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by Dr. Bob Martin
How Digestion Works
America’s concern with digestive problems is reaching epidemic proportions, as evidenced by the wealth of over-the-counter and prescription remedies advertised on radio, television, and in print advertising. In fact, there are over 25 million people in this country who suffer from daily stomach discomfort.
There are a number of reasons why so many people
experience digestive problems. Our modern diet is
increasingly more processed and filled with a variety
of non-food chemical agents. Deep-fried and very rich
foods are more commonplace. And we often take less
time to eat, so we rush our meals and even eat on the
run. A number of medications, both OTC (over-the-counter)
and prescriptions, are typically recommended.
Unfortunately, these types of drugs have many potential
adverse side effects both short and long-term. Over
eating, alcohol, ice cold beverages, stress, and eating
before bed can add to digestive distress. All of these
contribute to an interruption of the normal digestive
process, and this results in a myriad of symptoms that
constitute stomach and digestive problems.
These symptoms include heartburn, indigestion,
sour stomach, flatulence (gas), nausea, bloating, and
belching, all of which make us physically uncomfortable,
and can interfere with our activity levels. When
we experience these types of discomforting symptoms,
we will typically sit or lie down to alleviate them, and
we create a cycle of pain and inactivity. We eat, experience
unpleasant digestive symptoms, and are literally
forced into a state of inactivity in an effort to recover.
This vicious cycle is one more contributing factor in
Americans’ struggle with being overweight or obese.
Of the dozens of medical drugs available, many are
contraindicated with some foods and other medications,
making them ineffective or unavailable to many.
Some have harmful side effects. Fortunately there are
a number nutritional supplements and natural and
traditional remedies—homeopathic, enzymatic, and
botanical—that have been used for years, safely and
effectively, to alleviate these annoying symptoms.
However, diet plays the most important part in good
digestive health. Eating healthy nutritious food is the
number one way to avoid digestive problems. If, in
spite of a healthy, balanced diet, you still experience
stomach distress, there are a number of natural remedies
available to help you. Check with your health food
retailer to find the product that is right for you.
When the Balance is Lost
A number of influences can upset this elegant balance:
- Overgrowth of yeast, including Candida
- Overgrowth of undesirable bacteria
- Bad water
- A starchy diet
- Too many sweets
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Food allergies
- Certain medications
- Frequent use of antibiotics
- Microscopic parasites
- Parasites such as worms
- Viral illnesses
- Poor hygiene
- Radiation
- Surgery
- Physical injury
- Stress
- Genetic tendencies
- Environmental toxins
Our Internal Ecosystem
Our bodies are constructed from the
products of our digestion—we literally are
what we eat. With that in mind, think of
the digestive tract as an entire ecosystem,
a self-contained environment supporting
a community of hundreds of species of
bacteria. This ecology consists primarily
of friendly bacteria at work, our digestive
flora. Without those beneficial bacteria to
ferment and digest our food, we can’t have
complete digestion or healthy bodies.
Protective Immunity
The immune system in our digestive tract
performs the tremendous task of distinguishing
friend from foe in this internal
world, playing traffic cop to more than
500 species of bacteria. Most of these
are friendly, but even in a healthy digestive
tract small numbers of destructive
microbes are always present. We also
consume a wide range of bacteria, yeasts,
and molds in our food and water; some
of these microbes can be harmful if they
survive and flourish.
The protective mechanisms of our
GI tract are designed to neutralize these
common organisms. A significant portion
of our immune function is strategically
located in the GI tract to keep a favorable
balance between the helpful and destructive
organisms. This immune function is
so vital that 50 percent of the lymph tissue
in the body is located in the intestinal
lining and 80 percent of all our protective
antibodies are produced there. In short,
the body devotes an enormous amount of
energy to maintaining the proper balance
in the digestive system.
Friendly Flora
The bacteria in our GI tract number in
the trillions. A healthy adult has five to
eight pounds of living bacteria in his/her
digestive tract, most of which are beneficial.
These bacteria perform an essential
part of our digestive function and we are
completely reliant on their activities. This
huge engine of fermentation produces the
nutrients essential to our functioning.
Previously it was thought that the
cells lining the GI tract were nourished
by our body through the blood supply.
However, recent research has shown that
it is the beneficial bacteria that nourish
the digestive tract (for example, they produce
essential short-chain fatty acids). A
number of other important nutrients are
also available only through the bacterial
fermentation of our food. Without the
nutrients from these bacteria, there is a
loss of function in the lining of the gut.
(This can occur whenever we take antibiotics,
unless we replenish the bacteria
afterward with probiotics.)
Unfriendly Flora
When the flora is compromised or the
immune system weakened, destructive
bacteria or yeast that happen to be in
residence may not be held in check. Then
colonies of the harmful organisms (pathogens)
can establish themselves in numbers
great enough to disturb the intestinal
environment and harm the body. This
imbalance in the microorganisms of the
digestive tract is called dysbiosis.
If the friendly flora are compromised,
the intestinal lining can become malnourished,
because the supply of vital
nutrients is diminished. What’s worse,
the destructive microbes produce toxic
chemicals that can cause tissue damage
in the GI tract and elsewhere in the body.
The immune system may then become
further impaired.
Nutrient Absorption
The ultimate priority of the GI tract is to
contain (and dispel) the substances that
are toxic and to admit the nutrients our
bodies require. To accomplish this, the gut
membrane acts as a selective barrier. This
is the single most important activity of the
digestive tract. These functions—containing
toxins and absorbing nutrients—use an incredible amount of our energy.
Digestive activities include regulating and
accepting just the nutrients needed and
rejecting everything else. And most of the
material in the GI tract is rejected—very
little is actually absorbed. You can see why
the breakdown of these protective systems
can cause a toxic condition in the body, a
condition referred to as leaky gut; it can
also create the potential for illness.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
 A form of leakage can occur through the
gut lining, compromising the barrier function
of the digestive tract. Then some
degree of toxins and bacteria can seep into
the bloodstream and be passed along to
the liver. The leaking of the gut wall—also
called leaky gut syndrome or hyperpermeability
—can be triggered by a number of
factors, including food allergies, certain
medications, alcoholism, radiation, chemotherapy,
infections including HIV, and
severe trauma such as burns. Hereditary
tendencies can also play a role in leaky gut.
As the gut becomes excessively porous
or permeable, the bloodstream begins
receiving both nutrients and toxins. All
this material is picked up by the blood vessels
lining the gut wall and is transported
to the liver. The liver must then detoxify
the increased load. Much of this inappropriately
absorbed material is a source of
metabolic stress and is potentially damaging
to the body.
The Work of the Liver:
Detoxification
The liver has the job of sorting out and
processing all this material. If the substance
is a nutrient, the liver processes it
into an active form the body can use. If the
material is a toxin, the liver’s job is to neutralize
it (to make it less toxic—to detoxify
it). This process is essential because even
a perfectly healthy gut will release some
toxic matter.
The liver is capable of neutralizing an
amazing variety of substances in enormous
quantities. However, if it is continually
overloaded by toxins, detoxification
may be incomplete. These toxins can suppress
the immune system and compromise
its ability to recognize and defend
against infection. This excessive load can
also directly damage the immune system
and the self-repair mechanism within
each cell. Detoxification stress occurs in
the feedback loop: The more toxins that
are absorbed, the more the liver’s capacity
to detoxify can be compromised. At some
point, real problems can begin to occur.
CONSEQUENCES OF POOR DIGESTION
The Development of Allergies and Sensitivities
When permeability increases, unprocessed
substances can be passed on to the
liver, completely undigested. This means
that the liver would have to process undigested
foods, bacteria, toxic chemicals, or
whatever happens to be in the gut. The
system could become overwhelmed and
release these substances directly into
the bloodstream. When this toxic material
begins to circulate in the body, the
immune system can become triggered,
producing allergic responses to foods or
other material released from the GI tract.
An allergy or a hypersensitivity is typically
an overreaction by the immune system,
and can cause symptoms anywhere in the
body. The food or substance causing the
reactions may be relatively innocent—it
is actually the overactive response of the
immune system that causes the damage.
This dynamic can have a number of
causes and result in a wide range of symptoms.
For example, eating an allergic food
is also a common cause of hyperpermeability
and can be such a powerful trigger
that permeability can increase within a
matter of hours. This is a vicious cycle—hyperpermeability increases the absorption
of more toxins and food fragments,
which stimulates more allergic responses
and amplifies the reactions in a snowball
effect.
Innocent Foods and Toxic Effects
There are a number of ways in which
problems associated with an overloaded
liver can cause additional symptoms. One
is the hypersensitization of the immune
system just described. Another is direct
damage to the body’s tissues caused by
the toxic effects of chemicals in food or
digestive debris. For example, certain elements
in milk or wheat can have direct
toxic effects on the nervous or immune
system. Specific sensitivities to proteins
in wheat have even been implicated in
certain forms of schizophrenia.
Autoimmune Disorders
Constant overstimulation of the immune
system can also lead to an autoimmune
disorder in which the immune system
can mistake the tissues of the body for
an invader. The white blood cells and T cells may actually attack the body rather
than the invasive bacteria or offending
substance. This can be a cause of chronic
conditions such as asthma, lupus, multiple
sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
With the development of chronic illness
an ever greater toxic burden is placed
on the liver. Under this increased stress,
the liver may no longer be able to perform
competently. This sets the stage for a
whole new arena of possible problems.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a normal consequence of
our immune response. Yet if the immune
system is continually on hyperalert, inflammation
can become chronic. This is often
a feature of digestive disorders, and can
be caused by many of the stressors we’ve
mentioned.
If inflammation continues in the long
term, changes in the tissue can occur,
degrading resilience and function. Over
decades more serious tissue damage
can occur, manifesting in conditions
such as accelerated aging, diabetes, and
cancer. For example, research shows that
as many as 40 percent of stomach ulcer
cases caused by H. pylori infection go on
to become stomach cancer. The body’s
attempts to combat infection cause lowlevel
in. ammation in the lining of the
stomach. If the infection persists, this sets
the stage for the development of cancer.
For this reason it is extremely important
to resolve in. ammation. The best approach
is to take it seriously, particularly if it doesn’t
seem to be improving or if it recurs.
Challenges to the Immune System:
Free Radicals
 The chronic overwork of the liver’s detoxification
mechanisms, caused by hyperpermeability,
sets in motion a series of
stresses. The first of these is the increased
production of toxic by-products called free
radicals. We hear about free radicals in the
media, because they have been identi. ed
as a major cause of cancer. The assault of
free radicals, also referred to as oxidative
stress, further overstimulates the liver,
causing it to send out signals that can
confuse the immune system. These signals
may trigger inappropriate reactions
in both the immune and neurological systems
and cause inflammation. This can
occur even in a liver that is still generally
functional.
If the liver’s detox mechanisms are
held in constant operation, its functions
may eventually become compromised.
Increased stress on the liver can be caused
by even minor but frequent GI complaints,
such as chronic constipation or an overgrowth
of bacteria or yeast. Continual
stress may ultimately compromise the
liver’s detoxification capacity. At the same
time, free radicals (with the potential to
cause cellular damage) could be generated
in excessive amounts. Their effects
are experienced throughout the body in
cell membranes, connective tissue, and
genetic material. This oxidative stress
can lead to serious chronic illnesses such
as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS), and Parkinson’s
disease.
Oxidative stress from free radicals can
also cause problems by depleting essential
nutrients. This can short-circuit immune
function, the activity of the nervous system,
and the production of hormones. Over
decades these compromises can develop
into conditions such as heart disease and
cancer. Free radicals have also been identified
as a primary cause of aging.
Yeast and Parasites
When the delicate balance in the GI tract
is lost, an overgrowth of yeast can occur,
particularly Candida albicans. Candida is
an undesirable species of yeast that is
normally found in the gut even when we
are healthy, but usually in small numbers.
However, when Candida develops to a
large population (an overgrowth), it can
overwhelm the beneficial bacteria, like
weeds taking over a garden. Certain bacteria
or microbes in the gut can also cause
an overgrowth. Imbalance in the flora has
the potential to set in motion the entire
sequence of harmful effects we have just
described. Candida can cause illness and
trigger symptoms anywhere in the body.
Parasites are another cause of digestive
disorders that are often overlooked.
When we think of parasites, we tend
to think of worms. Here in the United
States, most parasites are single-celled
protozoa, so small they can only be seen
by a microscope. Research by the Centers
for Disease Control has found that more
than 90 percent of all parasites in 80,000
lab tests were microscopic species. These
microbes are a growing public health
problem. They are now considered one
of the important causes (among many)
in the cases of chronic fatigue, arthritis,
neurological problems, and immune suppression.
The importance of digestive health is
vastly underappreciated. Without good
digestion, one cannot be truly healthy.
Impaired digestion can trigger problems
ranging from mild stomach upsets to
life-threatening cancer. What’s more,
millions of people struggle with these
conditions year in, year out. A number
of major problems can result from digestive
disorders, including fatigue, weight
gain, and food allergies. Poor digestion
can also be a factor in attention deficit
disorders, arthritis, asthma, chemical
sensitivities, eczema, liver problems and
mood disorders.
These conditions can be difficult to
overcome, so it is useful to have a range
of treatment options available. Our experience
suggests that the best strategies
for healing include both mainstream and
complementary therapies—integrative
medicine. Many people with chronic disorders
have improved significantly through
the use of good nutrition, enzymes, vitamins,
herbs, or natural therapies.
However, medication alone does not
always restore health either. The greatest
opportunity for recovery occurs when the
patient actively participates in the healing
process, supported by the consistent efforts
of capable and compassionate healers.
Deficiencies of vitamins or minerals
are as individual as any other aspect of
health and can be a major cause of illness.
You may know, for example, that
vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy, but
did you know that a B12 deficiency is an
important causal factor in many digestive
disorders? These correlations between
illness and nutritional deficiencies (and
a great many others) have been identi-
fied through research. Researchers and
physicians have also found that when the
missing nutrients are supplied, healing
begins to occur.
Nutritional therapy is especially
useful in managing chronic illness on
a day-to-day basis. Nutrition offers the
opportunity to strengthen the body by
replenishing depleted resources. In this
approach we use the same raw materials
that the body uses: foods, vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, flora, fiber, and
water. New lab tests can guide therapy by
identifying deficiencies and monitoring
treatment more precisely.
A wide range of nutritional supplements
is another of the resources now
available to you. These products are skillfully
formulated and highly sophisticated,
provided through enhanced delivery systems,
and better assimilated.
At this point there is abundant evidence
on the effectiveness of nutritional therapy.
There are more than 50,000 studies on
ascorbic acid (vitamin C) alone. We also
have a great deal of research, conducted
over long periods of time, on large populations.
For example, the Framingham Study
has been ongoing for more than 50 years.
This research has served to dispel many
clinical misconceptions about conditions
such as hypertension, glucose intolerance,
and diabetes. Our current understanding
of cholesterol in all its subtleties
also grows out of this work. Recent
breakthroughs in research include insight
into a number of conditions that can lead
to disease:
Insulin resistance (a prediabetic and diabetic condition)
Homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and dementia)
Microcirculation problems (associated with many chronic conditions)
Although our understanding of these
conditions is based on medical research,
many of these disorders can be addressed
through nutrition. Since nutrition is one
of the cornerstones of an integrative
approach, integrative physicians are often
among the first to incorporate these clinical
strategies.
PROBLEMS WITH DIGESTION CAN CAUSE ILLNESS ANYWHERE IN THE BODY
If you have digestive illness, whether it’s
severe or mild, it’s important to know
that there are new treatments available.
Decades of research have resulted in new
understandings of how the body works. In
complementary medicine, this expanded
understanding is applied to treatment
through the strategic use of nutrition,
nutrients and herbal medicine, often in
combination with drug therapy.
New information on the dynamics of
the body make it clear that conditions in
the digestive tract affect the entire system.
Folk wisdom reflects this interconnectedness:
The saying in India is “Constipation
is the mother of all ills.”
Recent research suggests that 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 spillovers, and some of the toxins will
be passed on to other organs or tissues.
Often it’s the weak link in the system
that will be hit by the damage affecting the
organ or tissue anywhere in the body that
is the most vulnerable. The vulnerability
may be inherited or caused by physical
injury, toxic exposure, or poor diet. If the
sensitive system is the lungs, toxins that
originate in the gut and circulate in the
bloodstream may manifest as asthma
or allergies. Sooner or later this toxic
overload comes to the attention of the
immune system.
- Circulating toxins can trigger a hyperactive immune response, leading to allergies or inflammation with their associated pain and swelling.
- Toxins can short-circuit the immune response, resulting in infection.
At this point, corrosive toxic free radicals
are released. Hopefully there are enough
antioxidant nutrients to protect the cells
and key cellular structures, such as the cell
and the energy producing “battery” of the
cell, the mitochondria.
THE DOMINO EFFECT
Upstream Activities in the GI Tract and Liver
Envision your body as a complete ecosystem
with toxic wastes that must be
processed to restore its pristine state.
Imagine the liver as a toxic wastedisposal
plant. It clears toxins by
breaking them down, decreasing their
toxicity, linking them to transport
molecules, and dispatching them out
in urine and stool. If we begin having
problems with toxic overload in the liver,
it’s essential to look at what is going on
upstream—at the factors creating problems
for the liver.
Are excessive amounts of toxins being
created in the gut? The gut is the starting
place for major toxicity in the body because
much of what goes through the gut is
absorbed, whether by design, accident,
or pathology. These include:
- By-produces of poorly digested food or chronic constipation (such as ammonia)
- Toxins produced by overgrowth in yeast, bacteria, or invasive parasites (endotoxins such as alcohols and aldehydes)
- Chemical pollutants, pesticides, and heavy metals in our food and water.
Leaky gut syndrome can cause the
absorption of any of this material, all of it
potentially harmful and intended for disposal
by the body. The by-products of these
malfunctions in the gut are all passed on
directly through the major blood vessels
into the liver portal system. There can be
health consequences from the overload
on the detox mechanisms of the liver.
Toxic spillover can occur throughout the
body and the system.
Downstream Effects
of Toxic Overload
A bottleneck effect can occur if the liver is
overburdened because of chronic or persistent
toxicity beyond the capacity of the
detoxification pathways to handle. The liver
detox machinery may become stressed and
compromised. It’s trying to do its job, but
the process may be creating even more free
radicals and even more toxic intermediate
chemicals. Here are the events in the liver
that can result from overload:
- Increased oxidative stress from the liver’s detoxification process.
- Impaired carbohydrate metabolism.
- Increased immune activity and the production of biochemicals that promote inflammation.
- Failure of Phase 1 detoxification or accelerated Phase 1, which can cause increased production of free radicals.
- The bottleneck effect if Phase 2 detoxification is slow.
Effects on the cells and tissues:
- The body needs to remove these toxins from circulation.
- If the system can’t excrete them, it will store them.
- Chemicals and pesticides will typically be stored in fat.
- Heavy metals will be stored in protein tissue—in muscles, bones, cartilage and organ tissue such as the brain and the liver. Nerve cells and enzymes can also be damaged.
Eventually some of these toxins are rereleased and then stored again. When they are released, they eventually go to the liver, and the liver has to cope with them again. The liver either detoxifies them or recirculates them. If this occurs it may cause more damage as they move through the system and then get redeposited. The increasing accumulation of toxins can cause cellular damage. It is critical that you begin detoxifying by starting with first things first, which is the gut.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OVERLOAD
Possible Causes
- Genetics
- Stress
- Lifestyle factors
- Environmental toxins
- Medications
- Contaminants in food and water
- Poor absorption
- Food allergies
- Impaired nutritional status
- By-products of poor digestion
- Overgrowth of yeast or bacteria
- Parasitic infection
- General infection
- Inflammatory conditions
- Degenerative diseases
Potential Symptoms
- Widespread chronic fatigue or weakness from compromised energy production, even in the energy-producing unit of the cells (the mitochondria).
- Compromise of the immune system, less resistance to infection, autoimmune disorders, allergies, sensitivities, colds and flu, bronchitis, sinus infections, chemical sensitivity.
- Problems in the muscles and joints, from aches and swelling to pain or arthritis.
- Skin disorders, including acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and urticaria.
- Consequences to the central nervous system and brain function: mild problems including difficulty with concentration and memory, coordination, headaches or migraines, attention deficit disorder, and in severe cases, symptoms that resemble autism.
- Circulation of chemical toxins, causing more serious neurological symptoms ranging from seizure disorders to damage of the nervous system.
- Decrease in hormone production caused by toxins in the body.
- Liver damage, with compromised detox functions, possible hypoglycemia, and moods swings.
- Specific conditions such as arthritis, asthma, or allergies that can result from the constant circulation of toxins. This can be due to toxins that compromise the immune system, causing inflammation or aggravating existing conditions. The toxins stimulate the release of an immune response with biochemicals that can set in motion a full-blown reaction.
The presence of conditions caused by leaky gut syndrome indicate that toxins have been released from the GI tract and are out in general circulation. Then degenerative diseases such as cancer or autoimmune conditions can eventually
develop.
STRATEGIES TO RESTORE HEALTH
When we talk about strategies to restore health, we mean cleansing and supporting the GI tract, the liver, and the entire system.
- First detox the GI tract.
- Then improve the function of the liver detox systems.
- Finally, the downstream consequences must be addressed. This means detoxifying the body to remove accumulated toxins from the cells and tissues.
- So cleaning up the gut is the starting point.
- Make sure that you are not constipated.
- Make sure that you’re digesting every-thing thoroughly. Determine if there’s a need to supplement digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid or botanicals.
- Clean house. Get rid of bad bugs. Be sure you don’t have toxins from an over growth of yeast or bacteria or some inva-sive parasite.
- Restore the good flora by taking probiotics.Then you can start addressing the liver detox issues.
- The point is that you can’t deal with the downstream conditions until you’ve treated the upstream problem in the gut and liver. For people with a highly toxicsystem, it is necessary to address the liver as well as the gut simultaneously. If you start mobilizing heavy metals and chemicals out of the tissue, unless you have dealt with the liver first, then you’re just putting more demand on it.
- In order for you to be more fully healthy, these concerns need to be addressed in the digestive tract, throughout your entire system, and as symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Doctors observe that some of these conditions resolve naturally as a result of clearing the GI tract and liver. When you clean up the upstream issues and the liver, then the downstream consequences tend to just go away. At that point, stored toxins can also be detoxed from the tissues and cells. If you have any of these concerns, we recommend that you seek a qualified, compassionate health care professional who is familiar with detoxification concepts, and work with your practitioner on resolving your digestive issues.
To order Optimal Digestive Health, A Complete Guide please check with your health food store, local bookstore, online through Amazon, or from the publisher Inner Traditions/Bear & Company by calling:
1-800-246-8648.
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