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IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME -
THE BOWELS OF HELL
by Lynn
Hinderliter, CN, LDN |
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Like most of my colleagues, I feel that the state
of a person's colon is an indication of their overall health. It
stands to reason, therefore, that many people, before they actually
become seriously sick, initially experience problems in
their bowels. The problem may manifest itself at first in subtle
ways - a little gas, occasional constipation, the odd feeling that
one's food is just sitting there - but these are warning signals,
and should be taken seriously as an indication that some changes
need to be made.
In 1972 or so, the most commonly prescribed
medication was valium. Now, prescriptions for digestive problems far
outnumber it, and the commonest complaint of all is Irritable
Bowel Syndrome. Once relatively rare, IBS now affects 20 to 30%
of Americans.
The strangest thing about IBS is that there are no
actual pathological, or tissue, changes that confirm its presence,
therefore it is more a case of first eliminating other diseases that
resemble it. When a person suffers from IBS, the normally regular
and rhythmic movements of the colon become spasmodic and
uncoordinated, slowing down the passage of waste matter, sometimes
causing actual blockages, and always resulting in bloating and
distention of the abdomen. The slower transit time of wastes leads
to toxins being reabsorbed and recirculated, which can often cause
accompanying inflammatory problems, such as lower back pain and
other joint flare-ups. The sufferer actually fears to eat, because
the consequences can be so immediate and so unpleasant.
- A small percentage of people with this disorder
would be advised to check and see whether they are infected with
a protozoan called Blastocystis Hominis. This nasty
critter can be ingested with contaminated food and water, and
causes symptoms identical to IBS, i.e. cramps, vomiting, gas,
weight loss and nausea. It appears to be an opportunistic
beastie, perhaps able only to wreak maximum havoc in the absence
of friendly bowel bacteria.
Otherwise, the causes of this
disorder appear to be, either all together, separately, or in any
combination:
- poor diet, lack of fiber
- Candida overgrowth/ bacterial
imbalance
- deficiency of certain nutrients, (e.g.
folic acid, essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes)
- overuse of antibiotics or laxatives
- an extremely nervous disposition
- food allergies (check the
Coca Pulse test)
- Possibly an intolerance to Fructose
may be involved
- poor combinations of foods (e.g.
protein, starch and sugar together, as in cheesecake)
- stress, probably an underestimated
cause - see my article at right, and the book The Second
Brain
- and possibly bacteria and/or viruses
- One three year study showed
(surprise!) that over-consumption of sugar (more than 55
grams per day) and
- frequent eating at fast food
restaurants play a part in this disease.
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These causes make it the most common bowel
complaint of the modern age. An interesting study recently
found that people who had been abused as children were at
high risk for this problem.
This provides further proof of the presence of
neurotransmitters in the colon! I recommend a
very interesting book called "The Second Brain" which details
the overwhelming scientific evidence for a second independent
nervous system in the gut. (See RESOURCES
at right) Those of you who read our newsletters and articles
regularly may remember that I have made passing reference to this
theory on a few occasions, but now: it is no longer a theory but a
proven and generally accepted fact not only that there are
neurotransmitters in the digestive tract, but that the system is
ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT of the brain! Why am I interpolating this
here? Because the main neurotransmitter of this independent
system turns out to be Serotonin. I am now recommending
5HTP
to many of my clients with IBS, and other bowel problems, and they
are experiencing truly phenomenal results. Try it!
Obviously there is an intimate connection between stress, its effect
on the enteric nervous system of the bowel, and consequent serotonin
deficiency.
If further proof of the connection between IBS and
the nervous system were needed, the recent success (up to a 70%
improvement rate) of treating IBS with hypnosis would provide it.
In this therapy, patients are counseled to view their digestive
system as a river, and given instruction on how to envisage it as
flowing smoothly. For more on the study, check
RESOURCES at right.
Might it be Celiac Disease?
It is apparent that the first two of the reasons
listed above are closely related: if one is not eating properly, one
will not get the nutrients one needs. I normally recommend for the
sufferer a two to three day cleansing fast, usually accompanied by
an antihelmitic combination, just in case parasites are a factor.
Renewlife's CleanseSmart and Paragone are
excellent for this. I follow with a careful elimination/rotation
diet to identify any possible allergens. (See
RESOURCES at right.)
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I strongly advocate the use of fresh juices,
particularly a carrot/ apple combination, with a little celery and
fresh ginger. Plenty of steamed, rather than raw, vegetables are
helpful, and fish should be added to the diet regularly. During a
flare-up, even steamed vegetables may be a problem: consider sieving
them, and approach with caution.
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I suggest plain
yogurt or
kefir (see
RESOURCES at
right) on a daily basis (as well as acidophilus capsules)
flavored with a little vanilla and/or maple syrup, and the
eating of nourishing homemade vegetable and potato soups. I ask
sufferers to avoid refined carbohydrates and prepackaged convenience
foods. Drinking of pops and caffeine is not recommended, but 6 to 8
glasses of pure water daily is essential. A strategy some of my
clients have found useful is to put a little herbal bitters or a
little lemon juice in their premeasured amount of daily water .
I usually recommend a digestive enzyme, too,
since problems in the bowel may start in the stomach. There is quite
a bit of evidence that pancreatic insufficiency is a factor in this
disease, and many of my clients benefit from adding
pancreatic enzymes to their
regimen. Often, Candidiasis plays a role and I frequently
send off for testing to check that possibility. (See Below and
RESOURCES for test kit) . We recommend cautiously adding fiber
to the diet not only by improving it, but by using a source of pure
fiber as a supplement, checking to make sure it contains no sugars.
Ground flax seed is an excellent choice.
The combination of allergy avoidance, pancreatin,
acidophilus and fiber, together with a Renewlife's Intestinew
to encourage healing in the intestines has a very high success rate.
You will find an interesting bit of reporting on
Fructose intolerance in the RESOURCES at right - a
suggestion that many sufferers from IBS may be sensitive to
fructose.
Lactose intolerance is well researched, and widely
recognized. What is less well-known is that it often forms part of a
triumvirate: wheat, corn and dairy.
Fructose generally comes from - what else? CORN!
Fish Liver Oil
is also an important supplement for this
problem: a source of Omega 3s, it is known to help
repair the bowel. About the only positive fact
about IBS is that the cells in the bowel are among the fastest
reproducing in the body, and once healing has started it is possible
to stimulate their reproduction and achieve a much healthier bowel.
Consider also a predigested Fish Protein supplement, such as
SeaCure: a study performed by Dr. Carol Englender, M.D.,
found considerable benefit in an outcome-based study, where 12 of 13
participants found the supplement effective at mediating IBS
symptoms after 60 days.
The other supplements we emphasize for this
problem are: Enzymes (both between meals to fight the
inflammation, and with meals to help digestion), high potency B
vitamins to help the nerves, with chamomile and Kava
Kava, N-Acetyl-Glucosamine, Zinc, Essential Fatty
Acids, Buffered Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Liquid Chlorophyll, and a
good
Green Food with Chlorella. A study in Europe found that
enteric coated (so they do not release in the stomach) capsules of
peppermint oil were a safe and effective method of inhibiting
internal spasms and controlling gas. Acidophilus capsules
are essential. There are also a number of herbal teas that relieve
the discomfort - look for teas containing peppermint, chamomile, and
fennel.
Saccharomyces Boulardii is a little known
but helpful adjunct for bowel problems, and gastro-intestinal
problems generally, since it not only appears to have effect against
bad bacteria, but also helps defend against bacterial infections.
I have seen good results against colon irritation resulting from
clostridium difficile, a nasty organism very hard to defeat, and
also recommend its use if antibiotics have caused diarrhea.
Another study, from Penn State, finds both that
animals suffering from Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis were
deficient in Vitamin D, and that adding Vitamin D to their
diet improved their conditions. (Reported at the Experimental
Biology 2000 conference) See RESOURCES at right for
another approach to Crohn's disease.
I would also suggest reading about
HSOs,
Homeostatic Soil Organisms. (Primal Defense)
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A 2001 study published in Phytother. Res.,
(15:58-61) reviewed results for Artichoke Extract with
dyspeptic individuals, and found that in a sub-group of patients who
also suffered from IBS, 96% reported better results using the
Artichoke extract than any previous therapy they had used for
IBS.
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A November 1998 study published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association found a Traditional
Chinese Medical remedy to be very effective in treating this
problem. This was a double-blind, placebo controlled trial that
found TCM effective. The name of the product in question is
Intestinal Bowel Soother, by Renewlife, and you can find it in
RESOURCES at right.
An Ayurvedic remedy called
Boswellia Serrata has also been
shown to be effective for ulcerative colitis: in one study,
sufferers were given 550mg of the herb or a drug three times daily
for 6 weeks, and approximately 82% of the patients on the herb and
75% of those on the drug went in to remission. Interestingly, a
recent study of patients suffering from Crohn's disease, a related
inflammatory disorder of the digestive tract, found that after
twelve weeks of low intensity exercise there was definite
improvement of both their physical and psychological symptoms.
Certainly there are gentle Yoga exercises which are designed to
improve digestion and elimination, so exercise would also be a
beneficial lifestyle change. (Am. J of Gastroenterology,
quoted in Better Nutrition June 1999)
This is a deep-seated and painful condition, and
one that it is not easy to correct because of the many contributing
factors. However, if a sufferer is prepared to go to some effort to
correct their diet and lifestyle, success is possible and with
success comes not only victory over the IBS but also an overall
improvement in health, as nutritional status always improves with
better digestion and elimination.
Common Virus Linked With Severe Bowel Disease
A common virus may be the cause of many
hard-to-treat cases of inflammatory bowel disease, researchers in
Italy report. More than one third of patients in a new study
who had colitis that did not respond to steroids were infected with
cytomegalovirus (CMV), the investigators found.
- A form of inflammatory bowel disease,
ulcerative colitis causes the large intestine to become inflamed
and ulcerated, leading to bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and
fever. Colitis can also occur in patients with Crohn's disease,
a chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall.
More than half of the population is infected with CMV, a type of
herpes virus. The virus rarely causes problems in adults with
healthy immune systems, although it can cause symptoms in people
with weakened immune systems, such as those infected with
HIV--the virus that causes AIDS.
- Just to give an idea of how seriously an
allergy can affect the bowel, there is a link an article from
Dr. Mercola's web site,
www.mercola.com , in my RESOURCES
at right which lays it out for you!
Eating Wheat Can Double Risk of Death
Celiac disease, a form of wheat allergy, doubles your risk
of death. The risks are particularly severe if you are
diagnosed late in the disease or do not adhere to a strict
diet free of gluten, a protein found in wheat and other
grains.
Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue or 'gluten
intolerance' is a genetic disorder that causes bowel
disorders, diarrhea or weight loss because of an
insensitivity to gluten. It affects approximately one in 30
people. Patients often develop cancers of the intestines,
which is thought to lead to a higher death rate.
Among 1,072 patients diagnosed with celiac disease in Italy
from 1962 to 1994, researchers found 53 deaths, compared
with an expected 26 deaths in the general population. The
leading cause of death was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Relatives of patients with celiac disease did not have a
higher than average risk of death, nor did patients who
lived three years following diagnosis.
According to the authors, "Prompt and strict dietary
treatment decreases mortality in celiac patients."
The Lancet, August 4, 2001; 358:
356-361
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: (www.mercola.com
)
"Leave it to the Italians to find yet another complication
of wheat ingestion - an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma.
Wheat has already been associated with:
Infertility
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Heart Disease
Developmental Delay in Children
Most all of us do not benefit from eating wheat - yes even
whole wheat. I know this is hard to hear for many of you.
But just remember, I was once fooled enough so that when I
was in medical school nearly 25 years ago my nickname was
"Dr. Fiber", as I was always preaching the benefits of whole
grains.
Little did I know that wheat, and nearly all other grains,
rapidly convert to sugar and rapidly accelerate aging and
chronic illness in most, although certainly not all of us.
Unless you are seriously underweight, most of us would best
be served by limiting or avoiding wheat altogether. I was
well over 40 years old before I realized this kernel of
truth and I probably chopped a good 20 years off the end of
the limit of my life span by not applying it earlier.
Hopefully, many of you will realize this truth and apply
this challenging discipline so you will reap the fruits of a
good and long healthy life for you and your family." |
Lastly, a note of caution:
nuts and seeds can be really dangerous in any case of advanced colon
irritation. You would be wise to avoid them completely until
you feel you are no longer at risk.
YOU MAY SUSPECT, BUT DO YOU KNOW?
There is a simple test that can be done to determine
whether you have a Parasite or Candida problem: we have the
kits here. The cost of the kit is $15.96 plus shipping, and
you then send a stool sample off to the lab. You are
personally responsible for the lab fee of $80.00.
The results are sent directly to the Health Care Provider you
select.
Order the
UroKeep
Test Kit for Candidiasis and parasites:
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The Second Brain:
A Groundbreaking New
Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine
by
Michael D. Gershon
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