Annapolis Integrative Medicine
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More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
The GI Tract The Surprising Key To Health
We live in a day where the medical system and physician training fosters viewing the human body as composed of many seemingly un-related parts. One doctor looks at one and only one part while another looks at another.
What is very surprising is how connected the various parts of the body are.
There is no better example of this than the profound effects that the gastrointestinal tract (GI) has on overall health. In many patients who have chronic illnesses it is common to find that when they also have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as reflux, pain, or chronic diarrhea, it is only when their GI symptoms are treated and resolved that they begin to get better.
The GI tract is not just a tube. We all know how critical the GI tract is for digestion and absorption of nutrients. People are often unaware that up to 80% of the body's immune tissue that protects us from infections is located in the intestinal wall.
As well there are 10 times as many microorganisms (bacteria) in the intestines than there are cells in the human body. These bacteria are critical to achieving optimal health. The body uses these bacteria to produce vitamin K, to optimize the immune system, and to produce hormones.
Disruption in the healthy bacterial balance can often result in disease. Diseases that can result from bacterial gut imbalances include inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.
Food intolerances and allergies are another topic of gut health that is underappreciated. Many very young children with colic, chronic ear and sinus problems, and rashes often suffer from undiagnosed food allergies.
The most common sources of food allergy are dairy and wheat, as well as allergy to a wheat protein called gluten which can result in celiac disease. The health effects of these food allergies can often extend beyond the GI tract. For instance, even in the absence of significant GI symptoms, celiac disease can cause thyroid illness, osteoporosis, and neurological problems. Another example is a deficiency of stomach acid, which is critical for digestion. Most people know of acid reflux, but probably as common is a low level of stomach acid. This can result in chronic bloating, bacterial and yeast overgrowth, as well as poor absorption of food and nutrients, which can in turn result in osteoporosis, neurological issues, rashes, and muscular weakness.
It is important to bring to your physician's attention any chronic symptoms you have and ask if they can be connected to other health issues. It is useful to do food allergy testing, cultures for infections, and measurement of stomach acid.
Hunting for hidden bowel infections can often pay off handsomely in health benefits. Use of probiotics, which can restore normal bacterial balance, and pre-biotics which can nourish and return to health the intestinal cells and membrane, can often make a big difference.
