Digestive support
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As it passes through the duodenum and into the small intestine, food has injected into it further digestive juices from the gall bladder and the pancreas. Most attacks of gall bladder pain, and so presumably most disorders of the gall bladder, are due to food allergic reactions. They clear up on cutting out the allergen (the food causing the reaction). Removal of the gall bladder may well be unnecessary therefore, and is likely to lead to reduced absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
The pancreas produces a large quantity of bicarbonate to neutralise the acid from the stomach. With this come several enzymes, which further break down the food and make it ready for absorption. The pancreas is a high output organ, called on for sudden peaks of activity when the stomach is emptying. As a result, even a relatively slight reduction in pancreatic function may produce a ceiling on its output capacity, and a meal of a large size, that exceeds this capacity, will lead to undigested food passing down the intestine. Also, allergic reactions to foods may interfere with pancreatic function, and produce the same result. The probably immediate consequence is abdominal bloating and wind half an hour or more after eating, although again some people experience no symptoms. The longer-term consequences can be similar to those of gastric under functioning; malabsorption of nutrients, and a probability of food allergies. In the small intestine there are millions of small finger-like projections called villi, the purpose of which is to increase the surface area available for absorption of nutrients from food. When bloating occurs, it is due to gas in the intestine, and the increase in pressure can flatten these villi and reduce the surface area, making absorption less efficient. |
Within the large intestine there is normally something of the order of 3-4lbs in weight of micro-organisms. These are crucial to digestion, as they assist breaking down protein and carbohydrates, and manufacture a range of vitamins, which are then available to the body of their host. Prominent among these are vitamins D and B12, but all the B vitamins also appear to be manufactured in this manner. Antibiotics, steroid hormones, infections and other factors, can interfere with these organisms, and lead to disorders of bowel habit (constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome and so on), and problems with general health too. This problem is dealt with in a separate sheet “Bowel Organism Therapy”. When the process of digestion is disordered, two of the simplest therapies are to give supplements of hydrochloric acid (in the form of Betaine Hydrochloride capsules) or digestive enzymes. Until recently these latter were obtained from the digestive tracts of animals, but now nutritionists tend to use plant-derived enzymes. As well as being kinder to animals, these work at a much wider range of acidity, so they start working in the stomach, and continue through the small intestine, which makes them more effective. Because of this, they can be taken with meals instead of after meals. Anyone whose symptoms include bloating, wind or even indigestion occurring after meals is likely to benefit from using one of these. But as they help in the breakdown of food, people with allergic reactions to foods may also find them helpful in preventing symptoms. Absorption of nutrients is also likely to be improved, thus making it easier to survive on a restricted diet. Indeed people who react adversely to vitamins or minerals, in tablet form, may find that digestive enzymes block or reduce their reactions. So they can be indicated even when digestive symptoms don’t exist. |