The Vita-Nutrient Solutions Part 4

DIGESTIVE HEALTH

The health of the digestive tract is crucial for the overall health of the body. If you cannot digest your food and eliminate toxins well, you do not stand a good chance of being optimally healthy. In addition, virtually every chronic condition will be exacerbated if the intestinal tract accumulates toxic by-products.

For those with poor digestive function, supplements of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes can also be helpful. Still, it is best to work with a health care practitioner to determine whether these supplements will help your specific problem. You especially do not want to take hydrochloric acid if you don’t need it, as it may cause gastric upset.

Candida Overgrowth
The overgrowth of the yeast organism Candida albicans, which normally resides peacefully in our intestinal tract, is one of our most significant new epidemics. The result of sugar gorging and overuse of antibiotics, Candida overgrowth plays a contributing role in the larger disease picture of chronic fatigue syndrome, immune system weakness, ‘brain fog’, irritable bowel syndrome and food intolerances. A sugar-free diet, which also eliminates fermented foods, is the starting point.

Constipation and Diverticulitis
Problems like constipation and diverticulitis, the painful condition where the mucus membranes of the large intestine become inflamed, are unknown in cultures that consume diets low in sugar and high in fibre. Yet these problems, once present, need more than a sugar-free diet to be treated effectively.

Those with constipation should also exercise regularly and have their thyroid functions checked. Drinking eight 250-ml glasses of water a day is also important. Finally, make sure to check for an overgrowth of Candida, which can often cause constipation.

Heartburn (Esophageal Reflux)

I have rarely seen a case of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disorder [GERD] is the medical term for the condition) that did not improve when simple sugars – sweets, fruit and milk – were removed from the diet. Fibre and beneficial bacteria can also be helpful in treating this condition. Sometimes heartburn is caused by a lack of stomach acid and can be relieved with betaine (this treatment should not be started unless a doctor’s test confirms the absence of gastric acid).

Ulcers
Thought for a century to be the result of stress, ulcers are more accurately attributed to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. These lesions that form on the stomach walls do not occur among people on primitive diets, leading to the conclu-sion that they are caused at least in part by refined carbohydrates like sugar and flour. Of this I am certain: reducing one’s intake of dietary carbohydrates is a major part of the treatment for ulcers. Adding fibre to the diet is important, along with beneficial bacteria supplements.