“Gutsy” Herbs
We often hear the word “gut” used in everyday vernacular. I remember my father saying “I have a pain in the guts.” At the same time, he might say “It took guts to do that.” In his generation, the word “gut” stood for something very basic- at the core of things. It sounded vulgar to me. However, dad was correct. Our gut is the deepest part of us. We have heard of someone who makes a “gutsy move” or we talk about “gut feelings.”
“The human gut has long been seen as a repository of good and bad feelings. Perhaps emotional states from the head's brain are mirrored in the gut's brain, where they are felt by those who pay attention to them.”
Dr. Michael Gershon
Spring is the season that wakes up the gut. But what IS the gut? Anatomically speaking, the gut- or alimentary canal- is the nine meter tube from the mouth to the anus. Lined with mucous membranes, the alimentary canal is lubricious and smooth. Mucus secreted along this canal moves food along. The movement and assimilation of food is essential to the integrity of our entire body. We often say we live to eat, when what we don’t fully comprehend, is that our lives depend on what we eat. Although genetics plays a role in our digestive strength; overall health is fully dependent on what and how we have eaten over a period of years.
Our digestive system is essential to our vitality, immune function, and emotional well-being. David Winston says that “You are what you don’t excrete.” Most people eat without ever thinking about what really happens to the food once they swallow it. Eating is more than just a pleasurable social activity – it is necessary for life. The food you consume provides your body with the energy and nutrients that it needs to function.
Digestion is both mechanical – chewing, swallowing, mixing and churning which increases the surface area of the food allowing it to mix with digestive juices; and chemical- mixing with gastric juices to alter the composition of food in order to be assimilated.
One of the most important living journeys is the trip a bite of food takes when it passes your lips.
Let’s look at that journey. When you take a bite of that sandwich, your lips enfold it and pull it into the chamber of your mouth. As the tongue begins a sinuous dance- sliding side-to-side pushing the sandwich toward your moving teeth- the teeth move up and down masticating the bite and breaking it into smaller bits. Saliva squirts into the mouth from beneath the tongue and from each cheek. As the tongue continues to move the bolus of food, it becomes saturated with saliva, and macerated to a paste. Inside the mouth digestion has begun! As sensors on the tongue alert lower digestive organs that the bite is coming; flavors within the bite stimulate sensors in the mouth. Points of sensation are connected to sensors within the gut to alert the liver to produce bile, the pancreas to produce enzymes, and the bowel walls to produce hormones in preparation for digestion.
[We talk about the terms digestion and “indigestion” frequently. But do we really know what they mean? Digestion is both disintegration of the food bolus as well as assimilation of the nutrients it contains- and ridding the body of indigestible components. “Indigestion” means that some part of that process isn’t functioning- from one end to the other. It is as important to assimilate the nutrients as it is to rid the body of indigestible components.
In herbal medicine, we talk of “digestive fire.” Digestive fire is the combustible potential of our system to utilize the bite of sandwich for its nutrient value.]
Your tongue continues its sinuous movements, and rolls the bite into the throat in preparation for its descent into the stomach through the upper esophageal sphincter.
The Esophagus is a tube of smooth muscle, with internal circular fibers; designed to rhythmically contract from the top to the bottom pushing the bolus of moistened food down through the lower esophageal sphincter – the circular muscle that serves as the gateway to the stomach.
As your bite of sandwich reaches the Stomach- the muscular pouch designed to both digest and hold food- it is rolled, squeezed, and twisted in a wash of digestive juices. The average human stomach can comfortably hold about a liter of food. When the stomach receives notice of the sandwich from your mouth; it begins preparation for digestion by manufacturing gastric juices. Hydrochloric acid kills or inhibits bacteria by providing acidic pH. Pepsin breaks down protein into polypeptides; while Rennin curdles milk to make it available for digestion. To promote liquefaction and smooth transition, the stomach produces mucous to liquefy food. The stomach is where the digestion of starch (bread), protein (meat and cheese) and triglycerides (fats like butter or mayonnaise) begins. Along with digestion and storage; some absorption of certain small molecules occurs in the stomach. These molecules include water, if the body is dehydrated; medication, like aspirin; amino acids; 10-20% of ingested ethanol from alcoholic beverages; and caffeine.
Your entire alimentary canal moves constantly; the rhythmic movements called peristaltic waves or Peristalsis. When you hear and feel your tummy growl, you are ascertaining the muscular movements of your stomach and intestines. Depending on the quantity and contents of the meal, the stomach will hold and digest the food anywhere between forty minutes and a few hours.
At the end of the stomach, another circular muscle emits small amounts of your liquid sandwich bolus into the small intestine- seventeen feet of factory strength body tissue that is smooth on the outside, and covered with tiny folds on the inside. These tiny folds, called rugae, are themselves covered in millions of fingerlike projections called villi, which are in turn studded with millions of fingerlike projections called microvilli. This detailed description is to let you know that your seventeen feet of small intestine actually has the surface area of a tennis court for absorption of your sandwich nutrients. Your small intestine actually has three segments. Though all three segments absorb nutrients; the Duodenum (the first segment) also produces chemicals for digestion. The duodenum breaks down your sandwich and begins the major part of absorption of the nutrients contained in your sandwich bite. Here is where most chemical digestion takes place. Within this first twelve inches of the small intestine, bicarbonate is secreted to neutralizes acid from the stomach; while bile pours in from the liver, via the gall bladder to emulsify the fats in the butter and mayonnaise. Meanwhile, pancreatic enzymes further digest the proteins in the meat and cheese to amino acids; the fats into fatty acids; and the carbohydrates in the bread into sugar. This whole process focuses on deconstruction of the food bolus into liquid that is absorbable into the blood for use as nourishment to the cells.
Within the duodenum, blood is also shunted to the liver to be filtered, toxins are removed, and the nutrients are processed. During this filtration, the liver regulates blood glucose levels to provide fuel for oxidation of nutrients supplying energy for the body. Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver in response to the (hormone) insulin- and stored in the liver. When glucose levels begin to drop – between meals- glycogen is reconverted to glucose in response to messages conveyed by the (hormone) glucagon. The Liver is the largest internal organ in the body and has a wide range of functions- over five hundred! It metabolizes protein; metabolizes carbohydrates and stores glycogen; metabolizes lipids; synthesizes cholesterol and bile acids; initiates bile formation; bio-transforms waste, toxins and drugs; produces blood-clotting factors and other blood proteins; and it performs important immune functions. The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself after injury or disease. David Hoffmann MEDICAL HERBALISM
The lining of the small intestine changes as your bite of sandwich (now liquid) passes into the middle segment called the Jejunum which is four to seven feet in length. Here the chemical breakdown of your sandwich is completed. Pancreatic enzymes, along with enzymes produced by the jejunum wall finalize the digestion process and the bolus of food that was once your bite of sandwich passes into the five to seven foot section of ileum for absorption. Bile is reabsorbed in the Ileum by blood vessels and returns to the liver through blood vessels in the ileal walls. Final absorption of nutrients occurs here before the unabsorbed remaining sludge is pushed through the ileo-cecal valve into the large intestine. Your appendix is located at this junction on your lower right side. The appendix is associated with lymphoid tissue and has an important role in immunity. If the appendix becomes blocked, it may become infected.
And now, the six yard journey through the colon (large intestine) begins. The large intestine is twice as large in diameter as the small intestine; but one third the length. Important dehydration (water saving) work is accomplished during this journey. The colon absorbs vitamins which are created by colonic bacteria - such as vitamin K [especially important as the daily ingestion of vitamin K is not normally enough to maintain adequate blood coagulation], vitamin B12, thiamine and riboflavin. It also compresses feces [poop], and stores this fecal matter in the rectum until it can be discharged via the anus during defecation. Feces is comprised of leftover liquid from digestion combined with indigestible components like grain; cellulose from vegetable cell walls; dead bacteria; cholesterol and other fats; inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; in addition to cell debris shed from the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract; bile pigments; and dead white blood cells. The brown color of feces is due to the action of bacteria on bilirubin, which is the end product of the breakdown of hemoglobin (red blood cells). The odor of feces is caused by the chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by bacterial action. The large intestine also secretes Potassium and Chloride. Recycling of various nutrients takes place in colon. Examples include fermentation of carbohydrates, short chain fatty acids, and urea cycling. Within the walls of the colon, are special cells that secrete mucus to move feces toward the rectum. Though often thought of as just a moving dehydration chamber; the colon functions as a salvage chamber: saving water, recycling nutrients, and compacting waste. A major defense center, the colon houses beneficial bacteria that protects immunity and combats invasion. The Sigmoid “S” shaped distal end of the colon, stores your sandwich waste until it is discharged through the rectum (the internal circular musculature) and the anus (the external circle of muscle) during defecation.
We can eat whatever we want- but if we do not digest it properly, we can have any number of problems entitled “indigestion.” Over a period of years, food preferences, established family or ethnic customs, and socio-economic influences may affect our ability to process the foods we eat.
Have you ever heard the term “enteric brain?” Ninety percent of your peripheral nerves are wrapped around the gut- The Brain Gut Axis. The gut contains 100 million neurons - more than the spinal cord. Major neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norephinephrine and nitric oxide are in the gut. Also two dozen small brain proteins, called neuropeptides are there along with the major cells of the immune system. Enkephalins (a member of the endorphins family) are also in the gut. The gut also is a rich source of benzodiazepines - the family of psychoactive chemicals that includes such popular drugs as valium and xanax. [Technically known as the enteric nervous system, the second brain consists of sheaths of neurons embedded in the walls of the alimentary canal. The second brain contains some 100 million neurons, more than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system.] Michael Gershon, author of the book The Second Brain.
The enteric nervous system uses more than 30 neurotransmitters, just like the brain, and in fact 95 percent of the body's serotonin is found in the bowels. “Because antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase serotonin levels, it's little wonder that meds meant to cause chemical changes in the mind often provoke GI issues as a side effect. Irritable bowel syndrome—which afflicts more than two million Americans—also arises in part from too much serotonin in our entrails, and could perhaps be regarded as a "mental illness" of the second brain.” Michael Gershon
There are herbs and herb formulas for digestion. We will discuss some of these below. Your body is similar but different from everyone else’s body. What your friend tells you to try may not work for you because your body may not be the same shape, age, type or condition as that of your friend. Digestion is SO important that you should know how your own body responds to foods over time to choose the herbs that are just right for you! A qualified herbalist can assess your normal responses and suggest the right herbs/formulas for you to try. Begin to listen to your “body talk.” If your body responds to certain foods by becoming bloated, gassy, painful, or “loose;” you may want to reconsider what you are ingesting. You may not be able to digest certain foods like wheat, milk, and fat. You may have a shortened or lengthened “transit time.” Transit time is the length of time your food takes to go through the alimentary canal- from the mouth to the anus. You can check your transit time by eating beets or corn and watching for them in your bowel movements. Average transit time is 12-24 hours; in our culture it is 24-48 hours.
Here are some general guidelines for eating to live:
Eat when relaxed: choose a place, time and situation that foster relaxation and peace for mealtimes. Assimilation and elimination starts with the mind and senses. (Think enteric brain)
Eat simple foods: vary your diet, but eat whole foods that are steamed or stir-fried to preserve their nutrient value. Eating fiber helps shorten transit time. Fiber acts as a brush to sweep waste out of the bowel.
Rest your digestive tract: skip a meal or two- even a day of meals- once per week.
Use lots of herbs and spices to vary the taste of your foods. You may find that your sluggish system “revs” to savory flavors. Try to incorporate the five flavors of sour/ vinegar or lemon juice; bitter/ green leafy veggies; sweet/ root veggies; salty: sea veggies, miso; and pungent: cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne. [Christopher Hobbs]
Digestive Herbs can have the following actions:
- Bitters stimulate appetite/ release of digestive juices; stimulate liver to increase flow of bile; help regulate secretion of pancreatic hormones; stimulate self-repair mechanisms of the gut walls.
- Antispasmodics release cramps; release physical and psychological tension.
- Aperient/Laxative stimulates contractions of the bowels.
- Demulcents soothe mucous membranes and promote healing.
- Anti-inflammatories reduce local mucosal reactivity.
- Vulneraries speed natural wound healing.
- Astringents lessen local bleeding.
- Carminatives help lessen and move along gas and soothe cramping.
- Nervines help ease overall stress.
- Lymphatics filter and move lymph.
- Alteratives restore proper function; help with systemic problems related to disorder.
- Circulatory Stimulants promote circulation of blood in the area.
- Immune System Support if the disorder suggests a systemic problem.
The following Herbs are efficacious for alleviating symptoms:
- Mucous Membranes: Antimicrobials such as Echinacea limit infection or prevent its spread; Lymphatics such as Cleavers, Echinacea and Prickley Ash for drainage; Circulatory Stimulants such as Prickley Ash to promote circulation; Astringents such as Agrimony, Myrrh, and Propolis to alleviate swelling.
- Flatulence/Gas: Most people produce 1 to 3 pints of gas a day and pass gas 14 to 23 times a day. Eating in a relaxed atmosphere in a slow deliberate fashion eliminates “air swallowing” which acerbates gas collection. Use Caraway, Anise, Cumin, Fennel, Dill, Ginger, Peppermint, Chamomile, Sweet Cicely, Spearmint, and Lemon Balm.
- Heartburn: Bitters such as Centaury; Demulcents such as Licorice and Marshmallow; Anti-inflammatiories such as Meadowsweet.
- Esophagus: Demulcents such as Marshmallow to soothe and coat against gastric content upwash; Vulneraries such as Calendula to soothe and aid in healing of ulcerations; Anti-inflammatory and Carminatives such as German Chamomile to decrease inflammation at the site and to soothe the entire tract.
-Hiatal Hernia: Demulcents such as Comfrey and Marshmallow. Anti-inflammatories such as Meadowsweet; Vulneraries such as Comfrey; Astringents such as Comfrey and Meadowsweet; Carminatives such as Meadowsweet; Carminative Nervines such as Valerian.
-Stomach: Demulcents such as Marshmallow and Licorice; Anti-inflammatories such as Meadowsweet, which also functions as an astringent- decreasing swelling; Vulneraries such as Chamomile, which also calms the tissue (Nervine); Anti-microbials such as Goldenseal, Yellowroot, Oregon Grape root; and Immune Stimulants such as Echinacea.
- For Dyspepsia (Low Digestive Fire) Bitter Stimulation promotes secretory response to food or hunger and increased muscle tone in peristalsis; Carminatives ease flatulence, reduce local inflammation, and decrease muscular spasms, and act as mild Anti-microbials; Antispasmodics for cramping; Nervines to relieve stress, anxiety, and tension.
- Ulcers: It is believed that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is involved in the cause of ulcers. Goldenseal and Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza) may well be effective against H. pylori during the healing process, even though they are considered bitters. Otherwise, Demulcents such as Comfrey and Marshmallow; Anti-inflammatories such as Chamomile, Goldenseal and Yellowroot; Astringents such as Comfrey, Goldenseal, and Yellowroot; Vulneraries such as Comfrey, Goldenseal, Yellowroot, and Chamomile; Nervines such as Chamomile which would also serve a carminative purpose.
- Giardia: Anti-inflammatories such as Licorice; Demulcent Marshmallow; Anti-parasitic Black Walnut, Quassia bark, Sweet Annie, Grapefruit Seed, Garlic, and Wormwood; Anti-diarrheic such as Black Walnut, Blackberry root, Agrimony, and Oak Bark.
- Hepatitis: Hepatics such as Dandelion root, Milk Thistle, Boldo, and Fringetree; Antimicrobials such as Echinacea; Anti-hepatotoxics such as Milk Thistle; Bitters such as Mugwort, Dandelion root, and Boldo; and Alteratives such as Dandelion root and Boldo.
- Diverticulitis: Increase fiber in the diet. Antispasmodics such as Wild Yam which has a specific impact on this condition- Peppermint, and Crampbark; Nervines such as Valerian and Peppermint; Carminatives such as Valerian and Peppermint; and Antimicrobial such as Garlic> one raw clove per day or equivalent in supplement form.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS: Astringents such as Bayberry; Bitters such as Mugwort and Chamomile; Anti-inflammatories such as Wild Yam and Chamomile; Carminatives such as Chamomile and Peppermint; Antispasmodics such as Wild Yam, Chamomile, and Peppermint; Vulneraries such as Chamomile; and Nervines such as Chamomile and Valerian.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD/ Ulcerative Colitis: [Blood in the stools must always be investigated by a skilled diagnostician] Immune issues are crucial in this condition! If the Liver is involved, support with Hepatics such as Milk Thistle. Astringents such as Bayberry, Agrimony, and Milk Thistle; Demulcents such as Comfrey; Vulneraries such as Comfrey and Chamomile; Anti-inflammatories such as Wild Yam and Chamomile; Carminatives such as Valerian and Chamomile; Antispasmodics such as Valerian and Chamomile; and Nervines such as Valerian and Chamomile.
- Diarrhea: *Blackberry root, White Oak, Shepherd’s Purse, Agrimony, Bistort, Nettles, Slippery Elm, Uva Ursi, and *Carrot Soup.
- Constipation: Increase fiber in the diet like whole grains, bran, vegetables and fruits; Increase water/liquid intake. Bowel Toners such as Psillium, Yellow Dock, and flax seed; Laxatives such as Senna, Tamarind, Aloe Vera, Cascara, Buckthorn, Butternut Bark, Rhubarb, and prune juice.
- Hemorrhoids: (Varicose Veins of the rectum) Vascular tonics such as Ginkgo and Horse Chestnut; Astringents such as Geranium; Bitters such as Dandelion root, Goldenseal and Yellowroot; Aperients such as Dandelion root, Goldenseal, and Yellowroot; Topical applications of Witch Hazel.
*Note* The use of Comfrey as an internal remedy is controversial. It should be used for short periods or time under the direction of a skilled Herbalist.*
As you can see, there is a wide range of conditions inherent with eating habits and digestion. Most conditions can be remedied with Herbal infusions or supplements. Most could also be remedied with consumption of healthy foods. Our experience while we’re eating is just as important as the kinds of foods we’re consuming. Here are a few tips for making your body happy while you eat:
Eat in a settled atmosphere
Don’t eat when you’re upset.
Always sit down to eat (don’t eat in front of your computer or TV or while you’re driving).
Only eat when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you have ceased “feeling hungry.”
Dine at a moderate pace. Don’t gulp down your food or eat too slowly.
Minimize raw foods, which are much harder to digest than cooked ones.
Include all six tastes (sweet, sour, astringent, bitter, salty, and pungent) at each meal.
I have heard so many patients say to me over the years: “If I could go back, I would change my eating habits. I would learn to eat healthy foods and give my body a better chance to live.” You can learn to invest in healthy habits and delicious healthy foods that will give you a new lease on life. Herbs can help you with this journey.
We often hear the word “gut” used in everyday vernacular. I remember my father saying “I have a pain in the guts.” At the same time, he might say “It took guts to do that.” In his generation, the word “gut” stood for something very basic- at the core of things. It sounded vulgar to me. However, dad was correct. Our gut is the deepest part of us. We have heard of someone who makes a “gutsy move” or we talk about “gut feelings.”
“The human gut has long been seen as a repository of good and bad feelings. Perhaps emotional states from the head's brain are mirrored in the gut's brain, where they are felt by those who pay attention to them.”
Dr. Michael Gershon
Spring is the season that wakes up the gut. But what IS the gut? Anatomically speaking, the gut- or alimentary canal- is the nine meter tube from the mouth to the anus. Lined with mucous membranes, the alimentary canal is lubricious and smooth. Mucus secreted along this canal moves food along. The movement and assimilation of food is essential to the integrity of our entire body. We often say we live to eat, when what we don’t fully comprehend, is that our lives depend on what we eat. Although genetics plays a role in our digestive strength; overall health is fully dependent on what and how we have eaten over a period of years.
Our digestive system is essential to our vitality, immune function, and emotional well-being. David Winston says that “You are what you don’t excrete.” Most people eat without ever thinking about what really happens to the food once they swallow it. Eating is more than just a pleasurable social activity – it is necessary for life. The food you consume provides your body with the energy and nutrients that it needs to function.
Digestion is both mechanical – chewing, swallowing, mixing and churning which increases the surface area of the food allowing it to mix with digestive juices; and chemical- mixing with gastric juices to alter the composition of food in order to be assimilated.
One of the most important living journeys is the trip a bite of food takes when it passes your lips.
Let’s look at that journey. When you take a bite of that sandwich, your lips enfold it and pull it into the chamber of your mouth. As the tongue begins a sinuous dance- sliding side-to-side pushing the sandwich toward your moving teeth- the teeth move up and down masticating the bite and breaking it into smaller bits. Saliva squirts into the mouth from beneath the tongue and from each cheek. As the tongue continues to move the bolus of food, it becomes saturated with saliva, and macerated to a paste. Inside the mouth digestion has begun! As sensors on the tongue alert lower digestive organs that the bite is coming; flavors within the bite stimulate sensors in the mouth. Points of sensation are connected to sensors within the gut to alert the liver to produce bile, the pancreas to produce enzymes, and the bowel walls to produce hormones in preparation for digestion.
[We talk about the terms digestion and “indigestion” frequently. But do we really know what they mean? Digestion is both disintegration of the food bolus as well as assimilation of the nutrients it contains- and ridding the body of indigestible components. “Indigestion” means that some part of that process isn’t functioning- from one end to the other. It is as important to assimilate the nutrients as it is to rid the body of indigestible components.
In herbal medicine, we talk of “digestive fire.” Digestive fire is the combustible potential of our system to utilize the bite of sandwich for its nutrient value.]
Your tongue continues its sinuous movements, and rolls the bite into the throat in preparation for its descent into the stomach through the upper esophageal sphincter.
The Esophagus is a tube of smooth muscle, with internal circular fibers; designed to rhythmically contract from the top to the bottom pushing the bolus of moistened food down through the lower esophageal sphincter – the circular muscle that serves as the gateway to the stomach.
As your bite of sandwich reaches the Stomach- the muscular pouch designed to both digest and hold food- it is rolled, squeezed, and twisted in a wash of digestive juices. The average human stomach can comfortably hold about a liter of food. When the stomach receives notice of the sandwich from your mouth; it begins preparation for digestion by manufacturing gastric juices. Hydrochloric acid kills or inhibits bacteria by providing acidic pH. Pepsin breaks down protein into polypeptides; while Rennin curdles milk to make it available for digestion. To promote liquefaction and smooth transition, the stomach produces mucous to liquefy food. The stomach is where the digestion of starch (bread), protein (meat and cheese) and triglycerides (fats like butter or mayonnaise) begins. Along with digestion and storage; some absorption of certain small molecules occurs in the stomach. These molecules include water, if the body is dehydrated; medication, like aspirin; amino acids; 10-20% of ingested ethanol from alcoholic beverages; and caffeine.
Your entire alimentary canal moves constantly; the rhythmic movements called peristaltic waves or Peristalsis. When you hear and feel your tummy growl, you are ascertaining the muscular movements of your stomach and intestines. Depending on the quantity and contents of the meal, the stomach will hold and digest the food anywhere between forty minutes and a few hours.
At the end of the stomach, another circular muscle emits small amounts of your liquid sandwich bolus into the small intestine- seventeen feet of factory strength body tissue that is smooth on the outside, and covered with tiny folds on the inside. These tiny folds, called rugae, are themselves covered in millions of fingerlike projections called villi, which are in turn studded with millions of fingerlike projections called microvilli. This detailed description is to let you know that your seventeen feet of small intestine actually has the surface area of a tennis court for absorption of your sandwich nutrients. Your small intestine actually has three segments. Though all three segments absorb nutrients; the Duodenum (the first segment) also produces chemicals for digestion. The duodenum breaks down your sandwich and begins the major part of absorption of the nutrients contained in your sandwich bite. Here is where most chemical digestion takes place. Within this first twelve inches of the small intestine, bicarbonate is secreted to neutralizes acid from the stomach; while bile pours in from the liver, via the gall bladder to emulsify the fats in the butter and mayonnaise. Meanwhile, pancreatic enzymes further digest the proteins in the meat and cheese to amino acids; the fats into fatty acids; and the carbohydrates in the bread into sugar. This whole process focuses on deconstruction of the food bolus into liquid that is absorbable into the blood for use as nourishment to the cells.
Within the duodenum, blood is also shunted to the liver to be filtered, toxins are removed, and the nutrients are processed. During this filtration, the liver regulates blood glucose levels to provide fuel for oxidation of nutrients supplying energy for the body. Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver in response to the (hormone) insulin- and stored in the liver. When glucose levels begin to drop – between meals- glycogen is reconverted to glucose in response to messages conveyed by the (hormone) glucagon. The Liver is the largest internal organ in the body and has a wide range of functions- over five hundred! It metabolizes protein; metabolizes carbohydrates and stores glycogen; metabolizes lipids; synthesizes cholesterol and bile acids; initiates bile formation; bio-transforms waste, toxins and drugs; produces blood-clotting factors and other blood proteins; and it performs important immune functions. The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself after injury or disease. David Hoffmann MEDICAL HERBALISM
The lining of the small intestine changes as your bite of sandwich (now liquid) passes into the middle segment called the Jejunum which is four to seven feet in length. Here the chemical breakdown of your sandwich is completed. Pancreatic enzymes, along with enzymes produced by the jejunum wall finalize the digestion process and the bolus of food that was once your bite of sandwich passes into the five to seven foot section of ileum for absorption. Bile is reabsorbed in the Ileum by blood vessels and returns to the liver through blood vessels in the ileal walls. Final absorption of nutrients occurs here before the unabsorbed remaining sludge is pushed through the ileo-cecal valve into the large intestine. Your appendix is located at this junction on your lower right side. The appendix is associated with lymphoid tissue and has an important role in immunity. If the appendix becomes blocked, it may become infected.
And now, the six yard journey through the colon (large intestine) begins. The large intestine is twice as large in diameter as the small intestine; but one third the length. Important dehydration (water saving) work is accomplished during this journey. The colon absorbs vitamins which are created by colonic bacteria - such as vitamin K [especially important as the daily ingestion of vitamin K is not normally enough to maintain adequate blood coagulation], vitamin B12, thiamine and riboflavin. It also compresses feces [poop], and stores this fecal matter in the rectum until it can be discharged via the anus during defecation. Feces is comprised of leftover liquid from digestion combined with indigestible components like grain; cellulose from vegetable cell walls; dead bacteria; cholesterol and other fats; inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; in addition to cell debris shed from the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract; bile pigments; and dead white blood cells. The brown color of feces is due to the action of bacteria on bilirubin, which is the end product of the breakdown of hemoglobin (red blood cells). The odor of feces is caused by the chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by bacterial action. The large intestine also secretes Potassium and Chloride. Recycling of various nutrients takes place in colon. Examples include fermentation of carbohydrates, short chain fatty acids, and urea cycling. Within the walls of the colon, are special cells that secrete mucus to move feces toward the rectum. Though often thought of as just a moving dehydration chamber; the colon functions as a salvage chamber: saving water, recycling nutrients, and compacting waste. A major defense center, the colon houses beneficial bacteria that protects immunity and combats invasion. The Sigmoid “S” shaped distal end of the colon, stores your sandwich waste until it is discharged through the rectum (the internal circular musculature) and the anus (the external circle of muscle) during defecation.
We can eat whatever we want- but if we do not digest it properly, we can have any number of problems entitled “indigestion.” Over a period of years, food preferences, established family or ethnic customs, and socio-economic influences may affect our ability to process the foods we eat.
Have you ever heard the term “enteric brain?” Ninety percent of your peripheral nerves are wrapped around the gut- The Brain Gut Axis. The gut contains 100 million neurons - more than the spinal cord. Major neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norephinephrine and nitric oxide are in the gut. Also two dozen small brain proteins, called neuropeptides are there along with the major cells of the immune system. Enkephalins (a member of the endorphins family) are also in the gut. The gut also is a rich source of benzodiazepines - the family of psychoactive chemicals that includes such popular drugs as valium and xanax. [Technically known as the enteric nervous system, the second brain consists of sheaths of neurons embedded in the walls of the alimentary canal. The second brain contains some 100 million neurons, more than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system.] Michael Gershon, author of the book The Second Brain.
The enteric nervous system uses more than 30 neurotransmitters, just like the brain, and in fact 95 percent of the body's serotonin is found in the bowels. “Because antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase serotonin levels, it's little wonder that meds meant to cause chemical changes in the mind often provoke GI issues as a side effect. Irritable bowel syndrome—which afflicts more than two million Americans—also arises in part from too much serotonin in our entrails, and could perhaps be regarded as a "mental illness" of the second brain.” Michael Gershon
There are herbs and herb formulas for digestion. We will discuss some of these below. Your body is similar but different from everyone else’s body. What your friend tells you to try may not work for you because your body may not be the same shape, age, type or condition as that of your friend. Digestion is SO important that you should know how your own body responds to foods over time to choose the herbs that are just right for you! A qualified herbalist can assess your normal responses and suggest the right herbs/formulas for you to try. Begin to listen to your “body talk.” If your body responds to certain foods by becoming bloated, gassy, painful, or “loose;” you may want to reconsider what you are ingesting. You may not be able to digest certain foods like wheat, milk, and fat. You may have a shortened or lengthened “transit time.” Transit time is the length of time your food takes to go through the alimentary canal- from the mouth to the anus. You can check your transit time by eating beets or corn and watching for them in your bowel movements. Average transit time is 12-24 hours; in our culture it is 24-48 hours.
Here are some general guidelines for eating to live:
Eat when relaxed: choose a place, time and situation that foster relaxation and peace for mealtimes. Assimilation and elimination starts with the mind and senses. (Think enteric brain)
Eat simple foods: vary your diet, but eat whole foods that are steamed or stir-fried to preserve their nutrient value. Eating fiber helps shorten transit time. Fiber acts as a brush to sweep waste out of the bowel.
Rest your digestive tract: skip a meal or two- even a day of meals- once per week.
Use lots of herbs and spices to vary the taste of your foods. You may find that your sluggish system “revs” to savory flavors. Try to incorporate the five flavors of sour/ vinegar or lemon juice; bitter/ green leafy veggies; sweet/ root veggies; salty: sea veggies, miso; and pungent: cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne. [Christopher Hobbs]
Digestive Herbs can have the following actions:
- Bitters stimulate appetite/ release of digestive juices; stimulate liver to increase flow of bile; help regulate secretion of pancreatic hormones; stimulate self-repair mechanisms of the gut walls.
- Antispasmodics release cramps; release physical and psychological tension.
- Aperient/Laxative stimulates contractions of the bowels.
- Demulcents soothe mucous membranes and promote healing.
- Anti-inflammatories reduce local mucosal reactivity.
- Vulneraries speed natural wound healing.
- Astringents lessen local bleeding.
- Carminatives help lessen and move along gas and soothe cramping.
- Nervines help ease overall stress.
- Lymphatics filter and move lymph.
- Alteratives restore proper function; help with systemic problems related to disorder.
- Circulatory Stimulants promote circulation of blood in the area.
- Immune System Support if the disorder suggests a systemic problem.
The following Herbs are efficacious for alleviating symptoms:
- Mucous Membranes: Antimicrobials such as Echinacea limit infection or prevent its spread; Lymphatics such as Cleavers, Echinacea and Prickley Ash for drainage; Circulatory Stimulants such as Prickley Ash to promote circulation; Astringents such as Agrimony, Myrrh, and Propolis to alleviate swelling.
- Flatulence/Gas: Most people produce 1 to 3 pints of gas a day and pass gas 14 to 23 times a day. Eating in a relaxed atmosphere in a slow deliberate fashion eliminates “air swallowing” which acerbates gas collection. Use Caraway, Anise, Cumin, Fennel, Dill, Ginger, Peppermint, Chamomile, Sweet Cicely, Spearmint, and Lemon Balm.
- Heartburn: Bitters such as Centaury; Demulcents such as Licorice and Marshmallow; Anti-inflammatiories such as Meadowsweet.
- Esophagus: Demulcents such as Marshmallow to soothe and coat against gastric content upwash; Vulneraries such as Calendula to soothe and aid in healing of ulcerations; Anti-inflammatory and Carminatives such as German Chamomile to decrease inflammation at the site and to soothe the entire tract.
-Hiatal Hernia: Demulcents such as Comfrey and Marshmallow. Anti-inflammatories such as Meadowsweet; Vulneraries such as Comfrey; Astringents such as Comfrey and Meadowsweet; Carminatives such as Meadowsweet; Carminative Nervines such as Valerian.
-Stomach: Demulcents such as Marshmallow and Licorice; Anti-inflammatories such as Meadowsweet, which also functions as an astringent- decreasing swelling; Vulneraries such as Chamomile, which also calms the tissue (Nervine); Anti-microbials such as Goldenseal, Yellowroot, Oregon Grape root; and Immune Stimulants such as Echinacea.
- For Dyspepsia (Low Digestive Fire) Bitter Stimulation promotes secretory response to food or hunger and increased muscle tone in peristalsis; Carminatives ease flatulence, reduce local inflammation, and decrease muscular spasms, and act as mild Anti-microbials; Antispasmodics for cramping; Nervines to relieve stress, anxiety, and tension.
- Ulcers: It is believed that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is involved in the cause of ulcers. Goldenseal and Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza) may well be effective against H. pylori during the healing process, even though they are considered bitters. Otherwise, Demulcents such as Comfrey and Marshmallow; Anti-inflammatories such as Chamomile, Goldenseal and Yellowroot; Astringents such as Comfrey, Goldenseal, and Yellowroot; Vulneraries such as Comfrey, Goldenseal, Yellowroot, and Chamomile; Nervines such as Chamomile which would also serve a carminative purpose.
- Giardia: Anti-inflammatories such as Licorice; Demulcent Marshmallow; Anti-parasitic Black Walnut, Quassia bark, Sweet Annie, Grapefruit Seed, Garlic, and Wormwood; Anti-diarrheic such as Black Walnut, Blackberry root, Agrimony, and Oak Bark.
- Hepatitis: Hepatics such as Dandelion root, Milk Thistle, Boldo, and Fringetree; Antimicrobials such as Echinacea; Anti-hepatotoxics such as Milk Thistle; Bitters such as Mugwort, Dandelion root, and Boldo; and Alteratives such as Dandelion root and Boldo.
- Diverticulitis: Increase fiber in the diet. Antispasmodics such as Wild Yam which has a specific impact on this condition- Peppermint, and Crampbark; Nervines such as Valerian and Peppermint; Carminatives such as Valerian and Peppermint; and Antimicrobial such as Garlic> one raw clove per day or equivalent in supplement form.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS: Astringents such as Bayberry; Bitters such as Mugwort and Chamomile; Anti-inflammatories such as Wild Yam and Chamomile; Carminatives such as Chamomile and Peppermint; Antispasmodics such as Wild Yam, Chamomile, and Peppermint; Vulneraries such as Chamomile; and Nervines such as Chamomile and Valerian.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD/ Ulcerative Colitis: [Blood in the stools must always be investigated by a skilled diagnostician] Immune issues are crucial in this condition! If the Liver is involved, support with Hepatics such as Milk Thistle. Astringents such as Bayberry, Agrimony, and Milk Thistle; Demulcents such as Comfrey; Vulneraries such as Comfrey and Chamomile; Anti-inflammatories such as Wild Yam and Chamomile; Carminatives such as Valerian and Chamomile; Antispasmodics such as Valerian and Chamomile; and Nervines such as Valerian and Chamomile.
- Diarrhea: *Blackberry root, White Oak, Shepherd’s Purse, Agrimony, Bistort, Nettles, Slippery Elm, Uva Ursi, and *Carrot Soup.
- Constipation: Increase fiber in the diet like whole grains, bran, vegetables and fruits; Increase water/liquid intake. Bowel Toners such as Psillium, Yellow Dock, and flax seed; Laxatives such as Senna, Tamarind, Aloe Vera, Cascara, Buckthorn, Butternut Bark, Rhubarb, and prune juice.
- Hemorrhoids: (Varicose Veins of the rectum) Vascular tonics such as Ginkgo and Horse Chestnut; Astringents such as Geranium; Bitters such as Dandelion root, Goldenseal and Yellowroot; Aperients such as Dandelion root, Goldenseal, and Yellowroot; Topical applications of Witch Hazel.
*Note* The use of Comfrey as an internal remedy is controversial. It should be used for short periods or time under the direction of a skilled Herbalist.*
As you can see, there is a wide range of conditions inherent with eating habits and digestion. Most conditions can be remedied with Herbal infusions or supplements. Most could also be remedied with consumption of healthy foods. Our experience while we’re eating is just as important as the kinds of foods we’re consuming. Here are a few tips for making your body happy while you eat:
Eat in a settled atmosphere
Don’t eat when you’re upset.
Always sit down to eat (don’t eat in front of your computer or TV or while you’re driving).
Only eat when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you have ceased “feeling hungry.”
Dine at a moderate pace. Don’t gulp down your food or eat too slowly.
Minimize raw foods, which are much harder to digest than cooked ones.
Include all six tastes (sweet, sour, astringent, bitter, salty, and pungent) at each meal.
I have heard so many patients say to me over the years: “If I could go back, I would change my eating habits. I would learn to eat healthy foods and give my body a better chance to live.” You can learn to invest in healthy habits and delicious healthy foods that will give you a new lease on life. Herbs can help you with this journey.