Tue, 21 Aug 2001 22:42:42 EDT - Donia Sea

GI Tract Links to Degenerative Diseases

Nutritional/Functional Medicine

The Nutritional Medicine principles support better digestion and assimilation of foods through the use of probiotics and enzymes, better nutrition through nutrient rich food supplements, and increased protection against free radical damage (oxidative stress) through whole food antioxidants.

Ten's of thousands of people have used this health model to heal themselves from many chronic degenerative conditions.

Additionally, many of the studies and books written by Nutritional Medical doctors give us the scientific reasons behind why this specific health model. The supplements used in this health model have helped most degenerative conditions.

Today there is a large number of alternative, allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing the Nutritional Medicine approach to health.

What Is Nutritiona/Functional Medicine?

Nutritional Medical physicians believe that most degenerative diseases have their origin in the malfunction of the digestive tract and liver detoxification processes.

In other words, illness can be directly related to problems of the digestive and liver detoxification systems and their related influence on immune, nervous and endocrine system functions.

Therefore, when the health of the digestive and liver detoxification systems is addressed, the body is given the opportunity to reverse almost all degenerative conditions.

If the degenerative condition is labeled lupus, diabetes, or arthritis, etc., a Nutritional Medical doctor will first recommend addressing the health of the gastrointestinal tract. Once the GI tract is well, then the liver detoxification system should be supported and strengthened.

Today, through the efforts of Nutritional Medicine, there are hundreds of clinical studies and pieces of scientific research that confirm what many of us have heard so often from folk medicine practitioners: "Stomach problems are the cause of all ills" or "Death begins in the colon."

Jeffrey Anderson, M.D., wrote an article called "How Problems with Digestion Can Cause Illness Anywhere", and in this article he explains why you should address the health of the gastrointestinal tract first, no matter what the name of the degenerative disease.

He explains that new information on the dynamics of the body make it clear that conditions in the digestive tract affect the entire system.

The degradation of the gastrointestinal environment is one of the primary points at which health is lost.

What we now know is that the same toxins associated with GI dysfunction are frequently absorbed and distributed to other parts of the body. First they place a burden on the liver and the immune system. If liver overload occurs, there will be spill over, and some of the toxins will be passed on to other organs or tissues.

Often, it's a weak link in the system that will be hit by the damage - an organ that can be anywhere in the body that is most likely to be vulnerable. The vulnerability may be inherited, caused by physical injury, toxic exposure, or poor diet. For example, if the sensitive system is the lungs, toxins that originate in the gut and circulate in the bloodstream may manifest as asthma or allergies.

Len Saputo, M.D., in his article,"Harmful Flora", also believes that if the gastrointestinal tract goes out of balance and the liver detoxification system breaks down, our entire immune system can malfunction in three ways.

First, it can be weakened and the result called an immune suppression disease, such as cancer and AIDS.

Second, it can overreact and become hyperresponsive to normal stimuli; this occurs in asthma, migraine, and food allergies.

Third, a malfunctioning immune system can cause auto immune reactions, where antibodies target our own tissues, as in rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Dr. Saputo explains that the gastrointestinal tract is the largest immune organ in our body: Eighty per cent of all our protective immune globulins are produced in the digestive tract. When this large, strategically placed immune system member isn't working well, our defenses are lowered. Once our barriers are down, it becomes more difficult to defend against invaders.

Nutritional/Functional Medicine Strategies To Reverse Degenerative Conditions

Nutritional Medical doctors including the two above mentioned, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and Dr. Len Saputo, believe that cleansing and supporting the GI tract and the liver can and will clear the body of any and all degenerative conditions.

The Steps:
•     Detoxify the GI tract.
•     Get the liver detoxification system working.
•     Clean up the downstream consequences, which includes the toxins in the tissues and cells.

Nutritional Medical doctors believe that you can't deal with the downstream conditions (symptoms in the body such as lupus, cancer, arthritis....etc.), until you've treated the upstream problem(s) in the gut and liver. When you clean up the upstream issues and the liver, then the downstream consequences tend to go away.

Nutritional/Functional Medicine Solution for All Degenerative Conditions. The 4Rs Solution

1) Remove:

Abnormal kinds/amounts of intestinal microorganisms (parasites, bacterial pathogens, small intestinal overgrowth such as yeast, and food antigens. This can be done by repairing "leaky" intestinal membranes with friendly bacteria (acidophilus, bifidus, fructose oligosaccharides....etc.) and food based supplements high in minerals and vitamins.

2) Replace:

Hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and fiber deficiency can be addressed and replaced with friendly bacteria, digestive enzymes and fiber supplements.

3) Restore:

Symbiotic bacteria and GI bacteria fuel sources support metabolic activity through the use of full spectrum friendly bacteria (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, L. planetarium, L. salivarius, L. bulgaricus.....etc.).

4) Repair:

Replace or augment with nutrients necessary to support healing of intestinal lining, plus adequacy of calories, and adequacy of fiber. Support the liver detoxification system through the use of antioxidants and food based nutritional supplements.

The Difference is in the Quality Of The Nutritional Supplements

There are a multitude of allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing Nutritional Medicine today. They support better digestion, better nutrition, and better protection against oxidative stress.

However, when it comes to supplements, most Nutritional Medicine doctors recommend the standard man-made supplements in their isolated, single, separated or chemically-manufactured form, such as zinc, copper, vitamins B, C, E and beta carotene, to reverse degenerative conditions.

There are better alternatives to man-made supplements; i.e. organic whole food supplements. Whole food supplements are far superior in their quality and effectiveness for reversing degenerative processes in the human body because they are produced in their natural and complex configuration.

Some of the best quality whole food supplements available in the marketplace today are produced by Cell Tech International, an Oregon company that has been in the whole food supplement business for nearly 20 years.

The superior quality of their products comes from their philosophy which precedes the manufacturing of these supplements: The human body is a marvelously designed living organism with the ability to grow, regulate, repair, and defend itself when given natural, high quality, full spectrum nutrients.

The result of that philosophy is a remarkable line of food based products from natural, wild-crafted and organically grown foods to enhance the quality of physical, mental, and emotional performance.

Nutritional Medicine scientific research and clinical studies confirms and supports the CTI whole food supplements and the health model they represent.

So, if you are addressing any health challenges and you want to help your body reverse noticable degenerative conditions, you need to take food based supplements that will enhance, no matter what the degenerative condition is, the following body functions:

1. Better digestion and assimilation of foods through the use of probiotics and enzyme supplements.

2. Better nutrition through food based supplements (consuming nutrient rich foods such as wheat grass, bee pollen, blue green algae...etc.).

3. Better protection against free radical damage (oxidative stress) through whole food supplements (wheat sprouts, red algae, wheat grass..etc.).

With the use of whole food supplements you can improve the GI tract environment and take the stress off the liver because the burden of the toxins has been decreased. Then, there is less need for a constant high level defense effort and everything in the body just starts to work better.

Dr. Jeffrey Anderson summarizes the whole concept of healing so beautifully when he said: "you can't deal with the downstream problems - symptoms in the body - until you have treated the upstream problems - the malfunctions in the gut."

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References:
Optimal Digestion, by Trent Nichols, M.D.
The 20-Day Rejuvenation Diet Program, by Jeffrey Bland.