Alternative
Medicine
Articles

Infomercials, many health professionals and the labels on a wide variety of colon cleansing products, lead us to believe that we can simply take a specially blended capsule for a few weeks and our colon problems are solved. These products and protocols claim to control overgrowth of candida, to destroy and remove parasites and to remove waste material clogging the bowel. As much as you and I wish this were true, I have not seen success in practice and I bet if you have undergone such cleansing or a special candida elimination program, you experienced only temporary relief if any relief at all !

While such products and programs may clean the waste material from the intestines, most of the accumulated pathogens (candida, parasites etc) are not necessarily agreeable to going out with the trash! A good example of this is the well-known fire ant. Most people have gone a round or so with this pesky little creature and know the futility of trying to rid your yard of them. You can pour any poison you like on a mound and the ants simply go deeper and generally pop up a few feet away. On the other hand, when you effectively treat the whole yard, the ants simply leave. Pathogens in the intestines function in a similar manner. Pouring herbals and fiber though the intestines is only a start. For long-term extermination, it is necessary to make the internal environment so unfriendly that the bad-guys leave or die.

In preparation for pathogen cleansing, it is important to make sure that waste is moving efficiently through the body. The alimentary tract (the canal that runs from the mouth to the anus) is very much like an assembly (or dis-assembly) line. You pour food in and over the next 12 hours or so. the food is broken down (digested) and part of it is absorbed. The unused or left over matter, ideally continues to move through the intestines to be excreted as waste. With few exceptions, each time you put something in (eat), waste material should be pushed out the other end.

Moving waste properly through the alimentary canal requires an efficient intestinal transit time (ITT), which is the time it takes food to travel from one end of the alimentary canal to the other. If you are like many people and have only one bowel movement daily, it may be yesterday's meal or perhaps a meal you consumed last week that is being eliminated. When intestinal transit time is too slow we generally see a constipated digestive tract, when ITT is too fast, we are likely not absorbing adequate nutrition from the food we eat. Age also affects nutrient absorption.

Studies of individuals who have very high fiber diets and a healthy lifestyle show that their intestinal transit time is between 12 and 24 hours. Most of us though don?t consume a high fiber diet and ITT is often up to 72 hours. It is not uncommon for people to have ITT up to one week. Because of poor dietary choices, the average person does have varying degrees of waste matter stuck to their bowel wall, which sits there putrefying, creating a source of toxicity and a breeding ground for the growth of candida, pathogens and parasites. When the bowel becomes impacted and hardened with dry toxic matter, not only does bowel function become disrupted, but the bowel wall itself can be damaged. This can lead to ?leaky gut? which allows food particles to escape into the blood and lymph systems. The bowel also may be stretched beyond its normal shape, ballooning and prolapsing, and the development of toxic pockets called diverticula, which can lead to painful and potentially dangerous inflammation.

So it?s important to maintain a healthy intestinal tract?..

The following is my favorite basic bowel cleansing protocol and actually derives from many years of research and trial and error by a vast number of professionals.

I begin with two or three daily doses of a special ozonated magnesium to relax and oxygenate the intestinal tract. This step initiates removal of accumulated waste material, and the oxygen produced fosters growth of friendly bowel flora.

Next, I add an herbal blend designed to kill pathogens, parasites, worms etc. This blend includes wormwood, black walnut, cloves and other herbs etc., all proven to kill and chase out the bad guys. This is sent through the now open alimentary tract 3 to 4 times daily. I also add a special fiber blend to ?sweep? the walls of the colon and remove accumulated toxic waste. This one step is what the average detoxification program is limited to.

Last and most important, (I believe this is where most colon cleansing programs fail) I utilize specific homeopathic medications to stimulate the immune system to react against parasites, pathogens and candida. These specialty homeopathics have been used successfully for over two hundred years as a safe and effective form of vaccination, and research is currently underway to expand the list of pathogens we are immunizing against.

As an additional step, it is often necessary to add digestive enzymes to assist with proper food digestion, and friendly bacteria to begin rebuilding proper bowel flora. This step may also include supplements to address indigestion or reflux symptoms.

The basic intestinal detox generally takes about 30 days depending on several factors and primarily targets the intestinal tract. I also use what I consider an advanced detoxification program, that includes other specialty homeopathics to drain and detoxify the immune organs/lymphatic system.

Whether you suffer joint problems such as arthritis, autoimmune disease such as lupus, chronic pain, respiratory congestion, allergies, reflux, indigestion, heartburn, distended abdomen, weight issues, blood sugar or blood pressure issues, chronic fatigue, headaches, migraines, diabetes, cancer and a host of other diseases, your recovery program should begin with detoxification.

If you are interested in learning more visit our website at www.integratedmed.us or send an e-mail to dreric@earthlink.net.

Eric C. Carter, PhD. Integrated Medical - 903-723-2325 - www.integratedmed.us