Gut Disorders

On this page we have outlined some basic facts about the most commonly occurring gut disorders and the impact that they are having on peoples health.

One thing is certain. A dysfunctional gut will definitely be stopping your body’s natural processes from working properly and in turn this will block its ability to maintain good health and defend itself.

Disorders of the gut are largely a grey area for conventional medicine and theories abound about what causes them and how to treat them.

There is however a common theme that runs through all of the conditions and to which sufferers can pin some hope. In most cases there appears to be a strong link to the following list of factors:

• Bacterial infections (like H. pylori commonly found with ulcers)
• Viral infections (found in Crohn’s and Colitis sufferers)
• Immune dysfunction (common with many gut disorders)
• Destruction of gut habitat (killing of good bacteria by antibiotics and toxins)
• Lack of good nutrition (common in all gut disorders)
• Food intolerances (like gluten)

All of the above factors could lead to inflammation in the gut, which in one way or another is responsible for the pain and discomfort that sufferers feel. In fact it is now believed by many, that almost all illness could first start in the gut, which sets of a chain reaction of events that lead to ill health.

Whichever way you look at it, the gut is a crucial system, that helps sustain life itself and without the ability to breakdown and absorb food effectively health will always be compromised.

At bionetics we believe that good gut health is the key to unlocking your body’s natural ability to maintain good health and defend itself.

Whether using our hair testing programmes or our nutritional packages our aim is to provide you with access to good gut health and with it all the benefits of a healthy body. Between the testing and nutritional routes we cover all of the common factors listed above and that contribute to gut dysfunction. For more information please call 0845 456 0570 or use the links above to access the relevant pages.

Below are some of the gut disorders in more detail.

Crohn’s

Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the small intestine. Crohn's disease usually occurs in the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. The inflammation extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The inflammation can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhoea.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. Crohn's disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and to another type of IBD called ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine.

Crohn's disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn's disease have a blood relative with some form of IBD, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child.

Theories about what causes Crohn's disease abound, but none has been proven. The most popular theory is that the body's immune system reacts to a virus or a bacterium by causing ongoing inflammation in the intestine.

People with Crohn's disease tend to have abnormalities of the immune system, but doctors do not know whether these abnormalities are a cause or result of the disease.

The most common symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhoea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anaemia. Children with Crohn's disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth.

Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of the large intestine. The inflammation usually occurs in the rectum and lower part of the colon, but it may affect the entire colon. Ulcerative colitis rarely affects the small intestine except for the end section, called the terminal ileum.

The inflammation makes the colon empty frequently, causing diarrhoea. Ulcers form in places where the inflammation has killed the cells lining the colon; the ulcers bleed and produce pus.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the small intestine and colon. Ulcerative colitis can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders and to another type of IBD called Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease differs from ulcerative colitis because it causes inflammation deeper within the intestinal wall. Also, Crohn's disease usually occurs in the small intestine, although it can also occur in the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, large intestine, appendix, and anus.

Ulcerative colitis may occur in people of any age, but most often it starts between ages 15 and 30, or less frequently between ages 50 and 70. Children and adolescents sometimes develop the disease. Ulcerative colitis affects men and women equally and appears to run in some families.

Theories about what causes ulcerative colitis abound, but none have been proven. The most popular theory is that the body's immune system reacts to a virus or a bacterium by causing ongoing inflammation in the intestinal wall.

People with ulcerative colitis have abnormalities of the immune system, but doctors do not know whether these abnormalities are a cause or a result of the disease. Ulcerative colitis is not caused by emotional distress or sensitivity to certain foods or food products, but these factors may trigger symptoms in some people.

IBS

What causes one person to have IBS and not another? No one knows. Symptoms cannot be traced to a single organic cause. Research suggests that people with IBS seem to have a colon that is more sensitive and reactive than usual to a variety of things, including certain foods and stress. Some evidence indicates that the immune system, which fights infection, is also involved. IBS symptoms result from the following:

In many cases of IBS the gut has been found to be lacking certain bacteria caused by using antibiotics, the contraceptive pill or dietary toxins.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Specifically, tiny finger-like protrusions, called villi, on the lining of the small intestine are lost. Nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream through these villi. Without villi, a person becomes malnourished—regardless of the quantity of food eaten.

Because the body's own immune system causes the damage, celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disorder. However, it is also classified as a disease of malabsorption because nutrients are not absorbed.

Celiac disease is a genetic disease, meaning that it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

For more information about foods that Celiacs need please click here.

Peptic Ulcer

A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the stomach or duodenum, which is the beginning of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are common: One in 10 Americans develops an ulcer at some time in his or her life. One cause of peptic ulcer is bacterial infection, but some ulcers are caused by long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin and ibuprofen. In a few cases, cancerous tumours in the stomach or pancreas can cause ulcers. Peptic ulcers are not caused by stress or eating spicy food, but these can make ulcers worse.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria. Researchers believe that H. pylori is responsible for the majority of peptic ulcers.

H. pylori infection is common in the United States: About 20 percent of people under 40 years old and half of those over 60 years have it. Most infected people, however, do not develop ulcers. Why H. pylori does not cause ulcers in every infected person is not known. Most likely, infection depends on characteristics of the infected person, the type of H. pylori, and other factors yet to be discovered.

Researchers are not certain how people contract H. pylori, but they think it may be through food or water

H. pylori weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach and duodenum, which allows acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. Both the acid and the bacteria irritate the lining and cause a sore, or ulcer.

H. pylori is able to survive in stomach acid because it secretes enzymes that neutralize the acid. This mechanism allows H. pylori to make its way to the "safe" area—the protective mucous lining. Once there, the bacterium's spiral shape helps it burrow through the lining.