April 2007

Diseases of the GI Tract

One of the curious and most consistent findings from researchers like Weston Price who studied indigenous cultures was the difference in disease pattern as compared to those in Western cultures. One of the most striking examples of this divergent disease pattern was the lack of evidence of any diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract in those living in the indigenous cultures. In fact, Albert Schweitzer commented on this at great length: He claimed that, after over 30 years working as a surgeon in various places in West Africa, he had never seen a case of hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis, gall stones, Crohn’s disease, cancer of the colon or even appendicitis amongst the natives who still followed their traditional ways.This is a marked contrast to the populations in our cultures in which these diseases are among the most common phenomena from which we suffer. In fact, if we include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation and GERD (otherwise known as heartburn), we find occurrence of these GI diseases in a majority of adult patients. The British surgeon Dennis Burkitt, who became famous in medical circles for the discovery of a type of lymphoma still called Burkitt’s lymphoma, studied this problem in depth for many years. His goal was to determine why Africans in particular had an almost total absence of diseases of the GI tract. Burkitt’s conclusions, which he wrote up in many papers, centered around the basic differences between the western and African diets, that is, their fiber content. He claimed it was the difference in the fiber content which conferred resistance to the GI diseases among the Africans.

I have examined most of the available writings of Burkitt over the years, and in doing so, I must say there are some confusing issues surrounding the so-called fiber theory. The most important has to do with one of the tribes with this absence of bowel diseases that Burkitt studied, the Masai people in East Africa. The Masai have been studied not only for their perfect bowel health, but their robust health in general, particularly with regard to heart disease. The curious thing about the Masai with respect to the fiber theory is that these people achieved this perfect GI health, and their diets have exactly zero amount of fiber. The Masai are cattle herders, and their entire diet consists of blood, meat and “sour” milk. In fact, they are supposedly disdainful of eating plants, saying this is food fit only for their cattle.

This and other similar stories would by any account pose serious questions about the fiber theory of bowel health. It is true that many African tribes do have a high fiber diet, but clearly this is NOT the unifying factor across the varied African tribes. If it’s not fiber, then what could it be? One possible answer is related to the climate they live in, for Africans could be considered the masters of lacto-fermentation. In fact, African tribes didn’t consume a large proportion of their food until it had been cultured for many days. Examples of this cultured food include Ogi, a fermented millet porridge, the staple in much of West Africa; cultured yams; cultured milk (they actually refused to drink milk that had not been cultured for at least three days); a kind of beer made from cultured grains, and many other cultured products. It is not incorrect to say that “culturing” was the predominant and, in some cases, exclusive method of preserving food throughout much of Africa.

Viewed through the modern scientific lens, the relationship between cultured food and bowel health is coming into clear focus. Cultured foods contain the good bacteria that normally colonize our intestines. The foods they are contained in have the nutrients (often called probiotics) that sustain these beneficial bacteria. The cultures are alive, eaten daily, and we now know that at least 90% of the bulk of the stool consists of good bacteria. The functions of the good bacteria in our gut include synthesizing B vitamins; producing antibiotic-type chemicals that prevent local and systemic infection; producing acetylcholine needed for maintenance of the health of the bowel wall; normalizing immune function, and on and on. It is not hyperbole to state that one of the fundamental requirements of good health is to have a healthy ecosystem in our gut. Without this, we and our GI tract are literally defense-less.

In my practice, and in the practice of the Nourishing Traditions diet, we make great use of techniques for the lactofermentation of food. We soak and ferment grains, dairy products, drinks and the all important vegetables, which we make into sauerkraut. In fact, a diet without the daily use of lacto-fermented foods to me is a deficient diet, one that lacks a key ingredient for the maintenance of good health. The addition of liberal amounts of these foods to the diet is the first step in the treatment of any of the various bowel diseases that plague so many people in our culture.

There are also other steps to take in treating such illnesses, including Crohn’s disease, which is an intense immunologically-based inflammation of the colon. We can use the probiotic preparation Mutaflor, which is a type of E. Coli that was found in soldiers in WWI who were resistant to cholera. Since that time, it has been cultured, purified and used for more than 30 years with patients suffering from various illnesses of the colon. We can also add the Standard Process preparation called Okra-Pepsin which helps in the digestive processes and strengthening the walls of the colon. And finally, as I describe below in this newsletter, low dose Naltrexone has been shown in a recent study to put more than 70% of patients with Crohn’s disease into remission due to its effect on the immunological events underlying Crohn’s.

With these therapies and the Nourishing Traditions diet, there is significant hope for those suffering from gastro-intestinal illnesses, and in particular for the otherwise devastating consequences of Crohn’s disease.

Theraputics:  Low Dose Naltrexone

For a number of years I have been following the progress of a therapy known as low dose Naltrexone with great interest. With the recent publication of the study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology showing a positive response rate of about 89% and a remission rate of about 67% for patients with Crohn’s disease, I feel it is time to start offering this therapy to my patients. Low dose Naltrexone is not only a promising therapy for many difficult illnesses, but an instructive story about the etiology of disease and a good cause for the new Fourfold Clinic we are founding.

The drug Naltrexone has been in use for many years. It is classified as an opiate receptor antagonist, as its action is to block the many opiate receptors in our bodies. For a person with an acute heroin overdose, a single dose of 50 mg of Naltrexone reverses this almost immediately. As a matter of fact, in the 1970s Naltrexone at a dose of 50 mg was used before methadone to detox drug addicts from opiates. Its use was eventually abandoned because it was so effective at blocking these receptors that the person felt terrible, apparently from having their endogenous endorphin receptors (which use the same receptors as heroin and the other opiates) significantly blocked.

An addiction specialist in New York City, Dr. Bihari, when using Naltrexone in this way, began to notice that many of his addicts who were also sick with AIDS had very low endogenous endorphin levels. Subsequently, it was clearly demonstrated that the endorphins we produce in our bodies (by the pituitary and adrenal glands) are the master regulators of immune function. The endorphins seem to control Natural Killer cells, cell-mediated immunity, white blood cell activation and a host of other immune functions. Dr. Bhiari then noticed that if he gave a very low dose of Naltrexone right before bedtime to people suffering from illnesses of immune function, this stimulated their production of endorphins, and the disease, over time, would remit. This was particularly effective in many auto-immune diseases, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer. Over the years the approach was refined, the indications expanded and papers were written confirming its complete absence of toxicity and effectiveness.

The interesting thing about the Naltrexone story from the Fourfold Healing perspective is that, while low dose Naltrexone is the most effective agent in elevating endorphin levels we know of, other things have also been shown to raise these levels. These include exercise, acupuncture, diet (well, chocolate specifically), and iscador. In fact, these protocols are among the various modalities we will be offering at our clinic. For more information about low dose Naltrexone, visit the website lowdosenaltrexone.org. If you have further questions, please feel free to email or call the office for an appointment.

Recipe:  Asparagus Frittata

A Recipe from Jessica Prentice
Serves 3–4

I make frittatas all the time, using whatever produce I find in season at the farmers market. Asparagus is the great herald of spring, and so this is a perfect Egg Moon recipe.

  • 1 small bunch asparagus, about 3/4 pound
  • 1 large or two small leeks
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon filtered water
  • 4 hen’s eggs from family farm chickens, or 1–2 goose eggs, or 3-4 duck eggs
  • 1/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk (from a family dairy, if possible)
  • 1/4 cup grated cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack, or crumbled feta (cheese is optional)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • Pepper, freshly ground
  • Nutmeg—a little grated fresh, or 1/8 teaspoon powdered

Preheat oven to 300º.

Break off tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1” pieces on the diagonal.

Slice leeks in thick rounds and put in a bowl of cold water and mix to get the dirt out.

Melt butter in an oven-safe skillet (cast iron or stainless steel), and when it’s hot lift the leeks out of the water in handfuls, shaking off excess water, and put in the pan. Sauté over medium heat until just soft.

Add the asparagus pieces to the pan along with about a tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and allow the asparagus to steam for 1-3 minutes, until just tender.

Meanwhile, mix together the eggs with cream, milk, or combination.

Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (Note: Because I trust my source for eggs, I always taste my raw egg mixture to check if it’s salty enough. For my palate, the egg mixture should be salty enough to taste the salt, yet not overly salty.)

Add the asparagus to the pan and pour the egg mixture over, then add in the cheese, pressing it gently into the eggs. Let cook on stovetop over low heat a few minutes, and then transfer to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set—this may take as few as 5 minutes. (You can also finish under a broiler, as long as the pan isn’t too deep and you keep a close eye to make sure it doesn’t burn).

Remove from oven, allow to cool for a minute or two, and slice and eat. Serve with salad and good bread, and maybe a few new potatoes.

Full Moon Feast BookFull Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection — book by Jessica Prentice

Jessica Prentice is both a professional chef and a passionate home cook. She currently conducts cooking classes, writes a monthly New Moon Newsletter on her Wise Food Ways website, and offers monthly Full Moon Feasts in the Bay Area. She is a Bay Area chapter head for the Weston A Price Foundation for wise traditions in food, farming, and the healing arts, and a founding member of Three Stone Hearth, a community kitchen in the Bay area. Her new book, Full Moon Feast, is about food and culture.

Recipe adapted from Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection by Jessica Prentice. Copyright Jessica Prentice 2006 Chelsea Green Publishing Co. Used with permission.