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Improve the quality of your life. 11/6/2007 Digestive Woes   Do you know anyone who uses the conventional nostrums Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec, Prevacid, or Zantac or the OTC versions like Mylanta, Maalox, or Tums to relieve acid reflux, indigestion, or let’s just generally say gastritis? Maybe you use some of these. Are they helpful?...very often, sometimes, not always. Do they address the root of the condition?...probably not but the immediate relief these remedies often bring is the source of their widespread popularity. Discovering root causes is time consuming and suggests lifestyle changes; never easy. When you are experiencing gastro-intestinal stress: bloating, burning, anal leakage, abdominal pain, and heartburn, there is nothing quite like a quick fix and philosophical discussions about possible drug side effects seem ill-timed. Before suggesting some nutritional practices that might help correct chronic digestive disorders and maybe even acute problems such as appendicitis and hepatitis, some background information will be helpful. Two physicians Albert Schweitzer and Dennis Burkett, and a Dentist, Weston Price, spent time in Africa studying the indigenous populations. They all found when Africans ate their native diet the incidence of digestive and gastro-intestinal diseases were rare to virtually non-existent. In fact Dr. Burkett’s observation that the traditional African diet resulted in remarkable digestive health and his conclusion (now the gospel of modern bowel health) that their high fiber diet was the reason, led to the recent oat bran fad and to the cereal manufacturers all trumpeting the wonders of their high fiber breakfast treats. Dr. Thomas Cowan, MD, upon closer examination of Burkett’s work reveals there is conflicting data that fills out the picture and leads to a different conclusion. According to Dr. Cowan, “For while many healthy African people do eat a high fiber diet, some like the Masai, eat a low fiber diet and still have excellent intestinal health. The common thread in all of the groups studied by Burkett, Schweitzer and Price is that they consumed large amounts of lacto-fermented foods, the kind that produce a steady supply of healthy bacteria to enrich the ecology of the bowels.” Among these fermented foods were various naturally soured milk products. As the African cultures changed and the art of natural fermentation was lost, western style gastro-intestinal diseases became part of the health landscape. In the United States the art of creating lacto-fermented sauerkraut, vegetables, and grains has almost disappeared. I say almost because there is a quiet yet growing movement keeping this ancient art alive. Convenient sources of lacto-fermented probiotic foods that are readily available include: Helios organic Kefir, natural plain yogurt, Bubbies sauerkraut, and Eden brand miso. To realize the benefits we promote, purchase the kefir and yogurt in their natural unsweetened forms. The environmental movement is very much in the news but as we consider the macro ecosystem let’s not forget the micro ecosystem in our intestines. The intestinal microorganisms help digest our food and are nourished by what we eat. Friendly bacteria synthesize vitamins, especially the B complex, secrete antibiotic-type substances protecting us from infections, and interact with our intestinal wall keeping it healthy and able to perform its role as a semipermeable barrier. These microorganisms are constantly recycling. The dead bacteria supply gentle bulk for our stools, without which we would suffer from constipation. Just as we can pollute the macro environment we can pollute our inner, digestive environment. Anti-biotics and other drugs have a tendency to pollute our inner system. It is important to first stop polluting our personal ecosystem and then to keep it populated with the friendly bacteria and digestive enzymes found in lacto-fermented foods. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, large and even moderate amounts of grains, refined or whole, are ecosystem polluters. Grains encourage the proliferation of yeasts to break them down. That is why I always recommend the elimination or at least a significant cutback of grains in the case of yeast overgrowth or any digestive difficulty. This will also serve to dramatically lower your daily glycemic load. With this in mind I recently suggested a one week no grain experiment. If gastritis or reflux disease is the issue, the total carb content of the diet should be kept under 20 grams per day for about two weeks. During this period no grains or fruit are eaten. If you feel better you have learned something about a possible root cause and perhaps a significant part of the solution. It would also be very helpful during the two week period to eat until you are only three-quarters full. This is critical because your stomach needs a little extra space to churn and swirl its contents with the digestive enzymes you still have. If your stomach is completely stuffed with food, the swirling and churning will force food into the esophagus. At this point in the nutrition experiment we have tested to see if carbs and overeating are part of the problem. We have also made suggestions that will provide friendly bacteria and digestive enzymes as provided by lacto-fermented foods. There are two more steps in our quest to reduce or eliminate drug dependence. Even though no one knows for sure what causes GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), it can be the case that the real problem is counter-intuitively a lack of stomach acid. With a lack of stomach acid food ferments and rots producing acids and gasses which rise and push the stomach up towards the chest cavity. Burping, belching, heart symptoms, chest pains, heartburn, and all the rest can result. Over time the hiatus weakens and allows gasses and acid to escape into the esophagus. A simple way to test if you have too much or too little stomach acid is to do the Zypan test during the two week experiment. Before each meal, drink four ounces of water and with the meal take two Zypan tablets (we have these in our supplement stock). If your digestion improves you have too little stomach acid and should continue taking Zypan until your daily nutrition improves. If you get a tingling or light burning you have too much acid. If that is the case use one to three Gastrex tablets or alternatively MediHerb HiPep instead of the Zypan. The last step is to test for food allergies as this can cause GERD. Some of the most common food causes of GERD are wheat, sugar, chocolate, citrus, onions, and tomatoes.     < BACK TO HEADLINES

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