Did you know that 70 -80 % of your immune system is in or around the digestive tract?
It’s true. Now consider what would happen to your health if the digestive tract were compromised.
Malnutrition and lowered immunity would become a real health concern.
There are several things that can compromise the bowel including:
- Parasites – found in food such as raw/undercooked meat,raw or unwashed vegetables and fruit(bacteria, fungi, viruses, multiple cell organisms such as pinworms)
- Food allergies/sensitivities – which is an inappropriate immune response to foods, causing inflammation
- Diverticula – herniations or pouches in the walls of the intestines that can trap foods and bacteria causing inflammation or infection of the bowel wall.
- Antibiotics- while they can clear infections, they also kill good bacteria necessary for the health of the gut
- Constipation- slow transit due to poor peristaltic motion can cause the bowel to become toxic due to bacterial overgrowth as well as tears in the walls of the intestines that easily become infected.
As part of a holistic approach to primary care, the physician will discuss your digestive health with you and assess or order tests if needed. Through simple at home testing, we are able to assess bowel health and develop a plan to improve digestive health.
A digestive health assessment can look at:
- Food allergies
- General bowel health or specific digestive issues such as IBS, constipation, leaky gut, Chrohn’s disease
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Digestion
Through interpretation of these labs (most covered by major insurers) we can work together to develop a strategy to :
- heal the gut
- improve digestion and nutrition
- reduce food allergy symptoms
- restore a healthy balance of gut flora (probiotics)
And most important, improve immune function and quality of life.
