Enzyme deficiencies are a major contributor to maldigestion. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts to ignite chemical reactions in the body. While the body does manufacture its own enzymes, it must also make use of those in food to have optimal health. Most enzymes are destroyed in foods that are processed, refined, or cooked at temperatures above 118 degrees. Raw or lightly steamed foods, on the other hand, are rich in enzymes.
When enzymes are lacking in the body, the pancreas, which secretes digestive enzymes, takes on a greater load. The pancreas also has the job of producing insulin, the hormone that maintains blood sugar levels. Therefore, diets loaded with refined carbohydrates, sugar, and cooked and processed foods overwork the pancreas and weaken its performance, making us more susceptible to yeast overgrowth and conditions like hypoglycemia and diabetes.
MALABSORPTION AND THOSE UNEXPLAINED COMPLAINTS
Malabsorption occurs when the uptake of food from the intestines is impaired. Without proper absorption, you cannot nourish your cells, and they begin to degenerate. Nutrients are absorbed from food by villi (hairlike projections), but a poor diet and toxic overload in the body can strip the villi and inhibit their function, creating malabsorption.
The main causes of malabsorption are maldigestion and microbial overgrowth (bacteria, yeast, parasites, worms, and viruses). Common symptoms of malabsorption are fatigue, thinning hair, dry skin, depression, susceptibility to bruising, unexplainable weight loss, and constipation or diarrhea.
DYSBIOSIS AND UNWELCOME IN HABITANTS
Intestinal dysbiosis is an imbalance of microorganisms (yeast, bacteria, parasites, and viruses), which upsets the digestive system and interferes with nutrient absorption. Dysbiosis is caused by poor diet; alcohol; recreational drugs; stress; maldigestion; elimination problems; the overuse of antibiotics; steroids such as cortisone, prednisone, and birth control pills; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); heavy metal toxins; and immunosuppressive drugs.
When unhealthy microorganisms take over the gut, your immune system is put under constant stress to defend your body from these infections. Intestinal dysbiosis is a contributing cause in rheumatoid arthritis, MS, vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic fatigue, cystic acne, the early stages of colon and breast cancers, eczema, food allergies and sensitivities, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, Sjogren's syndrome (a postrnenopausal immunological disorder), and steatorrhea (excess fat in the stools). The most common form of intestinal dysbiosis is Candida albicans overgrowth.
LEAKY GUT SYNDROME
Maldigestion, malabsorption, and intestinal dysbiosis set the stage for leaky gut syndrome. As I've discussed, leaky gut is a condition in which the intestines' mucosal lining becomes irritated, inflamed, and more porous, allowing undigested food particles, microorganisms, and their by-products to pass through the lining into the bloodstream. Candida overgrowth, NSAIDs, poor diet, heavy metals, daily aspirin use, and gluten sensitivity (to wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, barley, and oats) all contribute to irritating the lining.
"Leaky gut triggers a state of continuous and prolonged stress in and on the immune system," says Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland. Allergies are one of the first conditions to occur when someone has leaky gut. Other more serious conditions may follow.
The gut lining, as I explained, acts as a protective mucosal barrier and is your first line of defense to prevent infection. When pathogens and foreign organisms come into contact with the mucosal barrier, immune cells inside the gut produce secretory immunoglobin A (SigA), an antibody that attacks them. However, chronic stress continually suppresses SigA production and thus allows pathogens to enter your bloodstream and eventually migrate to your brain and other tissues.
Over time, the presence of bacteria, yeast, parasites, and viruses traveling in the bloodstream means that the body is under siege. As these toxins circulate in the bloodstream, organs such as the liver, the lymph glands, the brain, the lungs, and the kidneys become overloaded. When cellular communication is disrupted, cross-wiring of the RNA and DNA and the replication of unhealthy cells result, leading to autoimmune diseases and cancer. Simply put, leaky gut causes chronic inflammation, which eventually translates to disease. To find out more, you can check out Symptoms For Yeast Infections.