Poor gastrointestinal (GI) function and health is damaging to your ability to absorb nutrients and can be devastating to your health.
A unhealthy GI tract can be due to abnormal levels of bacteria, yeast or parasites. Inflammation, food sensitivities, decreased production of digestive enzymes or bile, and over or underproduction of stomach acid may also create GI issues.
Trying to identify the causes behind GI complaints can be relatively simple or complex. A simple case may be a patient whose GI issues started after a number of rounds of antibiotics so they may have a yeast overgrowth. Less simple is the patient with chronic gas or acid reflux, who may, with aging, have started producing less stomach acid, digestive enzymes or bile. Often prescribed antacids or proton inhibitors these patients still experience heartburn, gas or bloating and/or constipation.
A more complex situation may involve someone with eczema or asthma, heartburn, and alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation. This patient may have a history of chronic antibiotic use or a history of antibiotic use for ulcers. They may have food allergies, a yeast overgrowth and an inability to digest food well requiring multiple levels of treatment intervention.
For any GI patient the doctors should be asking:
- Could there have been exposure to pathogenic microbes due to food or water contamination, travel out of the country or immune suppression?
- Could the patient have low acid, low pancreatic function, intestinal inflammation, food that moves through the GI tract so fast that nothing is well digested and are there nutritional insufficiencies?
- Is the patient on antibiotics, NSAID’s for pain, antacids, proton pump inhibitors or acid blockers?
- Is this patient high risk for food sensitivities/leaky gut, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, or inflammatory bowel disease?
A four “R”s approach to intestinal health treatment should be taken:
- Remove offending foods and reduce poor quality fats, sugars and yeast fermented food as necessary. Remove any pathogenic parasites, fungi and bacteria if diagnosed.
- Replace items needed for normal digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Reintroduce beneficial microbes (probiotics) and use prebiotics like inulin or fiber if necessary.
- Repair the lining of the gut
A stool profile that with one sample can provided an evaluation of yeast, parasites, bacteria, pathogens, pharmaceutical and botanical sensitivities, gluten sensitivities, inflammation, pancreatic function and markers for digestion and nutritional absorption. Food allergy testing may also be indicated. Both types of tests can be obtained at Crosby Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre.
Call us today to schedule your tests at (636) 928-5588.
