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Digestion - Key to Good Health
The subject of digestion is an area of health in which the differences between allopathic medicine (standard orthodox medicine) and biological medicine are strikingly obvious. For example: A patient visits a medical doctor and complains of heartburn. What will the prescribed treatment be? "My doctor said 'Mylanta'" is what the ads tell us. Or acid blockers may be prescribed. The plan here clearly is to block or suppress symptoms. No time is spent trying to discover the root of the problem. No testing is done to see if the person actually has excess stomach acidity. If such testing were to be performed, the M.D. and patient would both quickly learn that such is not the case. Excess stomach acidity is not the problem. However, the "Mylanta" or "Tums" or acid blocker is chosen. Now the hapless victim can no longer perform normal digestion at all. Minerals require acid for absorption. B-12 requires acid for absorption. Proteins require acid for digestion. Normal stomach acid also kills parasites and bacteria including H. Pylori, which is a factor in ulcers. Health is now certain to decline.
A biologically oriented practitioner (N.D., D.C. nutritionist, the occasional M.D. etc.) on the other hand, will try to find out what is really wrong and attempt to aid the body in performing its normal functions. This is not simply a different approach from standard medicine. It is a totally opposite approach. The goal is to help things happen, not stop things from happening. But before we talk about what the biologically based practitioner would suggest, let us briefly outline the main points of how the digestive system works. This is useful information and can save you and your family a lot of pain, sickness and grief.
When food is chewed, food is broken down into small particles and glands inside the mouth secrete amylase to begin carbohydrate digestion. This is why we generally do not drink liquids with meals - we need to chew food enough that it can easily be swallowed - not just washed down with liquid.
When food arrives in a normal healthy stomach, cells there release hydrochloric acid (HCl) and protein digesting enzymes. But there is a problem. Making HCl requires a lot of energy and production declines after age 35 or so in most people. Also, certain conditions such as low salt intake or food poisoning or certain infections can damage the cells that make HCl. So now when the food arrives in the stomach, there is little or no HCl to greet it. Proteins begin to putrefy and may feel like they "just sit there". Carbohydrates begin to ferment producing gas and chemicals that are very irritating. Now we have heartburn. In some cases these irritating chemicals will back up into the throat and there will be "acid reflux". Correct treatment is to supplement HCl (betaine hydrochloride) with each meal. After trying this, people often report how good they feel and how they enjoy being free of pain. It is important to continue any prescription medications until your physician says to do otherwise, and ask your physician if there is any reason why you should not try HCl. It is also important to start off with a small dose as your stomach may not be used to having normal acid there. Stop immediately and take some baking soda in water if HCl causes pain.
As the food moves into the upper end of the small intestine, the pancreas releases enzymes to help continue digestion and bicarbonate to neutralize the stomach acid. The liver releases bile to help break down fats. Cells that line the small intestine also release enzymes to break down starches and sugars. Fermented and putrefied foods that arrive here can damage these cells further upsetting digestion and making a person very sensitive to carbohydrates.
When a person eats raw food, the food itself contains enzymes. It has been estimated that raw food contains, on the average, enough enzymes to do about 60% of the digestion of that food. Cooked foods contain no enzymes. Most of us eat nearly all of our calories as cooked food. The body then has to provide all of the enzymes needed for digestion. Eventually, supplies run low and fats, proteins and carbohydrates are not completely digested. Undigested foods can be absorbed and cause allergic reactions. Undigested proteins cause the red blood cells to stick together and this greatly reduces circulation resulting in everything from headaches to fatigue. Every cell in the body is affected. Undigested proteins can also form uric acid crystals that can collect in the joints and cause joint pain and gout. Correct treatment for all this is to take enzymes just before each meal. The Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes work very well to promote digestion and dissolve wastes in the blood. I have experimented with other brands and most do not work as well. Ask your physician if there is any reason that you should not try this.
One other thing: Aacid reflux is usually related to hiatal hernia. This condition often exists even if it is not detectable medically. A hiatal hernia distorts the shape of the stomach and allows leaking to take place into the esophagus. To correct this, have the person lie on their back and you kneel by their head. Place the bony spur on the heel of your right palm (near your wrist) just off the edge of the bottom of their breastbone in the soft area there. Place your left palm on top of your right hand. Apply firm pressure at a 45-degree angle toward their back and their feet. Hold this for one minute. This pulls the stomach back into position. If done correctly, relief will be noticed in a few hours. Ask your physician first if there is any reason why you should not try this.
The digestive process should be free of pain and should go almost unnoticed. In most cases this can be achieved by helping the body do what it needs to do.