Intestines

The intestines receive the enzymes and change the food to forms that can be absorbed and assimilated and absorbs the changed food into the blood. The first part of the small intestine, the duodenum, produces its own enzymes. It is one of the two most common areas for ulcers, the stomach being the other. An optimally performing intestine is absorbing the exact things and not absorbing the incorrect things.

Proper function of the intestines requires normal intestinal flora. Flora refers to the microbial organisms that reside within the intestines. There are good bacteria in the intestine that help to break down the food and that maintain vitamins in the intestine that are good for the body. If food is not digested properly or if too much of the wrong foods are consumed, white flour, white sugar, foods high in chemicals, this intestinal flora may shift from the types of organisms that are considered good, to the types that are considered bad. Just as there are good bacteria that reside in the stomach that may be replaced with bad, there is also good yeast that resides in the intestine that may be replaced by bad. Bad flora may also include protozoans or parasites. In general, the poorer the digestion, the more bad flora is present, the more toxins are generated, the harder it is on the intestinal lining, the more difficult it is for the intestine to take the good into the body and keep out the bad. If bowel toxins are present in the intestines for a long period of time, the lining of the intestine may be affected to the degree that food particles pass through into the body that are not adequately processed. When this occurs, the food particles are treated as foreign bodies by the body and the bodies immune system will resist it. The person develops food allergies.

There has been much written on the importance on good intestinal health and the use of digestive enzymes, probiotics (good bacteria) and bowel cleansing problems. These are all good actions, however, if digestive organs are not fixed so that the enzymes are properly produced and diet is not corrected, these are not addressing the cause of the problem and will have to be continuous programs.