Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome Naturally and Effectively

The Cometa Wellness Center

"No one knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome". This is a very common statement made by the medical profession. This is why I have always recommended that my patients follow the old adage...

                                             "View the forest not the trees"

In this vein, the most important thing to remember when it comes to your digestion is that it is responsible for digesting your food! As simple as this may sound, it is easy to lose this awareness, and become a victim of our diet.

Have you ever wondered why or how medicine can describe symptoms, give the symptoms a name (i.e. the "diagnosis"), bill for the symptoms by 'name' (i.e. the diagnosis) but cannot give the patient a clear etiology for these symptoms or even an effective treatment program? In my opinion, a prescription is often not an effective treatment plan. A perfect example of this 'phenomena' is the diagnosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There are many 'diagnoses' in this category such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. My 'favorite' etiology in medicine for a patient's symptoms is "Idiopathic". This is a fancy term for "we do not know" and yet can still be used and billed for through insurance companies. Even when medicine does not know the cause of a problem, it must come up with a fancy name for it! I think part of the reason for WHY medicine needs to do this is the system-based or specialized practice of medicine which now exists and breaks the patient into many parts. The specialization of medicine has made it very difficult for a person to be viewed by the doctor as a WHOLE person. Hence, discovering the cause of a patients symptoms is often left for 'the other' specialty referral and the patient may go from doctor to doctor with a few potential diagnoses attached to their symptoms and no clear plan of action! Does this sound familiar? I bet it does.

 What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders that presents to the doctor's office. This is most likely because the symptoms of IBS are so easily triggered. The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. Among the most common are:
~Abdominal pain or cramping.
~A bloated feeling.
~Gas (flatulence).
~Diarrhea or constipation - sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea.

The Whole Person Approach to IBS

Food Intolerance

Integral to most of the GI support programs I have successfully implemented in my medical practice, is the recognition and treatment of food intolerance. The loss of food tolerance leads to hypersensitivity. Such food hypersensitivity can lead to an array of gastrointestinal disorders. The many causes of food intolerance are still a quandary to conventional medicine. This is not the case for those of us who implement natural medicine. One very common type of food intolerance is "food allergy". Whether it be GERD, IBS, Colitis, Gastritis, Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD), or any combination of the above, the identification of food allergy in that patient is imperative. Most doctors do not believe that what a person puts in their mouth has any impact on their GI health. How many people have been told that their GI symptoms are UNRELATED to food?! I would like to review what we know about food allergy and how it impacts GI health.

Pivotal to food allergy is a breakdown in immune system messaging that occurs when the body has lost tolerance to certain food proteins (i.e. hypersensitivity). Food allergy occurs when ingested proteins from food act as "antigens". Antigens are protein substances which are regarded as foreign by the immune system and hence, stimulate an immune response (i.e. make antibodies). We know that daily dietary challenge to food protein 'antigens' is a set up for both local gut micro-inflammation as well as systemic inflammation. What results is called 'gut permeability'. Many people have heard the well known term "Leaky Gut Syndrome". How does such permeability or Leaky Gut occur, you ask? The answer lies in the integrity of our gastrointestinal lining, aka Gut Integrity.

Gut Integrity

Gut mucosal integrity is essential for both competent digestion and the correct absorption of nutrients. Normally, there are tight junctions between the cells that line the gut mucosa. These tightly adhered cells form the primary barrier between the external environment (e.g. our food) and the internal environment of our body. Our gut mucosa is the largest body surface area in contact with our external environment! I guess it is understandable then, that the majority of the cells which constitute OUR IMMUNE system reside in the gut. The Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissues, also called "GALT", is the term applied to the immune system of the GI tract. The GALT system is a tightly regulated mucosal immune response protecting us from untoward micro-inflammation. When food allergy occurs, the GALT system has become compromised and complexes of antibodies form with food protein (i.e. antigen). These complexes become a constant challenge for the intolerant person. Such insult leads to a hypersensitive state and the likelihood of subsequent inflammation which leads to structural changes in gut mucosal integrity. Food allergies are implicated in many disease states, but by far the most well known example is Celiac disease.

Factors such as low stomach pH (i.e. an acidic environment in the stomach), digestive enzymes, mucus and bacterial flora are integral to mucosal integrity, health and function. Proton-pump inhibitors (e.g. Nexium, etc), NSAIDs (e.g. Motrin), steroids, antibiotics and poor dietary habits all interfere with:

1) our first line defense against hypersensitivity to food proteins.
2) the aid we need for digestion and nutrient absorption.

Stress Response and IBS

Most people with IBS, find that their signs and symptoms are worse or more frequent during stressful events. Even events that are not considered very stressful, such as a change in your daily routine or family arguments can bring on IBS symptoms. Hormonal changes can also cause a stress response in women with IBS. Many women find that IBS symptoms are worse during or around their menstrual periods.

Stay tuned to The Cometa Wellness Center blog with drcometablog.com to learn how to Treat IBS Naturally and Effectively through support for enhanced gut integrity and digestion/nutrient absorption.

Food Allergy Testing is available at The Cometa Wellness Center. One does not need to be a patient with Dr. Cometa to take advantage of this very useful test available at the Center. Call the Center at 410-296-6100 if you would like to be tested for Food Allergy.

Doctor's message.... So always remember when it comes to food and you:
View the forest, not the trees, because you are what you eat!

Ariane Cometa MD, the holistic doc
The Cometa Wellness Center Pharmacy