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IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What is IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has become the most common digestive disorder in the past decade. Even though it plagues millions of people, IBS receives very little discussion and hardly any media attention. It is often misdiagnosed and modern medicine does not have many options for those who are effected. Typically IBS is only diagnosed after all other conditions have been ruled out.

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a problem that affects mainly the bowel,* which is also called the large intestine. The bowel is the part of the digestive system that makes and stores stool. The word syndrome means a group of symptoms. IBS is a syndrome because it can cause several symptoms. For example, IBS causes cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

IBS is not a disease. It's a functional disorder, which means that the bowel doesn't work as it should.

With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive. For example, the muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves can be overly sensitive to the stretching of the bowel (because of gas, for example). Cramping or pain can result.

Since IBS is a condition that most doctors do not know how to treat their remedies are usually useless and impractical. Because of the medical field's lack of knowledge, most people become frustrated and despondent. But you no longer have to think of diarrhea as normal, heartburn and constipation do not have to stay a common part of your life. There are answers to ending your IBS.

Related Conditions
Naturopaths tend to annoy medical specialists by looking at gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as colitis, ulcers, spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome and even Crohn's Disease as manifestations of the same two problems, just in different places. These two fundamental causes of most GI disorders are systemic toxemia (a polluted toxic body) and malnutrition. This means one is taking in too much of the wrong things and not enough of the right ones, or you can be eating the right foods and not digesting them fully due to lack of the proper enzymes.

Things that Trigger IBS
Persons with GI troubles simply need to stop doing things that hurt their guts to get good results. Smoking, alcohol, coffee, meat, food additives, and stress must be systematically eliminated. If a person is not willing to stop doing things that hurt, there is a greatly reduced chance of success with things that help.

Finding Relief
A near-vegetarian diet has important advantages. It is high in bulk, high in vitamin C, and high in carotene vitamin A. A vegetarian diet is cheap and low fat. And incidentally, there are fewer dishes to do.

Foods that Heal
The lining of your entire digestive tract is made up of epithelial tissue. Epithelial cells are "skin" cells. Your skin covers both the outside and the inside of your body. You might think of yourself as a sleeping bag: there is an outer waterproof covering and an inner, softer lining. Since epithelial tissue is very dependent on vitamins A and C for its health and integrity, and since a diet high in fruits, sprouts and veggies is quite high in these vitamins, you can see the vegetarian's advantage. The additional bulk of a veggie diet makes stools softer and easier to pass. Pressure is reduced inside the colon and straining to have a bowel movement is eliminated. Persons with very sensitive intestines can temporarily juice their vegetables and even put their salads through a blender if necessary. This tastes a lot better than it sounds, and is an extremely gentle and digestible way to instantly improve nutritional status. Fruits and especially vegetables are so high in carotenes that supplemental vitamin A is not needed if you are juicing. Carotene vitamin A is non-toxic.

Fasting
Persons with GI troubles often get the most relief by just shutting down the digestive system for a while. A few days fasting gives the body a chance to rest and repair. Naturopaths believe, and anatomical evidence confirms, that given this chance the body will take advantage of it.

These digestive cells, called enterocytes, are replaced by your body every three to five days. This suggests that a fast of similar length would best enable the reconstruction. If you were going to work on Chicago's sewer system, you'd shut it down first and keep it shut down until the repair was done. How could it otherwise be done properly? Fasting is simply a temporary and logical measure.

While it is possible for some people to fast on water alone, I think this is unnecessary. Equally good results will be obtained (with greater comfort) by vegetable juice fasting. One might argue that juice fasts are ideal because they provide the healing Vitamins A and C. The minimal carbohydrate content of vegetable juices promotes normal blood sugar levels, provides electrolyte minerals, and prevents ketosis. And, vegetable juice fasting feels remarkably GOOD and it WORKS remarkably well.

To give you an idea of the therapeutic potential of vegetable juices, consider the work of Garnett Cheney, M.D. He had 100 peptic ulcer patients drink a quart of raw cabbage juice daily. The patients reported dramatically less pain, and X-ray examination confirmed faster healing time. There was no other change in their diet, and they did not have drug therapy. 81% of the patients were symptom-free within one week; over two-thirds were better in just four days. Average healing time for patients given standard hospital treatment was over a month. (Cheney, G: "Vitamin U Therapy of Peptic Ulcer," California Medicine, vol. 77, number 4, October, 1952)

Dr. Cheney used cabbage juice to also treat gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. He clearly was onto something, which he called "Vitamin U" (for ulcer) for lack of a better name. Today, the cabbage family (cruciform) vegetables including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli, are finally being recommended to help prevent diseases including cancer. Dr. Cheney was getting therapeutic results in four days with cabbage juice OVER FORTY YEARS AGO! Do we really have to wait for orthodox medical approval of vegetables?

Colon Cleansing
Colonic Hydrotherapy can be a very helpful part of what you do to achieve balance and function in your bowels. A dirty, clogged bowel can be causing a lot of your symptoms as fecal matter encrusts the lining of your bowel causing raw nerve endings, and stretching of the bowel wall that triggers those awful symptoms you deal with.

Herbal and Vitamin Remedies
The use of anti–spasmodic herbs to relax and calm the bowel, astringent herbs to tone and restrict tissue mucosal discharge, carminative herbs to reduce gas and bloating, and demulcent herbs to reduce irritation and inflammation. Intestinal Bowel Solution by Advanced Naturals is formulated to include these types of herbs, as well as therapeutic levels of L-glutamine and NAG.

Intestinal Bowel Solution™ - A natural two-part formula of herbs traditionally used to support detoxification of Candida and yeast.

ZymeMax™ - A natural, plant-based digestive enzyme formula designed to enhance digestion.

FloraMed™ -

• Provides beneficial bacteria to the digestive system
• Provides the digestive system with elements necessary to repair itself
• Helps restore bacterial balance to the intestinal tract

FiberMax™ - A great-tasting blend of natural flax and borage seed fiber,
probiotics, and amino acids.

Supplemental vitamin C is very valuable to help heal lesions and inflammation all along the GI tract. Thousands of milligrams in divided doses are necessary for best results. Enough "C" should be taken to improve the condition, but not so much as might cause excessively loose bowels. A non-acidic or buffered Vitamin C is ideal, because it will not irritate the digestive tract. Calcium ascorbate or an esterfied Vitamin C both work well.

Reducing Stress
Some organized form of stress reduction is essential for digestive system health and healing. Whether it is prayer, meditation, yoga, music or another approach, what matters most is if you will actually learn how to relax efficiently and take the time to do it every day!

REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL READING:

Pauling, Linus: How To Live Longer and Feel Better, Freeman, 1986, pages 112-113

Stone, Irwin: The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease, Grosset and Dunlap, 1972, Chapter 21.

A good librarian will help you locate any hard-to-find article or book. Try an Interlibrary Loan if necessary.