Your Colon and Your Health
The lower part of your intestines is called your colon. It has a big influence on your immune system, your hormone system, and on your liver, brain, and heart, and problems in your colon set the stage for pain and inflammation in other parts of your body. In short, your colon affects every aspect of your health. These are important concepts to understand.
If you are having a problem in your colon you might notice:
· A feeling that your bowels do not empty completely
· Lower abdominal discomfort that is relieved after having a bowel movement or passing gas
· Diarrhea, constipation, or alternating diarrhea and constipation
· More than three bowel movements daily, or a need to use laxatives.
· Hard dry stools or small stools
· A coated tongue or “fuzzy” debris on your tongue
· Large amounts of foul smelling gas
Common Causes of Colon Problems
The two most common causes of colon problems are hidden food allergies and dysbiosis, a condition in which there are unhealthy bacteria and fungus in your colon.
Hidden Food Allergies
Sometimes we develop allergies or sensitivities to foods that we eat. The allergic reaction to those foods is not immediately apparent like the runny nose and watery eyes of hay fever, but it causes a low-grade inflammatory reaction that affects every part of your body.
Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis is a condition in which there are unhealthy bacteria and fungus in your colon. Your intestines are home to billions of microorganisms, called the intestinal flora, which play a vital role in your health. We each have about four pounds of bacteria living in our intestines. We give them a place to live and under healthy conditions they secrete products that are helpful for our health. In conditions of dysbiosis, harmful bacteria, fungus or parasites secrete substances that are detrimental to your health. Many people have unhealthy conditions in their intestines and they are not aware of it. Dysbiosis might or might not cause symptoms in the intestines, but it always causes problems in other areas of the body.
Inflammation
Food allergies and dysbiosis cause inflammation in your colon, and often in other areas of your body as well. More than half of your immune system lines your gut. The gut-associated lymphoid tissue, or GALT, is a key determinant of your immune system health and of inflammatory conditions elsewhere in your body. When your GALT comes in contact with pathological organisms or with food allergens it releases inflammatory chemicals that travel in the blood stream and cause damage in other parts of your body. Many people have no idea that ‘hidden’ intestinal problems are causing chronic pain and debilitating conditions in other parts of their body.
Autoimmune Disease
When your immune system is continuously activated by contact with food allergens or harmful organisms in your intestines it can become overactive and attack your own tissue. This is an important cause of autoimmune diseases like thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, and other autoimmune diseases.
Intestines and Thyroid Function
The intestines activate up to a third of thyroid hormone into its active form. Food allergies and dysbiosis interfere with this process, and can lead to thyroid problems. Read Thyroid Health for more information.
Intestines and Adrenal Function
Intestinal dysfunction and adrenal stress reactions occur together and reinforce each other. Food allergies or inflammation from harmful organisms in the intestines cause an adrenal stress reaction, and adrenal stress weakens the intestinal immune system in a vicious cycle that in turn causes more food allergies and inflammation. You must deal with both ends of the cycle to have an optimal outcome. Read Stress and Your Hormones for more information about adrenal function.
Intestines and Estrogen
Intestinal dysfunction causes problems with estrogen for both men and women. After it has done its work in the body, estrogen is captured by the liver and then excreted into the intestines to be eliminated from the body. Harmful bacteria in the intestines (dysbiosis) interfere with this process and allow an unhealthy buildup of estrogen relative to other hormones. This can cause premenstrual problems for women and prostate problems for men. Read Female Hormones and Male Hormones for more information.
Intestines and Your Brain
Inflammation is stressful for the brain. As mentioned earlier, the digestive tract is often the most important source of inflammatory stress in the body. Inflammation contributes to many brain problems including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and seizures.
Conventional treatment
Conventional medical doctors often miss important underlying causes of bowel problems. They prescribe cortizone for irritable bowel syndrome or in extreme conditions recommend surgery. They often fail to address dysbiosis, food sensitivities, and adrenal dysfunction.
Conventional doctors almost always miss the effect of intestinal dysfunction on other parts of your body. They will probably offer pharmaceutical drugs like anti-inflammatory medication or thyroid replacement therapy to address symptoms in other parts of your body, and fail to address the intestinal dysfunction that is contributing to those problems.
Natural management of intestinal dysfunction
You are in charge here. The foundation of treatment is your diet and lifestyle. Read the article Basics of a Healthy Diet.
Natural management of intestinal dysfunction involves
· changing your diet to avoid foods to which you are sensitive,
· using herbs and diet to remove harmful organisms from your intestines,
· re-inoculating your intestines with healthy probiotic bacteria,
· supplying extra digestive enzymes if indicated, and
· repairing the damaged intestinal tract with herbs and nutritional supplements
It is also important to address adrenal problems if they are present.
