides compare to other medications?

There are no good-quality trials of whether glinides can prevent diabetes complications such as damage to the eyes or kidneys. It is not clear whether these blood-sugar-lowering medications have advantages for people with type 2 diabetes compared to other medications. more...

Type 1 diabetes: Are long-acting insulin analogues better than regular long-acting human insulin?

There is no scientific proof that long-acting insulin analogues are better than long-acting human insulin. There is also a lack of long-term trials looking at the effects of using insulin analogues for many years. more...

Type 2 diabetes: Is it better to lower blood sugar levels to near-normal levels?

People with type 2 diabetes can prevent complications if they lower their high blood sugar levels permanently. Many doctors even recommend trying to get to near-normal blood sugar levels. But trials show that lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels can have both advantages and disadvantages compared with lowering blood sugar levels more moderately. more...