Digestive Health & Rheumatoid Arthritis
The importance of maintaining good digestive health in controlling the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis cannot be underestimated.
Many rheumatoid arthritis patients are afflicted to some degree with some type of abnormal digestive problem. These may include indigestion, constipation and leaky gut syndrome. In fact, leaky gut syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome often precede the onset of fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Proper digestive health is basic to the healthy function of every organ system in the body. If your digestion is bad, nutrients from your food aren’t made available for absorption and malnutrition can ensue.
It’s been said that health begins in the stomach. When the digestive system is not working properly, the whole body suffers.
It is estimated that about 90% of all disease have nutritional links that can be relieved or prevented when optimizing nutrition & digestion.
To optimize your digestive health it is recommended that you:
1. Take a good quality digestive enzyme supplement product.
Most arthritis sufferers respond well to treatment with protease and digestive enzyme supplements because arthritis is related to inflammation and digestion. Several studies have shown protease enzymes to be as effective as the drugs Methotrexate and Indomethacin for arthritis pain relief, but without the negative side-effects. By increasing support of the digestive and immune systems, inflammation is reduced.
Dr. Arnold Renshaw, from Manchester in England, reported in Annals of Rheumatic Disease that he had obtained good results with enzyme treatment of over 700 patients with Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibrosis’s.
Dr. Elizabeth Lipski, nationally-known nutritionist and author of the highly acclaimed book “Digestive Wellness" explains that, most Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers respond well to treatment with protease and digestive enzyme
According to Dr Lipski, faulty digestion contributes to arthritis, and patients with arthritis respond well when treated with supplemental digestive enzymes. She says her clinical work at the Transformation Enzyme Corporation shows supporting evidence that supplemental enzymes for the digestive system and immune system can reduce inflammation and produce arthritis relief comparable to that produced by common medications prescribed for arthritis.
“I’m now using the combination of protease and digestive enzymes along with other natural anti-inflammatory supplements and a low-antigen diet with my arthritis clients and I’m seeing very positive results,” said Dr. Lipski. “Many clients report a significant improvement in five to seven days.”
The following two digestive enzyme products are highly recommended for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis
1. Bromelain
Bromelain is well-known as a superior enzyme product which is highly effective for those suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis and helps reduce inflammation. A German study that found Bromelain enzymes resulted in a statistical reduction of pain. For those with carpal tunnel syndrome, some findings show eating pineapple is associated with reduced tissue swelling.
Recommended dosage: Take 500 mg to 2,000 mg three times a day between meals.
2. Serrapeptase
Serrapeptase is a natural enzyme which "eats" up inflammation in the body, clears out all dead tissue and fatty deposits in the arteries and therefore greatly reduces pain.
Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme (protease) isolated from the microorganism, Serratia E15. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal that Serrapeptase has a specific, anti-inflammatory effect, superior to that of other proteolytic enzymes. This immunologically active enzyme is completely bound to the alpha 2 macroglobulin in biological fluids. Histological studies reveal powerful anti-inflammatory effects of this naturally occurring enzyme.
When consumed in unprotected tablets or capsules, the enzyme is destroyed by acid in the stomach. However, enterically-coated tablets enable the enzyme to pass through the stomach unchanged, and be absorbed in the intestine. Serrapeptase is found in negligible amounts in the urine, suggesting that it is transported directly from the intestine into the bloodstream.
2. Take a good quality probiotic supplement product.
Restoring balance to the intestinal microflora or probiotic’s has been shown to alleviate many of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is often associated with an intestinal disorder termed "leaky gut" or leaky gut syndrome, a problem commonly addressed by alternative medicine practitioners but overlooked by medical doctors. Usually associated with leaky gut is a wide variety of food allergies which create toxicity to the muscles and joints eventually leading to arthritis.
Leaky gut refers to an increased permeability of the intestinal wall, resulting in the increased passage of substances from the intestines to the bloodstream. In other words, large spaces develop between the cells of the gut wall and bacteria, toxins, and food leak in. The body does not recognize them and activates the immune system to search and destroy. The result is inflammation.
A healthy intestine allows only nutrients to pass into the bloodstream. When the intestine is damaged, larger molecules such as incompletely digested fats, proteins, starches, and even bacteria, also permeate the intestinal wall.
In relation to food, this is the most common single cause of food allergies and skin conditions. Numerous studies have shown that inflammatory arthritis is strongly linked with leaky gut syndrome.
What are the causes of leaky gut syndrome?
The overuse of antibiotics, steroids (cortisone’s), birth control pills, antacids, and anti-ulcer medications are also considered a major cause of leaky gut syndrome. Broad- spectrum antibiotics can kill all the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract. The bad bacteria then actually burrows holes in the lining of the digestive tract, which gives way to undigested food getting through and going straight into our bloodstream, hence the reason for many of the cases of allergies and rheumatoid arthritis.
The solution – Take probiotics
Probiotic’s like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum, help restore a balance of friendly bacteria to the body’s digestive tract thus aiding in digestion. The acidophilus repopulates your digestive tract with microorganisms that are beneficial to the digestive tract, helps further break down your food, and competes for space and nutrients with harmful microorganisms that may be present, diminishing their numbers.
I would highly recommend the superior probiotic product Primal Defense.
This product was developed by Jordan Rubin author of the highly-acclaimed book Patient Heal Thyself, who cured himself of Crohn’s Disease through a trial and error process that lasted quite a number of years.
Primal Defense is a natural whole food probiotic that blends HSOs (Homeostatic Soil Organisms) with nutrient-rich Super Foods.
- Primal Defense is designed to optimize the health of the human digestive tract and immune system.
- Primal Defense is produced using the Poten-Zyme process and the Microflora Delivery SystemTM (MDS).
- Primal DefenseTM contains the nutrients that are essential to building a healthy digestive tract and a healthy body.
Primal Defense is a whole food probiotic blend containing 14 strains of hardy plant based, non-dairy HSOs (Homeostatic Soil Organisms.) HSOs contain naturally occurring live enzymes, vitamins and minerals designed to optimize the digestive terrain, bowel and immune system function. These unique micro-organisms are shown to devour undigested matter, and eliminate yeast, parasites and bad bacteria from the intestines. Primal Defense contains the same nutrients used for thousands of years by some of the healthiest and longest living people in the world.
What is the difference between Primal Defense and other Probiotic’s?
Even if they manage to get through the destructive stomach acids, most probiotic supplements can have a difficult time implanting in colons that are pH imbalanced or have too many harmful bacteria. The HSOs in Primal Defense are designed to implant in any colonic environment. The Microflora Delivery System ensures that the probiotic’s colonize throughout the digestive tract where they are most effective. The probiotic’s contained in Primal Defense are grown and incorporated into a living whole food substrate using the Poten-Zyme process, which allows them to thrive on their long journey through the GI tract.
