By: Dr. Mercola
Source: Mercola.com
It’s common knowledge that drugs, vitamins or supplements contain more than just the active ingredient. Something has to encapsulate them―hold them together―in a form that not only makes them usable, but producible by a manufacturer in massive quantities.
By: S. D. Wells Source: NaturalNews.com
Azithromycin (Zithromax) is a macrolide antibiotic used in the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. It’s known for having unpleasant side effects such as skin rashes, itching, allergic or anaphylactic reactions, Continue reading
By: Ethan A. Huff
Source: NaturalNews.com
The human body is essentially a “germ” factory, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. A new study published as a series of reports in the journals Nature and Public Library of Science (PLoS) debunks the Continue reading
By: Dr. Mercola
Source: Mercola.com
A new generation of insect larvae is eating the roots of genetically engineered corn intended to be resistant to such pests. The failure of Monsanto’s genetically modified Bt corn could be the most serious threat ever to Continue reading
By Andreas Moritz
Hi, this is a question from Barbara Foley and she is asking, “I have been hoarse for 6 months, one doctor says allergies, and the oncologist says it’s acid reflux. I could see on the screen form the Continue reading
By: Dr. Mercola
Source: Mercola.com
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is a formally trained Russian neurologist whose child developed autism.
As a result of her own research into autism, she ended up developing what might be one of the most profoundly important treatment strategies not just Continue reading
By Andreas Moritz
This is a question about people that have been paralyzed or crippled, bedridden, whether there are ways to take some load off their liver, because they obviously… one cannot move the body, the body’s ability to rid itself Continue reading
By: Dr. David Jockers
Source: NaturalNews.com
Parsley is considered the world’s most popular garnish. Parsley was originally cultivated in Europe and the Middle East but has become a staple in American cuisine. This herb has remarkable healing and blood purifying benefits that classify Continue reading
Probiotics, along with a host of other microorganisms, are so crucial to your health that researchers have compared them to “a newly recognized organ.”
In fact, your microflora – a term used to describe the bacteria, fungi, viruses and Continue reading
Hi, this is a question from a reader who asked what you can do if you have an ear infection. And this is more common amongst children nowadays because of vaccinations. There are studies to show that vaccinated children have 5 Continue reading
Hello, this is Andreas Moritz, and today I would like to discuss the importance of not drinking water or other beverages during your meal. And this is something that is extremely important because it will determine whether you are able to Continue reading
Hi, this is a question from Gabby and she is wondering why she has fresh blood in her stool every day.
This is a question that I cannot answer unless someone is examining this properly but when the body, when the large Continue reading
Hi, this is question from someone who is wondering if I have any recommendations to avoid or to balance altitude sickness. Many people who are going to places like Peru or to higher regions of mountains where the air is thinner, Continue reading
Hi, this is a question from Simona in Italy and she is wondering if there is anything that can be done for a thyroid that has been inflamed because of constant heartburn.
I have describes how heartburn can lead to thyroid inflammation Continue reading
By Andreas Moritz
Hi, my name is Andreas Moritz and today I would like to debunk some of the myths surrounding the vitamin, the important vitamin B12.
Many people believe that we are as a society, modern society; we are suffering from Continue reading
By Andreas Moritz
More than two-thirds of the body’s immune system is located in the intestines. And since it takes care of both physical and mental toxins, it acts as our physical and mental healing system. Obesity, including lumpy cellulite, is one of the many conditions that results from a congested lymphatic system,which forms a large part of the body’s natural immunological defenses. Other diseases include multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer, the ultimate defense against toxins.
The lymphatic system and how it works
But what exactly is the lymphatic system? Imagine a network of drains flowing through your internal organs, taking away toxins from your tissues, blood and cells. The drainage system is filled with fluid containing cells that transport, attack and destroy poisons such as metabolic waste, undigested food particles, animal proteins, chemicals from drugs and processed food, cellular debris, and excess fluid from the extracellular spaces or the spaces between cells.
Parts of this drainage network are located in different parts of the body including the bone marrow, thymus gland, spleen, appendix, tonsils and adenoids. The lymph tissue in different parts of the body is connected by a network of vessels called lymph vessels. These vessels pass through purifying centers called lymph nodes that are located in the underarms, neck, chest and abdomen.
The lymph – 6 to 10 liters of lymph vis-à-vis 3.5 to 5 liters of blood – moves through the lymph nodes, which act as active purification centers. However, when the lymph fluid and immune systemare overwhelmed by poisons and decomposing material from the small intestine and liver, the body loses its ability to purify itself.
Intestinal problems due to eating harmful foods
Most intestinal problems occur because of eating harmful foods. The following foods or cooking processes have strongly irritating effects on the protective mucus lining present throughout the alimentary canal, from the mouth to the anus: devitalized, processed, radiated, refined, deep-fried, microwave-cooked and canned foods.
Highly acid-forming foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, refined sugar, table salt, chocolate, candy, commercial fruit juices, coffee, alcohol, carbonated beverages and oral hallucinogenic and pharmaceutical drugs also irritate the intestinal lining.
Since the body cannot digest and utilize anything that is potentially harmful, these products undergo biochemical transformations, known as fermentation and putrefaction.
Studies have indicated that processed and refined foods along with alcohol and red and processed meats are a lethal combination. Not only does a diet rich in these foods promote lymph congestion and obesity over a period of time, it is also associated with an increased risk for many types of cancer- including breast, colon and pancreatic cancer.
These foods are highly acidic and have an excess of ‘fire energy’. Conventional Western nutritionists call these foods ‘heaty’, while Chinese and other forms of natural medicine, believe they produce an excess of ‘fire’ energy.
Think for a moment about the metabolism of an overweight individual. Excess weight raises the body’s temperature, not because the extra fat traps heat but because body’s organs needs to work harder to adjust to the weight. Even at rest, an overweight individual generates more heat than a body of normal weight. If you have a tendency towards being overweight, eating foods that are high in ‘fire energy’ could be a recipe for obesity and digestive problems.
Even in individuals who are not overweight, regular exposure of the intestinal lining or our ‘internal skin’ to acidifying and irritating components as the phosphoric acid and other chemical additives contained in colas, for example, can lead to suppurating wounds and the perforation of the intestinal walls.
What happens to undigested food?
Did you know that waste products from undigested food can linger in the intestinal tract for weeks, months and even years? Food that is eaten either too quickly, in between meals, late at night, or wrongly combined, lowers Agni, the digestive fire. Anger and fear also lower Agni. In an unhealthy intestinal tract, mucus, toxins and fecal matter combine to create what Ayurveda calls Ama or mucoid fecal matter. The intestines begin to lose their natural shape as they try to accommodate the extra waste. Left with no other choice, they create protrusions that are filled with layers of obstructive Ama which is a breeding ground for parasites and microbes, as well as for cancer cells. Eventually, the intestinal immune system succumbs to the overload of toxins.
Deadly microbes or harmful bacteria that are normally kept in check by the probiotic or ‘good’ bacteria begin to take over the digestive tract. These microbes quite literally turn everything they find into poison.
Not surprisingly, a badly congested lymphatic system leads to swelling of the abdomen and congestion in other parts of the body. In a desperate attempt to prevent the blood from being poisoned, the body begins to harden the afflicted tissue. This is the first stage of ulcerative processes. Later, layers of hardened mucus are added, forming a thick crust around the afflicted areas. This creates further rigidity of the intestinal tract, which in turn begins to obstruct blood circulation in the intestinal wall slows down intestinal motion.
Eventually, when the immune system is completely overwhelmed, the body suffers from a toxicity crisis. Obesity is nothing but a toxicity crisis. Any attempt to reverse these destructive processes that have virtually taken over requires the body to undergo a process of detoxification.
The obesity-cancer link
Obesity and cancer are both linked to severe lymph congestion,and over the years, more and more studies have been cropping up strengthening the correlation between the two diseases.
One such study, by scientists of the University of Geneva, found a connection between obesity and tumors in the breast. The sample consisted of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in Geneva between 2003 and 2005. The scientists found that the women who were obese were more likely to suffer from Stage III and Stage IV tumors with an odds ratio of 1.8. In other words, they were 180 percent more likely to develop serious breast cancer than the women who were not overweight.
Also, the obese women in the sample were 510 percent more likely to have cancerous lymph nodes, suggesting that the cancer may have spread to other parts of their bodies.
Other researchers suspect that the hormone leptin could be a ‘missing link’ between obesity and cancer. Leptin, produced in fat cells in adipose tissue, is also known as the satiety hormone, which tells an individual when to stop eating. But this is not all that leptin does. This hormone is also involved in many other biological processes in the breast, from reproduction and lactation to cell differentiation and cell proliferation. When leptin or its receptors malfunction, they are likely to promote the development of breast tumors, some scientists say.
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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
The digestive process actually begins in your mouth. Here, food is pre-digested by saliva, which also signals to your pancreas and small intestine that a meal is on the way. These organs then release the appropriate types and amounts of digestive enzymes and minerals needed to break down the food into the smallest nutrient components.
Not only is it necessary to chew every morsel thoroughly so that it is pre-digested properly, but research suggests that chewing also reduces the release of stress hormones. Eating a meal – which means you’re ingesting calories – is usually a stressful event for individuals who are overweight. This in turn leads to anxiety, fear and insecurity, which tends to make one chew even faster.
Once the food enters your stomach, your salivary enzymes continue to digest it in this organ for as much as an hour. Only then does your stomach begin to secrete its gastric juices- hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mineral salts, mucus and water. The acid kills harmful microbes and parasites that are naturally present in the food as well as harmful substances such as food additives and chemicals. Also, special enzymes are released to act on proteins.
Once saturated with sufficient acid, the food is pumped into the small intestine which is approximately 6 meters or 18 feet long. This coiled tube-like organ is responsible for most of the chemical digestion and absorption of nutrients, salt and water.
Simultaneously, the liver pours in bile and the pancreas contributes digestive enzymes, minerals and water to further break down starches. Bile, on the other hand, metabolizes fats and proteins. Metabolized nutrients are absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and pass into the blood, which carries them to the liver for detoxification. The rest are detoxified by the lymphatic system.
The body’s complex metabolic processes are powered by Agni, or the ‘digestive fire’ that ‘cooks’ the food and its nutrients as they are being processed. Agni is fuelled by bile, without which none of the other digestive juices would be sufficiently effective to break down food into its nutrient components.
There is no underestimating the role of bile, which in a congested environment leads to the formation of gallstones that contribute to sickness and weight gain. Bile, which is alkaline, dilutes the hydrochloric acid. This makes it possible for the intestine to secrete the necessary digestive enzymes for metabolism.
An intestinal pH-value of high acidity would block enzyme secretion and become a major stumbling block for the proper digestion of food. As long as bile secretion from the liver’s bile ducts and the gallbladder remain unimpeded by gallstones, good digestion is almost guaranteed, provided that you eat food that is fresh and wholesome.
Refined carbohydrates, refined sugars and chemical additives in processed foods and beverages significantly lower Agni. None of these substances were intended by nature to be ingested and anything that is unnatural, and worse still, consumed regularly and in vast quantities, blocks the digestive fire.
This is where the toxicity crisis, and roots of obesity, begins. When Agni is low, undigested food cannot pass through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream. It becomes a target for destructive bacteria and starts fermenting and putrefying in the intestine. A chain reaction is set off involving destructive bacteria, toxins and poisonous gases that further impair digestive functions. Over time, the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients is greatly diminished. More and more toxins and waste is generated, and this increasingly congests the gastrointestinal tract, not to mention the damage it also causes to the liver on rebound. At this stage, food turns into poison.
Here is an astonishing fact: one-third of the Western world’s population has been diagnosed with intestinal problems. Take a look at the average American’s diet and lifestyle, and that should tell you why.
The mind-body connection is clearly demonstrated by the small intestine. The cerebral cortex of the brain, which controls thought, is intimately connected with the digestive process. Hence, not only foods, but also thoughts need to be properly ‘digested’ or processed so that they don’t cause us any harm.
Undigested thoughts have a poisonous effect on the body as a whole and on the digestive system in particular. Fear, anger, shock, trauma, anxiety and other negative emotions may be locked up in the cellular memory of the intestines for a long time and without any obvious indication of their presence. Once they have reached a certain degree of concentration, they may suddenly erupt and alter one’s personality in a negative way. This can be damaging to the body as well.
In other words, if you feel frequently upset, angry, worried or simply unhappy, you are prone not only to suffer from ‘mental indigestion’ but also from physical indigestion. Imbalances of the small intestines are characterized by holding on to things in our insides, regardless of whether these are undigested food or unresolved emotional conflicts.
It is interesting to note that the ‘happiness hormone’ is produced in the digestive system. In fact, 95 percent of serotonin is made in the digestive system and regulates digestive functions; only 5 percent is produced in the brain. Lack of happiness diminishes serotonin secretions and thereby weakens the digestive process.
The reverse is also true. If you are suffering from chronic indigestion or you habitually consume highly processed, refined and denatured foods, you begin to accumulate toxic waste in your intestines. This waste may give rise to nervousness, hyperactivity or any other emotionally volatile condition.
Let me put it this way. We can broadly say that toxins in the intestines are the physical counterparts of negative thoughts. And through the mind-body connection, negative thoughts and feelings translate into poisons and vice versa.
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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
Our whole lives are dictated by the way we feel. Our persona, the way we carry ourselves, our interactions with other people, our moods, cravings, patience, tolerance level, and more are strongly affected by the state of health of our nervous system. In today’s fast paced world we are exposed to a variety of conditions that wreak havoc on our bodies. The brain is the control center of the entire body and unless it receives proper nourishment, your life can be a physical and emotional mess.
Brain cells are very capable of manufacturing the quantity of chemicals they need if they are supplied with the nutrients needed to produce those chemicals. Although modern intensive agriculture has depleted most of the soil of nutrients, most nutrient deficiencies occur due to poor performance of the digestive system and, particularly, the liver. Lack of such nutrients can hinder the ability of our brain to manufacture the chemicals it needs to function optimally.
The brain can function for quite some time with substandard amounts of nutrients, but the price paid includes poor health, fatigue, lack of energy, mood swings, sickness, aches and pains, and general discomfort. Some deficiencies manifest in mental disease.
The nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, pairs of spinal and cranial nerves and autonomic functions, is largely dependent on the quality of the blood. Blood is composed of plasma, a straw-colored transparent fluid, and cells. The constituents of plasma are water, plasma proteins, mineral salts, hormones, vitamins, nutrient materials, organic waste products, antibodies and gases. There are three varieties of blood cells: white cells (leukocytes), red cells (erythrocytes) and platelets (thrombocytes). Any abnormal changes in the blood affect the nervous system.
All three blood cell types are formed in the red bone marrow, which is nourished and maintained by the nutrients supplied through the digestive system. Gallstones in the liver interfere with digestion and assimilation of food, which fills the plasma with excessive waste material and cuts down nutrient supplies to the red bone marrow. This, in turn, upsets the balance of blood cell constituents, disrupts hormonal pathways and causes abnormal responses in the nervous system. Most diseases afflicting the nervous system are rooted in improperly formed blood, brought about by a dysfunctional liver.
Each of the numerous functions of the liver has a direct influence on the nervous system, and particularly the brain. The liver cells convert glycogen (complex sugar) into glucose which, besides oxygen and water, is the major nutrient for the nervous system. Glucose provides most of its energy requirements. The brain, although it constitutes only 1/50 of the body weight, contains about 1/5 of the total blood volume in the body. It uses up vast amounts of glucose. Gallstones in the liver drastically cut down glucose supply to the brain and the rest of the nervous system, which can affect the performance of the organs, senses and mind. At the early stages of imbalance, a person may develop food cravings, particularly for sweet or starchy foods, and experience frequent mood swings or emotional stress.
The liver also forms the plasma proteins and most of the blood clotting factors from the available amino acids. This function becomes increasingly subdued by the presence of gallstones. If the production of clotting factors drops, platelet count will fall and there may be spontaneous capillary bleeding or hemorrhagic disease. If a hemorrhage occurs in the brain, it may cause destruction of brain tissue, paralysis or death. The severity of the bleeding may be determined by such triggers as hypertension and alcohol abuse. Platelet counts also drop when production of new cells does not keep pace with destruction of damaged or worn-out cells, which happens in the liver when gallstones cut off blood supply to liver cells.
Vitamin Kis also essential for synthesis of major clotting factors. It is a fat-soluble vitamin stored in the liver, and bile salts are required in the colon for absorption. Vitamin K becomes deficient when gallstones in the liver and gallbladder obstruct bile flow, which leads to inadequate fat absorption.
Gallstones in the liver can lead to disorders of the vascular system as well. When the blood changes and becomes thick, blood vessels begin to harden and become damaged. If a blood clot forms in an injured artery, a piece of blood clot (embolus) may lodge in a small artery distant to the injury and obstruct the blood flow, causing ischaemia and infarction. If the infarction occurs in a brain artery, it is called a stroke.
All circulatory disturbances affect the brain and the rest of the nervous system. The disruption of liver functions particularly affects astrocytes – cells that form the main supporting tissue of the central nervous system. This condition is characterized by apathy, disorientation, delirium, muscular rigidity and coma. Nitrogenous bacterial waste absorbed from the colon, normally detoxified by the liver, reaches the brain cells via the blood. Other metabolic waste products, such as ammonia, may reach toxic concentrations and change the permeability of the blood vessels in the brain and reduce the effectiveness of the blood-brain barrier. This may permit different noxious substances to enter the brain as well, causing further damage.
If the neurons of the brain no longer receive enough nourishment, there is atrophy of neural tissue, which leads to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In case the neurons, which are responsible for producing the brain hormone and neurotransmitter dopamine, suffer malnutrition, Parkinson’s disease results. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) occurs when the cells that produce myelin, a sheath of fatty material that surrounds most axons of nerve cells, suffer malnutrition. The myelin sheath diminishes and axons become injured.
The liver controls the digestion, absorption and metabolism of fatty substances throughout the body. Gallstones interfere with fat metabolism and affect cholesterol levels in the blood. Cholesterol is an essential building block of all our body cells and is needed for every metabolic process. Our brain consists of more than 10% pure cholesterol (all water removed). Cholesterol is important for brain development and brain function. It protects the nerves against damage or injury. An imbalance of blood fats can profoundly affect the nervous system and, thereby, cause almost any type of illness in the body.
Removing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder increases nutrient supplies to all the cells, thereby rejuvenating the nervous system and improving all functions in the body.
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This is an excerpt from my book THE AMAZING LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
The small intestine is continuous with the stomach at the pyloric sphincter and has a length of 16-19 feet (5-6 meters). It leads into the large intestine, which is about 3.5-5 feet (1-1.5 meters) long. The small intestine secretes intestinal juice to complete digestion of carbohydrates, protein and fats. It also absorbs nutrient materials necessary for nourishing and maintaining the body, and protects it against infection by microbes that have survived the anti-microbial action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
When acid food (chyme) from the stomach enters the duodenum, it is first mixed with bile and pancreatic juice, and then with intestinal juice. Gallstones in the liver and gallbladder drastically reduce secretion of bile, which weakens the ability of pancreatic enzymes to digest carbohydrates, protein and fat. This, in turn, restrains the small intestine from properly absorbing the nutrient components of these foods (e.g. monosaccharides from carbohydrates, amino acids from protein, and fatty acids and glycerol from fats).
Since the presence of bile in the intestines is essential for the absorption of fats, calcium and Vitamin K, gallstones can lead to life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer. The liver uses the fat-soluble Vitamin K to produce the compounds responsible for the clotting of blood. In case of poor Vitamin K absorption, hemorrhagic disease may result. This vitamin cannot be adequately absorbed if there is any problem with fat digestion, due to lack of bile, pancreatic lipase and a certain amount of pancreatic fat. For the latter reason, following a low-fat diet can endanger one’s life.
Calcium is essential for the hardening of bone and teeth, the coagulation of blood and the mechanism of muscle contraction. What applies to Vitamin K also applies to all other fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, E and D. Vitamin A and carotene are also only absorbed sufficiently from the small intestine if fat absorption is normal. If Vitamin A absorption is inefficient, the epithelial cells become damaged. These cells form an essential part of all the organs, blood vessels, lymph vessels, etc. in the body. Vitamin A is also necessary to maintain healthy eyes and protect against or reduce microbial infection. Vitamin D is essential for calcification of bones and teeth. It may be noted at this point that supplementing these vitamins does not resolve the problem of deficiency.
To sum up, without normal bile secretions, these vitamins are not digested and absorbed properly and, therefore, can cause considerable damage to the lymphatic and urinary systems.
Inadequately digested foods tend to ferment and putrefy in the small and large intestines. They attract a vast number of bacteria to help speed up the process of decomposition. The breakdown products are often very toxic and so are the chemicals produced by the bacteria. All of this strongly irritates the mucous lining, which is one of the body’s foremost defense lines against disease-causing agents. Regular exposure to these toxins impairs the body’s immune system, 60% of which is located in the intestines. Overburdened by a constant influx of toxins, the small and large intestines may be afflicted with a number of disorders, including diarrhea, constipation, abdominal gas, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, hernias, polyps, dysentery, appendicitis, volvulus, intussusceptions, as well as benign and malignant tumors.
Ample bile flow maintains good digestion and absorption of food, and has a strong cleansing action throughout the intestinal tract. Every part of the body depends on the basic nutrients made available through the digestive system, as well as the efficient removal of waste products from the digestive system. Gallstones in the liver and gallbladder considerably disrupt both of these vital processes. Therefore, they can be held accountable for most, if not all, of the different kinds of ailments that can afflict the body. Removal of gallstones helps to normalize the digestive and eliminative functions, improve cell metabolism and maintain balance throughout the body.
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This is an excerpt from my book THE AMAZING LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
Symptoms of disease are highly changeable, if not unpredictable. The causes of disease remain obscure to most medical practitioners and their patients. A stomach catarrh, or inflammation of the mucous membrane, for example, may initially show up as an irritation and then become an ulcer. Next it may be perceived as a hardening of tissue and, eventually, be diagnosed as cancer. The course and intensification of pathological symptoms (signs of disease) may vary from person to person, and relatively few people develop the cancer stage. However, the previous stages can be equally life threatening. As a matter of fact, many more people die from acute digestive problems than from cancer and coronary heart disease.
A stomach catarrh may be accompanied by various kinds of complaints, including stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, gastritis, and cramping of the stomach. In truth, two people suffering from gastritis never have exactly the same symptoms. One of them may be a very nervous person and his symptoms of gastritis may include headaches and insomnia. The other may suffer an epileptic attack. As the stages of the disease become more pronounced, some, but not all afflicted patients, develop anemia as a result of ulceration and putrefaction of cell proteins. A number of people form hemorrhoids when stomach ulcers begin to occur. Others suffer from stomach congestion, where the food is practically stuck and vomited every second or third day.
Modern medicine views each set of symptoms as different types of disease, each of which requires a separate approach or treatment by a specialist. This makes medical diagnosis and treatment so complex that even doctors are confused as to what measures to take to help their patients. Each new variation of disease produces different symptoms in different people, and the specialists are unable to identify the common cause of the various complaints. Since doctors aren’t trained to search for the cause of the complaints, they tend to treat the various symptoms as if they were separate diseases. To them, the initial stomach pain seems to have no connection with the inflammation of the catarrh; the thickening of the stomach lining is dissimilar to a stomach ulcer; an ulcer is certainly not a malignant tumor; and the tumor just appears out of the blue.
A physician may be able to stop initial pain in the stomach with an antacid or a painkiller, and when the catarrh occurs, he may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. As the growing ulcer becomes unbearable, a surgeon may decide to cut it out. When the cancer appears, an oncologist may prescribe chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical removal of the tumor and parts of the stomach. Yet none of these symptoms are diseases in themselves; all of them are caused by something else, and without dealing with that something else, the disease will continue to appear in other, seemingly unrelated forms and variations. Symptoms are like sand in the hand. They are fleeting and inconsistent. Only those trained to connect symptoms with their causes can reveal the true nature of disease. Clearly then, it is not in the best interest of the patient merely to receive treatment for the symptoms of his chronic ailments. Addressing the underlying cause is crucial for genuine healing to occur.
Searching for the Cause
Not many people try to find out why their stomach becomes irritated or in what ways they may have contributed to their own illnesses. Instead, they feel they are doing all they can to become well by simply treating the symptoms of their illness as they manifest one by one. Unfortunately, even by removing the final stage of the symptom of disease, which in the above case is a cancerous tumor, the physician has done nothing to address the cause of the very first symptom of disease, stomach pain. Eating irritating foods and bottled salad dressings or having too much refined salt or hot chili may have caused the pain. Others causes may include feeling emotionally upset, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, regular intake of coffee, soft drinks, or artificial sweeteners, overeating, liver congestion, or not drinking enough water.
The latter is probably the most common, yet the least known cause of stomach problems and many other illnesses. I am using the example of stomach disorders to describe the basic mechanisms leading to disease. Most stomach pains are signals of advanced dehydration of the mucus lining. Consisting of 98 percent water and 2 percent water-holding scaffolding, the mucus layer serves as a natural buffer of protection against stomach acids. The cells below the mucus layer secrete sodium bicarbonate, which is kept there to neutralize any of the hydrochloric acid that may pass through the mucus lining. The resulting chemical reaction between the two chemicals produces salt from the sodium bicarbonate and chlorine from the hydrochloric acid. Consumption of foods that require the secretion of large amounts of hydrochloric acid, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and other high protein foods, thus causes high salt production inside the stomach. This alters considerably the water-holding properties of the scaffolding material of the mucus lining. Regular consumption of such foods in large amounts leads to an intensified acid neutralization, and subsequently, to an accumulation of salt deposits in this layer. This causes ‘erosion’ which will allow the acid to reach the stomach wall, and the result is the well-known pain of dyspepsia.
As long as the mucus barrier is properly hydrated through regular water intake, and protein and fat consumption is moderate, any salt deposits are washed away. In addition, sodium bicarbonate is retained, and the hydrochloric acid is neutralized before it even has the chance to penetrate the mucus layer. Thus, there can be no better acid barrier to the stomach wall than water. Yet the stomach pain, which in most cases is rather a thirst pain, is usually combated with antacids and other medications. These drugs, however, do not offer efficient protection against the natural action of the hydrochloric acid. Most people with stomach ulcers and severe abdominal or dyspeptic pain, experience almost instant and total relief of their discomfort after drinking 1-2 glasses of water. Caffeine-containing beverages such as most soft drinks, tea or coffee, on the other hand, have a diuretic effect, and draw water from the protective stomach lining. One cup of coffee or an alcoholic drink can easily bring on a painful attack.
The stomach pain is the first signal to tell a person that something is off balance with regard to his eating habits or the hydrating of his body. The suppression of this pain through drugs usually prevents the patient from finding out what is causing it. Thus, the ignorance about the mechanism of water metabolism – mistaking the thirst pain for a disease, which is a gross misdiagnosis – can be held responsible for the suppression of the initial symptoms of discomfort that could eventually end up as cancer. Most cancers are the result of repeatedly suppressing mild symptoms of illness such as a cold, pain, infection, or headache and treating them as if they were real diseases.
The purely clinical approach to treatment focuses on the progressive stages of pathological symptoms and keeps producing new findings that promise a cure for each of these problems.
The saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing certainly applies to the symptom-oriented approach of conventional medicine.
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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
Whenever food enters your mouth and touches the taste buds located on the surface of your tongue, your salivary glands begin secreting saliva. Saliva is needed to lubricate the food and to predigest cooked starches. At the same time, your pancreas and small intestine receive instructions to prepare for the release of the appropriate kinds and amounts of digestive enzymes and minerals necessary to help break down the food into the smallest nutrient components.
The first and most common cause of digestive trouble is swallowing food too quickly. This eating habit indicates anxiety, impatience and nervousness. Eating too quickly reduces saliva production in the mouth cavity, which is a major cause of tooth decay. One of the functions of saliva is to keep the mouth and teeth protected against harmful substances and irritating microbes.
There are other reasons why masticating food properly is so essential for our wellbeing. According to fascinating research conducted at the Gifu University in Japan, chewing actually improves memory by reducing the release of stress hormones. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated that the hippocampus, which helps control blood levels of stress hormones, is stimulated by the act of chewing. As a result, the simple act of chewing properly lowers both stress and stress hormones. So chewing your food well can actually reduce anxiety levels.
The Japanese researchers also found that when teeth were missing or in a state of disrepair, people tended to chew less. Subsequently, this led to increased stress hormone levels. The conclusion from this study is that good dental health and the ability to chew properly appear to be important factors in preserving our memory as we age and in protecting ourselves against the harmful effects of stress.
After passing through the esophagus, the food enters the stomach. If the food contains carbohydrates (complex sugars and starches as found in vegetables and grains), the salivary enzymes continue to digest these foods for about an hour before the stomach begins to secrete its gastric juices. If the food is swallowed too quickly, these foods remain mostly undigested and begin to ferment.
Gastric juice is composed of hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mineral salts, mucus and water. The action of the acid kills many of the harmful microbes and parasites that are naturally present in fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy products and other foods. The hydrochloric acid also breaks down some of the harmful substances that may accompany the food, such as certain food additives or chemicals. Special enzymes begin to act upon proteins that may be present in the food. Once saturated with enough acid, the food is forced in small jets into the duodenum.
The duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum, which is the central of the three divisions of the small intestine. It represents the first and shortest part of the small intestine, and it is where most chemical digestion takes place. It is called the cap because on an x-ray it looks a bit like a cap. Thereafter, the duodenum makes a C-turn going from the right to the left side of the abdomen. Bile from the liver and secretions from the pancreas come through the ampulla of Vater to mix with food in the duodenum. The pancreatic juices contain digestive enzymes, minerals and water to help break down starches further. The bile, which is forced into the duodenum via the common bile duct, aids in the digestion of fats and proteins. The duodenum participates in this very important part of the digestive process by releasing specific hormones and digestive juices.
Ayurveda calls the entire activity in this section of the digestive system AGNI, or ‘digestive fire’. AGNI ‘cooks’ the food further in order to make its nutrients available for the cells and tissues at a later stage.
The small intestine has a total length of approximately 6 meters (18 feet). It is responsible for the absorption of nutrients, salt and water. On the average, approximately 9 liters (9.5 quarts) of fluid enter the jejunum (upper part of the small intestine) each day, a major portion of which is composed of digestive juices. The small intestine absorbs approximately 7 liters (7.4 quarts), leaving only 1.5 to 2 liters to move on to the large intestine. The absorptive function of the small intestine is brought about by an intricate array of cells within its lining (intestinal folds and villi) that absorb and secrete salts and nutrients as well as water in order to maintain normal salt and water balance within the body. In a healthy person, the absorptive function is so efficient that with a natural, balanced diet, over 95 percent of ingested carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed.
Specific sections of the small intestine perform specific functions. For example, the duodenum plays an important role in coordinating how the stomach empties and at what rate bile needs to be secreted into the intestine to optimize the digestive process. The duodenum is also a major site for the absorption of iron. The jejunum is a major site for the absorption of the vitamin, folic acid, while the end of the ileum (lower part of the intestine) is the most important site for the absorption of vitamin B12 and bile salts. The blood takes up all the nutrients and moves them to the liver for further processing.
The ingested food can be broken down into its basic nutrient components and made available for the complex metabolic processes in the body only when AGNI, the digestive fire, is strong. AGNI is fueled by bile, without which none of the other digestive juices would be sufficiently effective to break down food into its nutrient components.
Bile is alkaline. When food that is saturated with hydrochloric acid enters the small intestine, it first needs to be mixed with bile before digestive enzymes can act on the food. An intestinal pH-value of high acidity would block enzyme secretion and become a major stumbling block for the proper digestion of food. Furthermore, in order for them to become activated, pancreatic enzymes must combine with bile before passing through the ampulla of Vater. To make this possible, the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct combine to form one short duct before joining the duodenum. As long as bile secretion from the liver’s bile ducts and the gallbladder remain unimpeded by gallstones, good digestion is almost guaranteed, provided that the ingested food is fresh and wholesome.
The combination of nutritious food and strong AGNI forms the ideal partnership to help the body make sufficient amounts of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, glucose, fructose, trace elements and other vital substances available to all its parts. This, in turn, produces healthy blood, vital tissues and a youthful body. The quality of the blood and the tissues of the body, including those that make up the skin, mostly reflect the condition of the liver and the small intestine.
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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
Although you may think you have found the best medicine for your particular health condition, you will not truly be healed unless you stop creating or maintaining its causes. The law of cause and effect applies to everything in life. You may succeed in stopping the symptoms of an illness, but this will only force your body to push the toxic substances into its ‘deeper’ structures, including the tissues of the organs, joints and bones. Since suppressing toxins makes them ‘disappear’ from the network of general circulation, the body’s ability to tolerate them seems to improve temporarily.
This, of course, gives you the leeway to hold on to even more toxins without developing any obvious signs of ill health. If the first lines of the body’s defense system were still intact, the body would readily deal with this buildup of toxins by manifesting a cold, a fever or an infection. You would actually feel quite ill. If none of these occur, however, you may believe that you are doing quite well, health-wise, and you are able to get on with your life in the usual manner. Then suddenly, without much warning, an even larger wave of toxicity is unleashed. A typical example of such a crisis is the sudden heart attack or stroke. Many victims of such an attack claim that they have always been “perfectly healthy”.
Most serious and life-threatening diseases usually begin with minor problems, such as a simple irritation of the mucus lining in the stomach. This can be caused by overeating, abrasive foods and beverages, or emotional stress. If one’s food is too heavy or difficult to digest, the stomach passes some of its hydrochloric acid upward into the esophagus, which gives rise to the sensation of ‘heartburn’. A whooping 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. Over 16 million are plagued by it daily.
Contrary to common belief, heartburn or acid reflux is not caused by too much stomach acid, but by too little of it. Because of an insufficient supply of hydrochloric acid, food remains undigested in the stomach for too long, causing stomach upset. As the acid makes its way into the esophagus, it starts to digest the lining of this delicate structure – hence, the burning sensation.
You can easily test whether your digestive problems are related to too little stomach acid. Eat some fresh ginger with a pinch of salt or cayenne pepper before your meal. This will stimulate acid production. If that doesn’t help, a common acid supplement called betaine hydrochloride (HCI) may work. (Avoid HCI, however, if you have an ulcer) If either of these methods alleviates your symptoms, you will know that your heartburn problem is due to too little stomach acid. To improve digestive functions on a permanent basis, and to solve the problem of low stomach acid, cleanse your liver and intestines and avoid foods that are difficult to digest, such as meat and fried or processed foods. When food is not digested properly, vitamins and nutrients are not absorbed, leaving you susceptible to a host of degenerative diseases.
If the irritation of the stomach lining occurs more frequently because of regular consumption of coffee, soft drinks, sports drinks, sugar, chocolate, meat, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, and other unhealthful items, it may lead to a fully developed inflammation. Unless the person’s lifestyle and diet are altered to eliminate these irritating substances, an ulcer will form. Incapable of removing the daily generated metabolic waste, cellular debris and toxic food particles from the area of the ulcer lesions, the stomach cells can no longer perform their normal activities. While suffocating in such an unnatural and toxic environment, the body must take recourse to unusual survival mechanisms. The most affected stomach cells may be forced to alter their genes through what is known as ‘cell mutation’. It may seem that these mutating, ‘out-of-control’ cells have lost their awareness of being an integral part of the body. However, just like everything the body does, the alteration of the genetic programs of these cells serves a useful purpose, that of removing and absorbing some of the acidic metabolic waste products and other harmful material. This symptom of disease is called cancer, which is just another name for the body’s herculean effort to deal with the constant irritation and poisoning of its cells. Thus, stomach cancer is a natural response to a continuous irritation of stomach cells.
Most currently used medical treatments target only the symptoms of disease, as if they were the disease itself. The prevailing concept is to remove the symptoms in the hope that the disease will disappear as well. In many cases, the use of sophisticated diagnostic tools can precisely identify the symptoms of a disease, which could be a stomach ulcer, cataract of the eyes, stones in the gallbladder, or a tumor in the uterus. The ‘treatment’ may consist of cutting out the ‘culprit’, along with the affected organ in far too many cases. The patient is sent home under the impression that he has been cured. Not being aware of what has caused his problems in the first place, his body may turn into a living time bomb. To date, the purely clinical approach of diagnosis has not been able to identify the causal factors for over 80 percent of all diseases. This is perhaps the biggest drawback of today’s medical system.
Searching for the root causes of illness is not a focus in medical training. Hence, we cannot blame medical professionals for the current crisis in medical care. In addition, doctors are often pressured by their patients to act as ‘legalized drug pushers’ or ‘symptom hunters’. Many patients practically demand that their doctor remove their symptoms of ill health quickly and by any available means, so they can get on with their lives. They don’t realize that this behavior drives them ever closer to another, more intensified toxicity crisis. Added to this dilemma, the side effects that accompany most existing treatments are often so severe that it is questionable whether they are justified at all. This is particularly true when they are used for relatively minor problems.
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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
Enemy Number One of the overweight or obese individual is processed foods including fast food, ironically billed as saviors of the 21st century. Breakfast cereals, energy bars, TV dinners, hamburgers, chili dogs, pasta, puddings and baked chicken. You pick them off the shelves, peel off the wrapper, eat most of them on the move or put them in the microwave.
They are time-savers, they are delicious and, why, they are even ‘nutritionally enriched’. At least, that’s what the label says.
If you can get ‘all you need for a healthy start to your day’ in a bowl of breakfast cereal, you couldn’t ask for more, right? Not so fast. Falling prey to smart advertising spiel and convincing product packaging are more than 75 percent of Americans, whose breakfast consists of bright and colorful cereals.
Hiding behind labels such as ‘whole grain’, ‘high-fiber’ and ‘nutritionally enriched’ are a bag of chemicals – present in all processed foods – dumping chemical toxins into your body.
Starting with your liver, kidneys, small intestine, large intestine or colon and connective tissue, these chemicals – artificial coloring agents, preservatives, food flavoring agents, refined sugars, refined grains, trans fatty acids and even fiber from bran – breakfast cereal could be escalating weight gain and taking your body to a toxicity crisis.
This is easily understood when we take a look at how the body deals with any type of toxin that enters the digestive system. The link between processed foods and weight gain is the liver.
This organ is tasked with more than 500 different functions, two of which are detoxification and burning fat. Apart from neutralizing and rendering toxins harmless, the liver passes on some of the toxins to the colon for elimination. It stores the rest to prevent them from entering the bloodstream.
So the more unnatural chemicals you consume in processed foods, fast food and junk food, the greater the need for detoxification. Your liver is now burdened with this role and is left with little time or energy to burn fat or carry out its other responsibilities.
According to some estimates, three quarters of the average individual’s liver is used to store toxins that the liver was unable to render harmless.
When the liver can store no more poison, these chemicals begin to back up into the bloodstream, which sets off another series of harmful reactions in other organs and tissues including the brain.
Apart from promoting weight gain, these additives and preservatives then lead to diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, asthma and neurological disorders.
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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
The Body’s Many Messages
You don’t really need to understand the exact mechanisms behind the hunger signal that the body gives you when it needs food. All you need to do is to eat and experience how the hunger subsides. By habitually ignoring the natural urge to eat, your stomach, pancreas and small intestines may become ‘upset’ and start adjusting to your new rule of living by keeping their production of digestive juices low, so as not to waste the body’s precious energy and resources. As a result, when you suddenly eat a substantial, normal meal, you are likely to suffer indigestion.
On the other hand, if your stomach tells you that you are not hungry, that you don’t require any food at the moment, but you still eat out of politeness, curiosity, boredom or temptation, the digestive system’s vote for abstinence is overruled. Because the body is not prepared to digest food at this time, it cannot do so. This is another cause of indigestion.
If you feel the natural urge to have a bowel movement, the body sends you in the direction of a toilet. But by disregarding this signal because it comes at an inconvenient time, your body has no other choice but to hold on to the waste. Eventually, the urge to defecate subsides, and more and more water is withdrawn from the feces until it is too dry and hard to prompt a bowel movement. This condition is known as constipation. Destructive bacteria begin to break down some of the waste, leading to toxic gases and other noxious substances. This may cause blood poisoning and other disturbances in the digestive system.
When your body feels tired and sleepy you have the natural urge to lie down and sleep. However, a cup of coffee or a cigarette will provide you with enough adrenaline to keep you awake. If you ignore the body’s sleep signals as a matter of routine, the oversecretion of adrenaline and other stress hormones may end up making you hyperactive and unable to relax or sleep properly.
Ignoring the natural messages of the body lies at the basis of most illnesses today. To add to the already existing confusion about health matters, books, radio, television and especially magazines bombard you with an overwhelming amount of advice and information on the latest slimming diets, routines and lifestyle programs that are supposed to be ‘so good for you.’ For example, not so long ago we were told that potatoes and pasta were among the most fattening foods. Shortly thereafter, nutritionists considered them good for slimming, and the latest low carb craze dismisses them as junk food. Torn between various health doctrines, we look for perfect answers to our problems. In the end, when your body is exhausted because of trying to adjust to one diet after another, you may begin to realize that your body’s requirements are totally unique and that they undergo constant changes, often from one day to the next.
If you are a sensitive person, you must have noticed that on certain days of the month or at different times of the day, you are able to digest a particular food item more easily. The same food can make you feel vital and energetic on one day and cause you an upset stomach, bloating or cramping on another day. You may find that the same pasta dish may leave your stomach quickly after one meal, whereas two weeks later, the same dish will sit there like a rock, make you feel congested and even add weight to your body. Apart from the daily and seasonal cycles of change, the answer to this mysterious behavior of the body lies, among other reasons, in the continuous movement of the planets and their various positions.
Good Health Requires Natural Instinct
In 1984, Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia proved that the human body is composed mostly of energy and of very little matter. To be exact, for each particle of matter, there are 974,600,000 units of energy (photons). In other words, only one billionth of your body consists of matter and the rest is vibrational energy. All matter that comprises your physical body, the chair you are sitting on and the planet you are living on, behaves essentially in a quantum-mechanical way. Since all external influences, such as solar storms, climate changes and the moon’s passage through a particular zodiac, represent different energy states, they can instantly trigger corresponding activities, responses and transformations within your body. As a result of receiving these outer stimulation’s, your body sends subtle signals or intuitive messages to tell you that its requirements for such necessities as food, water, rest, exercise, warmth and coolness have changed. However, this requires sensitivity and wakefulness on your part. These will be absent if you habitually suppress your body’s natural urges (hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, sleep, etc.), overload your digestive system with food and waste, and even make yourself emotionally dependent on other people’s advice, however useful it may appear to be.
Any good system of health care can be recognized by one attribute: It teaches you how to listen to your body and how to become self-dependent in knowing what is useful for you at every moment in time. In any case, let experience guide you in finding out what works for you and what doesn’t. A theory alone does not make you healthy. As you begin to listen to your body’s subtle messages, you will find that its behavior, activities, natural urges and symptoms of disease are far from being random or coincidental.
Health trouble begins when we doubt our body’s ability to make the right choices, and this is exactly what we have learned to do, almost right from the beginning of life.Many of our natural instincts were discouraged or subdued by man-made rules, beliefs, manipulation and advertising. They dictate to us our lifestyle, eating habits and times of eating, sleeping and elimination of wastes.
If we keep ignoring the body’s basic instincts, the mind begins to look for substitutes, which causes (legitimate) cravings for or addictions to foods, beverages, stimulants, sex, etc. By giving a little extra attention to your body, it will soon tell you the difference between a balanced and an unbalanced influence or message. If, for example, your stomach is still full and yet you want to eat something, you will find that it is not your stomach that wants more food. Food cravings tell you that your body is no longer able to digest and assimilate foods properly and is actually malnourished. This cellular famine is responsible for the food cravings. If your stomach is empty and you feel hungry, ask your stomach what it really would like to eat. The body’s nutritional and emotional requirements shift from day to day in direct response to changes occurring in the near and far environment. A set dietary plan would, therefore, fail to meet the body’s specific daily needs, while also blocking and distorting the messages it is trying to convey to you.
The body’s natural instincts follow certain principal forces that are common to every part of physical creation. The unique representation of these forces in your body ultimately determines your natural inclinations and instincts. It is responsible for the specific characteristics of your body type. To restore your body’s natural instincts, which is essential for regaining lasting health and vitality, you may first need to discover your personal body type.
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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page
By Andreas Moritz
The ‘Useless’ Appendix and Its Amazing Role
In a general sense, those parts of the immune system and the lymphatic system that are located in the intestinal tract help to detoxify anything harmful that may come along with the food you eat. Through highly sophisticated processes, these systems are able to separate useful nutrients from unusable waste matter. Some potentially harmful waste products or natural food toxins such as plant-antibodies enter the lymphatic ducts for detoxification and elimination. Most of the nutrient elements are passed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream, which carries them to the liver for further processing, distribution and cell metabolism. Other more specific nutrients, though, can only be absorbed through the walls of the large intestine. These nutrients are meant for nourishing and maintaining the nervous system. Any nutrients, minerals, water and waste products that are not removed by the small intestines now enter the ascending colon, just above the appendix.
In traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, the appendix is known to play a vitally important role. It breeds large quantities of friendly, probiotic bacteria and supplies them to the colon and other parts of the gut in order to neutralize any harmful substances. The strategic location of the appendix allows these useful microorganisms to blend with the fluid fecal matter as it begins its passage through the large intestine. More than 400 strands of beneficial bacteria live in the human gastrointestinal tract. By attaching themselves to the lining of the gut, they can elbow out potentially troublesome bacteria, such as Candida Albicans. Balanced populations of the friendly, probiotic bacteria in the gut effectively prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections. They also discourage tumors, particularly cancerous growths in the colon, either by emitting protective chemicals or by inhibiting the production of compounds that nurture cancers. A diminished population of probiotic bacteria, as caused for example by antibiotics, alcohol or junk foods exposes the gastrointestinal lining numerous toxins. This leads to an overstimulated immune system and, thereby, causes asthma, allergies and eczema.
Until very recently, doctors believed that the appendix has no real use or function. In 2005, 321,000 Americans were hospitalized with appendicitis. Removal of the appendix is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. Now, researchers comprised of surgeons and immunologists at Duke University Medical School say the appendix is there to protect the gut, which is not a small job by any means. This worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating good germs, according to their study, published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, October 2007.
Apparently, according to the ‘new’ discovery (which Ayurveda has known for 6,000 years), the function of the appendix seems related to the massive amount of bacteria populating the human digestive system. Most of the trillions of bacteria in the human body are beneficial and help digest food. But sometimes the flora of bacteria in the intestines die or are purged or are overtaken by destructive bacteria. Given the high number of congested colons and inflamed appendixes, this is a common phenomenon today. The appendix “acts as a good safe house for bacteria,” said Duke surgery professor Bill Parker, a study co-author. Also, the worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating the good germs, Parker said. The appendix’s job is to reboot the digestive system.
For all practical purposes, and supported by the cleansing action of the bile from the liver, the appendix’s job is to keep the colon neat and clean. If large quantities of undigested and decomposed foods reach this part of the intestines, congestion occurs. The intestinal congestion is followed by microbial infestation (through destructive bacteria), which can lead to thickening of the protective mucus membrane and ulceration of the intestinal wall. If microbial growth increases further, the appendix may become inflamed and even burst, undermining proper performance of the colon in the future. Removing the appendix can have long-term consequences for colon health and, as explained below, the health of the entire body. In most cases of an inflamed appendix, fasting for a few days and cleaning out the colon (colema, colosan, or colonic irrigation) can save it.
As opposed to the more continuous peristalsis of the small intestines, fecal contents are propelled into the large intestine (now commonly referred to as the ‘colon’) by periodic mass movements. These mass movements occur one to three times per day in this final section of the gastrointestinal tract. Once they have reached the rectum, the fecal matter stretches the nerve endings in the rectal walls and causes a reflex urge for a bowel movement.
The large intestine no longer breaks down food in this stage of digestion. It simply absorbs vitamins that are created by the bacteria inhabiting the colon. The large intestine is essential for absorbing water and compacting the feces.
The whole digestive and eliminative process – from the ingestion of food to the bowel movement – should ideally take approximately 20-24 hours, depending on the types of food eaten and also on the time of day when the food was consumed. However, in the majority of the population, the passage of food through the large intestine alone takes 25 hours or more. This condition is called constipation. I have had numerous patients who reported having a bowel movement only once every 2-5 days. In extreme cases, there was only 1 movement per week or 10 days. On the other hand, many people have bowel movements 3-4 times per day, and in some extreme cases, there may be up to 16 loose evacuations; these individuals cannot keep food in the body longer than 3 to 12 hours. Since most of the ingested food is not digested properly, it decomposes through the help of destructive bacteria. This is so irritating to the intestinal wall, that the body discharges it as fast and as often as possible. Consequently, waste eliminations are far too excessive and frequent.
Having regular bowel movements once or twice a day by itself does not necessarily indicate good digestion either. It’s the quality of the eliminated waste that counts, and the seemingly unimportant appendix makes certain the waste is non-toxic and does not contaminate and harm the intestine.
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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION
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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page