Absorption and Enzymes
If someone eats the best kinds of foods and takes the most potent supplements but they are not absorbed, they will not have a pharmacological effect. This is because absorption is more important than what you ingest.
The enzyme content of food is rapidly declining. We no longer go into our backyards and grab an apple out of the tree and eat it. Such a "live" food is full of enzymes that help us absorb the food and assimilate it. Enzymes are vital for life. Because fruit is picked months before we eat it, we are becoming enzyme deficient. That is why any good natural medicine program necessitates an evaluation of the ability of a person to assimilate the food that he or she is eating and a determination if enzyme supplementation is warranted. Many of the nutritional products used at Caring Medical (via Beulah Land Nutritionals) contain enzymes for easy digestion and absorption.
Enzymes have added benefits for the cancer patient in addition to absorption properties. Enzymes are known to help decrease pain and swelling and to help thin the blood. All of these properties are needed to help the cancer patient fight the condition.
VITAMIN D
Although what people see and hear in the media is tightly controlled, traditional medical studies are constantly uncovering the health benefits, not the dangers, of nutritional supplements. The year 2004 is young, yet there have already been two studies released that show the benefits of vitamin D.
The first is about reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and the other is suggestive of a dramatic protective effect (incidence reduced by 40%) against the development of multiple sclerosis just from taking the equivalent of vitamin D found in most multivitamins (400IU). Vitamin D appears to have the ability of balancing immune system function, reducing autoimmune reactions and also controlling inappropriate cell growth and division.
Vitamin D has long been a mainstay in our preventive care cancer program. Interestingly, the current study (Nurses Health Study) also suggests that it was supplemental ingestion of vitamin D in tablets, not intake from food, that offered the protection against MS.
Since those of us in northern latitudes will have great difficulty getting our vitamin D requirements met through sun exposure during the winter months, it behooves everyone to at least take a multivitamin.
NUTRITION AND HEARTBURN
Marion Hauser, Excerpts from TLN's "Total Living With Jerry Rose"
Is heartburn a normal problem?
Anytime you have something like that it should tell you that something is wrong. It is not normal to have heartburn but it is a common problem.
The esophagus is attached to the stomach where they are attached is a sphincter, like a gate, what happens in heart burn is that sphincter gets stuck open. So the stomach contents which are very acidic, starts to back up into the esophagus and we feel that as heart burn.
So that sphincter gets stuck open and there are certain foods that may cause it to get stuck open. It may be fatty foods, it may be caffeinated beverages, it may be tomato products, it depends on the person.
So when you think about it, what is someone doing when they take antacids?
They are neutralizing the acid. Now the acid cannot do its function and you are hampering the digestive process. Now big particles of food are trying to get into the small intestines because they are not broken down yet because the digestive process is hampered (and that is causing other problems).
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How to treat heartburn
It all comes down to the underlying process, what is causing the heartburn?
-Allergic reaction to food
-Not enough digestive enzymes to digest the foods so it os backing up
-Bacterial overgrowth in the stomach which can lead to ulceration - ulcers
If you do not treat these three areas you can be a lifetime antacid taker.
Treatment suggestions:
Allergy
In treating any GI problem, I think it is best to keep a food diary. Write down when you are feeling these symptoms the worse. You may be able to pinpoint a certain food, if you cannot pinpoint it, you should probably see a physician who will not just write you a prescription but someone one who will help you figure out what is wrong.
Enzyme Supplementation
We want to be able to break down fat, carbohydrates, and proteins. When you look for a supplement product you look for
Protease - to help break down proteins
Cellulase - To help break down carbohydrates
Cellulase - To help break down large starches
Lipases - To help break down Lipids (fats)
If you are not sure which one you are having a problem with, find a supplement with contains all of those. So if you take these with meals, it is an easy process to start with.
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How does someone get bacterial problems in the stomach?
Unfortunately the main problem is the prolonged use of antibiotics. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria (that aids in digestion). You may say to yourself (when eating an old favorite food.) "I was always able to eat this food without problems, now I can't and when you look back to try to figure out why, there is a recent history of antibiotic use.
One of the good things to do is take supplements of the good bacteria, acidophilus and actually replenish the good bacteria.
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What is constipation?
When you have a bowel movement, it is not the food that you have just ate, it is food that has been in you for a while. If it has been in their too long, it starts to ferment and rot and that is when you start getting things like diviculitis and colon cancer. This food is not meant to hang out in your colon, it is meant to be moved out. People think they are not constipated, but they are going to the bathroom every other day, that is constipation, so at least two or maybe three a day.
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