Functional Nutrition
Functional Nutritional Medicine
The Nutritional Medicine principles support better digestion and assimilation of foods through the use of pro-biotics and enzymes; better nutrition through nutrient rich food supplements and; increased protection against free radical damage (oxidative stress) through whole food antioxidants.
Tens of thousands of people have used this health model to heal themselves from many chronic degenerative conditions. Many of the studies and books written by Nutritional medical doctors give us the scientific reasons behind why this specific health model and the supplements used in it have helped most degenerative conditions.
Today there is a very large number of alternative, allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing a Functional/ Nutritional Medicine approach to health.
What Is Functional/Nutritional Medicine
Nutritional or Functional Medical physicians believe that most degenerative diseases have their origin in the malfunction of the digestive and liver detoxification processes. In other words, illness can be directly related to problems of the digestive and liver detoxification systems and their related influence on immune, nervous and endocrine function. Therefore, if we address the health of the digestive and liver detoxification systems, the body is given the opportunity to reverse almost all degenerative conditions. If the degenerative condition is labeled lupus, diabetes, or arthritis, etc., a Nutritional Medical doctor will first recommend addressing the health of the gastro-intestinal tract. Once the GI tract is clear, then the liver detoxification system should be supported and strengthened.
Today, through the efforts of Nutritional Medicine, we have hundreds of clinical studies and pieces of scientific research that confirm what many of us have heard from folk medicine practitioners: "Stomach problems are the cause of all ills" or "Death begins in the colon."
Jeffrey Anderson, M.D., wrote an article called "How Problems with Digestion Can Cause Illness Anywhere," and in this article he explains why you should address the health of the gastrointestinal tract first, no matter what the name of the degenerative disease. He explains that new information on the dynamics of the body makes it clear that conditions in the digestive tract affect the entire body. The degradation of the gastrointestinal environment is one of the primary points at which health is lost. What we now know is that the same toxins associated with GI dysfunction are frequently absorbed and distributed to other parts of the body. First they place a burden on the liver and the immune system. If liver overload occurs, there will be spill over, and some of the toxins will be passed on to other organs or tissues.
Often, it’s a weak link in the system that will be hit by the damage--an organ that can be anywhere in the body that is most likely to be vulnerable. The vulnerability may be inherited, caused by physical injury, toxic exposure, or poor diet. For example, if the sensitive system is the lungs, toxins that originate in the gut and circulate in the bloodstream may manifest themselves as asthma or allergies.
Len Saputo, M.D., in his article, "Harmful Flora," also believes that if the gastrointestinal tract becomes out of balance and the liver detoxification system breaks down, our entire immune system can malfunction in three ways. First, it can be weakened and the result called an immune suppression disease, such as cancer and AIDS. Second, it can overreact and become hyperresponsive to normal stimuli; this occurs in asthma, migraine, and food allergies. Third, a malfunctioning immune system can cause auto immune reactions, where antibodies target our own tissues, as in rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Dr. Saputo explains that the gastro-intestinal tract is the largest immune organ in our body. 80 percent of all our protective immune globulins are produced in the digestive tract. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that when this large, strategically placed immune system member isn’t working well, our defenses are lowered and once our barriers are down, it becomes more difficult to defend against invaders.
Functional / Nutritional Medicine Strategies To Reverse Degenerative Conditions
Nutritional Medical doctors including the two above mentioned, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and Dr. Len Saputo, believe that cleansing and supporting the GI tract and the liver can and will clear the body of any and all degenerative conditions.
Functional/Nutritional Medicine Solution for All Degenerative Conditions.
The 4Rs Solution
1) Remove:
Abnormal kinds/amounts of intestinal microorganisms (parasites, bacterial pathogens, small intestinal overgrowth such as yeast, and food antigens). This can be done by repairing “leaky” intestinal membranes with friendly bacteria (acidophilus, bifidus, fructose oligosaccharides.... etc.) and food based supplements high in minerals and vitamins.
2) Replace:
Hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and fiber deficiency can be addressed and replaced with friendly bacteria, digestive enzymes and fiber supplements.
3) Restore:
Symbiotic bacteria and GI bacteria fuel sources that support metabolic activity through the use of full spectrum friendly bacteria (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, L. planetarium, L. salivarius, L. bulgaricus...etc.
4) Repair:
Replace or augment with nutrients necessary to support healing of intestinal lining, plus adequacy of calories, and adequacy of fiber. Support liver detoxification system through the use of antioxidants and food based nutritional supplements.
The Quality Of The Nutritional Supplements
There are a multitude of allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing Nutritional Medicine today, and they support better digestion, better nutrition, and better protection against oxidative stress. Their philosophy in manufacturing whole food supplements is: The human body is a marvelously designed living organism with the ability to grow, regulate, repair, and defend itself when given natural, high quality, full spectrum nutrients. The result is a remarkable line of food based products from natural, wild-crafted and organically grown foods to enhance the quality of human body performances (physical, mental, and emotional).
Not only is this health model backed up by scientific research and clinical studies from Nutritional Medicine, but the supplements are some of the best whole food based supplements available in the marketplace today.
So, if you are addressing any health challenge(s) and you want to help your body to reverse a degenerative condition, you need to take food based supplements that will enhance the following body functions:
References:
Optimal Digestion, by Trent Nichols, M.D.
The 20-Day Rejuvenation Diet Program, by Jeffrey Bland.
The Nutritional Medicine principles support better digestion and assimilation of foods through the use of pro-biotics and enzymes; better nutrition through nutrient rich food supplements and; increased protection against free radical damage (oxidative stress) through whole food antioxidants.
Tens of thousands of people have used this health model to heal themselves from many chronic degenerative conditions. Many of the studies and books written by Nutritional medical doctors give us the scientific reasons behind why this specific health model and the supplements used in it have helped most degenerative conditions.
Today there is a very large number of alternative, allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing a Functional/ Nutritional Medicine approach to health.
What Is Functional/Nutritional Medicine
Nutritional or Functional Medical physicians believe that most degenerative diseases have their origin in the malfunction of the digestive and liver detoxification processes. In other words, illness can be directly related to problems of the digestive and liver detoxification systems and their related influence on immune, nervous and endocrine function. Therefore, if we address the health of the digestive and liver detoxification systems, the body is given the opportunity to reverse almost all degenerative conditions. If the degenerative condition is labeled lupus, diabetes, or arthritis, etc., a Nutritional Medical doctor will first recommend addressing the health of the gastro-intestinal tract. Once the GI tract is clear, then the liver detoxification system should be supported and strengthened.
Today, through the efforts of Nutritional Medicine, we have hundreds of clinical studies and pieces of scientific research that confirm what many of us have heard from folk medicine practitioners: "Stomach problems are the cause of all ills" or "Death begins in the colon."
Jeffrey Anderson, M.D., wrote an article called "How Problems with Digestion Can Cause Illness Anywhere," and in this article he explains why you should address the health of the gastrointestinal tract first, no matter what the name of the degenerative disease. He explains that new information on the dynamics of the body makes it clear that conditions in the digestive tract affect the entire body. The degradation of the gastrointestinal environment is one of the primary points at which health is lost. What we now know is that the same toxins associated with GI dysfunction are frequently absorbed and distributed to other parts of the body. First they place a burden on the liver and the immune system. If liver overload occurs, there will be spill over, and some of the toxins will be passed on to other organs or tissues.
Often, it’s a weak link in the system that will be hit by the damage--an organ that can be anywhere in the body that is most likely to be vulnerable. The vulnerability may be inherited, caused by physical injury, toxic exposure, or poor diet. For example, if the sensitive system is the lungs, toxins that originate in the gut and circulate in the bloodstream may manifest themselves as asthma or allergies.
Len Saputo, M.D., in his article, "Harmful Flora," also believes that if the gastrointestinal tract becomes out of balance and the liver detoxification system breaks down, our entire immune system can malfunction in three ways. First, it can be weakened and the result called an immune suppression disease, such as cancer and AIDS. Second, it can overreact and become hyperresponsive to normal stimuli; this occurs in asthma, migraine, and food allergies. Third, a malfunctioning immune system can cause auto immune reactions, where antibodies target our own tissues, as in rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Dr. Saputo explains that the gastro-intestinal tract is the largest immune organ in our body. 80 percent of all our protective immune globulins are produced in the digestive tract. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that when this large, strategically placed immune system member isn’t working well, our defenses are lowered and once our barriers are down, it becomes more difficult to defend against invaders.
Functional / Nutritional Medicine Strategies To Reverse Degenerative Conditions
Nutritional Medical doctors including the two above mentioned, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and Dr. Len Saputo, believe that cleansing and supporting the GI tract and the liver can and will clear the body of any and all degenerative conditions.
- First you detox the GI tract.
- Then get the liver detox systems working.
- And finally clean up the down-stream consequences, which includes the toxins in the tissues and cells.
Functional/Nutritional Medicine Solution for All Degenerative Conditions.
The 4Rs Solution
1) Remove:
Abnormal kinds/amounts of intestinal microorganisms (parasites, bacterial pathogens, small intestinal overgrowth such as yeast, and food antigens). This can be done by repairing “leaky” intestinal membranes with friendly bacteria (acidophilus, bifidus, fructose oligosaccharides.... etc.) and food based supplements high in minerals and vitamins.
2) Replace:
Hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and fiber deficiency can be addressed and replaced with friendly bacteria, digestive enzymes and fiber supplements.
3) Restore:
Symbiotic bacteria and GI bacteria fuel sources that support metabolic activity through the use of full spectrum friendly bacteria (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, L. planetarium, L. salivarius, L. bulgaricus...etc.
4) Repair:
Replace or augment with nutrients necessary to support healing of intestinal lining, plus adequacy of calories, and adequacy of fiber. Support liver detoxification system through the use of antioxidants and food based nutritional supplements.
The Quality Of The Nutritional Supplements
There are a multitude of allopathic and naturopathic doctors practicing Nutritional Medicine today, and they support better digestion, better nutrition, and better protection against oxidative stress. Their philosophy in manufacturing whole food supplements is: The human body is a marvelously designed living organism with the ability to grow, regulate, repair, and defend itself when given natural, high quality, full spectrum nutrients. The result is a remarkable line of food based products from natural, wild-crafted and organically grown foods to enhance the quality of human body performances (physical, mental, and emotional).
Not only is this health model backed up by scientific research and clinical studies from Nutritional Medicine, but the supplements are some of the best whole food based supplements available in the marketplace today.
So, if you are addressing any health challenge(s) and you want to help your body to reverse a degenerative condition, you need to take food based supplements that will enhance the following body functions:
- Better digestion and assimilation of foods through the use of probiotics and enzyme supplements.
- Better nutrition through food based supplements (consuming nutrient rich foods such as wheat grass, bee pollen, blue green algae...etc.).
- Better protection against free radical damage (oxidative stress) through the use of whole food supplement (wheat sprouts, red algae, and blue green algae. etc.).
References:
Optimal Digestion, by Trent Nichols, M.D.
The 20-Day Rejuvenation Diet Program, by Jeffrey Bland.
