Carrie Louise Daenell, ND

Digestive health is basic to the healthy function of every other organ system in the body. Further more, restoring digestive health has the ability to allow any disease process to heal, or heal more easily or more quickly. The concern with digestive disorders is two fold. First, food that is not properly digested into nutrients for absorption, ferments into "endotoxins." Endotoxins are toxic chemicals that are created when the digestive environment in the stomach and intestines does not contain the right digestive enzymes and microorganisms, and is not working at the proper pH. The undigested food ferments in this environment, changing the chemical make up of the food into something that is toxic to the system. Toxins make chronic degenerative diseases worse, and make them harder to treat with conventional or natural therapies. Secondly, when your digestive system is not operating properly, the unhealthy environment actually destroys the lining of the digestive tract. When it endures this level of destruction, absorption of anything is diminished. In my practice, I suggest certain vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements to people that are resolving their other health concerns. I am depending upon these supplements to achieve very specific therapeutic results. Therefore, I am depending upon the digestive system to absorb these supplements. When digestion and absorption are compromised, so is the "medicine."

Some of the key supplements that I suggest for healing and maintaining the digestive system include: Digestive enzymes (hydrochloric acid, and or acid-stable plant enzymes) acidophilus, l-glutamine and N-acetyl glucosamine. The digestive enzymes will ensure the proper and complete breakdown of your food. These are taken just before, during or just after a meal. Do not take these enzymes on an empty stomach, as doing so will be very uncomfortable. The acidophilus repopulates your digestive tract with microorganisms that are beneficial to the digestive tract, helps further break down your food and competes for space and nutrients with harmful microorganisms that may be present, diminishing their numbers. Acidophilus is taken one to three times per day with or between meals. Taken with meals, however, its benefit will be slightly diminished. L-glutamine actually helps to rebuild the mucous membrane that lines the digestive tract. L-glutamine actually helps to rebuild the mucous membrane that lines the digestive tract, ensuring proper absorption of nutrients. L-Glutamine should be taken one hour before or two hours after a meal. Doses vary with the individual. N-acetyl glucosamine is a key component in maintaining the health of the intestinal lining. It feeds the beneficial bacteria in the intestines, and inhibits the harmful bacteria in the intestines. Studies have shown that people with colon cancer and irritable bowel disease have a defect in their innate ability to make N-acetyl glucosamine in the body.

Nutritional therapies can correct the underlying causes and restore digestive health in illnesses such as: indigestion, heartburn, intestinal gas and bloating, abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and crohn's disease. Disease states that improve when you repair your digestive health include: arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, allergies, fibromylagia, chronic fatigue, obesity and autoimmune disorders.