Part Two: Digestion Function to Dys-Function!

Nutritional Therapy on Proper Digestion

1. HCL in the stomach is to digest the bacteria, viruses, parasites, prions, and more of the “bad guys” the same way it does with any other protein.
2. The majority of breakdown our nutrients from the food we eat is completed in the small intestine.
3. Around 90% of our nutrients get (in a functional gut) absorbed via the intestinal wall then into the bloodstream
4. During the absorption process, the remaining “bad guys” microbes are eliminated by the immune cells in what is called the PEYERS PATCHES
5. Peyer’s Patches = Peyer’s patches are groupings of lymphoid follicles in the mucus membrane that lines your small intestine.
6. Lymphoid follicles are small organs in your lymphatic system that are like lymph nodes.
7. Your lymphatic system is made up of tissues and organs containing white blood cells, which help your body fight infection.
8. Your spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes are all part of your lymphatic system.
9. Peyer’s patches play an important role in immune surveillance of materials within your digestive system.
10. Immune surveillance refers to the process by which your immune system recognizes and destroys potential pathogens.
11. https://www.healthline.com/health/peyers-patches
12. The remaining CHYME (from the digestion of the food in the stomach) now moves into the large intestine
13. Health bowel flora is needed to offset the effects of the “bad bacteria”

Digestion, the GI Tract and Peyer’s Patches:

“Peyer’s patches are small areas in your small intestine, especially the lower portion. Together with M cells, they play an important role in detecting pathogens in your digestive tract. However, Peyer’s patches might also play a role in the development of several conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases, though this role isn’t well understood yet.” –https://www.healthline.com/health/peyers-patches

In Nutritional Therapy we learn that…

1. The small intestinal wall or mucosal lining is full of “Peyer’s Patches”- lymph nodules
2. The patches are in the small intestine- primarily in the ileum area of the SI (the last portion of the small intestine).
3. The gut is where 70-80% of our immune system resides
4. Proper function of our digestion system is key to maintain healthy and happy gut health as well as our microbiome.

Digestion Process: common areas that go wrong… dysfunction

1. The stomach organ needs to have enough hydrochloric acid (HCL) to digest bacteria, viruses, parasites, prions and more of the “Bad” guys as well as normal proteins
2. The breakdown or digestion of our food is completed in the small intestines – where 90% of our nutrients are absorbed through the small intestinal wall then into the bloodstream.
3. The remaining microbes (bad guys) that passed the stomach acidic wash (if enough HCL levels) are destroyed by the immune cells located in the PEYER’S PATCHES.
   • Immune cells = “The cells of the adaptive immune system are special types of leukocytes, called lymphocytes.
   • B cells and T cells are the major types of lymphocytes and are derived from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.”
4. The remaining food (chyme) moves into the large intestine (via the IC Valve)
5. Ideally, we have healthy bowel flora that will offset any of the leftover “bad” bacteria that is hiding out in the chyme.
6. The nutrients that are absorbed via the intestinal wall (GI Tract), are filtered by the lymphatic system via the Peyer’s Patches.
   • “The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials.”
   • “The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body.
   • The lymphatic system primarily consists of lymphatic vessels, which are like the veins and capillaries of the circulatory system.
   • The vessels are connected to lymph nodes, where the lymph is filtered.
   • The tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus are all part of the lymphatic system.
   • https://www.livescience.com/26983-lymphatic-system.html

In Nutritional Therapy we frequently find many ways the “normal” digestion functions become dys-functioned.

What goes wrong in our digestion system?

Too little HCL in the stomach:

• Proteins are not able to be broken down completely – so there are left partially digested or not even digested at all.
  • The microbes (bad guys) can survive through the “acid wash” and reproduce (H. Pylori)
  • As the undigested proteins and “bad guys” microbes make their way into the small intestine – they damage the intestinal wall.
  • The proteins and microbes create “holes” in the gut wall lining – called “leaky gut” or intestinal permeable gut wall lining
  • Now these maldigested proteins and microbes can “leak” out of the small intestine into the bloodstream.
  • These proteins, even the sources that were once known to the body as healthy and nutritious, are tagged by the immune system as “enemies” or foreign invaders- triggering an immune response leading to inflammation.
  • The microbes that are now in the large intestine can start to dominant and over power the “good” microbiome gut bacteria – disrupting the normal healthy gut/bowel flora… this disruption and imbalance can lead to parasites, Candida, fungus and other types of “bad” bacteria overgrowth.

Stay connect to read Part Three on LEAKY GUT!

Chat soon!

Debbie Potts