The Digestive System

← Digestive Problems
← MY GUESS:
← Digestive Disorders:
• Gastritis (Stomach)
• Colitis (colon)
• Ileitis (ileum or small intestines)
• Hepatitis (liver)
• Cholecystitis (gall blatter)

← 6. Constipation (two types)

i) Fecal matter overly packed together (most common)
o strained movement and rectal pressure
ii) Hardened feces sticks to the wall of the colon and does not pass out
o caused by excessive moisture reabsorption from colon

o medium becomes sticky

o gets coating of itself onto walls of colon

o forms tough, rubbery, black substance

o many build up in pockets or coat entire length of colon

o not passed with ordinary movements (requires cleanse)

← 7. Congestive Bowel Toxicity (aka. Auto-intoxication)
 • body poisons itself with decaying matter in colon
• toxins released get into bloodstream
• sicken cells in body
Causes:
• lack of healthy bacterial flora
• candiac albicans overgrowth
• overeating and eating too frequently
• eating late at night (digestive powers)
• weak digestive system
• Main bowel toxins:
• ammonia, indican, scotole, phenol, histamine
←
← 8. Colonic Disorders (pg 121-123)
• Adhesion (caused by inflammations and irritations to bowel wall)
• Ballooning (caused by back up feces)

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• Colitis and Spastic Bowel (irritable bowel associated with stress)

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• Diverticulosis (colon hernia caused by a diet lacking bulk or fiber)

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• mucosal dysfunction (when the mucous lining becomes stagnant)

 • Stricture (narrowing of a passageway usually after a bout of colitis)

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• Viceration (due to irritation, abrasions, infections and toxicity)

•
← Digestive Supplements and Herbs
← 1. Betaine Hydrochloride
• supplemental form of stomach acid
• taken before, during or after meals
o improve digestion of proteins and fats but not carbs
• C/I in gastritis or ulcers
← 2. Fruit Derived Enzymes
• Bromelain = obtained from pineapple
• Papain = extracted from papaya
o Protein-digesting enzymes

o Anti-inflammatory + antibiotic activity

• C/I in people with inflammation of the stomach lining
← 3. Probiotics
• several thousand billion bacteria in your body
• most important are:
o i) Lactobacillus acidophilus

o ii) Bifidobacterium bifidum

• manufacture biotin and vitamin k
• prevents/treats antibiotic-induced diarrhea and yeast infections
• preventitive against food posoning when traveling
 • taken in between meals to avoid extreme stomach acidity
← 4. Flatulence Aids
• flatus = symptom of disease or inappropriate diet
• Herbal aids:
o i) sage (salvia officinalis)

o ii) peppermint (mentha piperito)

o iii) chamomile (matricaria recutita)

o iv) hops (humulus lupulus)

o v) fennel (foericulum vulgare)

o vi) valerian (valeriana officinalis)

← 5. Fiber Supplements
• lower blood cholesterol levels
• lower formation of cancer-causing compounds in the gut
• stabilize blood sugar levels
• psyllium seed, oatbran, rice bran and ground flaxseeds
← 6. Digestive Enzymes
• capacity to make enzymes lower with age
• prolonged heat (ie. Greater than 118F (48C) destroys enzymes in food)
• more reliance on the body’s production of enzymes
←
← Digestive Enzymes (page 112-117)
← Classifications – 3 major categories
• Metabolic enzymes
• Pancreatic enzymes
• Food/plant enzymes
← 1) Metabolic Enzymes (found in cytoplasm – made internally)
• responsible for running the body’s chemistry
o eg. Breathing, thinking, moving and immunity
← 2) Pancreatic Enzymes
• responsible for food digestion
• 3 most revalent are amylase, lipase and protease
o a) Amylase
 Digests polysaccharides into disaccharides
 No digestion of sugars (disaccharides)
 Antihistamine properties
o b) Protease
 Digests protein into amino acids
 Deficiency in protease = protein intolerance
 High protein foods don’t ‘agree’ with them
 Can’t digest any form of protein
 Protein deficiency
o c) Lipase (digests fats)
  Breaks down triglycerides into glycerol and fatty acids
 Requires bile to break fat down into smaller units
 Low in HCI = inadequate bile
← 3) Plant (Food) Enzymes
• include protease, amylase, lipase
• also contain disaccaridases (digest sugar) and cellulase (digests soluble fiber)
• work at specific pH and temperature ranges
• outside pH range – enzymes deactivated but not destroyed
• outside temperature range – enzyme deactivated and destroyed
←
← How Plant Enzymes Work - 3 Types
← i) Predigestion
• initiate predigestion of carbs, proteins, fat in stomach
• continue digestion in small intestine
• spare pancreas from compensating for inadequate digestion
← ii) Nutritional Support
• augment delivery of nutritional support by ensuring digestion
• more effective than isolated vitamin and mineral supplements
← iii) Acute or Chronic Support
• on empty stomach
o plant enzymes enter the bloodstream intact
 o assist the immune system by digesting certain toxins

o promote anti-inflammatory effect

• protease not recommended in ulcers, gastritis or hiatus hernia (see page 135)
← Cleansing
• Colon tends to accumulate stagnant, compacted matter
• Necessary to remove layer for maximal absorption of nutrients
• Laxatives:
o Increase liquid retained in the feces (eg. Milk of magnesium)

o Chemically soften hardened stool

o Act as a lubricant (eg. Mineral oil laxatives)

o Can also stimulate peristalsis

 Body can become dependent on laxatives
← Cleansing Diet
• Low protein, low fat and high natural complex carbohydrate diet
• 80% raw vegetarian food
• high fiber diet and fresh, whole fruit or vegetables and juices
• supplemented with herbs:
o i) Cascara Sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana)
 promotes penstalic action in the intestines
o ii) Cayenne (capsicum frutenscens)
 promotes divestive secretions and increases peristaltic motion
o iii) Valerian Root (Valeriana Officinalis)
 nervine sedative used to relax the intestinal muscle
• Dosage:
o 2 capsules Cascara Sagradia

o 2 capsules Cayenne

o 2 capsules Valerian Root

 each capsule = 450 mg of herbs (900-1000mg each)
 taken at bedtime for 7 days