Digestion is one very important factor to good heath. Without
proper digestive function everything else in your body will
not work properly. The digestive tract is where you absorb
nutrients and the building blocks for the cells in your body.
The digestive tract also makes most of the neurotransmitters
in your body and there are as many nerves in the digestive
system as there is in the central nervous system.
The Ileocecal valve (ICV) is located in the digestive tract
in between the small intestine and the large intestine; this
is right next to the appendix in the lower right quadrant
of the abdomen. The ICV opens and closes periodically to let
food travel through the digestive tract. When it is closed,
food sits in the small intestine where nutrients, vitamins
and minerals are absorbed. When small intestine is done with
that portion of food the ICV opens and lets it go into the
large intestine where water is absorbed. The food that is
in the large intestine has considerably more toxins in it
than the food in the small intestine because of the amount
of digestion and breakdown that has taken place over time.
In the large intestine the digested food is prepared to be
excreted out of the body through the rectum.
When the ICV is not functioning properly, either stuck closed
or stuck open, there is an imbalance in the digestive system
which leads to many problems in the body. One is malabsorption,
a problem where nutrients, vitamins and minerals are not being
absorbed. In the case of malabsorption, you may be eating
the right types of food packed with important nutrition, vitamins
and minerals but you are not absorbing them. The same would
be true with the nutritional supplements you may be taking,
they are literally going down the toilet. The old saying,
“You are what you eat” is not true, it should
be, “You are what you eat, chew, digest, absorb and
assimilate.”
Another problem that can arise from the ICV not working properly
is toxicity. If the valve is stuck closed, the food is sitting
there too long and continues to break down and will eventually
start to rot and putrefy. The toxins will then be absorbed
through the walls of the small intestine. Your liver is then
overloaded as it tries to keep the intestines clean and handle
the toxins. The ICV can also be stuck open so that the previously
digested foods in the large intestine may back up into the
small intestine and again you will have a toxicity problem.
ICV problems can cause many symptoms such as shoulder pain,
low back pain, pain around the heart, dizziness, flu symptoms,
pseudo bursitis, pseudo sacroiliac pain, tinnitus (ringing
in the ears), nausea, faintness, pseudo sinus infection, pseudo
hypochlorhydria, headache, sudden thirst, pallor, dark circles
under the eyes, bowel involvement and more.
So what causes these problems with the Ileocecal
Valve?
The ICV is under digestive control, nervous system control,
and hormonal control. You can eat foods that irritate the
ICV and cause it not to work properly. These include food
allergies and sensitivities such as WHEAT, CORN, MILK, and
SOY. Certain roughage foods can cause problems also such as
POPCORN, CHIPS (potato, corn, etc.), NUTS, SEEDS, and WHOLE
GRAINS. There are also other irritants like CHOCOLATE (coco,
cacao), ALCOHOL and CAFFEINE. To prevent any ICV problems
or to help with healing of an existing problem these foods
should be eliminated from the diet. Parasitic infections are
another stress to the digestive system that can cause ICV
dysfunction.
The autonomic nervous
system tone also affects the ICV. If you are too tense or
sympathetic dominant the ICV will tend to be closed more often.
If the nervous system is too relaxed, parasympathetic dominant,
then the ICV will tend to become stuck open. Some natural
supplements and herbs that are taken by people when they do
not need them can cause imbalances like these that will cause
ICV dysfunction. These types of patients will have to be treated
by an applied Kinesiologist for nervous system balance and
they will have to adjust their lifestyle, exercise and diet
accordingly.
The same goes for hormonal imbalances in the body which are
linked to the nervous system through neuro-endocrine transducers
such as the adrenal
glands and pituitary gland. Our overall balance in our
body has a lot to do with digestion and also emotions.
Since most of our neurotransmitters are made in our digestive
tract, our digestion is greatly affected by our emotions and
stress. In the philosophy of Chinese Medicine, the stomach
is seen as the seat of emotions in the body and we can observe
this in our modern society. People who work in corporate America
and who have high stress jobs usually have digestive problems,
ulcers, etc. As you can begin to see, we need to treat many
things to achieve true heath and balance- the structure, biochemistry
and emotions of the body.
But haven’t we been shown that some of these
foods that affect the Ileocecal Valve are good for us?
Whole Grains are presently supposed to be a staple of our
diet but they do cause health problems. Naturally these grains
contain gluten and phytates that cause digestive problems.
Anthropologists know this because they can see the evolution
of our heath through the bones of our ancestors. When we get
to the periods where agriculture and high consumption of grains
started there are more bone problems in these people. These
changes are a direct reflection of the health of the humans
who ate large amounts of grains in their diet.
There are many good nutrients in Nuts and Seeds but eating
these foods will cause problems similar to Whole Grains. They
are very coarse when chewed up so they will physically irritate
the intestinal lining and the ICV. There are also phytates
in the nuts and seeds (also in grains and legumes) that will
block digestion of important nutrients so eating these foods
for nutritional purposes is not worth it in the end. Since
the phytates can also cause a problem, this rules out the
Nut Butters that may have a smooth consistency.
There is more and more Scientific Research about the health
benefits of Chocolate coming out lately and I even hear of
doctors who recommend and give Chocolate to their patients,
ignorance is sweet! Chocolate/Cacao/Coco is an irritant to
the intestinal lining and ICV. This precious and addictive
substance may cause nervous system changes and make people
feel good but your digestive system will get the negative
end of the stick. There are usually a few other substances
that commercially available chocolate contains that are not
recommended to people who are trying to achieve balance in
their body for optimal health; refined sugar, trans fats-partially
hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and colors, milk, low
quality soy bean lecithin.
One of the greatest enemies of the Ileocecal Valve is an
all American favorite-Popcorn. When you eat Popcorn, the little
sharp pieces that get caught between your gums and teeth also
cut up your intestinal walls like razor blades and cause leaky
gut syndrome. Ouch! When the European settlers came to the
new world and met the natives, one of the things that they
were introduced to was Popcorn. The European settlers then
took this new found food back to their home and it was a hit.
The really funny thing is that the Native Americans showed
the settlers how to pop the corn but they were smart enough
to never eat it that way themselves.
The Ileocecal Valve is one very important key to true health
and balance in the body along with eating right to prevent
blood sugar problems, drinking enough water and getting enough
sleep. The patients who pay attentions to these factors and
adjust their lifestyle accordingly will be on the road to
good health.
|
