pancreatic digestive enzyme deficiency
“You are what you eat.” Everyone is familiar with this proverb. And many people take this saying to heart, trying to regularly eat nutritious food to stay healthy. But for optimal health it is necessary for the body to be able to digest and absorb the nutrients in food. If a person lacks the pancreatic enzymes necessary for digestion, then the body has a difficult time digesting food and absorbing key nutrients.
Most of the digestion and absorption takes place in the small intestine and uses a mixture of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. Digestive enzymes are made up of amylase, protease, and lipase. Food cannot be properly digested if enzyme production is low. Similarly, individual digestive enzymes must be strong enough to digest anything eaten. Lack of enough enzymes or the creation of weak enzymes can inhibit proper digestion, which can lead to a variety of chronic disorders throughout the body.
A healthy pancreas is essential for optimal digestion and absorption. Without sufficient digestion, good health is impossible.
Inadequate pancreatic exocrine function
Before the small intestine begins to digest food, pancreatic enzymes and bile from the liver mix together in a small cavity called the Ampulla of Vater. These digestive enzymes are then released into the duodenum, or the first part of the small intestine, where they begin the job of digesting food.
The “exocrine function” of the pancreas describes the process of the pancreas that produces enzymes. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency occurs when the pancreas does not produce a sufficient amount of active digestive enzymes for proper digestion to occur. When food is not digested properly (indigestion), valuable nutrients are lost instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream. This lack of absorption can lead to malnutrition.
Pancreatic alkaline digestive enzymes can only function in one environment. But “chyme,” or the thick semi-liquid mass of partially digested food that moves from the stomach to the duodenum, is acidic because it is submerged in stomach acids. To counteract the acid, the pancreas releases a large amount of minerals and bicarbonates, which neutralizes the chyme. If the pancreas can’t release enough bicarbonates and minerals to neutralize the acid, the digestive enzymes lose their power and can’t break down food properly.
Right now, an estimated 58% of Americans suffer from some type of digestive disorder. These huge numbers indicate that poor pancreatic exocrine function is not a hereditary problem, but rather a lifestyle problem. Many factors are known to contribute to the development of digestive problems, including poorly chewing food, “eating on the run,” eating late, and smoking after meals. Long-term alcohol use is an especially important factor in pancreatic problems. All of the above can result in insufficient enzyme production.
Certain dietary choices can also put a strain on the body’s digestive capacity, such as excessive consumption of alcohol, refined carbohydrates, sugars, and bad fats. Problems are also caused by eating a lot of meat and following an “efficiently cooked food diet”. Cooked and processed foods have lost most of their natural enzymes, enzymes that make it easier for the human digestive system to do its job. Eating foods that do not contain enzymes is a major contributing factor to inadequate exocrine pancreatic function and indigestion. Unfortunately, Americans tend to eat foods that have been cooked or processed and don’t eat enough healthy raw foods.
Dr. Edward Howell, a famous American nutritional researcher, discusses the problem of poor pancreatic function in his book “Enzyme Nutrition.” He cites numerous animal studies showing how animals fed enzyme-deficient diets suffer from an enlarged pancreas. Dr. Howell postulates that the pancreas must be enlarged to produce greater amounts of digestive enzymes.
More enzymes help make up for the huge amounts of pancreatic enzymes needed to digest foods that don’t contain natural enzymes. The modern man’s (or woman’s) pancreas is working just as hard and wearing out. It should come as no surprise, then, that it has become common for older people to experience decreased secretion of digestive enzymes, as well as decreased production of hydrochloric acid.
Acidity is another factor that affects exocrine pancreatic function and can cause indigestion. Acidic foods, an acidic lifestyle, and an acidic environment can cause an “acidic” pancreas. An acidic pancreas occurs when the body’s pancreatic juice does not have enough minerals and bicarbonates because the body is using them elsewhere in its fight to maintain a healthy blood pH. Blood normally has a pH of 7.4, which is slightly alkaline. This slight alkalinity is necessary for the proper functioning of the cells of the brain, lungs, and heart.
The pancreas is a particularly alkaline gland because digestive pancreatic enzymes are only activated in an alkaline environment. Heartburn literally kills pancreatic function, leading to indigestion, deficiencies in vital nutrients, and deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Poor digestion caused by excessive acidity can be the underlying cause of many diseases and disorders.
Symptoms of inadequate exocrine pancreatic function include:
or abdominal cramps
o Bloating and bloating
o Fullness that lasts 2 to 4 hours after eating
or flatulence
o Alternating constipation and diarrhea
o Weakness, tiredness
o Food sensitivities, allergies and more.
Continued inadequate exocrine pancreatic function can cause a state of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a condition caused by a shortage of digestive enzymes. It is commonly associated with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and Candida yeast overgrowth. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can also be caused by acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, the two most common diseases that affect the pancreas. Long-term alcohol use can also cause fewer digestive enzymes to be produced.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can develop as a symptom of chronic pancreatitis, after some abdominal surgeries, and inherited disorders such as cystic fibrosis.
If inadequate exocrine pancreatic function and pancreatic insufficiency are not addressed early enough, the patient could experience pancreatic insufficiency. Pancreatic insufficiency occurs when pancreatic function falls below 10% and causes severe metabolic disturbances, abrupt weight loss, and malabsorption syndrome.
Treatment of pancreatic problems
Treatment of inadequate exocrine pancreatic function, pancreatic insufficiency, and pancreatic insufficiency is complicated. Treatment may require several different treatment methods performed by several different healthcare professionals. Treatment will almost certainly include a review of the patient’s lifestyle, beginning with examination of eating habits and addictions.
To help people with pancreatic conditions, we have successfully used non-surgical, non-drug methods for 30 years. They include:
o A diet of healing foods
o Drink healing mineral water made from genuine Karlovy Vary thermal salt (available in the US)
or Botanical Medicine
o Acupuncture and Point Massage
o Nutritional Supplementation
o Hypnosis in the office or self-hypnosis at home with a personalized CD
o Colon hydrotherapy to restore friendly intestinal flora
The above treatments are safe and effective and can be combined with medications, surgeries, endoscopic procedures, physical therapies, etc.
In addition, European doctors have been using genuine Karlovy Vary thermal salt to prepare healing mineral water and treat patients with pancreatic disorders for 250 years. Many European books and articles scientifically confirm the effectiveness of mineral water treatment, and it is easy to use at home: salt only needs to be dissolved in a glass of warm water.
An internet search for “Scientific explanation of how healing mineral water from Karlovy Vary can help people with pancreatic disorders” can give you more information on this topic. Information is also available at http://www.bioterapia-clinic.com.
Alternative therapy can improve the quality of life and life expectancy of patients with pancreatic insufficiency and even patients with pancreatic insufficiency.
The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed professional.