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.