Digestive Disorders Are Rampant In America
By Jim Harris

The most common complaint I hear from prospective new clients is the problems they experience with their digestive tract. Their complaints or symptoms vary and include indigestion, acid reflux, bloating or a feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen or the lower abdomen, abdominal pain and/or cramping, constipation or diarrhea and more. There are often multiple symptoms for each individual.

When these people come to see me, inevitably the standard allopathic or western medical approach to their digestive distress has failed them with the use of medications, which attempt to mask the symptoms of their digestive problem. Only out of desperation do they seek the alternative or more natural approach to rescue them. Unfortunately, most Americans are under the impression that they have health if a drug alleviates their symptoms.

The process of digestion involves a complex series of events, all which must be functioning properly to have a symptom free digestive tract.

Digestion begins in the mouth with the mechanical breakdown of the food with the act of chewing. The chewing process also mixes in saliva, which contains digestive enzymes to start the chemical breakdown of the food ingested. These initial steps in the digestive process are affected by reduced chewing or mastication capabilities due to tooth loss or an interference to jaw movement. Hurried eating habits resulting in poorly chewed food are a problem of the twenty first century and exacerbate any pre-existing digestive problem. Reduced flow of saliva is detrimental to the initial chemical decomposition of the food.

The most common cause of reduced salivary flow is the use of various medications often associated with high blood pressure and/or emotional conditions.

The food passes from the mouth, down the esophagus to the stomach. It is imperative for the continuation of an appropriate digestive process that the stomach present an extremely acid environment with a pH of 1 to 2. If the pH is higher than this there is improper degradation of the food with proteins rotting or undergoing putrefaction and carbohydrates fermenting.

Putrefaction and fermentation result in the production of gases in the stomach.   The pressure of these gases causes bloating and regurgitation or reflux of the stomach contents into the esophagus, often accompanied with burping and giving acid burning feelings. The use of antacids and drugs that stop the production of stomach acids generally only exacerbates the existing digestive problem and can mask or hide the person’s ailing digestion symptoms. This symptomatic relief falsely makes the sufferer believe they are cured of their digestive disorder when in fact all they have achieved is to change one digestive problem into another one.

From the stomach, the food undergoing digestion along with the nutrients it contains, moves to the small intestine where it is further churned by muscular contractions and mixed with fluids from the liver/gall bladder and pancreas. These fluids further the breakdown and buffer the food to a pH of about 8.3. There must be proper function of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas for proper small intestine function. Many people with a surgically removed gall bladder are not taking nutritional support for their man made or iatrogenic condition.

The small intestine, through muscular contractions, moves the decomposing food, now called chyme, to the colon. The four parts of the colon along with the rectum is the end of the digestive tract. The colon is responsible for removing the fluids and water soluble nutrients from the chyme, thus forming the solid waste which is eliminated as the feces or stool.

In a previous editorial, I discussed the importance of the 60 or so varieties of necessary microflora or bacteria present in a healthy colon. These beneficial bacteria promote nutrient production in the colon, maintain proper colon pH of about 6.8 and prevent the over growth of harmful organisms in the colon. These friendly bacteria are responsible for the production of folic acid, vitamin K and some of the B vitamin complex.

Health of the entire digestive tract is essential for optimal overall well being of every individual. Rarely is a digestive issue solved by addressing only one part of this complex system. It must be determined which aspects are not functioning up to par, not randomly attempting to correct the problem without a plan in mind. For example, do you need to start with the stomach, liver, gall bladder or could it be the colon?    Most often it is necessary to fine tune a number of the organs or glands associated with the digestive process and not just one.  If left uncorrected, digestive disorders can result in degenerative and autoimmune diseases or disorders.

Jim Harris is a naturopath and Nutritional Consultant at the Art of Wellness Center in Palm Springs. 1900 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite C-4, Palm  Springs, CA 92262
www.theartofwellnesscenter.com   tel: 760-778-5600