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As long as we don’t have constipation or diarrhea, we don’t really care about how the large intestine works and what can disrupt its function. Meanwhile, it is enough to increase the number of unfavorable parasites or fungi to get the situation out of hand.
We associate the functions of the large intestine mainly with daily visits to the toilet. Meanwhile, the health of the entire body depends on its proper functioning. The large intestine, which is almost two meters long, absorbs water, glucose, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food pulp every day. Only 200–300 g of faeces remain in the anus from an average daily dose of XNUMX kg of food.
Few people know, however, that the intestine is also the most important organ of the human immune system, because thanks to Peyer’s patches (clusters of lymphatic clumps) producing IgA immunoglobulins, it is the first line of defense against pathogens, allergens and toxins reaching the body through the digestive tract. Doctors estimate that the total weight of Peyer’s patches is greater than the weight of the spleen. It is these immunoglobulins that travel further through the bloodstream to all mucous membranes in the body, where they play a protective role. If the production of immunoglobulins in the intestine is disturbed due to contamination or damage to the intestinal villi, it will immediately affect the respiratory, urogenital tract and the body’s resistance to infections. That’s why it’s so important to keep your gut healthy and clean.
As many protective bacteria as possible
Our guts are the habitat of saprophytic protective bacteria: lactic acid (Lactobacillus) and Bifidobacterium, the number of which reaches 10 billion in 1 g of intestinal content. Why so many of these bacteria in the gut? Well, Lactobacillus bacteria acidify the intestinal environment, preventing the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria (competing with them for food). They also produce bacteriocins (substances that inhibit the growth of pathological bacteria) and take part in the synthesis of vitamins (B1, B2, B12, PP and K) and increase the absorption of minerals (calcium and magnesium).
Bifidobacteria, in turn, help us fight bacterial diarrhea and affect the body’s immunity (increase the synthesis of immunoglobulins A and G) and shorten the duration of rotavirus infections. In addition, they also stimulate intestinal peristalsis, preventing constipation. Research has shown that with proper nutrition, the percentage of bifidobacteria in a healthy intestine is 44%, and with an incorrect diet, rich in fast food, preservatives and dyes, their amount drops to as much as 17%, thus enabling the rapid multiplication of pathogenic bacteria. A similar situation occurs with the use of drugs (especially antibiotics) and alcohol abuse.
Research shows that serious deficiencies of beneficial bacteria in the intestine (the so-called intestinal dysbiosis) lead to the malabsorption of zinc, selenium and manganese. At the conference of the Royal Scientific Society in London, a group of several dozen doctors dealing with this issue confirmed that the cause of 90% of chronic diseases is self-poisoning of the body with toxins from the intestines, as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Is it possible that the balance of the digestive tract is upset? Test yourself now, in the Medonet Market offer you will find a mail-order examination to assess the intestinal microflora.
Disease or symptom?
If we want to check that the bowel is working properly, we can perform a simple test. You need to drink 3 tablespoons of beetroot juice and check that the color of the urine is not soon pinkish-cystic. If so, it means that the intestinal mucosa is not working properly.
In the same way as beetroot dye, all toxins enter the body through the intestine. When there is a shortage of beneficial bacteria in the body, pathogenic strains acidify the intestinal contents and putrefactive processes begin, manifested by flatulence, “gurgling” in the abdomen or constipation. If we do not start cleaning our insides and we do not stop poisoning them with low-value food, a sediment will accumulate in the intestinal folds, which will not only block the intestinal cilia, but also – by absorbing water – form a layer of fecal mass adhering to the intestine,
which will further prevent the absorption of necessary nutrients.
A layer of feces will also make it difficult to defecate. Doses of laxatives, even increased doses, will not be effective because drug molecules will not pass through this barrier into the intestinal villi and will be completely excreted. Studies of people with such problems have shown that they carry 6 to 8 kg of unnecessary fecal mass in their intestines.
There may also be occasions where the fecal layer that seals the gut acts as a Teflon coating on the pan and the undigested food slips before the stool forms, resulting in diarrhea.
It is worth considering whether the intestinal contamination, causing the disease consequences, is only a minor and temporary ailment, a temporary state, or is it an illness? Recently, the world of medicine is talking about the so-called the intestine of civilization, lazy or bloated – as a result of loading it with large portions of food poor in fiber and nutrients. Doctors carefully observing the entire patient, and not only the disease, believe that this condition should be eliminated, because it is better to prevent the disease than to treat cancer and intestinal inflammation later.
Meanwhile, academic medicine seems to remain at the level of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems (ICD-10), which distinguishes many disease entities occurring in the intestines (e.g. intestinal parasite infections, enteritis caused by bacteria, irritable bowel syndrome or even habitual changes in bowel function), however, still does not see the problem as a whole.
Uninvited residents
In addition to the protective bacteria, other uninvited inhabitants may appear in the intestine, such as fungi and parasites. Studies showing that, for example, 3 children in the surveyed kindergartens are carriers of pinworms rarely penetrate the public opinion, of which only every third child experiences anal itching. And it is known that when a child has pinworms, the whole family has to be treated. The same is unfortunately the case with adults who can become infected with parasites from dogs or cats kept at home and also do not show any characteristic symptoms. So if we experience rectal itching or periodic abdominal pain that cannot be associated with any food poisoning or with gynecological or vascular problems (e.g. hemorrhoids), we should see a doctor. He may order the necessary tests to detect possible parasites and fungi.
Candida infections of the intestine and digestive system are also a common cause of intestinal problems. Studies show that in women who complain of vaginal infections, the so-called Candidiasis, fungal infections of the colon and anus often coexist, which manifest themselves with the same intestinal problems that occur in the deficiency of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
In the case of Candida infection, studies have shown that mold hyphae overgrow the lining of the intestine, leading to leakage. Then, undigested protein particles penetrate the intestinal walls into the circulatory system, where they are treated as a foreign protein and cause allergic reactions. Since Candida yeasts feed on simple sugars left over in the stool, they ferment them (bloating carbon dioxide). Therefore, when treating intestinal mycosis, you must completely eliminate simple sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) from your diet.
In addition, insidious Candida, in the event of a drop in sugar in the intestine (e.g. when we are on a low-carbohydrate diet) produces a substance that – like insulin – lowers blood glucose levels, which suddenly triggers the wolf hunger for sweets. In addition, what is left in the intestine after a fungal attack feeds on fast-growing bacteria (e.g. staphylococci and streptococci) and it is them, not fungus, that are most often detected in laboratory tests of intestinal swabs.
So if we find the above-described symptoms of allergy, combined with abdominal pain, flatulence and problems with bowel movements, let’s find a wise doctor who will be able to properly treat them.
We can also opt for a mail-order screening test for mycosis of the gastrointestinal tract available on Medonet Market.
To be cleaned?
When the pipe in the toilet becomes clogged, we either pour a special preparation into the blocked channel and push it mechanically, or call the plumber to replace the defective element. In the case of our polluted intestine, we have similar options. We can perform a series of enemas (also known as enema) at home or go to a facility that offers hydrocolonotherapy, i.e. flushing the intestine with a continuous flow of water.
However, I would like to point out that the second method is not recognized by conventional medicine. Naturotherapists, on the other hand, claim that hydrocolonotherapy enables the cleansing of the entire large intestine and the removal of up to 3 kg of fecal deposits during one treatment. This procedure and the enema mentioned above help to remove rotting matter, dead tissues, mucus, mycelium, parasites and other toxins from the intestine. Of course, there are contraindications to hydrocolonotherapy, e.g. acute or chronic inflammation, ulcers and recent bowel operations, high blood pressure, renal failure and cirrhosis.
In turn, the enema, currently experiencing a renaissance, was performed since the times of ancient Egypt, and it disappeared from medical textbooks only in the era of the development of chemical methods of treatment.
Our fiber ally
The intestine can also be cleansed using natural methods – vegetable diets or modern therapeutic programs (Colonix, Colon C, Colon Pack) containing large amounts of fiber. In recent years, Dr. Ewa Dąbrowska’s high-fiber vegetable diet (book “Save the body and spirit with food”) has been very popular.
Fiber (dietary fiber) is a plant-based substance that is not digestible in the human body and absorbs a large amount of water and swells, causing the intestine to be cleaned mechanically. The effect of fiber can be two-way. If we drink a lot (at least 2 liters) of water a day, the fiber swells and increases the volume of fecal mass, and by massaging the intestine from the inside, it accelerates the passage of intestinal contents and shortens the time of excretion. However, when we drink too little water, the fiber gets stuck in the route and sticks to the intestinal wall, causing constipation.
Soluble fiber (pectin, hemicellulose, gums and mucilages) catches bile acids from the intestines, from which the liver synthesizes cholesterol, and thus lowers cholesterol. On the other hand, insoluble fiber (cellulose and lignin) reduces the level of triglycerides, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Both types of fiber reduce the feeling of hunger (which helps to fight excess weight), stabilize blood glucose levels (important for diabetics) and help cleanse the body of heavy metal ions. For the latter reason, fiber must not be abused (a dose greater than 40 g per day), because instead of heavy metal ions, it will deprive us of iron, zinc and calcium.
The article uses information from the publication of Dr. Andrzej Janus from Zduńska Wola: “I bet on health” and “Do not get eaten by Candida mushrooms” and from the website of Dr. n. med. Krzysztof Michalak from Poznań, who published there commentaries on Harper’s Biochemistry textbook, http://www.drmichalak.pl/data/dwanascie_paradygmatow.htm.
Text: Rafał Jabłoński, MA in pharmacy
Source: Let’s live longer