Rescuing the Digestive Tract

Beneficial bacteria are a cornerstone of my treatments for nearly all bowel disorders, including Crohn’s disease, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Candida albicans overgrowth. Almost every one of these ailments is caused, in part, by a deficiency of good bacteria. Whenever a food allergy is felt to be behind a medical problem, probiotics will prove beneficial. A recent study on infants with atopic eczema made that point very well.

Constipation is perhaps the most common intestinal problem that stems from a bacterial imbalance. While fibre, magnesium, vitamin C, water intake and proper thyroid function are important for reestablishing regularity, the most valuable tool for getting things moving again is probiotic supplements. I have seen people, constipated for decades, who have ingested heroic amounts of fibre to no avail. After taking the probiotic trio for a week, they return to my office with many ‘moving’ stories. Why? Much of the stool is made up of bacteria, and increasing the number of these good guys in the intestines will increase its bulk significantly, allowing the gastrointestinal tract to function normally once again.

It stands to reason that intestinal problems would be linked to constituents of the intestinal tract. It may surprise you, however, that other illnesses throughout the body are also influenced by our friendly flora.

Arthritis
For reasons that scientists do not fully understand, the wrong bacteria in the digestive system can cause or worsen arthritis. This ailment is strongly associated with such gastrointestinal problems as Crohn’s disease, colitis and celiac disease. Beneficial bacteria are a crucial part of the management – and perhaps even the prevention – of joint disorders. The overuse of antibiotics, which kill the friendly flora, is probably one of the causes of the arthritis epidemic in the United States and Great Britain. Older people are more likely to be low in beneficial bacteria, which might explain why they’re more prone to arthritis as well.

Brain Dysfunction
Research has suggested that an overload of toxins in the digestive tract and liver could be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Harmful bacteria in the digestive tract create many toxins whose excess in the body may kill brain and nerve cells and in turn lead to these ailments. Hyperactivity in children may also be caused by such toxins from the gut. Probiotic supplements, happily, can reduce the buildup of these metabolic poisons.

Oxidation Damage
We know that antioxidant nutrients like vitamin С and vitamin E fight off the unstable free radical compounds that both damage tissues and cause or worsen virtually all of our modern plagues – including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, scleroderma and sickle cell anaemia. A better idea than beating back the free radical attack might be to prevent free radicals from forming in the first place. The number one site of free radical production is the large intestine, where they are created by harmful bacteria. By inhibiting the growth of these bad guys, the friendly flora add to our antioxidant defences.