Healthy Aging

Five Easy Steps to Optimal GI Health

By Chris D. Meletis, ND

This is the sixth part in a series addressing the most common health concerns as we age. Previous parts have discussed cardiovascular health, weight loss, blood sugar and cognitive health. In this installment, I will discuss gastrointestinal health and natural strategies to support optimal GI function.

The GI tract serves as the barrier between the outside world that enters our bodies in the form of foods and contaminants such as herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and other health-sabotaging substances. After we chew and swallow food, it makes its way through the digestive system, starting with the stomach, where the size of food particulates is reduced. One group of scientists aptly described the stomach as “a receptacle, a grinder, a mixer, and a pump that controls the digestion process.”¹

Stomach Acid and Bacteria

In the stomach, gastric juice is secreted from glands lining the stomach walls. Hydrochloric acid (HCl), a component of gastric juice, assists acid breakdown of digested food and activates pepsin. The hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach is the first line of defense against food borne pathogens such as bacteria, fungus and parasites. Gastric juice also contains pepsin, which helps degrades food proteins into peptides.²

A gastric fluid pH of 1 to 2 destroys many microbial pathogens. Increasingly, however, I see more and more patients who are taking antacids or other drugs that neutralize gastric acid or inhibit acid secretion, which may increase the risk of food- or water-borne illnesses. Peptic ulcer disease is often treated by decreasing or eliminating gastric acid secretion, which blocks the protective antibacterial action of gastric fluid.³ This creates a vicious cycle because the majority of peptic ulcer disease cases are thought to originate from Helicobacter pylori infections, and lowering the acidity of the stomach creates an environment where H. pylori can thrive.

As early as 1939, it was proposed that several constituents of gastric juice might contribute to its bactericidal activity and that hydrochloric acid was not the only antibacterial component.⁴ Recently, researchers have shown that pepsin, another component of gastric juice, works with HCl to help kill pathogens. The researchers investigated the susceptibility of Escherichia coli and H. pylori to gastric pH and the effect of pepsin-mediated proteolysis (protein breakdown). Survival of bacteria was diminished at a pH of less than 3.5, whereas killing of the bacteria required a pH of less than 2.5. Pre-incubation with pepsin at a pH 3.5 reduced viable counts by 100 percent for E. coli after 100 minutes incubation. With H. pylori, the viable counts decreased to 50 percent of the control after 20 minutes incubation in pepsin at pH 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5.5

According to the researchers, “Thus, killing of E. coli and H. pylori occurs optimally at pHs of less than 2.5. At pH 3.5, little effect is observed, whereas addition of pepsin alone or in gastric juice causes a marked increase in bacterial susceptibility, suggesting an important role for proteolysis in the killing of bacteria.”

To maintain the acidic environment of the stomach in my patients, I recommend supplementing with betaine hydrochloride and pepsin along with synergistic substances such as vitamin U complex, gamma oryzanol and fucoidan (all found in GastricAid®). I have found this combination to be very helpful.

Proper Absorption of Nutrients

Ensuring that food is digested properly and nutrients absorbed from the food entails supplementation with the digestive enzymes amylase, lactase, lipase, cellulase and neutral protease.^6-7

Consumption of processed food, which lacks the enzymes and other beneficial substances of “live” food, should be minimized for optimal GI health. However, I have found that digestive enzymes can be helpful for those times that we can’t avoid unhealthy food or for when we give in to the temptation to have that sugary dessert.

Each of the five main digestive enzymes has a different role to play. Amylase digests starch. Protease breaks down the peptide bonds that join the amino acids in a protein, ensuring the amino acids are readily available to the body. The enzyme lipase splits apart emulsified fats. Lactase digests milk sugar, while cellulase helps break down plant and vegetable matter.

Protecting Gut Integrity

Once the food leaves the stomach and enters the intestines, it is of the utmost importance to protect gut integrity and minimize toxic waste absorption. Often, when individuals fail to have 2 to 3 bowel movements per day, they feel ill and tired. Furthermore, their stools are harder and drier, for the body has reabsorbed the toxic wastewater. This process of absorption and reabsorption serves as the mandate to nourish the GI tract daily—even when not experiencing GI distress.

In order to ensure colon health, it is important that the tight junctions (Desmosomes) are working properly. The tight junction spaces between cells that line the intestines are normally sealed. However, when the intestinal lining becomes irritated, the junctions loosen and allow unwanted larger molecules in the intestines to pass through into the blood. This can trigger immediate damage and immune system reactions since these large molecules are perceived as foreign. Much like the initial crack in a large dam, without immediate repair, progressive damage occurs to the intestinal lining, eventually allowing disease-causing bacteria, undigested food particles and toxins to pass directly into the body.

Disturbance of the tight junctions contribute to leaky gut syndrome (LGS). The symptoms that can arise range from subtle to severe depending on breach of the integrity of the intestinal natural defenses. Individuals with LGS can experience one or more of these symptoms: abdominal pain, anxiousness, asthma, chronic joint pain, chronic muscle pain, confusion, fuzzy or foggy thinking, gas, indigestion, mood swings, poor immunity, recurrent infections, skin rashes, diarrhea, poor memory, constipation, bloating, fatigue and feeling toxic or hung-over. Leaky gut syndrome is associated with many conditions (See Table 1).

TABLE 1: Conditions Associated with Leaky Gut Syndrome

Allergic reactions Arthritis Autoimmune disease Celiac disease Crohn’s disease Environmental illness Inflammatory joint disease/arthritis Intestinal infections Irritable bowel syndrome Pancreatic insufficiency Ulcerative colitis Chronic fatigue syndrome Eczema Psoriasis Food allergies and sensitivities Liver dysfunction

To deliver critical building blocks for daily repair of the GI tract and to help soothe irritation that arises from innate colonic function, I recommend consumption of the following colon-supportive substances (all found in GI Cell Support). Glutamine is essential for maintaining intestinal structure⁸ and serves as metabolic fuel for enterocytes that line the colon and affect cell proliferation.⁹ Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) seems to be similar to carbenoxolone, a semisynthetic derivative of glycyrrhetic acid used outside the US for treating gastric and duodenal ulcer disease.^10-11 N-acetyl glucosamine is deficient in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), possibly reducing the synthesis of the gastric and intestinal mucosa’s protective glycoprotein cover.¹² Other nutrients that can promote colon health are marshmallow,^13-14 Berberine,^15-16 Cabbage,¹⁷ Slippery Elm,^{13, 18-19} Phosphatidylcholine²⁰ and Gamma Oryzanol.²¹

Nourishing Friendly Bacteria

For our intestines to work properly, it is also important to nourish them with an ample supply of friendly bacteria, known as probiotics. Probiotics are what I call the “ultimate neighborhood watch” because they are continually on guard against the harmful bacteria, parasites and other pathogens that can steal our good health. The human intestine harbors and is in constant contact with 1,000 trillion microbes, composed of an estimated 15,000 strains.²² The complex physical and chemical conditions encountered in the gut present a range of challenges to both the friendly bacteria and to pathogenic microorganisms attempting to colonize the gut. The innate immune system of the host, the host’s diet and the number of friendly bacteria in the colon contribute to whether the good bacteria are able to keep the harmful pathogens at bay.²²

It was once thought that the friendly bacteria residing in our intestines were inert and that they did not play an active role in health. Researchers now realize that probiotics are active participants in the processing of food into useful metabolic components and that they are involved in mucosal and systemic immunity, protecting the body against food-borne pathogens and antigens. Probiotics are now recognized to be involved in the part of our immune system known as gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), located in the intestines.^23-24

I strongly recommend to all my patients that they supplement with probiotics in order to create a strong foundation of health for the GI tract. Alternating between Lactobacillus acidophilus (DDS-1), Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum & Bifidobacterium infantis and Bacillus coagulans (found in BioPRO™) and Lactobacillus GG (found in Culturelle®) is a good approach to ensure that the intestines are restocked with various beneficial strains.

Fiber’s Important Role

The final step to optimal colon health is making sure to consume nourishing quantities of fiber. Fiber protects the colon against mutagenic changes. Fiber absorbs large amounts of water in the colon, helping stool to move through the colon.²⁵

Fiber also helps prevent hemorrhoids since it makes stool easier to pass. Increased fiber intake has been shown to improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms,^26-27 reduce the risk of diverticular issues (a condition marked by “bowel herniation”),²⁸ support healthy cholesterol^29-30 and blood sugar levels,³¹ and inhibit the formation of kidney stones³² and gallstones.^33-35 Certain types of fiber are rich in substances that “feed” bowel flora and help keep the balance of good bacteria in the colon at a normal level.³⁶

TABLE 1: Five Steps to a Healthy Colon

Optimize hydrochloric acid in order to kill bacteria and parasites. Consume digestive enzymes to ensure proper absorption of nutrients from food. Nourish the tight junctions in the colon to prevent leaky gut syndrome. Encourage the growth of friendly bacteria by supplementing with probiotics. Increase fiber intake to support regular bowel movements. Fiber should be taken away from medications and supplements, to prevent the fiber from absorbing and thus decreasing their benefits.

To boost levels of fiber consumption in my patients, I find that EZ Fiber™ is a good addition to any supplement regimen. Fiber should be taken away from medications and supplements, to prevent the fiber from absorbing and thus decreasing their benefits.

Conclusion

To help our colons function effectively, we must ensure that: 1) Levels of hydrochloric acid are sufficient enough to kill pathogenic bacteria; 2) Digestive enzymes are consumed to ensure the proper absorption of nutrients from food; 3) Tight junctions in the colon are nourished to prevent leaky gut syndrome; 4) Growth of friendly bacteria in the colon is encouraged and 5) Fiber consumption is high enough to encourage regular bowel movements. All individuals who have been successful in achieving true optimal wellness do so by building upon a strong and healthy GI tract. Regardless of the quality of one’s food or supplements, without optimal GI integrity, the full benefits will not be maximally gleaned.

References

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