Colon and Digestive Health 

 

Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D. 

 

Digestive diseases in Western societies appear to be on the increase. Modern studies indicate that the incidence of various forms of inflammatory bowel disease have risen over the course of this century, leveling off only in the 1970s. Other digestive and related autoimmune diseases still appear to be increasing. Between 60 and 75% of all hospitalizations in the United States are for illnesses either immediately involving the digestive system or related to digestive impairment, and as many as 58% of the patients hospitalized in this country are estimated to be malnourished. To recover and maintain digestive health, the digestion of food must be supported and damage to the alimentary canal must be alleviated. Moreover, the gastrointestinal tract is one of the primary sites of general body detoxification. Enzymes, fiber and gut bacteria all play important roles in detoxification. 

 

The alimentary canal or gastro-intestinal tract has many functions. It has purely mechanical aspects, such as the chewing of food, the mixing/churning of food in the stomach, and the movement of food through the system. It has chemical aspects, such as the production of gastric acid and digestive enzymes. It has eliminatory functions, which include the disposal of immune waste materials via the bile. Finally, the digestive tract must act as a direct barrier to bacteria, fungi, parasites and toxins which otherwise might enter the body.  

 

An important part of digestion is the breakdown of large molecules into smaller molecules that can pass into the blood and be used by the various tissues of the body. Proteins must be broken down into smaller units called peptides. Starches must be broken down into glucose, the sugar which is found in the blood and which feeds the brain. Fats must be split into smaller units and then encapsulated in special protein-based carriers in order to pass through the blood. Even many minerals require chelation by stomach acid before they can be absorbed and utilized. All of the areas that constitute digestion thus must be in good working order to insure adequate nutrition. Optimal health cannot be achieved or maintained without good digestion. 

 

Enzymes released by the pancreas play a significant role not just in digestion, but in the overall health of the body. The list of complaints which researchers have linked to poor digestion includes acne, allergies, bloating after meals, malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies, various immune dysfunctions, rheumatoid arthritis, dry skin, and the impaired healing of wounds and athletic injuries. Even the control of parasites and yeasts in the digestive tract depends upon secretion of pancreatic enzymes.  

 

A convenient and powerful approach to improving digestion is to supplement with the full spectrum of pancreatic enzymes. The pancreas produces roughly 1.5 quarts of pancreatic juice each day. This rich mixture of enzymes consists primarily of three families of compounds. Amylases are enzymes that break down starches and other carbohydrates into simple sugars. The salivary glands (in the mouth) secrete amylase into the saliva and carbohydrate digestion continues until glucose (blood sugar) is formed. Proteases are involved in the digestion of proteins. Proteins are first acted upon in the stomach by hydrochloric acid, pepsin and gastrin. Then the pancreatic components trypsin, chymotrypsin and caroxypepdidase help to complete the reduction of the large protein molecules to di- and tripeptides and into free amino acids. Finally, lipase is the enzyme that the pancreas secretes to aid the digestion of fats. This compound helps to break down dietary fats called triglycerides – 35% of the typical American diet – into monoglycerides and free fatty acids. Fats are the most difficult of foods to properly digest, yet they are necessary sources of important vitamins and other nutrients, such as the vitamins A and E and the heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. A pancreatic supplement rich in lipase, therefore, is highly desirable. 

 

Several other approaches to improving gut integrity are known. For instance, several amino acids have been shown to be useful. The amino acid mixture containing L-glutamine, L-cysteine and L-glycine experimentally protects against gastric acid-induced gastric ulcers.³ L-arginine is another protective amino acid.⁴ Many researchers consider glutamine to be especially important to general gut health. In Europe, N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) is promoted for use by those with irritable and inflammatory bowel conditions. 

 

Elimination is, of course, the flip side of digestion. Fiber is an important element in detoxification programs that go beyond supporting the actions of the liver in supporting the eliminative actions of the intestinal tract. Toxins are usually removed from the system either by being bound up in the bile or by being eliminated via the urine. Fiber supports the removal of bile-bound toxins. It is now recognized that the addition of fiber to the diet, especially soluble and semi-soluble fibers, offers many health benefits.⁵ Consuming green foods and sufficient fiber of the right sorts is not a luxury, but rather a necessity. Those who find it difficult to consume adequate vegetables might consider one of the green foods concentrates available and/or adding crushed flax seed (2 – 4 tablespoonsful daily) to the diet. An especially good introduction to the issues of detoxification with sound dietary advice is Ann Louise Gittleman, The Fat Flush Plan. 

 

Fiber exists in soluble, semisoluble and insoluble forms. Insoluble fibers are those for which humans lack digestive enzymes, and therefore they do not break down significantly in our digestive tracts. Cellulose from grain bran, some parts of fruits and vegetables, and lignin from legumes and flax are insoluble fibers. These fibers provide roughage to insure bowel movements.  

 

Soluble fibers, which do break down under the action of our digestive enzymes, include pectins and gums (mucilages). About a third of the fiber in fruits, vegetables, and many legumes is soluble. Beet fiber is a commercial source of this type of vegetable fiber. Some grains, such as oats and barley, contain large amounts of soluble fibers. These are considered highly desirable fibers. Pectins have long been known to promote wound healing, to slow the absorption of glucose from the intestines into the blood stream, to bind a number of toxic chemicals thus preventing their absorption, and to aid in the reduction of cholesterol levels through the binding of bile acids.⁶

 

Hemicellulose has qualities of both insoluble and soluble fibers. Psyllium husk fiber, the dried seed coat of the Indian native Plantago ovata, is perhaps the best of these and is used in traditional medical systems, such as that of the Indian/Ayurvedic tradition, to perform many cleansing functions. It acts as roughage and absorbs and removes toxins from the intestines. It also moistens and soothes irritated intestinal membranes. 

 

Mixtures of sources of fibers of various types designed to work together synergistically can maximize their health-promoting properties. Other elements associated with fiber in nature may be used in conjunction with fiber supplements to realize even greater benefits. These elements include botanicals, metabolites (organic acids and peptides) and the cell walls of beneficial bacteria. Taken together, these ingredients act to regularize bowel functions, to soothe irritated mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract, and to absorb various toxins and pathological bacteria, which are then eliminated with the help of the bulking action of the fibers. 

 

Unfortunately, if the wrong mix of bacteria inhabit the gut, the toxins which are being eliminated through the intestines can be released and reabsorbed. Moreover, the intestinal flora are also important to GI-tract health. The gastrointestinal tract is the most active immune battlefield in the entire body. Just as it is the primary site of the entry of nutrients into our system, it also is the site of the entry of most pathogens. As is true of our skin and our lungs, the gastrointestinal tract is a barrier against the outside world. However, unlike the skin and the lungs, the alimentary canal also depends very heavily upon more than just its own defenses. For most of its length, the gastrointestinal tract depends as well upon its relationship with benign and beneficial organisms. The organisms are sometimes called “probiotic” organisms, a term which means “pro-life.” 

 

A great many organism inhabit the intestines. It has long been known that health depends upon the particular bacteria that inhabit the various specific regions of the intestines. The ugly reality is that there are far more villains than good guys available to play roles in the gastrointestinal tract. Some of these are transient, such as the “bugs” which cause travelers’ diarrhea. But others, such as the fungus or yeast known as Candida albicans, can come to occupy a large and permanent place in the gut and even invade the surrounding tissues. Worse yet, once the protective flora of the intestines has been damaged, major pathogenic organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli, can proliferate. A Candida yeast overgrowth actually encourages the presence of these pathogens and helps them take up permanent residence. These undesirable yeast and bacteria both produce their own toxins and interfere with the proper functioning of the digestive system. 

 

Fortunately, we have allies in the fight against pathogenic organisms. The Bifidobacterium and the better known Lactobacillus acidophilus are two friendly microorganisms which are permanent residents of the gut and act in our interests by themselves killing some of the bad guys and by physically displacing many of the others. Lactobacillus bulgaricus is an example of a transient bacterial species that performs a similar role in the gut. It is especially helpful in keeping the intestines in a state that encourages the growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus acidophilus. 

 

Less fortunate is the fact that most of the friendly bacteria are difficult to introduce into the intestines once pathogenic organisms have become present in large numbers. This is especially true of the presence of Candida albicans, the yeast that seems to have become increasingly prevalent in modern life as a result of such factors as the overuse of antibiotics. The “friendly” bacteria are readily destroyed by the body's own defenses, such as the acid in the stomach and the bile used to digest fats. There are many Bifidobacterium and L. acidophilus species now offered on the market, but most research in the field of intestinal flora indicates that these are of little use unless they are known to be hardy when introduced into the human gastrointestinal system (not just any old strain will do), and even when this criteria is met, it may be difficult to reestablish the proper flora. Consumers should look for clear identification of strains in probiotic products, i.e., there should be a number given that indicates the strain and not just the species. 

 

Humans always have had other bacterial allies that are naturally present in the food chain. Some of these bacteria are only transient in the gut, but that does not mean that they are unimportant. They can be quite deadly to both yeasts and pathogenic bacteria and they can also be cultivated. New technologies have advanced the ability to supplement probiotics by mouth. In this regard, the ability to enteric coat live bacteria is significant advance in the supplementation of probiotic strains for health.  

 

Resolving issues surrounding intestinal flora is not merely a matter of reducing the number of pathogens. We tend to overlook the fact that gut bacteria in many ways are literally the other half of digestion. Probiotic bacteria are important aids to normal digestion and assimilation beyond the simple processing of carbohydrates. Some species of lactic acid bacteria contribute to the digestion of proteins, some act upon bile salts and lower cholesterol levels, some produce specific antibiotics, and yet others stimulate the immune system.  

 

Restoring and maintaining gut health requires some thought and a little ingenuity. Fortunately, most of the work has been performed in advance through the