The gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, or digestive system is a very complex machine requiring that many different organs work in concert.
The ultimate job of the GI tract is to absorb or admit the nutrients necessary to keep the body healthy, while at the same time, rejecting or expelling those substances that are toxic. To accomplish this important job, the membrane that lines the entire GI tract acts as a selective barrier – essentially taking in what is “good” and rejecting that which is “bad”.
There are three fundamental steps to the digestive process:
- Absorption
- Assimilation
- Elimination
These fundamental steps to the digestive process involve a complex orchestration between the various digestive enzymes, anti-bodies, hormones and the internal ecosystem of the digestive tract. The self contained environment within the walls of the stomach, colon and intestines is the home of more than 400 species of bacteria – most of them beneficial and protective in their roles.
Factors that can alter GI tract functions include:
- Surgery i.e. gastric by-pass, gall bladder surgery, small and large bowel surgery
- Anti-biotic use
- Food additives
Surgery- alters structural design, disturbs digestive enzymes, hormones and various anti body secretory IgA. This can lead to chronic digestive disorders, malabsorption, mal nutrition and lowered immune system and risk of infection.
Antibiotics and food additives – can tip the balance of the internal ecosystems. Dangerous bacteria, parasites, or an overgrowth of candida replace the friendly bacteria that line the GI tract, a process of inflammation can begin. This process may even affect other cells and organs of the body that are susceptible to inflammation.
For those GI tracts altered by surgery you need:
- Nutritional IV
- Specially designed micro-nutrients and vitamins reduced to angstrom size (unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter)
- Probiotics and anti-candida protocol- i.e. gastric by-pass can lead to mineral deficiency, hence, osteoporosis and osteomalecia. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, B12 and folic acid deficiency which can lead to fatigue, elevated homocystiene, which puts you at a high risk of heart disease and stoke.
Gallbladder Surgery – which can alter bile acid production and faulty fat digestion. This can lead to symptoms of heartburn and the impairment and the inability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins which are A, D, E and K.
A brief review of the various health benefits of the following fat-soluble vitamins:
- Vitamin A – Zinc related problems and night blindness. Poor skin health and mucus membrane.
- Vitamin D – Involved in the absorption and metabolism of calcium. Affects cell growth and differentiation, and has immunoregulatory effects.
- Vitamin E – Antioxidant, stabilizes cell membranes, inhibits platelet aggregation. Enhances immune function at moderate doses, but may inhibit immune function at high doses.
- Vitamin K – Activates certain blood clotting factors. Required for the synthesis of the bone protein, osteocalcin.
Colon Surgery – Alters the balance of the internal ecosystems towards the overgrowth of disease producing bacteria and overgrowth of candida.
Hippocrates said, “death begins in the colon”.
For those GI tract disorders non-surgical related, we recommend the Gastrointestinal Health Panel.
The GI Health Panel is a non-invasive screen of the gastrointestinal tract and its function. It includes at least 15-22 individual, but related tests. Stool and saliva samples are submitted by the patient after home collection to Diagnos Tech Lab.
To insure high sensitivity and specificity of pathogenic organism detection, Diagnos-Tech employs a variety of methods in the GI Health Panel tests. These tests utilize proven biochemical and state of the art immunological and other methods. The panel includes:
- Pathogen screening: bacteria, fungi, yeast, and various parasites
- Digestion related screens: enzyme levels and immunochemical markers for intolerance to common offending foods.
- Intestinal function markers to evaluate irritation and inflammation; markers indicate overall status of gut immunity and integrity, i.e. occult blood, etc.
Overntilization of antibiotics renders the gastrointestinal tract more susceptible to chronic overgrowth of harmful micro-organisms.
The GI Health Panel strikes a balance between comprehensive screening and economy by bundling appropriate individual tests that would otherwise cost over $700 at current prices.
ADVANTAGES & BENEFITS:
- Non-invasive sampling; saliva and stool
- Home collection; no office visit
- Economical
- Comprehensive: detects a broad spectrum of common pathogens and includes digestion efficiency evaluation
- Improved wellness; general GI complaints identified and resolved
COMMON APPLICATIONS OF THIS PANEL:
Individuals with chronic and vague GI symptoms including:
- Frequent bloating, gas, cramping, and constipation
- Frequent travel within US and/or overseas
- Frequent eating outside the home
- Children that go to daycare centers
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue
- Lyme’s like symptoms
- If you’ve tried everything, tried all kinds of medical tests, yet your healthcare provider doesn’t have a clue and you’re still not well
Parasites are easily spread within a household, therefore, all family members should be tested if one is positive for gastrointestinal infection.
The fact that you opened this page and began reading this tells me something about you. It tells me that you have more than the usual amount of concern about your gut health.
Why I’m not sure!
Perhaps you’ve recently been diagnosed with:
- GERD or heartburn – you are already taking anti-acids or had an esophageal dilation procedure.
- GAS and BLOATING-you have consulted many health care providers and had many attempts at treatments with poor results.
- CANDIDIASIS You’ve tried many OTC and prescriptions with relative improvement only to discover that each time you stop what you are taking your symptoms come back.
- CONSTIPATION – you are taking a daily stool softener, otherwise you don’t have a BM and you just don’t feel well.
Maybe you have been diagnosed with colitis, Crohn’s disease, IBS, or already had gut operations. Maybe you or someone you love has one or more of these conditions and you’re worried.
Not to scare you, but you should be worried.
Gut related diseases chronically treated with drugs to simply control symptoms or altered by surgery can lead to chronic malabsorption, malnutrition, lowered immune system functioning and increased risk of infection.
If you or your loved one has tried everything, yet your health care provider doesn’t have a clue and you are still miserable, KadileAtric Power Principle®, recommends that the following gastro-intestinal health panel be performed. (LINK)
If you or your loved one had gut surgery then a malabsorption, malnutrition analysis is a must. Based on those results a specific, individualized nutritional therapy program can be implemented either orally or IV.
Look, it’s never a good time to have gut related diseases, but if you’ve got it, now is the time to pick up the phone and call 920-468-9442.