Why is the digestive system important?

The digestive system is the main source of our health (along with the spinal cord). Our organs process what we eat and breathe. How is your body handling what you do?

I find out if I pay attention to my skin, which is the largest organ, I can have an idea of how I am doing inside. Rashes, acne, stomach bloating, belly fat, cellulite, etc. are signs and symptoms of problems in the digestive system.

When it came to health, my mother and grandmother would talk a lot about the food we eat, digestion and elimination. Not understanding at that time, I would think "what's up with these women and all the bowel talk!", not realizing how important the digestive system is.

In the central nervous system, serotonin plays an important part as a neurotransmitter which influences a variety of psychological and other bodily functions such as anger, body temperature, sleep, sexuality, appetite and metabolism. It is found extensively in the human gastrointestinal tract or the digestive system. 80-90% of serotonin is produced in the stomach.

We all eat, digest, assimilate and eliminate. The digestive system is one long tube from the mouth to the anus.

This tube is protected by mucous membranes, like the membranes in our nose and lungs. Leaky gut is where the mucous membrane has been punctured. One way this can happen is overgrowth of candida cell roots which can puncture the lining and lead to food allergies. Partially digested food can get into the body's blood stream and create these allergies.

What the digestion system does...

Gastric juices and enzymes break down foods into vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, trace and organic elements. The nutrients in the digestive system goes into the blood and the body absorbs the nutrients while the bowels eliminate the unneeded material.

Some of the digestive needs...

1) In the mouth, healthy gums and teeth. Creating saliva and chewing thoroughly begins the digestive process and gets the stomach acid flowing. If you have trouble creating saliva, chew some gum sweetened with xylitol first (healthier and good for your teeth and gums).

Saliva should not be diluted with drinks at your meal. Have your drinks before or after. Eating fruit and vegetables are great for getting a little bit of liquid in your food. The pH in your mouth should be alkaline.

2) The stomach should have proper levels of hydrochloric acid and pepsin for good digestion. We have 35 million glands that produce hydrochloric acid. The stomach should have an acidic pH level. Our stomach needs acid when digesting foods for the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, building new cells and the acidification of minerals for assimilation, like calcium.

Taking antacids to get calcium does not make good sense. They are made to get rid of the acid which you need for calcium to assimilate.

Starting around age 40, stomach acid starts to decrease in production and you should supplement with hydrochloric acid (Nature's Sunshines PDA). Keep in mind if you are a gum chewer like me, and chew when you're not having a meal, you are producing stomach acid. The older you get the less you will have.

If you need to take antacids, that is a good sign that you have H. pylori bacteria. Taking anti-acid medications will not solve or take away these problems.

What happens when you are too low in hydrochloric acid?

* Fermentation (rotting) which causes gas, burping, belching, bad breath and gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

* Poor protein digestion- you won't get enough protein and will start to crave it.

* Poor mineral absorption, osteoporosis (use calcium and PDA), canker sores (calcium and PDA) and muscle cramps (potassium, magnesium and PDA). If you have muscle cramps in the morning, it may be a calcium deficiency. Calcium levels fall around 4AM.

Hydrochloric acid is the primary defense against food-borne illnesses in the digestive system. Production is highest in the morning. We tend to eat most of our protein later in the day when our acid levels are the lowest.

Digestion depends on healthy liver and gall bladder functions.The liver assists in digestion. Over 100,000 chemical conversions take place daily. It filters out the majority of chemicals in food, air and water and assists in digestion of fats so they can be used for energy.

If you have weight problems, look to the liver. The liver needs, on a daily basis, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to deal with free radicals that are produced with cleansing. It also needs fiber to carry off the toxins.

The pancreas produces quality digestive enzymes. Enzyme production is depressed by extremely hot and cold beverages and adrenal exhaustion. The digestive system also needs a proper balance of intestinal flora to keep things moving. Proper peristaltic action in the intestinal tract means a sequence of muscle contractions that progressively squeeze one small section of the intestines at a time to keep food moving along the tract.

The small intestines neutralizes the acid of the stomach therefore they have an alkaline pH. Digestive system enzymes are needed for further breakdown of food when it arrives in the small intestines and to alkalize the acids. We need enzymes if more than half of our food we consume is not raw. They break down protein, carbs and fat. Enzymes are especially important when you travel and eat out.

The large intestine is also called the colon and is about five feet in length. It is from the end of the small intestine, up the abdominal cavity on the right side, crossing under the ribs in front of the stomach and down the left side to the rectum. Fiber is good for cleansing the colon. The pH here is acidic. The last five inches of the rectum ends with the anus.

Some digestive system dilemmas...

The acid in the stomach is buffered by a natural sodium lining. The acid would burn you if it was not for this neutralizing effect by the alkaline lining.

Ulcers; ulceration of the lining

It was though back in 1980 that ulcers were caused by stress and high acid in the stomach. It was suggested to limit your stress and change your diet by eating certain foods.

Weak digestion can be caused by a long-term deficiency of protein, use of low-fat and high-carbohydrate diets, drugs and chronic disease.

This can happen with vegetarians that don't get enough protein in their diet or someone who is eating a low fat diet to lower cholesterol and substituting with high carbs.

Some causes of ulcers:

Chronic lack of hydrochloric acid causing poor digestion and can make food toxic to the stomach.

Use of aspirin and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

H.pylori bacteria

Let's talk about this important cause of ulcers. 85% of ulcers are caused by H.pylori bacteria, which breaks down the protective lining that buffers your stomach acid.

There are 500,000 new cases of ulcers in the U.S. every year with recurrences in 4 million of them. The most common complication is bleeding which can cause anemia. Vomiting blood or bright red blood in feces, pain and hemorrhaging are also signs of stomach ulcers.

Gene Hughes started his company, Nature's Sunshine, by experiencing the symptoms of a bleeding ulcer. His neighbor would make him a tea drink with cayenne pepper in it and every day that he drank it his digestive system felt better. His wife went to the store and bought him cayenne capsules so he wouldn't have to drink the tea. By taking this natural supplement and feeling better, it gave him the inspiration that blossomed into a world-class nutritional supplement company. Nature's Sunshine was the first company to patent a product that kill H.pylori bacteria.

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, GERD

6 million Americans now use antacids daily.

* Heartburn: H. pylori damages the stomach lining. The stomach happens to be close to the heart and above the waist, people might think their problem has to do with the heart.

* Hiatal Hernia: stomach acid is going up the esophagus wearing out the flap that keeps the acid down, there is a lack of enzymes which gives you poor digestion and produces gas.

* Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease: giving a disease a name for the drugs that are sold for it.

Additional problems

* Crohns Disease: Journey With Crohns Disease
The goal at Journey With Crohns Disease is to help you find solutions for everyday Crohns disease problems.

* Esophageal Cancer: on the rise now with 16,000 new cases every year. Acid coming up the esophagus damages the cells.

* Bad Breath : putrification in stomach or intestines (lack of enzymes and/or hydrochloric acid and pepsin).

* Putrification in the bowel: you must eliminate daily, probiotics and fiber will help.

* Acid or metallic taste in the mouth.

H.pylori, identified and isolated in human gastric biopsies in 1983 is a helico-a helical or spiral shaped bacteria. This bacterium lives in the pylorus region of the stomach. You can also find it in saliva and the intestines. It is very contagious.

Two-thirds of the worlds population has it right now. You can give it to someone and you can receive it by exchanging saliva. You don't want to share things involving saliva!

The bacteria digs into the protective lining of the stomach, eats holes in the stomach and intestinal linings of the digestive system which causes leaky gut, ulcers and stomach cancer. It fools the body into not producing digestive enzymes that break down food. You can develop other symptoms from it or it may be asymptomatic (without symptoms).

Dr. Barry Marshall, a physician from Australia, consumed H.pylori bacteria and developed stomach ulcers to prove to the medical community that this bacteria causes ulcers not the widely held belief that stress, spicy foods and too much acid were the problems.

The medical tests for H.pylori bacteria:

* Blood antibody test. Sees whether your body has made antibodies to the bacteria. This test will always show positive if you have had it in the past.

* Urea breath test. Check to see if you have the bacteria in your stomach.

* Stool antigen test. Checks to see if substances that trigger the immune system to fight a H.pylori infection is present in your feces.

* Stomach biopsy. A sample of the lining of your stomach and small intestine (stomach scope may show negative if you have done the treatment even if the bacteria is regrowing).

None of these are 100% accurate. You don’t always test positive when you have it.

Treatment for H. Pylori bacteria. You need 3 to 6 months to kill this bacteria in your digestive system, it is important not to stop treatments until all bacteria has been killed. The bacteria will be gone when you do not have the intestinal discomfort, gas or bloating after eating.

I have my spouse do the same treatment with me so we do not continue exchanging it. He feels good and healthy too.

Medical: Because it is bacterial, antibiotics are prescribed.You would have to take antibiotics for a long period of time which would not be good for you.

Antibiotics destroy your beneficial bacteria which depresses your immune system and it does not repair the damaged lining. You can have your defenses too low to fight anything that comes your way.

Natural: Nature’s Sunshine has spent a lot of time and money (5 years) to produce a natural product called Gastro Health that kills the H. pylori bacteria, it does not kill the beneficial bacteria, it also repairs the stomach and intestinal lining and prevents on-going infection.

To prevent future digestive system infections, they also make a teeth cleaning product called XyliBrite toothpaste that you use to create an unfriendly environment for the bacteria. You can also use Silver Shield to kill H. pylori,. Both products have been patented.

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