The digestive system is the root of health. The common philosophy amongst most “natural health” practitioners is that you are only as healthy as your digestive system is. This is because without proper nutrients no cell, organ, gland or system can do its job properly. It takes strong digestion to break down the essential fats, minerals, proteins and other substances critical for a healthy functioning body. Most people have limited knowledge about digestion and many are unknowingly ruining their digestion on a daily basis. This can lead to serious health consequences. To understand this, we need to know what is healthy, and what is not.
Healthy Digestive Physiology: We have in our body a “neuro-lingual communication”. What this means is that when food touches the tongue it sends a message directly to the brain that food is coming. The brain perceives every mineral, fat, carbohydrate, protein, etc. that touches the tongue. In response, it sends the appropriate enzyme for what it senses. In the stomach, it releases an acid enzyme called “hydrochloric acid” (“HCL”). HCL, although it is an acid, does not burn the stomach, nor damage healthy stomach mucosa. Its function is to kill any and all bacteria, virus, parasite, yeast, mold or fungus that is ingested. It is also responsible for digesting minerals. Minerals in their larger form are rocks. It takes something very caustic to digest minerals, so the pH of HCL is zero to 1.0 (bringing the overall stomach pH to 1.0-1.2 – ideal stomach chemistry). This acidity is equal to battery acid. But it is GOOD. It also triggers the release of other enzymes in the stomach and further down the digestive tract.
When all these stomach enzymes and enzymatically digested food (together called “chyme”) leave the stomach and enter the upper end of the small intestine (called the “duodenum”), the acid environment triggers receptor sites on the walls of the duodenum and causes a hormone to be released. This hormone causes the gallbladder and pancreas to release their enzymes into the duodenum. These enzymes are very alkaline (opposite of acid). These enzymes mostly digest fats and protein, but also carbohydrates (carbohydrates are also digested in the mouth and stomach). When the acid stomach enzymes combine with the alkaline duodenal enzymes, they neutralize. Then they go down the rest of the digestive system (intestines) neutral. This is healthy digestion.
Digestion Gone Askew: Due to the reasons described below in further detail, digestion ceases to function properly. If you are like the average American and chew only 10% of your food, the brain only perceives 10% coming. Then it only releases enough enzymes to digest 10% of what’s coming. What happens to the other 90%? The body ferments (or rots) it instead. When food ferments, it releases organic acids which burn and damage the delicate stomach lining. This causes heartburn. It also releases gases which bubble up, causing “gas” (either belching or flatulence) and bloating. If it persists long enough, it weakens the valve between the stomach and esophagus, and eventually you get “GERD” (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease), commonly referred to as “reflux”. Heartburn and reflux are the result of a DEFICIENCY of the proper acids in the stomach – a deficiency of hydrochloric acid. It is not a generalized acid excess – it is the result of too few of the good acids resulting in too many of the bad acids.
Drugs such as Tums™, Rolaids™, PeptoBismol™, etc. work by absorbing the bad fermentation acids along with the good, already-in-short-supply acid enzymes. Drugs such as Prevacid™, Zantac™, Prilosec™, Protonix™, Acifex™, Nexium™, etc. actually stop the body from secreting these precious enzymes, perpetuating the malfunctioning digestive system even further.
When food ferments instead of enzymatically digesting, the pH of the chyme, instead of dropping to 1.0 to 1.2, a normal stomach pH, only drops to 4.5-5.0. Thus, when the chyme enters the duodenum it is not acidic enough to trigger the receptor sites. The enzymes from the pancreas and gallbladder do not get released, and the chyme never neutralizes. The chime, which is now not acidic enough to trigger the receptor sites, yet too acidic for the delicate lining of the intestines, flows through the rest of the digestive tract causing new problems. This manifests as irritable bowel, Crohn’s Disease, diverticulitis and other malfunctioning diseases. In addition, because the enzymes from the pancreas and gallbladder weren’t released, fat and protein digestion is incomplete. Without these essential nutrients, health deteriorates and you will gain weight.
Why Digestion Goes Askew: When digestion goes askew, we must first ask “WHY?” There are several reasons why. Stress is one of the first. Stress is interpreted by the body as a “Fight or Flight Instinct”. In a fight or flight instinct, anything not responsible for either fighting or running gets shut down. Digestion is one of those functions that get shut down. That’s okay once in awhile, however, if it continues day in and day out, the digestive system stops working effectively.
Secondly, we tend to eat too fast. In the beginning, we discussed the neuro-lingual communication and how eating chunks of food inhibits the release of enough enzymes to digest all that is consumed. This ferments the food instead. This means minerals are broken down small enough to get into the blood stream, but not small enough to get into the cells, the tissues and the bones where they are needed. This leads to disorders such as arthritis, cataracts, osteoporosis, gallbladder or kidney stones, bone spurs and many other mineral related diseases. It also affects brain chemistry, because brain chemistry is mineral-dependent. This leads to depression and a decreased ability to cope with stress.
Third, we are eating too many overly processed, “dead” foods. Raw fruits and vegetables contain live enzymes that assist in digestion. If we don’t consume those in each meal, the stomach has to work extra hard to digest. Foods that are boxed, canned and otherwise packaged are considered “dead foods”. The easiest way to know which are dead and which are life-giving, is the shelf life. The faster they spoil, the better they are for you.
We also drink cold liquids or eat too many cold foods, which weakens digestion. This affects digestion in two ways. The stomach needs to be at a certain temperature to digest. Eating cold foods means the stomach has to warm up even more to reach that temperature. Digestion is already one of the most energy-consuming functions in the body. When it has to work harder, not only is it weakened, but less energy is available for daily activities. Drinking cold liquids not only makes the stomach colder, but it also dilutes the enzymes, making them even less efficient. If drinking fluids is necessary, warm herbal tea is a better option. But the bottom line reason why people drink with meals is to wash the chunks down! So slow down, chew your food to a liquid, and you won’t need more liquids with your meal.
Many people also over-eat, which over-stretches the stomach. The stomach also works by mechanical action. The stomach muscles squeeze and twist to break down food mechanically so that the enzymes mix with the food better. Over-eating over-stretches the stomach, and like an overstretched rubber band, it becomes less effective. Now that you understand both healthy and unhealthy digestion and its impact on your health, you’ll understand why improving your digestion will be an important factor in your healing process. This applies whether you come in for digestive issues to start with, whether you have any complex health challenge, or even if you simply have a sports-type injury. You need the raw materials to heal every tissue, organ and system in the body. As a result, your digestion must work properly, AND you have to ensure you include the raw materials – the proper fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, water, and vitamins your body needs to heal with!
©2005 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
