A personal exploration of digestion, pressure, food processing and a simple question: could some problems begin much further upstream than we think?
What if we're looking too far downstream?
The Idea
Digestion is a long process. What eventually reaches the large intestine has already passed through the stomach, pancreas, liver and small intestine.
When symptoms appear downstream, it is natural to concentrate on where those symptoms are being felt. But that raises another question: what was happening earlier in the digestive process?
The upstream question:
Instead of looking only at where a problem finally appears, could we also investigate how food was processed earlier, how much volume was created, and what happened upstream?
The Upstream Hypothesis
This website explores a hypothesis rather than presenting a proven medical theory.
The idea is that digestion may sometimes be better understood as an interconnected system. Food composition, digestive secretions, intestinal contents, gas, volume and movement may influence what happens further along the digestive tract.
The purpose of Upstream Digestion is to ask questions, document observations and encourage careful scientific investigation.
My Story
This project began with years of personal digestive problems and an attempt to understand why conventional explanations did not seem to explain everything I was experiencing.
Over time I began thinking about digestion less like a collection of separate organs and more like a processing system — almost like an engine or refinery — where what happens at the beginning can affect everything that follows.
That led to one recurring question:
Are we sometimes treating the end result while overlooking something happening upstream?
Research & Evidence
Personal experience can generate interesting questions, but it cannot establish whether a medical hypothesis is correct.
This section will develop as scientific papers, established digestive physiology and evidence relevant to the upstream hypothesis are collected and examined.
Evidence that challenges the hypothesis is just as important as evidence that might support it.
Community Gallery
Creative expressions of upstream and downstream digestion are welcome — including supportive, critical, humorous and challenging viewpoints.
Gallery images are published for discussion and exploration. Contributor material represents the contributor's own expression and is not medical advice or scientific proof.
Upstream Digestion
Published by Upstream Digestion
Upstream Digestion
Upstream Digestion
Published by Upstream Digestion
Upstream Digestion
Submit an image
Step 1 of 2: Verify your email below. After you click the verification link in your email, Step 2 opens automatically and shows the photo selector.
The photo chooser is deliberately shown only after email verification, so there is no image field on this first screen. Your email address is kept private and is never printed in the public gallery.
Every submitted image goes into a private moderation queue. Nothing becomes public automatically.
Gallery Rules
Submissions must relate directly to upstream/downstream digestion, digestive ideas, experiences, criticism, discussion or closely related scientific concepts.
No pornography, sexual content, nudity intended to sexualise, or sexual material involving minors.
No graphic violence, gore, cruelty, threats, self-harm promotion or material intended to shock through injury or suffering.
No hate material, discriminatory attacks, harassment, bullying or intimidation.
No promotion or advocacy of religious, spiritual, political or ideological beliefs, organisations, campaigns or causes.
No illegal material or content encouraging illegal acts, dangerous activity, drug abuse or weapon use.
No personal information about another person without permission, doxxing, stalking or impersonation.
No defamatory accusations about identifiable people, doctors, researchers, companies or organisations.
No copyrighted photography, artwork or graphics unless the contributor owns the material or has permission to submit it.
No advertising, spam, scams, fundraising or commercial promotion.
No dangerous medical instructions, instructions to stop medication, or claims presented as proof that something prevents, treats or cures a disease.
Criticism of the Upstream Digestion hypothesis is welcome when it complies with these rules.
Submission does not guarantee publication. Upstream Digestion may reject or remove material at its discretion.
Approval does not mean Upstream Digestion endorses the image, contributor or claims expressed.
If email verification has not yet been connected, the gallery will remain safely closed to public uploads until that setup is completed.
Share Your Experience
Have you tried looking at your digestive problems differently? Have you noticed something that researchers or other visitors might find interesting?
Important: Upstream Digestion documents personal observations, questions and hypotheses. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat a medical condition. Changes to medication, diet or treatment should be discussed with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
REAL-LIFE FOOD EXPERIENCES
Share what happened to you.
This forum is for people to share their own real-life experiences with food, digestion, mood, depression, cognitive function and general wellbeing.
Our primary interest is ordinary whole foods and naturally occurring food ingredients. Vitamin, mineral and other supplement recommendations are not the focus of this forum.
Tell us about your experience
When posting, please tell us:
What foods or food ingredients did you use?
Approximately how much?
How often did you have them?
How long did you try this?
What changes did you notice?
Did you experience any unwanted effects?
Forum Rules & Safety Agreement
This is a place for sharing personal experiences. It is not a medical advice forum.
By participating, you agree that you will not diagnose another person, prescribe a treatment, or tell another person to start, stop or change medication.
You must not present a personal experience as proof that something will prevent, treat or cure depression, cognitive impairment or any other medical condition.
Discussion of your own experience with vitamins, minerals or supplements may be permitted, but please keep the focus on whole foods. Do not encourage another person to take a supplement or to exceed the manufacturer's directions on the product label.
If you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant, or are considering a significant dietary change, seek appropriate professional medical advice.
Posts represent individual experiences and opinions and are not medical advice.
Share Your Real-Life Food Experience
Community Posts
Tony If anyone feels a connection with the ideas behind this website and would like to take it forward, I would be very happy to pass it on to someone who genuinely cares about its purpose.
I don’t want any payment for it. All I would ask is that, if possible, you consider making a donation to an independent dementia research organisation that is not influenced by pharmaceutical funding.
A lot of thought, time and personal experience has gone into creating this website. I would simply like to see it continue in the hands of someone who is curious, open-minded and willing to keep asking questions.
If it helps even one person, encourages further investigation, or inspires someone to look at things from a different direction, then I believe it has been worthwhile.
Tony Anyone looking for previous posts!
They have been permanently removed my blood pressure is back over 100 on the diastolic after making one small change to my diet, it is too specific and to related to my personal conditions. Hopefully someone was watching and at least has some ideas from my posts.
