Gastrointestinal (GI)
Gastrointestinal Health
Poor Gut Health is at the root cause of many chronic diseases.
Root Cause Healing 
“All Disease Begins in The Gut” – Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, made this statement over 2,000 years ago. This statement is even more true today given the Standard American Diet (also known as SAD) is composed of processed foods, nutrient depleted soils, pesticides on foods, and environmental chemicals and toxins. Research over the past two decades has revealed that gut health is critical to overall health, yet this is still largely ignored in conventional medicine. We now know that an unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, autism, skin problems, autoimmune diseases, and many more.
“Hippocrates is credited with saying that all disease begins in the gut. Modern research is showing that the ecosystem in your gut must be healthy for you to be healthy. When unfriendly bacteria grow there, the friendly bacteria are pushed out and a toxic environment develops. This toxic environment affects your body and your metabolism in surprising ways.”
Prevalance
The most recent statistics available from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2004, show that between 60 and 70 million people are affected by digestive diseases. This translates to approximately 1 in 4 Americans. Additionally, these are diagnosed GI diseases which do not include the GI problems that are manifesting as other diseases as previously mentioned.
More current information indicates the following:
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects between 10 and 15 percent of the population.
60 percent of adults experience symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
The prevalence of weekly heartburn rose 47% over the last decade.
Several studies have shown an increase in the incidence in Celiac Disease from 11% to 17% in the past 10 years.
Understanding GI Health
Here is a list of the primary causes of an unhealthy gut or digestive imbalances: poor food choices, infections, low stomach acid, lack of fiber, environmental toxins, chronic stress, cigarette smoking, alcoholic beverages, genetics, lack of exercise, and medications. Look for our GI Program which explains how to identify imbalances and steps to heal gut issues.
At Vitopia Health, our programs are dedicated to helping you understand aging and complex disease processes, providing you with the necessary tools and knowledge to identify and treat the underlying cause. Following this approach encourages prevention and/or reversal of chronic disease. Please check out our in-depth articles on preventing and healing chronic diseases utilizing a Functional Medicine approach. We also encourage you to subscribe to our distribution list so you can receive the most current scientific information on healthy aging and prevention of chronic disease.
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Sources: 1) JPGN,Volume59, Supplement1, July2014 2) Digestive Diseases Statistics for the United States - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearninghouse. (n.d.). Home - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearninghouse. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/statistics.aspx#specific
Symptoms of poor GI Health
Common signs you have an unhealthy gut include gas and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, food allergies or sensitivities, mood swings, anxiety, depression, skin problems, frequent infections, poor memory, ADHD, diabetes and autoimmune disease.