Restoration of the digestive system is the first step in the restoration of health.  Regardless of the health issues facing any individual, a properly working digestive system is an imperative part of restoring and maintaining good health.  Restoring the normal functioning digestive system, however, is only the first step in this process.  Adopting new dietary habits to prevent any problems that may have developed in the past is also required for anyone to remain healthy.

Serious health problems that have arisen in recent years have made headlines in the news.  Food poisoning caused by E-coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Listeria, botulism and other pathogenic bacteria have become more common in recent years.  The range of symptoms caused by these pathogens, or any pathogen for that matter, can range anywhere from mild to severe.  What, then, decides the severity of any particular occurrence of food poisoning?  When the beneficial bacterial flora of the intestine is properly in balance, the symptoms associated with food poisoning are drastically less severe than when either the normal bacterial flora has been all killed by antibiotics, a yeast overgrowth is found in the intestines, or both.  This explains why, when ten people consume the same contaminated food, four have serious symptoms, four have only mild discomfort, and two may be hospitalized due to life-threatening dehydration or other serious issue.  It is not the quantity of the pathogen consumed that is responsible for the difference in the severity of the symptoms.  Any of the bacteria listed can easily multiply to pathogenic levels in the small intestine if no beneficial bacteria are present to keep them in check.  What is responsible for the differing levels of symptoms from one person to the next is the overall health of the digestive tract, including the proper balance of the microbial flora, and a properly balanced immune system.  If a person is hospitalized due to food poisoning, both a suppressed immune system and disrupted beneficial bacterial flora of the intestines should immediately be suspected.  While treatment of the acute symptoms of food poisoning is very important, what is more important is to evaluate carefully and correct any immune system and digestive system issues that are obviously evident.

Health of the digestive system requires that the organs associated with digestion are functioning correctly and the natural balance of beneficial bacteria and yeast exists in the intestinal tract.  When this is the case, the digestive system can properly digest and assimilate food presented to it, followed by a quick and effective elimination of the waste.  If the integrity of the stomach or intestinal wall is compromised to any degree, such as is found in leaky gut syndrome, food will not be digested or assimilated correctly.  Compromised integrity of the intestinal lining lays the foundation for many chronic diseases.  If the organs of digestion, for example the liver or pancreas, are not functioning normally, digestion can become impaired.  As we have discovered in the chapter discussing nutrition, improper eating habits can also lead to improper digestion, resulting in poor absorption of nutrients and absorption of toxic compounds.

Disruption of the digestive system usually does not occur overnight.  Any problems associated with the digestive system most likely have been going on for several months before any symptoms are realized.  As with most chronic disorders, the symptoms begin to appear slowly over time, often so slowly that the symptoms are not even recognized until they begin to interfere with daily life.  In the case of digestive system related chronic disease, the disruption of the digestive system most likely began many years before the chronic disease was diagnosed.  Likewise, digestive system problems do not resolve very quickly, even under optimal conditions.  This is due, in part, to the fact that tissue repair, such as the healing of ulcerations, takes a significant time to occur.  In addition to damaged intestinal tissue resulting from ulcerations, yeast overgrowths become firmly imbedded in the intestinal lining.  This yeast overgrowth not only has to be eliminated, but any damage to the intestinal lining caused by the yeast must be also repaired.  This process, again, takes time.  Complete restoration of the digestive tract can therefore take many months to complete.  The exact duration of each phase of the restoration process depends on many factors, all of which vary from person to person.