Few Questions (Underweight,Fermentation,Malabsorption,Arthritis)

[DOM]

Hello everybody,I have the folowing problems.
I have underweight and cant gain weight.
The main reason for my underweight is my arthritis.the underweight came along with the disease.
I know that my Digestion is bad,but I cant find a solution the improve my digestion and absoption.I have tried (and still trying) so many things but nothing has helped.
even now on a raw food diet I still have pain and swellings and there is not really a big change to my vegetarian/vegan diet except that I have a little bit more energy,but on the other side I'm losing weight.
to improve the absorption I blend everything,but even it its blended I have the feeling that the food is not absorped properly.
Yesterday evening for example I ate blended (soaked) nuts&seeds with a banana (approx. 600ml,dont know how many grams) and I was stuffed for the rest of the evening until I went to bed 4 hours later.
I also dont really have appetite.I try to exercise,but I cant do that much,due to my disease.

I heard a while ago about fermented vegetables,but I didnt consider doing it.
As I got into the raw food diet (approx. 6 weeks ago) I started getting more interested again in fermentation,because I realized once again how bad my absorption is,since I can only eat little amounts and I'm filled for hours.

Has anybody experienced additional significant health improvement (or even weight gain) by adding fermented foods in the diet?

I'm also thankful for any advice regarding my arthritis,weight gain or anything else that could be useful in my situation.

[dime]

It's very important to read this http://www.drbass.com/sequential.html. I doubt that just your absorption is the problem.

Also very important is to avoid consuming too much fiber, which means focus on fruits or juices.

blended (soaked) nuts&seeds with a banana (approx. 600ml,dont know how many grams)

This is a really bad combination.

I'm not sure about fermented foods, but I'm guessing they would be easier to digest.

[sport]

I think that your main problem is your combining and maybe too much fats.
I had arthritis and it developed after I had been raw for a couple of years so the raw alone will not fix it. I have fixed it by drastically reducing my fat consumption to less than 10% of my calories and by doing The Five Tibetan Rites first thing every morning.
Better combining would also help with absorption. Your food is laid down in layers in your tummy and is digested in the order in which it came in. If you want to eat nuts in the same meal as bananas (but I would not recommend it) then you should finish the bananas before eating the nuts.

[Arky]

I'm curious why you appear to conclude that arthritis may be responsible for your reduced body weight, or perhaps I misconstrued your meaning.

Anyway, there are, of course, many possible factors in your individual case, but arthritis is commonly known, in naturopathic circles, to be associated with impeded liver detoxification. It's also associated with inflammation not just in the joints themselves but also in other areas of the body. This is because inflammation is frequently due to an immune system response which begins somewhere in the body, but this place of origin may not necessarily be in the joints. For example, there's a known correlation between some people suffering bowel inflammation & also inflammation around the joints. It's an immensely complex thing, the immune system, & once it starts developing 'auto-immune' tendencies these can spread to various parts of the body.

Now, of course, the above isn't at all the only possibility for your arthritis, but it is interesting to note that you state other symptoms including malabsorption.

Just as with arthritis, there are many possible causes of malabsorption.

One of the known causes of malabsorption is inflammation of the bowel tissues (Crohn's being just one of many such conditions, for example). In such circumstances, chronic inflammation of the bowel tissues leads to degradation of the intestinal micro-villi, hence reduced ability to absorb nutrients.

Now, since you state that you suffer from arthritis & malabsorption, there might, just possibly, be a link, in your case, along similar lines to the above. Let me stress that it's only one hypothesis out of many possible others, but it's worth considering & investigating.

From this standpoint, I would recommend you get yourself privately tested with a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis, & possibly also a ELISA food antigen test. Admittedly, these tests are not cheap (I've been through private testing myself), but they may provide vital clues as to why your body is behaving as it is.

IF I had your symptoms, I'd investigate whether I had:

1) liver congestion (if so, what is the cause? Overwhelming exposure to one or more toxins at some point in your life, liver flukes, biliary sludge/gallstones, etc. DocSutter.com is a good source for info on this as he healed himself from cancer, following chronic exposure to Agent Orange, during Vietnam, along with liver parasites & digestive parasites)

2) bowel inflammation (if so, what is the cause? Investigate such things as food sensitivities - using ELISA testing, possible intestinal parasites, lack of bile flow - see later link below, etc.)

3) IF either of the above (liver congestion &/or bowel inflammation) yield positive results, then I'd investigate the possibility of them perhaps having any part to play in a systemic auto-immune response which might underpin the arthritis symptoms.

4) inadequate secretion of stomach acid - this can have wide-ranging effects on the ability of the body to effectively break down ingested foods, & if break-down of foods is compromised then this will decrease the likelihood of nutrients being absorbed in the duodenum & bowel & increase the likelihood of an inflammatory immune response occurring, sooner or later, in response to unusually large food particles reaching the sensitive tissues of the bowel & potentially being interpreted as 'foreign invading particles'. Also note that calcium, a mineral vital for joint/skeletal health, is dependent upon adequate levels of stomach acid in order for it to be sufficiently absorbed later. Of course, there are many factors that can influence stomach acidity but probably not necessary to cover now.

5) deficiencies in my diet which might relate to my inability to absorb certain other nutrients - for example, fat-soluble vitamins A and D are important in order to be able to assimilate nutrients in the gut, such as calcium etc.

6) As Sport noted, excessive fat in the diet can impede the digestive system from effectively absorbing nutrients, not least by exhausting bile reserves, & bile is vital for a great many aspects of digestive system function, including calcium absorption in the bowel.



Note that not many doctors of conventional medicine recognise:

* the relationship that can exist between inflammatory conditions such as arthritis & inflammation of the bowel or other organs (in other words, that inflammation due to auto-immune response can become systemic over time). Consequently, arthritis can sometimes be a clue that inflammation may be occurring elsewhere in the body. Of course, I realise there are different kinds of arthritis but you didn't specify & there's a limit to how much I can squeeze into one post, anyway! ;)

* the relationship that often exists between inflammatory conditions such as arthritis & impaired liver detoxification - poor detoxification leads to an increased burden on many systems of the body, including the immune system, which can, over time, come to conclude that some of the un-detoxified elements in the body may be a threat & thus worthy of immune response in the form of inflammation etc. t's also worth noting that some experts believe the body, when faced with an inability to detoxify or excrete toxic elements, may actually seek to store them in soft tissues & even sometimes in the interstitial spaces around the skeletal joints. Many traditionally-trained naturopaths, when presented with a case of arthritis, will, as the very first order of business, have the patient cleanse their liver, all else being secondary to that main objective.


These relationships tend, for the most part, not to frequently appear within the medical model in which conventional doctors have been trained (each medical model has it's pros & cons, of course).

I make absolutely no claims whatsoever to be a doctor myself, you understand; I'm simply sharing a few things I've learned through researching my own health issues over the years. I'm relating them only to offer you some possible avenues to explore, since you have thus far come to no concrete conclusions.

In addition to the scientific lab testing (which, in your case, I would suggest is very important), some basic questions which might provide additional clues include the following:

In relation to possible impeded liver detoxification:

Do you feel drowsy in the mornings, even after plenty of sleeep?

If you consume alohol, do you struggle to handle it, even in moderation?

If you consume alohol, do you experience severe hangovers, even when consumed in moderation?

Do you find that caffiene exerts its effects for a longer-than-expected period of time?

Are you hyper-sensitive to environmental allergens &/or toxins?


In relation to possible bowel inflammation:

Do you experience any pain or burning sensations in the abdomen, either continually or after having consumed certain foods?

Do you experience wide variations in stool consistency from day to day?

Do you feel unusually drowsy after eating certain foods?

The above questions relate to triggers of bowel inflammation, such as food sensitivities, & there are other questions which I shall refrain from asking here, relating to symptoms of possible parasites of the digestive system - google for these & you'll find plenty of info/questions readily available. Note that intestinal parasites can not only induce immune inflammatory response themselves (eg due to certain toxic substances they excrete) but can additionally contribute to malabsorption issues by virtue of literally feeding upon the nutrients you ingest, before your own body has a chance to absorb those nutrients - it's a double-whammy against you.

Also consider that impeded bile flow can, through a chain of events explained in another recent post (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...719#post655719), lead to a change in the inner terrain of the bowel, & thus to issues such as insensitivity to acidic foods, gut dysbiosis etc. etc.

Interestingly, impeded bile flow can, under some circumstances, contribute not only to a chain of events which favours bowel inflammation (& indeed the proliferation of intestinal parasites, what with bile being a first line of defence by the body against parasites), but also to congestion of the liver (the liver dumps certain toxins into the bile for excretion through the bowel, which is one reason why plenty of fibre in the diet is essential for good bowel function, & also one possible reason why low fibre intake is statistically associated with higher rates of bowel cancer. Furthermore, fibre is known to actually aid in stimulating bile release, too. I don't recommend grain fibre, as is commonly touted in the food industry, but, rather, primarily plant fibre. Read the work of Konstantine Monastrysky for more about this).


In relation to possible inadequacies in stomach acid (HCL) production:


Do you experience significant ridges in your finger nails?

Do you observe undigested food particles when you go to the WC?


Please note that I realise many of these are very personal questions, so you needn't actually answer them here. I'm primarily suggesting you ask them to yourself, privately, & make your own investigations based on any clues you establish which resonate with your experience of your symptoms. Again, please let me stress the importance of investing in proper scientific lab testing.

Lastly, please bear in mind that the conventional medical response to arthritis often involves prescribing NSAIDS, but some consider these to be highly damaging to the body, not least the digestive system. As far as symptomatic relief of inflammation is concerned, it might be worth considering natural circuminoid-containing substances instead, such as turmeric & ginger which, coincidentally, have bile-stimulating properties, too!

[DOM]

Thanks Dime and Sport.
I will change my eating habits and eat the easiest digestable food first.

Also thanks alot Arky.I will try to answer your questions as good as I can.

I'm curious why you appear to conclude that arthritis may be responsible for your reduced body weight, or perhaps I misconstrued your meaning.

I'm not saying the arthritis is responsible for my underweight.I just meant,that I got really thin,when the disease started to got intense.One maybe important thing to mention is,that the disease started when I was 14 (Now I'm 26).so its not the typical age related Arthritis.

1) liver congestion (if so, what is the cause? Overwhelming exposure to one or more toxins at some point in your life, liver flukes, biliary sludge/gallstones, etc. DocSutter.com is a good source for info on this as he healed himself from cancer, following chronic exposure to Agent Orange, during Vietnam, along with liver parasites & digestive parasites)

I already did 3 Liver Cleansings (few years ago).First time I had many Gallstones,second time there were fewer stones already and the third time the were almost none Stones anymore.only some very small one.But I wanted to cleanse my Liver anyway in the near future.I also did few years ago the parasite therapy according to Hulda Clark,with all the herbs and stuff like that.No Change obv.
Few months ago I went to a naturopath&Homeopath and he tested out,that I had a parasite in the small intestine.I got a allopathic medicine (relatively harmless) and after the first intake only (I took it 3 times in 2 weeks to make sure the parasite dies) I had strong pain&swellings (Doc said,due to the release of toxins of the parasite,when he died)

2) bowel inflammation (if so, what is the cause? Investigate such things as food sensitivities - using ELISA testing, possible intestinal parasites, lack of bile flow - see later link below, etc.)

Do you feel or see it somehow or can it only be tested using Elisa test?I know for sure that I have problems with my whole Digestive tract (not digested properly,being filled for hours and stuff like that).

4) inadequate secretion of stomach acid - this can have wide-ranging effects on the ability of the body to effectively break down ingested foods, & if break-down of foods is compromised then this will decrease the likelihood of nutrients being absorbed in the duodenum & bowel & increase the likelihood of an inflammatory immune response occurring, sooner or later, in response to unusually large food particles reaching the sensitive tissues of the bowel & potentially being interpreted as 'foreign invading particles'. Also note that calcium, a mineral vital for joint/skeletal health, is dependent upon adequate levels of stomach acid in order for it to be sufficiently absorbed later. Of course, there are many factors that can influence stomach acidity but probably not necessary to cover now.

I already researched a little bit on that topic.There is a great possibility that I still have it or at least had for the longest time.(If the assumption is correct,that if you eat beet root and have pink urine&stool when not producing enough HCL then I had it all the time after eating beet root.But since I started the raw diet and eating smoothies,I dont have pink urine or stool anymore).I dont know how reliable this test is,but there is definately a change after start eating/drinking green smoothies.

5) deficiencies in my diet which might relate to my inability to absorb certain other nutrients - for example, fat-soluble vitamins A and D are important in order to be able to assimilate nutrients in the gut, such as calcium etc.

Dont know if I got enough Vit A , but I think I didnt get enough Vit. D and no single doctor even mentioned it.I started to take Vit. D a while ago but I guess there will be visible results in the longterm only.

6) As Sport noted, excessive fat in the diet can impede the digestive system from effectively absorbing nutrients, not least by exhausting bile reserves, & bile is vital for a great many aspects of digestive system function, including calcium absorption in the bowel.

I dont think I'm eating too much fat.But I noticed always cravings for fatty/oily food when I was still on my vegetarian diet.

Do you feel drowsy in the mornings, even after plenty of sleeep?

right now not anymore.But again,for the longest part of my disease I was tired,without energy and could sleep for 12 hours and still be tired.
As for now,I felt improvement after I took the anti parasite medicine but still was tired in the afternoon or when I had bad days.After changing to raw diet,I feel sometimes a tiny bit drowsy,but mostly I feel refreshed after 7-8 hours of sleep now.Its the biggest improvement after changing to raw foods

If you consume alohol, do you struggle to handle it, even in moderation?

I very rarely drink alcohol and if,I drink small amounts.But I always got tired from alcohol and I feel the dizziness pretty quick.

If you consume alohol, do you experience severe hangovers, even when consumed in moderation?

I dont drink that much and the next day I didnt realize any Hangovers when I drank alcohol.0

Do you find that caffiene exerts its effects for a longer-than-expected period of time?

I never drank coffee regularly and as far I can remember I didnt even drink a full cup of coffee in my life ,but just because i dont like it and never started with coffee.

Are you hyper-sensitive to environmental allergens &/or toxins?

I'm definately sensitive (and always was) to strong odors like parfume,cigaret smoke and stuff like that and sometimes got headaches from it when exposed too much.I'm also sensitive to wheat gluten.I would say I'm sensitive,but i dont know if hyper sensitive.

Do you experience any pain or burning sensations in the abdomen, either continually or after having consumed certain foods?

No burning sensation at all and I dont remember having regular abdomen pain during my illness.

Do you experience wide variations in stool consistency from day to day?

I have only one abnormal stool variation,that I have at least since the disease started.the first part of the stoll the comes out (maybe 5-15cm) like rabbit droppings pressed together.(I hope I described it right)
the rest is mostly soft and sometimes not properly digested.

Do you feel unusually drowsy after eating certain foods?

I dont realized anything after eating certain foods,but I have it sometimes when I eat too much.But I will pay more attention to it.

Also consider that impeded bile flow can, through a chain of events explained in another recent post (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...719#post655719), lead to a change in the inner terrain of the bowel, & thus to issues such as insensitivity to acidic foods, gut dysbiosis etc. etc.

Thanks,I will read it in a moment.

Do you experience significant ridges in your finger nails?

I have some rigdes,but I dont know if they are significant.I would say:ridges- yes,abnormal-no

Do you observe undigested food particles when you go to the WC?

yes,and sometimes generally a rough structure.

Please note that I realise many of these are very personal questions, so you needn't actually answer them here. I'm primarily suggesting you ask them to yourself, privately, & make your own investigations based on any clues you establish which resonate with your experience of your symptoms. Again, please let me stress the importance of investing in proper scientific lab testing.

I dont have any problems answering these questions openly,since nobody now me personally anyway and even if,I wouldnt have problems.
I will look into the tests you recommended and maybe I'm lucky getting these tests paid by health insurance because I live in Germany.

Lastly, please bear in mind that the conventional medical response to arthritis often involves prescribing NSAIDS, but some consider these to be highly damaging to the body, not least the digestive system. As far as symptomatic relief of inflammation is concerned, it might be worth considering natural circuminoid-containing substances instead, such as turmeric & ginger which, coincidentally, have bile-stimulating properties, too!

Unfortunately I have to take steroids (cortison) since its not possible without right now.
I use ginger and occasionally turmeric regularly since I eat raw.

Thanks so far.
I will do some research on the topics you mentioned.
When there some strange sentences ;),its just because my english is sometimes not that good.

[DOM]

One more question about Dr. Bass's Diet:
I cant find the digestion time of dried fruits & oils/fat (I maybe overlooked it)

BTW:after reading the article,I ate the stuff I would usually blend in sequences and it really looks like this could make the difference in the future.I didnt feel stuffed,or if only for few minutes.

I will definately try to eat like that in the future.

[Raw Angel Mom]

You will have to find a way to do exercise. Swiming might be gentle for you, rebonding, walk etc... I was suffering from being underweight up to my mid 20's when i started to do weight lifting and aerobic exercise, it is then that my system became normal. Now i have to watch not to gain too much weight, lol... how eronic, lol....

Anyway, doing the raw diet will also normalize your body but please do what you can to exercise. Both are so important.

All the best for you!

[dime]

Dried fruits should be similar to the normal fruits (assuming you're eating the equivalent in calories of a non-dried fruit).
Fat I think is around 2 hours, e.g. salad is digested in 30-40 minutes, but if you add a spoon of olive oil it'll be 2 hours.

[Arky]

Dom, sorry I didn't get back to you some weeks ago, but I've just posted some more info, closely-related to this thread, which might be of interest to you (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...d=1#post658941).


HOWEVER, I'm going to take the unusual liberty of re-posting that info within this thread, in order to edit it, and subtract/add to it a little, to make it more specifically-relevant to your own situation. I hope no one objects to my doing so, and Dom, you might even find some of the substracted info relevant, if you care to check out the above thread, after reading this one.

Although there may be a fair bit of overlap with my original reply to you, what follows below includes other aspects of the equation. (And apologies again for not following-up after you replied - I was very annoyed with the moderation team that day, for reasons that only they and I know, and for which I shall no longer be posting on this forum, after today).:

I'm not saying the arthritis is responsible for my underweight.I just meant,that I got really thin,when the disease started to got intense.One maybe important thing to mention is,that the disease started when I was 14 (Now I'm 26).so its not the typical age related Arthritis.

Definitely check out Jordan Rubin's book and try some BSOs (Beneficial Soil Organisms - e.g. Garden of Life's 'Primal Defense'). I don't think this will be a magic solution for you but it may be helpful and it will be very cheap to give it a try. iHerb are an excellent retailer in the USA but they may not be able to import to Germany.

Few months ago I went to a naturopath&Homeopath and he tested out,that I had a parasite in the small intestine.I got a allopathic medicine (relatively harmless) and after the first intake only (I took it 3 times in 2 weeks to make sure the parasite dies) I had strong pain&swellings (Doc said,due to the release of toxins of the parasite,when he died)

Well, a CDSA would (particularly if done by Metametrix labs, who use parasite DNA analysis) have a good chance of revealing if you still have a pathogenic parasite in the digestive system, and also of identifying exactly what it might be.

Do you feel or see it somehow or can it only be tested using Elisa test?I know for sure that I have problems with my whole Digestive tract (not digested properly,being filled for hours and stuff like that).

Well, personally, yes, I feel an unmistakable 'burning' discomfort across my lower abdomen. However, it depends on how severe the inflammation is - for approx 18months I had a 'kind of discomfort' but couldn't figure out what it was and kept telling myself to forget about it. It might be that you don't notice your inflammation or it might be that you actually don't have any bowel inflammation. An ELISA food sensitivity test would measure antigens to certain foods and a CDSA test would identify certain general immune activity/inflammatory markers relating to antigens - e.g. fecal SigA

I'd definitely go with a CDSA test first, as it's more informative on what is going on physiologically than the ELISA food sensitivity test, which basically identifies which foods are leading to an inflammatory response - IF inflammation is an issue for you, which we don't actually know at this point, since you are subjectively unaware of any inflammation.

I already researched a little bit on that topic.There is a great possibility that I still have it or at least had for the longest time.(If the assumption is correct,that if you eat beet root and have pink urine&stool when not producing enough HCL then I had it all the time after eating beet root.But since I started the raw diet and eating smoothies,I dont have pink urine or stool anymore).I dont know how reliable this test is,but there is definately a change after start eating/drinking green smoothies.

Well, it might be worth you having your HCL output tested. That's up to you.

right now not anymore.But again,for the longest part of my disease I was tired,without energy and could sleep for 12 hours and still be tired.
As for now,I felt improvement after I took the anti parasite medicine but still was tired in the afternoon or when I had bad days.After changing to raw diet,I feel sometimes a tiny bit drowsy,but mostly I feel refreshed after 7-8 hours of sleep now.Its the biggest improvement after changing to raw foods

Ok, so somewhat inconclusive for that one, although cooked starches might have been an issue for you (possible yeast clue?). I'm still intuiting that there may be some impedance of liver function in a broader sense, in terms of a general slowing down of metabolic processes.

I very rarely drink alcohol and if,I drink small amounts.But I always got tired from alcohol and I feel the dizziness pretty quick.

Suggestive of compromised liver function and/or possible yeast issue in the gut. Again, CDSA will check for yeast in the stool and will check, to some degree, for pancreatic, and for biliary output which offers clues for gallbladder and for liver which can be further refined, if necessary, with additional specific tests.

I'm definately sensitive (and always was) to strong odors like parfume,cigaret smoke and stuff like that and sometimes got headaches from it when exposed too much.I'm also sensitive to wheat gluten.I would say I'm sensitive,but i dont know if hyper sensitive.

Wheat gluten, as you're probably well aware, is known to be an issue with celiac disease...

Additionally, multiple chemical (natural or synthetic) sensitivities can sometimes be an indicator of compromised liver function (and may additionally be related, in some instances, to heavy metal toxicity).

I have only one abnormal stool variation,that I have at least since the disease started.the first part of the stool the comes out (maybe 5-15cm) like rabbit droppings pressed together.(I hope I described it right)
the rest is mostly soft and sometimes not properly digested.

Can imply compromised pancreatic or biliary output, but this is not conclusive in itself - again, CDSA would be very informative on this.

One should also consider that a large proportion of a healthy stool is actually bacteria. On a raw diet, fibre intake is generally abundant - unusual variations in stool consistency may thus reflect an imbalance of gut flora. I suggest you try taking a potent probiotic formula daily, if you haven't already tried this. There is a lot of rubbish on the market, which simply lacks sufficient potency to have any worthwhile therapeutic value. Brands I have found to be useful include Ohirra's, VSL#3, Metagenics (their high potency type).

CDSA also measures relative levels of critical gut flora.

yes,and sometimes generally a rough structure.

Possible low HCL output and/or possible low pancreatic enzyme output. CDSA, CDSA...

In addition to Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis, you should also try, if you haven't yet done so, a potent digestive enzyme blend, with every meal. Doctor's Best do a good one, and Enzymedica's 'Digest Gold' is also very good. Again, many other brands are inadequate, so go for quality or you'll be wasting your time.

When there some strange sentences ;),its just because my english is sometimes not that good.

Are you kidding? Your English is superb! Wish I could speak (sprechen?) Deutsch as well as you speak English :)


************************************************** *********************

...What is interesting about many potential causes of bowel inflammation and malabsorption is that they can be seen to have something in common and that common factor is a weakening and/or derangement of normal immune function (inflammation being one aspect of immune function, which can run out of control if the immune response becomes deranged due to some factor or other).


Many parasites are, to some degree common inhabitants of the human digestive tract, either on a purely transitory basis or, in some cases, on a permanent basis, but parasites are generally kept in check by a normal healthy human immune system and by a normally-functioning biliary system, a vital component of which is the liver.

For certain foods to cause inappropriate auto-immune inflammatory responses may point to a derangement in immune function which undoubtedly has a cause somewhere in a person's physiology and life history, even though it may prove exceedingly difficult to identify (e.g. genetic, excessive general toxicity burden, disproportional exposure earlier in life etc. etc.)

The topic of bowel inflammation can be an exceedingly complex one, and this is unfortunate because it can make a person's life miserable as they suffer not only the symptoms but also the financially- and emotionally-draining experience of seeing one specialist after another, with little or no improvement and a whole raft of condescending remarks from each specialist in turn.

A very key factor in the above is that modern medicine is structured such that general physicians cannot possibly hope to be expert in all aspects of physiology, and specialist doctors have a tendency to focus too narrowly on their specialised area to be expert in it's relationship to other aspects of physiology.

Bowel inflammation may present symptoms in the precise location of the bowel but it may very often be an indicator of a much broader systemic condition - e.g. weakness or derangement of immune function.

[Arky]

As I said a few weeks ago, Dom, I strongly recommended that you get yourself a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis - did you seriously look into this? It would be immensely beneficial in figuring out in which direction it might be best for you to proceed.

Also, I equally-strongly recommend that you obtain a Hair Elements Analysis (not a Toxic elements analysis - you will require a hair elements analysis which INCLUDES ordinary HEALTHY metals/minerals. Specifically, if you go to DirectLabs.com, you can order the DDI 'Hair Elements' test. It's very affordable and you don't need a doctor's involvement to purchase the test or to receive the results.

Recall my discussion of bile flow having, in some cases, an extremely close relationship to issues of malabsorption, parasites, certain food sensitivities etc.

Well, gallstones and liver flukes are not the only way the biliary system can be impeded in its efforts to function properly - certain heavy metals can exhaust the biliary system because bile is used to expel the likes of mercury and copper from the body, via the bowel (although, as you are no doubt aware, the body is unable to effectively excrete all such heavy metals in this manner, particularly if they have, in the case of mercury or lead, for example, managed to cross the blood-brain barrier, into the brain, from where they cannot be retrieved unless one intervenes with specific chelating substances such as alpha-lipoic acid, cilantro etc., although using cilantro for chelation purposes is an extremely bad idea. See Andy Cutler's excellent books for more on this - www.noamalgam.com, http://www.mandimart.co.uk/books-by-...r-phd-38-c.asp). You must NEVER use chelating substance (not even ALA, DMSA, DMPS or EDTA) without thoroughly learning how to correctly do so, or you risk incurring permanent neurological and/or organ damage to yourself.

As with certain other heavy metals, Mercury can also take up residence in certain organs of the body, and these include the thyroid, pancreas and the liver (mercury can also disrupt signaling from the brain to the pancreas). The pancreas functions as both an exocrine and an endocrine organ, and the thyroid is an endocrine gland, so, even in this very brief discussion, you one can see that mercury can badly disrupt various hormone systems. The thyroid also secretes a hormone called Calcitonin, which is known to participate in calcium and phosphorus metabolism - this may be relevant to some degree in your arthritis symptoms, mentioned in your older thread. As far as the pancreas is concerned, it is not difficult to recognise that if mercury (for example) is resident within it and may thus be impeding it's ability to correctly secrete carbonates (to modulate the acidity of food chyme exiting the stomach, since these carbonates are combined with bile secretions and the combined mix secreted into the duodenum, at the major duodenal papilla - http://tinyurl.com/4v2xchz), then overly-acidic chyme may, as mentioned in my reply to your older thread, lead to acid damage to the epithelial layers of the duodenum and bowel, with pain and inflammation as a consequence. If the pancreas is also impeded by mercury in its efforts to secrete sufficient (and food-appropriate) digestive enzymes, then, as mentioned in the older reply, insufficiently-digested food particles may lead to an immune response in the bowel, which means more inflammation...

Did you also know that mercury and copper act as pro-oxidants? They consequently lead to the generation of masses of free radicals, which themselves can lead to systemic inflammation - is this relevant to inflammatory arthritis...? Hmmm.....

Did you also know that Mercury is capable of deranging the functioning of certain proteins in cell membranes? One vital function of these proteins is to transport minerals throughout the human organism. If mercury is leading to a derangement of their functioning, then, in addition to possibly impeding calcitonin secretion from the thyroid, mercury may lead to the bodys cells becoming unable to transport minerals where they are needed - so we're back to malabsorption and also, potentially, 'mal-transportation' of whatever one has managed to absorb from ingested nutrients. (this mercury-induced derangement of cellular mineral transport is the reason why, if one is ordering a hair analysis test, one must purchase one which includes healthy minerals/metals in addition to the toxic ones. Sometimes mercury toxic people's hair tests show relatively low levels of mercury BUT if one looks at levels of healthy metals/minerals a characteristic pattern can be observed whereby mercury-induced derangement of cellular mineral transportation leads to spurious values of these elements, thus permitting a diagnosis of mercury toxicity, by inference, in spite of low recorded hair levels of mercury itself. This is also relevant from the standpoint that levels of many heavy metals decline in the hair after a period of time, so high mercury readings in hair samples would generally tend to occur only if the patient was recently exposed to large amounts of mercury).

Another interesting facet to all of this is that it is known that parasites can have a tendency to co-occur in patients with heavy metal toxicity - perhaps due to bile exhaustion (bile is used by the body in its efforts to expel heavy metals, and is necessary for keeping digestive parasite populations to a minimum), perhaps due to immune suppression (heavy metals can damage immune function due to a great many physiological stresses and changes which they can effect upon the cells of the body), perhaps due to both these things, or perhaps due to some other mode of activity.




So, again, I urge you to GET TESTED:

1) Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis 'CDSA' - e.g. Metametrix labs (Metametrix call it 'GI-Effects')

2) Hair Elements Test - 'DDI' Doctor's Data, available direct to the public, via DirectLabs.com


As mentioned previously, Doc Sutter often points out that a wide variety of diseases, including Cancer, have their origins in a less-than-optimally-functioning liver, and that whilst liver function can decline gradually, over a period of many years, due to abuses of food or various substances, or, indeed, malnutrition, its functioning can be damaged by a specific event in a person's life whereby the liver becomes overwhelmed by a particular pathogen or toxic element. In Sutter's case, this was a mix of parasites picked up in the jungle during his service as a medic in the Vietnam war and, primarily, his exposure, during that conflict, to Agent Orange.

The point here is that you would be wise, in addition to the above tests, to spend a great deal of time looking back into your past and trying to identify if there might be one or more incidents when you may have been exposed to certain toxins which might have compromised you liver function.

Your description of yourself is that you experience joint issues (may be related to systemic inflammation) and you have, simultaneously experienced digestive and malabsorption issues.

YOU recognise that these issues co-occurred

and I recognise that there are a number of legitimate possible ways in which they may be linked, on an underlying physiological level.

At least 2 organs may be related to this issue (and probably both, as both this and my older responses to you have outlined in detail). They might not be, of course, but there is a great deal of legitimate logic in at least investigating these avenues:

1) Liver function

2) Bowel function (eg inflammation)

Investigate the liver first, as bowel issues (including malabsorption) may have their origins in a poorly functioning hepato-biliary system, AND because, as I mentioned to you some weeks ago, the first organ a naturopathic doctor would investigate in a patient with arthritis is..the Liver


Please note that a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis provides data not only on bowel function but also on biliary secretions and pancreatic secretions, so although I'm saying chase the liver first, the CDSA is nonetheless relevant as the first order of business. You need this information urgently.


If I had to make one guess at what might have led to your current parallel health issues of arthritis and malabsorption, I'd at least suggest the possibility of the following:

Did you have mercury dental fillings OR a vaccination around 6-12months before you began experiencing your health issues..?

If not mercury exposed, were you perhaps exposed to lead, for example? (these aren't the only 2 metals which might give rise to your symptoms but they're the only 2 I'm going to encompass in this brief discussion). Lead can be inhaled if one is stripping away old lead-based paint when renovating a house, or if one was using lead-based paint some years ago, prior to its being banned and taken off the market. Alternatively, children can ingest lead from painted toys - there have been numerous incidences of imported toys from China having been painted with lead-based paints, for example. Oh, and antimony is now employed in many paints, instead of lead. Arsenic has, for about 15 years or so, been used in treatment agents for timber so if one has been around such products, or around treated timber being sawn etc, then this is a possible avenue of exposure to arsenic...

The point I'm trying to make is that one should not dismiss the possibility of heavy metal toxicity just because a historic source of exposure may not be obvious. Lead in particular is drawn to the bones and may thus perhaps play some part in the arthritis symptoms of certain unfortunate patients.


Good luck to you, Dom, please make the effort to get those tests, they may be the best investment you've ever made for your health. I wish you well.

[Arky]

Since there doesn't appear to be a 'delete' option included in the 'privileges' of my account, instead of leaving this particular entry empty, I'll use the space just to add that inflammation can also be related to an overly-oxidative state in the body (as can occur if one is exposed to too many toxic substances that place a burden on the body, and/or consumes too few 'anti-oxidant' nutrients (of course, the term 'anti-oxidant' is actually a slight misnomer, since it one doesn't stop oxidation of foods occurring - this is actually a necessary step in metabolising many ingested nutrients. The point of so-called 'anti-oxidants' is to mop up free radicals generated as a byproduct of normal metabolism etc. One wouldn't be able to drive a petrol/diesel engined car if one tried to stop the necessary process of combustion, and similarly, so-called 'anti-oxidants' can be rather crudely likened to a cars catalytic convertor)). Of course, a liver which is congested or intoxicated to the point where it is unable to perform it's myriad metabolic duties correctly can also lead to a depletion in it's ability to effectively methylate toxic substances, and thus may contribute to a similar scenario, albeit via a different route (TriMethylGlycine / TMG is a very economical supplement which some people find helpful because it contributes methyl groups and thus helps the liver to disarm many toxic and free radical substances).

Examples of pro-oxidative substances would include excessive consumption of polyunsaturated fats, heated oils/fried foods, consumption of already-rancid fats, ingestion or exposure to heavy metals, consumption of 'smoked'/BBQd/commercially-preserved foods etc.



Another contributor to an inflammatory state in the body is excessive consumption of omega 6 oils/fats, with inadequate consumption of omega 3 oils/fats. This is because the body produces substances called 'prostaglandins' and these are made partly on the basis of dietary oils consumed. If one consumes excessive omega 6, it is known that certain prostaglandins may be produced which favour an inflammatory state, whereas anti-inflammatory prostaglandins are more likely with consumption of omega 3 oils/fats.

Other substances which favour a pro-inflammatory state include foods that contain high levels of arachidonic acid. Such foods include meat, eggs, dairy etc. However, that is not to say that these foods are necessarily unhealthy for an individual with no existing health issues to consume. It's just that, for the purposes of this specific discussion, it is wise for those who do have an existing inflammatory condition to avoid such arachidonic-acid-rich foods.

I didn't mention the above factors in my original posts because although excessive production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins may well cause health issues in some individuals I consider it unlikely that your long-standing health issues have their basis fundamentally in your consumption of certain oils, particularly as you are now eating a raw diet with (I hope) plenty of dark leafy greens (rich in omega 3 and various other anti-inflammatory compounds). Furthermore, although I recognise this is a possibly-incorrect assumption, it is at least probable that you are mostly-vegan in your current approach to raw foods, and would thus be avoiding the majority of foods rich in arachidonic acid (note that I do not personally claim to be vegan, one way or the other, so what I'm saying in this post should not be construed as a promotion of eating according to any particular dietary philosophy - that's entirely a personal choice for each individual, but, of course, this forum caters for raw veganism specifically).


The contents of these posts are painted in somewhat-broad strokes, so anyone reading them will, of course, need to do research of their own to gain deeper understanding of anything of interest to their personal situation.

More than anything else, you'll notice I keep going on and on about efficient liver function and about root causes of inflammation (e.g. imbalanced and/or suppressed immune function) such as heavy metals etc. It's not because I'm trying to bore you - it's because these factors are key to finding solutions to your stated health issues, so please take them seriously and invest in some proper testing procedures :).



OK, that's enough rambling. This really is my last post here on Alissa's board.

Good health to all of you, and Dom, I really hope you manage to make some progress with minimising or (hopefully!) eventually even eliminating your long-standing health issues. Incidentally, a couple of books I think you'd find useful/relevant are:

Joseph Pizzorno's 'Total Wellness'

and

Ralph Golan's 'Optimal Wellness'


I've PM'd you my e-mail address, Dom, so although I won't be around on this board again, I'd be interested to hear from you about any progress you may make in the future.



Take care.



Arky.


.