Digestive Disorders

Digestive Disorders

Hippocrates, known as the founder of medicine and regarded as the greatest physician of all time, said “All disease begins in the gut.”  

Functional Medicine would like to amend that viewpoint with the observation scientists are now understanding as the Brain/Gut Axis.  Many digestive issues begin and end in our mind or neurological pathways.  Our digestive tract is just in the middle of that tug of war typically.   
Although Hippocrates said that over 2,000 years ago, medicine has yet to approach digestive disorders holistically. Today, we face numerous digestive diseases and conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to ulcerative colitis, and diverticulosis.

Some digestive issues – such as constipation and diarrhea –may relatively cramp your lifestyle while others – such as inflammatory bowel disease – are life threatening. 

Like every other chronic health condition, digestive disorders are complex and have multiple causes that can vary from person to person.

Yet every digestive disorder can be narrowed down to one or more of the following underlying mechanisms:
Deficiency of digestive enzymes including low stomach acid
Dysbiosis or imbalances between “positive” and/or “negative” bacteria in the gut
Chronic infections ranging from bacterial, parasitic or fungal infections
An overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine
A permeable gut barrier otherwise known as “Leaky Gut”
Food sensitivity, allergy or intolerance
Impaired communication between the gut and brain

The primary pillars of optimizing digestive health include:
Digestion and Absorption
Detoxification and Elimination
Microbial Balance
Gut Barrier Integrity
Blood Brain Barrier Integrity

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Many digestive system diseases begin with poor digestion and absorption. 

We all know that food and nutrient status plays a major role in our health. Simply eating healthy however is not enough. You have to eat healthy food and be able to fully digest and absorb the food you're eating while also being in an good mental stress state  
 
In addition to proper digestion and absorption, we need to be able to extract harmful compounds (detoxification) from the foods we are eating and properly eliminate them.
 
Microbial balance is another crucial factor in digestive disorders. It's well understood that the microbiome or collection of healthy bacteria in the gut, plays a major role in overall health.
 
These bacteria help to synthesize vitamins, neurohormones and contribute to having a strong immune system.   

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So when there's an imbalance in the microbiome (dysbiosis), the overall health of the host (your body) will suffer.
 
Finally, we need to protect the lining of our digestive tract. Our digestive tract acts as a powerful barrier that protects the inside of our body from harmful toxins. 

Much like our skin prevents infections from the outside world, our digestive tract prevents toxins, bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances from entering our blood stream. 
 
When this system fails, our immune system suffers and our body becomes vulnerable to all sorts of digestive disorders and related chronic health conditions. If you are always getting sick when someone else in the office gets sick or when the kids come home from school with the flu during the winter and you know you are next now…..you may have a digestion issue.

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Dr. Anderson and Healing by Design systems use Functional Medicine and other diagnostics to get to the roots of the bodies unresolved stress and blockages.  

Click the button below to schedule a consultation w Dr Anderson to see If Functional Medicine is right for you.