It is absolutely necessary to have a healthy well-functioning gastrointestinal tract if one is to enjoy good general health. This one of the most important environmental interfaces we have and this is the route a great many toxins, carcinogens and allergens enter the system. Not only is it the only route we have to fuel the body, it is also where the vast majority of our immune system resides. It must supply us, protect us and provide us with one of life’s great pleasures of enjoying good food and drink, all the while making good choices about what to absorb into the blood stream. What we put in the GI tract is exceedingly important and this is addressed in more detail on the Lifestyle discussion page. First we must optimize GI function and health if it is to be able to perform as desired.

Many people mistakenly believe that “minor” GI symptoms such as gas, mild bloating, occasional cramping or diarrhea or constipation are normal. They are not, nor is particularly fowl smelling stool or bleeding. A healthy GI tract causes just about no symptoms at all. If you have any of these problems or more serious ones such as irritable bowel, colitis or Crohn’s disease, our approach to bowel health should be able to help you. This approach differs from allopathic medicine in that instead of looking for a disease to treat, we try to restore normal function. This means a healthy level of stomach acid, healthy transit though the bowel so acid reflux is avoided, healthy bacteria in the large bowel all resulting in one to three soft easily evacuated bowel movements per day.

Common problems that detract from good bowel function include low levels of stomach acid, digestive enzymes, too fast of too slow transit activity, not enough beneficial or presence of pathologic bacteria in the large bowel and delayed reaction food allergies. By employing some basic screening panels we can usually restore healthy function to the bowel and with it, not only improve the general health but improve one's enjoyment of life as well.