Digestion ~ Good and Bad Germs
As medical students we learned all about how our digestive system was designed to work. From eating nourishing food, chewing it thoroughly and the complex sequence of breaking down food in the highly acid environment in the stomach to further processing in the small bowel using enzymes secreted by the pancreas, bile from the liver/gallbladder system, and the actions of the bacteria living in the small bowel and colon. Needless to say, there are many steps in digestion that can malfunction.
In particular, a whole new “virtual organ” collectively know as the microbiota or microbiome, is emerging as a major force in the underpinning of health (or disease). Amazingly there are at least 100 times more bacterial cells in the more than 30 feet long tubular organ system known as our gut than there are in our entire body. Yes, if we used the total number of cell types present within the confines of our body as a judge of what species we are, we would be classified with the bacteria.
It is estimated that there are over 500 species of bacterial organisms residing in our gut. These creatures manufacture vitamins like biotin, vitamin K, B12 and many other essential molecules for us and our good health in return for the home we provide for them in our bowels. It has been known since the 1970's that the species and relative number of these germs has a large impact on our general health and even whether or not we get cancer.
When I was a medical student, I did a research project on the causes of cancer. Besides smoking and poor nutrition, I learned, by reviewing the work of the late Ernst Wynder, M.D., that the types and number of bacterial species that could be cultured in the stool correlated significantly in whether a person would come down with colon cancer.
The research has developed to the point that it is now known that the germ populations in our large and small intestines contribute to our immunity, how well we burn calories, whether our gut lining is “leaky” and therefore fails to act as an exclusion barrier to undigested food components (think food allergies), pathogenic microbial toxins, environmental poisons and specific food derived proteins such as gluten. The later, in genetically susceptible individuals and even in persons whose stomach acid and pancreatic enzyme secretion is impaired, can cause celiac disease and milder forms of gluten sensitivity. These in turn lead to a whole array of “autoimmune” diseases – a group of diseases resulting from the body's immune system (of which 80% resides in the intestinal mucosa) mistakenly directs an
attack against the person's own tissues, hormones or other biologically important molecules. A total of about 75 of these automimmune diseases have been named and it is now thought that possibly ¼ of the American population suffers from one or more of these conditions. Digestive, microbiological and absorptive disorders form the basis of this group of diseases.
We can house a population of bacteria that lacks normal quantities of important friendly germs such as Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria or represents an overgrowth of disease-causing organisms such as certain yeasts, protozoans (parasites) or truly harmful bacteria such as some Klebsiella species, pathogenic strains of E.coli (as compared to friendly, helpful strains of E.Coli like the strain Nissl 1917 which has been used for the past 90 years in Germany to treat diarrhea and more recently irritable and inflammatory bowel disease) and Helicobacter pylori among many others.
One of our laboratories is able to give us a Comprehensive Stool and Digestive Analysis which reveals the relative populations of beneficial and harmful bacteria, the condition of the gastric and pancreatic/intestinal digestive machinery, the immunological health of the gut and the presence of parasites.
So if you have been told that your digestive symptoms are caused by “Acid Reflux” or “Irritable Bowel Syndrome” and that you need some acid-blocking drug, a pharmaceutical to quiet down your gut or a tranquilizer to relax your whole body and mind since “it is all in your head” anyway – think again! You likely have an easily correctable functional gastro-intestinal disorder that is related to:
Unlike standard medicine which often addresses digestive issues with drugs that merely mask symptoms, objective diagnostic testing and specific therapeutic interventions can be employed to actually correct the underlying problems.
Does it seem logical for so many people to have chronic symptoms such as: Gas~Bloating~Belching~Rumbling~Cramps~
Constipation~Diarrhea~Anal Itching~“Reflux”; but yet have so little and so ineffective treatment available from our health care professionals? As a matter of fact, I believe our digestive system, the very system that converts our food into usable materials and energy to rebuild ourselves day by day, was designed to work and if it isn't, we need to find out why and correct the problems. Without digestive health, we can't have health at all.
Call the office for an appointment to come in for a digestive evaluation and find out why you suffer the symptoms you do and how
to eliminate them to regain your health.
In particular, a whole new “virtual organ” collectively know as the microbiota or microbiome, is emerging as a major force in the underpinning of health (or disease). Amazingly there are at least 100 times more bacterial cells in the more than 30 feet long tubular organ system known as our gut than there are in our entire body. Yes, if we used the total number of cell types present within the confines of our body as a judge of what species we are, we would be classified with the bacteria.
It is estimated that there are over 500 species of bacterial organisms residing in our gut. These creatures manufacture vitamins like biotin, vitamin K, B12 and many other essential molecules for us and our good health in return for the home we provide for them in our bowels. It has been known since the 1970's that the species and relative number of these germs has a large impact on our general health and even whether or not we get cancer.
When I was a medical student, I did a research project on the causes of cancer. Besides smoking and poor nutrition, I learned, by reviewing the work of the late Ernst Wynder, M.D., that the types and number of bacterial species that could be cultured in the stool correlated significantly in whether a person would come down with colon cancer.
The research has developed to the point that it is now known that the germ populations in our large and small intestines contribute to our immunity, how well we burn calories, whether our gut lining is “leaky” and therefore fails to act as an exclusion barrier to undigested food components (think food allergies), pathogenic microbial toxins, environmental poisons and specific food derived proteins such as gluten. The later, in genetically susceptible individuals and even in persons whose stomach acid and pancreatic enzyme secretion is impaired, can cause celiac disease and milder forms of gluten sensitivity. These in turn lead to a whole array of “autoimmune” diseases – a group of diseases resulting from the body's immune system (of which 80% resides in the intestinal mucosa) mistakenly directs an
attack against the person's own tissues, hormones or other biologically important molecules. A total of about 75 of these automimmune diseases have been named and it is now thought that possibly ¼ of the American population suffers from one or more of these conditions. Digestive, microbiological and absorptive disorders form the basis of this group of diseases.
We can house a population of bacteria that lacks normal quantities of important friendly germs such as Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria or represents an overgrowth of disease-causing organisms such as certain yeasts, protozoans (parasites) or truly harmful bacteria such as some Klebsiella species, pathogenic strains of E.coli (as compared to friendly, helpful strains of E.Coli like the strain Nissl 1917 which has been used for the past 90 years in Germany to treat diarrhea and more recently irritable and inflammatory bowel disease) and Helicobacter pylori among many others.
One of our laboratories is able to give us a Comprehensive Stool and Digestive Analysis which reveals the relative populations of beneficial and harmful bacteria, the condition of the gastric and pancreatic/intestinal digestive machinery, the immunological health of the gut and the presence of parasites.
So if you have been told that your digestive symptoms are caused by “Acid Reflux” or “Irritable Bowel Syndrome” and that you need some acid-blocking drug, a pharmaceutical to quiet down your gut or a tranquilizer to relax your whole body and mind since “it is all in your head” anyway – think again! You likely have an easily correctable functional gastro-intestinal disorder that is related to:
- Processed Food
- Reduced Digestive Capacity
- Altered Gastrointestinal Flora (germs)
- “Leaky Gut”
- Mineral, fiber and other deficiencies
Unlike standard medicine which often addresses digestive issues with drugs that merely mask symptoms, objective diagnostic testing and specific therapeutic interventions can be employed to actually correct the underlying problems.
Does it seem logical for so many people to have chronic symptoms such as: Gas~Bloating~Belching~Rumbling~Cramps~
Constipation~Diarrhea~Anal Itching~“Reflux”; but yet have so little and so ineffective treatment available from our health care professionals? As a matter of fact, I believe our digestive system, the very system that converts our food into usable materials and energy to rebuild ourselves day by day, was designed to work and if it isn't, we need to find out why and correct the problems. Without digestive health, we can't have health at all.
Call the office for an appointment to come in for a digestive evaluation and find out why you suffer the symptoms you do and how
to eliminate them to regain your health.
