The Next Signs:

Stomach problems:
Gastric acids are the major secretion by the stomach.  They are the first major line of defense for the body against disease-causing microorganisms.  The pH of the stomach needs to be below 3.0 so that bacteria that enter are killed within 15 minutes.

There are people who do not secrete adequate amounts of stomach acids.  This is called achlorhydria.  Other people take antacids or other drugs that suppress stomach acids.  Both of these situations result in a stomach environment where invading pathogenic bacteria can survive.  Way back in 1934, a well known British gastroenterologist, Sir Arthur Hurst stated “Bacillary and amoebic dysentery occur much more commonly in people with achlorhydria”  (Sarker and Gyr 1992). More recently, studies have found that individuals susceptible to Clostridium difficile infections of the gut (a bacterial infection that can cause fatal diarrhea) may be susceptible due to inadequate production of stomach acids (Gurian et al., 1982)  It is also documented that when stomach acids are neutralized by various prescription or non-prescription medications, there is an increased risk of gastrointestinal infections caused by cholera, E. Coli, Shigella, Camphylobacter jejuni, and fungi (Sarker and Gyr, 1992)

In adequate stomach acid allows bacteria to flourish instead of being quickly eliminated.  Brequently, these bacteria take up permanent residence, irritatin lower portions of the digestive tract like the small intestines.  This is called “small bowel overgrowth”.  In addition there seems to be a link between low gastric secretion and diverticulitis as well as other bowel inflammatory problems and of course, and imbalance in gut flora.

If you are a person with low stomach acids there has been shown to be a link with age, in that as you get older it only gets worse.  If you or someone you know falls into this category you may be interested. it will be interesting for to know that fermentation does create acids.  It is fermentation that takes place in your gut as food is digested by you and the bacteria that help you.  It is fermentation that takes place when you make fermented foods.  These foods include fermented dairy such as: yogurt, kefir, sour cream, cheese, or clabbered milk, cultured vegetables such as sauerkraut or beet kavas, fermented drinks such as kombuchu, homemade root beer or ginger ale, sauces such as soy sauce, miso or vinegar and other fermented foods such as the century eggs in Asia.   There are “cultured” probiotic, fermented foods in every ancient culture.  Unfortunately, modern American has all but wiped them out until recently.  They are important to the body and a diet rich in cultured foods is very important in helping the body to have enough stomach acids to maintain health.

People with low stomach acid secretion usually find a great deal of help by taking 2 Tablespoon of apple cider, balsamic, or coconut vinegar (a natural vinegar not a white distilled vinegar) in a glass of water after each meal.  Often time they will add this vinegar today to their diet after a hard day in the field, a hard work out, or good exercise as it also contains many minerals and electrolytes needed by the body.  However, to the best, most nutrient dense plan, eating a variety of cultured foods and beverages is the best plan.  Make sure you are using “live” fermented foods that do not contain preservatives and have not been heated to kill off the live organisms.  In this way you are getting all the wonderful nutrients you need for stomach digestion and the good probiotic flora you need for your GI tract to become and stay strong and healthy.

Ulcers:
Although infections in the stomach are normally uncommon because of the stomach acids there is one bacteria that has adapted to the highly acidic environment.  It has been shown to be responsible for most cases of peptic ulcers.  This bacteria has been found in 100% of patients with duodenal ulcers (the first part of the small intestine), 70% of patients with gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers), and 30% of children suffering from abdominal pains and vomiting. (Sarker and Gyr, 1992)  As a result, current medical treatment focuses on eliminating H. Pylori (Helicobacter pylori).

In addition to finding H. pylori in people who have ulcers there are problems with mucus production.  Some researchers believe the H. pylori is “eating up the mucus”, some believe H. pylori is inhibiting its production and yet others believe the H. pylori is present only because the mucosal lining is thin or non-existent and allows this pathogenic bacteria to live there. 

I do not have any answers.  But I can tell you this:  Every time someone who has ulcers changes around their normal flora using safe probiotic foods or food supplements the ulcers, or hyper acid stomachs, and gastric problems go away.  One point of caution here is that there are probiotic supplement on the market that are not food based products.  Some companies grow all types of organisms on agars or in soils.  And sometimes they have supplements that are extremely strong containing bacteria that can actually be harmful.  When you keep in mind that a person suffering with gastric problems also has a problem with the defense mechanism to the lining of the stomach (the mucosal layer secreted by the epithial cells lining the walls of the stomach) and they have problems with the secretion of gastric juices, you must be careful not to introduce any organisms that are harmful or too aggressive.  I have talked with people who have had old ulcers actually open up on some of the supplements currently available.

However, a food based probiotic such as cultured drinks, cultured vegetables, or cultured dairy already contains acids, does not contain any organisms that are potentially harmful, and it is safe for someone with these dehibilitations.

Further Problems: Problems in the Intestines and Colon:

Peristaltic movement is vital for moving bacterial invaders out of the intestines.  Drugs like morphine and other narcotics and pain relievers affect peristalsis.  Diseases such as Diabetes are also related to slow movement through the bowels.  Gastric, liver and pancreatic secretions as well as fiber, flora and fluid have a positive impact on movement through the digestive tract and a negative impact on the growth of abnormal bacterial flora.  The slower things move the more growth of bacteria there is in the intestinal tract and the more likely hood for “leaky gut syndrome.”  When the wrong species over grow gastrointestinal infections and painful inflammatory conditions like diverticulitis may result.

What is leaky gut syndrome?
Under normal conditions the epithelial cells that line the intestinal tract remain intact and nicely lined up with very, very small spaces in between each cell.  In this way, large, undigested foods and harmful bacteria can not enter the blood stream.  Instead, they are eliminated via the feces.   When the system works properly and food particles are broken down into tiny pieces, often into individual amino acids.  These substances are allowed to safely be absorbed into the blood stream by fitting between the epithelial cells.  From there they pass into the blood stream and are carried to all parts of the body.  When there are not enough pancreatic enzymes and not enough good flora available to help digest the food and the food particles are not broken down and pathogenic bacteria thrive.  When these pathogenic bacteria overgrow they irritate the epithelial lining of the digestive tract and some of them die.  With the resulting lack of good digestion which means less nutrients getting into the blood stream, and with the lack of energy from good flora (SCFAs) coupled with an increase in epithelial death from pathogens, new cells are not made quickly enough to replenish those that are dieing.  This compromises the integrity of the epithelial barrier.  Now, bacteria can gain access to the blood stream and can cause infections in other parts of the body.  Large food particles get absorbed into the blood stram.  In blood vessels, the immune system reacts aggressively to food “invaders”.  Food allergies result. 

Leaky gut is probably one of the most significant things I discovered when I discovered live blood cell analysis.  For years I worked as a Medical Technologist.  I have looked at hundreds of thousands of blood smears doing differentials.  And I saw “junk” on slides and was told it was just junk.  Today I know better.  After thoroughly examining blood smears I am now convinced that the junk consisted of intestinal contents.  When you see it in a live blood analysis you can easily identify bacteria, yeast, parasites and “fecal” material.  Undigested protein is also quite easy to see.  When it comes to getting someone’s attention, there is nothing like showing them what is in their blood.  The more advanced the “leaky gut syndrome” is, the more “junk” you will see in the blood.  Believe me, seeing is believing.

What Causes Leaky Gut?  What do I do?
Some scientists believe that it is the lack of pancreatic enzyme that causes this disease.  Others say it is the lack of peristalsis.  I believe, also with the last group it is the lack of good intestinal flora.  The digestion of our food does take place when normal flora abounds and there is a inhibition of pathogenic flora in a healthy digestive tract.  However, people who have serious leaky gut and people who have serious health issue may need to correct leaky gut by taking digestive enzymes to begin with.  Later, when the epithelial cells have recovered and food is being digested, and when good flora abound supplementation should not be necessary.  However, eating good probiotic foods that abound naturally with enzymes, good flora and dense nutrition is a must and a have to for anyone who wants to be healthy.

The Colon:
The roles that normal flora play are just beginning to be understood.  Much of what is known has already be mentioned.  The colon is the place in the body where a tremendous amount of bacterial growth occurs, however, so any imbalance here will be greatly magnified.

Typically gut flora is thrown out of balance by one of more of the following:

1. A history of antibiotic use
2. Toxins such as mercury or lead poison the intestinal tract creating an environment where good flora can not survive and only pathogenic bacteria exist
3. The body lacks protective factors to keep pathogens at bay (i.e. digestive enzymes, bile, gastric acids, short and medium chain fatty acids)
4. Unhealthy eating, eating preservative laden foods, and a lack of nutrients have “dehabilitated” the body and greatly increased the growth of pathogens

The end result from this complex ecosystem in the colon becoming altered is the presence of too few “healthy” gut bacteria and the over-population of “aggressive, disease-causing” bacteria.  There is considerable evidence that this is linked  with susceptibility to Salmonella and other types of bacterial infections.  Infact, there is evidence that when antibiotics are used for infections such as Salmonella, because normal flora is also wiped out, the infective agents always come back.  Mentzing and Ringertz in 1968 showed through their research that antibiotics actually do more harm that good.

Acute Infections (sudden, intense illness):
The most obvious signs and symptoms of imbalanced gut flora in the colon are diarrhea, inflammation, and abdominal pain.   It is estimated that intestinal infections cause four billion cases of diarrhea each year and diarrhea is responsible for 3-4 million deaths annually.  Whether Vibrio cholerae or E. coli, or Clostridium Difficile, Shigella dysenteriae or anyother pathogen, research shows that wiping out all the flora with antibiotics usually just makes things worse while a regime of probiotic organisms can be very effective.

Chronic Infections (long, degenerative illness:
Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Colitis, or whatever colon problem you have can be greatly helped by turning the flora in the intestinal tract into “friendly”, “healthy” flora.  I can not tell you the number of times I have talked with people who had no hope of recovery from these bowel problems and through the use of coconut oil (or other coconut products) and probiotics completely overcame there problems.

Coconut Oil give energy to the cells that line the intestinal tract to help them rebuild.  It has antimicrobial properties which only effect pathogenic bacteria and do not harm normal healthy flora, and it is anti inflammatory.  I consider the use of coconut oil to be something like what a gardner does when he goes into his garden and hoes between the rows and around the plants.  And the probiotic foods then are the seedlings that he carefully plants in the now “weed free” soil he has prepared.  Probiotic supplements would be looked on as seed that he might sow.  Supplements are dormant like seeds.  It takes them a little while to “come alive” and begin there life.  There also a percent that will not “germinate”.  With probiotic fermented foods you are getting bacteria that are not dormant, but actually alive and in the process of growing, multiplying and thriving.  They can “hit the ground running” so to speak and are the equivalent of planting seedlings in your garden.  You have a much higher success rate and a faster recovery time.

More information on Digestive Track follow the links below:

Prebiotics
Chicory Root
Normal Gut Flora: The Inside Story
Reading the Signs: The First Sign
Colic in Babies
Sauerkraut