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Digestion begins in
the mouth, where the teeth break up food and mix it with saliva. Salivary
enzymes initiate the breakdown of food into usable forms, particularly the
initial digestion of fat and starch. The stomach mechanically churns food,
breaks up and emulsifies fat, and exposes the molecules to multiple
enzymes such as hydrochloric acid and pancreatic juices. The resulting
semi-digested slurry is passed from the stomach to the small intestine.
The small intestine is filled with billions of bacteria (some three and a
half pounds - equal in size and functional importance to a major organ)
some friendly, some not. Friendly bacteria promote good health and protect
the body from the unfriendly bacteria. . | ||||
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When the intestines
contain the balance of good and bad bacteria that is optimal for good
health, they are described as being in a state of symbiosis.
Alternatively, dysbiosis (a contraction of the term "dys- symbiosis")
occurs when this balance is upset. Dysbiosis can result from a deficiency
of good bacteria or an overgrowth of harmful organisms. In either case,
organisms that are not usually predominant in the intestines, such as
unfriendly bacteria, yeast (Candida) and protozoa, actually induce disease
by releasing toxins and altering nutrition patterns in the
body. Dr. Leo Galland and a
myriad of others believe, as I do, that optimal health requires that the
intestinal flora maintain a healthy balance between allowing the more than
400 organisms that usually reside there and preventing the overgrowth of
any particular one. Some authors have speculated that other symptoms, such as impotence, loss of libido, infertility, muscle atrophy, cramps and joint pain, are also linked to mal-absorption. An immense amount of research supports this connection. Signs and symptoms of
dysbiosis, malabsorption and other GI problems When the digestive system is out of balance, the following symptoms may occur:
Some authors have
speculated that other symptoms, such as impotence, loss of libido,
infertility, muscle atrophy, cramps and joint pain, are also linked to
mal- absorption. An immense amount of research supports this
connection. What are the major
causes of intestinal dysbiosis? The delicate balance that makes up the ecology of the intestines can be disrupted fairly easily. Some of the most common factors that contribute to dysbiosis are
We have evolved on
the planet for millions of years and our food supply has been virtually
the same for most of that time except the last 100 years. The reason so
many problems are occurring now is because of such a change in our diets.
Many of today's new convenience foods are genetically modified, chemically
processed, doused with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. In addition,
we have chronic stress, constipation is the norm of the day, and too
often, we run to the pharmacy for over the counter meds like laxatives,
and anti-acids which just mask the symptoms. Like your hormones,
the flora in your digestive system are easily prone to upset and
disruption by external sources. This is where stress, self-criticism, and
anxiety come into play by changing the pH level (the acid/alkaline
balance) in your intestines. The intestinal tract is noticeably one of the
first areas of the body to react to fear or personal stress (think of the
nausea and/or loose-bowel feeling that can accompany stage fright). In a
balanced system, once the stress is reduced, the pH straightens out and
symptoms may disappear. In a weakened system, such as occurs under
unrelenting stress, the intestines stay irritated and contribute to
chronic discomfort. | ||
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True fundamental
healing eludes many of us, because healing the system takes a few things.
Fixing the gut but also fixing the diet. We can't have healthy guts when
we fill ourselves with processed fiber-free foods. Everyone should
emphasize lots of whole grains and veggies, less refine sugars and more
lean good quality (organic if possible) proteins. These fundamental
changes need to be made in the diet for lasting change. A nutritional
consultation can help you find your proper diet. Gluten sensitivities
can also be a huge problem and while most people don't have full blown
celiac disease, many are sensitive to gluten and may have inflammatory
leaky gut issues that manifest as IBS or other disorders, so gluten
enteropathy can be play a huge role in general gut health and also
auto-immune diseases such a Hashimoto's or Graves. Many times it's not
just eating those grains, but the abuse of them. We can have wheat 8-9
times per day without even knowing it because it's in everything, while
our ancestors would be eating different types of grains like spelt, rice,
quinoa, millet, amaranth etc. Over exposure to these antigenic proteins
coupled with bad digestion, low acidity, low enzymatic production, leaky
gut and dysbiosis leads to the perfect storm and problems labeled as GERD,
IBS and other inflammatory bowel diseases. | ||
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As with most other
ailments I always approach digestive disorders from a whole body
standpoint. Many physicians like to diagnose right away and give people
the label of IBS, Crohn's etc. but many of these things are not black and
white and stem from having all the different imbalances we spoke about, so
whatever the label may be, it is possible to fix most of these distresses
by looking at exactly where in the highly intricate digestive environment
the process is not functioning correctly. After working on
fixing the diet I start looking into the gut and a Stool Analysis
is one of the best tests to give me all the nitty gritty details of
what is going on inside. While not a routine procedure at hospitals or
conventional doctors' offices, this test is crucial for identifying the
root cause of GI distress and should be undertaken even if a standard
stool test has revealed no abnormalities because in my experience, most
conventional labs do not provide an effective stool
analysis. Many people are
frustrated when a conventional stool test comes back "normal" while they
are suffering from chronic digestive problems. The reason is that these
tests just look for large abnormalities with technology that is short of
sophisticated. Furthermore, while American functional medicine
laboratories have altered their stool testing panels periodically in order
to improve results, some of the newest, most advanced, and more sensitive
markers of gastrointestinal health have unfortunately, not been
incorporated into most domestic stool panels. Comprehensive
Digestive Stool Analysis For this reason I have partnered up with a very well respected German-based laboratory Rosmed/Vitatest to do a comprehensive stool analysis called the Whole Health G.I. Assessment Panel. Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) evaluates the stool for mal- absorption, yeast, parasites, pH imbalance, and bacterial overgrowth. Some of the advanced markers include the most sensitive markers for inflammatory damage to the intestinal lining, such as stool histamine (for food intolerance and allergy), pmn- granulocyte-elastase (for acute inflammation), antitrypsin (for chronic inflammation) and lactoferrin (for differentiation between inflammation and irritable bowel). Novel assessments for pancreatic function are utilized in this panel, such as pancreatic elastase, which is more reflective of true exocrine pancreatic activity than the obsolete trypsin and chymotrypsin markers. Microscopic markers for meat and vegetable fibers, exact quantitative digestive residues (fat, protein, sugar, fiber, water) and digestive enzymes (bile acids) are provided on the Whole Health G.I. Assessment Panel. Stool flora assessment includes all beneficial and burdening bacteria and yeasts, measured in absolute colony-forming-units per gram of stool (as opposed on a 0-4+ scale used by the other functional medicine labs). The other labs also do not measure bacteroides and clostridia, the predominant species in the gut. This test is one of the most thorough tests available and can explain and also put an end to your gastrointestinal distress. | ||
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Once I know what we
are dealing with, I approach gut healing in 4 specific
stages. First we remove the offending pathogens if any are found in the test. I do this with natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic agents that are very potent and eradicate the bacteria, but still gentle on the rest of the body unlike many of the anti-fungal and antibiotic medications on the market. Second, we replace
what is missing in digestion, from digestive enzymes to hydrochloric acid,
depending on the need in each individual. Third, we
re-inoculate the digestive system with beneficial bacteria that will start
to grow and keep the pathogens at bay. And the forth and
last step is the repair and healing phase. This is very important and
unfortunately often skipped by conventional gastroenterologists. When a
person has dysbiosis and gastrointestinal imbalance, the pathogens can do
a number on the stomach and intestinal lining by creating microscopic
holes allowing food particles to seep through. This causes leaky gut and
contributes to most food allergies and sensitivities. Once the fungus and
bacteria are eradicated, it is important to heal the lining by repairing
the erosions and regenerating the mucus membranes to get them strong again
and improve our defenses. Approaching gut
healing in these 4 phases, using the highest quality and potency products
results in a great outcome and limits potential relapses down the road
because we cover all the bases. | ||
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Its such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it. If you are sick of yo-yo dieting and want to finally take control of your health please contact us!
Warmly,
Inna Topiler - Integrative Nutritionist Complete Nutrition And Wellness phone: 201-238-2720
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