Probiotic supplements and digestive disorders

Probiotic supplements

It is estimated that more than 100 million people in America are affected by some form of digestive disease. That's more than half of the U.S. population!

For some people, digestive disorders are a source of irritation and discomfort that may cause them to drastically limit their life styles and miss work frequently. For others, these disorders may be extremely crippling, and even fatal.

The Digestive Process

The GIT breaks down foods by first using mechanical means such as chewing, and then by the application of a host of complex chemical processes. These chemical processes include everything from saliva to colon microbes. Since the GIT is the point of entry for the human body, everything eaten has an impact on the body. The food eaten and passed through the GIT contains nutrients as well as toxins. Toxins can be anything from food additives and pesticides to specific foods that induce a reactive response by the GIT.

The process of digestion is accomplished via the surface of the gastrointestinal tract using secretions from accessory glands. The two glands providing the majority of digestive chemicals utilized by the gastrointestinal tract are the liver and the pancreas. The function of the liver is to control the food supply for the rest of the body by further processing of the food molecules absorbed through the intestines. This is done by dispensing those food molecules in a controlled manner, and by filtering out toxins that may have passed through the gastrointestinal tract wall.

Another very important function of the gastrointestinal tract is as a sensory organ. By rejecting foods through objectionable taste, vomiting, and diarrhea or any combination of these symptoms, the sensing capacity of the GIT can protect the body. The surface of the GIT has a complex system of nerves and other cells of the immune system. The surface of the GIT, or mucosa, is part of a complex sensing system called the MALT (Mucosa Associated Lymphatic Tissue). probiotic

The immune sensors in MALT trigger responses such as nausea, vomiting, pain, and swelling. Vomiting and diarrheas are abrupt defensive responses to MALT-sensing foods with a strong allergic or toxic component. This kind of food intolerance is responsible for many digestive problems. The gastrointestinal tract is "hard-wired" to the brain via hormonal, neurotransmitter-mediator chemical communication.

The gastrointestinal tract is a muscular tube that contracts in a controlled rhythm to move food through the different sections. Strength and timing variations in the contractions can cause cramping (very strong contractions) and diarrhea (contractions are very frequent).

When the contractions are slow and irregular, constipation may occur. "Motility disorder" is the general term used to describe problems with peristalsis.

In all but a few cases, a food allergy is the primary cause of gastrointestinal tract problems. Chronic diseases have their origin in food allergies. The dysfunction, discomfort, and disease associated with GIT are the result of local immune responses to food selections or combinations of foods. probiotic

Food selections are a result of personal tastes, social fads, ethnic culture, religion, and, to a larger degree, local and/or seasonal availability. The food selections made in modern affluent society are based on a developed taste for a rich diet centered on meats and dairy products that are loaded with fats, high concentrations of proteins, and fat-soluble toxins. Advertising and misinformation about "healthy" diets have overshadowed human nutritional needs in modern affluent diets.

Dietary Shifts and Digestive Disorders

Human evolutionary history clearly shows that we are primarily herbivores. Human saliva contains alpha-amylase, an enzyme specifically designed to break down complex carbohydrates into sugar compounds. Our teeth are designed to cut vegetable matter and to grind grains.

The so-called canine teeth of humans bear no resemblance to the canines of even a domestic house cat. The human digestive system is long and the food is processed slowly to extract all the nutrients from plant material. Conversely, carnivores have short digestive tracts that digest flesh very quickly.

The digestive systems of carnivores are able to eliminate the large amount of cholesterol consumed in their diets. Carnivores do not have alpha-amylase present in their saliva.

The effect of the shift in our diets during the last hundred years has resulted in 44% of Americans and Canadians being afflicted with heartburn; peptic ulcer disease appears in 5% of the population, and nonulcer dyspepsia plagues between 20 and 40% of Americans. Over-the-counter medications for these ailments are a multibillion-dollar industry. In nearly every hour of television advertising there is at least one spot selling an antacid or similar product.

Probiotic supplements are developed as a response to the need for a comprehensive enzyme supplement. Designed to adapt to a variety of stomach acid ph conditions. Probiotic supplements facilitates the digestion of protein, fat carbohydrates, fiber and milk lactose.

As humans age and the body's ability to break down food diminishes, a deficiency of pancreatic enzymes occurs. Since these enzymes are vital to maintain cellular function, a number of degenerative diseases may result.