You are not what you eat but what you absorb!


In our discussions here we often fail to address the absorption issues that may be going on for some folks who come here with digestive issues.

It really becomes a complex issue to decipher what is going on when the complaints are gas, bloating, fatigue, dry skin, eczema, brittle nails and hair. We tend to throw out the common cure for the common cause but often the problem is much deeper than a deficiency in what we eat. The deficiency may lie in our ability to absorb essential and even nonessential nutrients.

An essential nutrient is one that we must eat. A nonessential nutrient is one that our own body or the flora that lives within it produces.

Absorption deficiency is the cause of some very common problems, especially regarding fats. We may be taking in lots of fats but we are not absorbing them properly.

If you have symptoms that reflect a shortage of fats like mental decline, fatigue, dry skin, declining eyesight, poor cardiac health then consider the possibility that you are not absorbing your fats correctly. Of course in all cases high quality fats much be chosen as found in olive, grapeseed and coconut oil, processed with cold expeller processing.

Lab work and other tests may indicate that you have issues with poor fat aborption. Low triglycerides and cholesterol may be such an indicator. Cholesterol is made from fats and hormones are made from cholesterol so could there in some cases be a link between hormonal deficiences and their symptoms with poor fat absorption? You bet. Although fecal fat studies are not commonly done these days it may be indicated if you feel that other avenues of treatment with in alternative supplementation protocols have not benefited you.

So what to do if you have poor fat absorption?... well this brings us full circle to the pat and routine answers we offer for digestive issues. In order for absorption of all nturients to be optiumum the GI system must be functioning correctly. Hence comes the diet recommendaitons and nutritional supplements. In truth the recommendations are almost the same for everyone baring a genetic disorder or a highly acute intestinal problems with signficant pain or bleeding. You must have sufficient pancreatic enzymes, sufficient bile, sufficient HCL and sufficient supporting vitamins, enzymes and minerals, including trace, to facilitate proper diegestion and absorption. This must be accompanited with a diet that is largely living.. that means fresh and raw food and juice for at least 50% of your meals.

Some nutrients just glide right in in almost all circumstances. Others require complex digestive action that the body must provide for adequate breakdown and absorption.

Sometimes extensive lab testing is required to study B vitamins, D3 levels, K levels, albumin and iron. These levels can be indicators of what direction you need to go. In most cases supplementation will be sufficient especially it what goes into the mouth is deficient, but even if the the issue is an absorption issue
supplementaion may be requried to overwhelm the system with what it needs until tissues of the GI stract are healed from their depleated and inflammatory state. Resoration to the enzyme system is essential as well as to the other digestive components such as bile and hydrochloric acid. Supplementation of beneficial floras is required as well as a living and organic diet.

In cases where there is significant inflammation and even bleeding a prolonged regimen of some kind of anti-inflammatory may be requried including serrapeptase and curcumin. Curcumin requries biopeperine or fats with its consumption for optimal absorption. If fats are not being absorped properly choose biopeperine. Critical cases may require a short duration f a steroid drug. Steroid drugs should not be prescribed lightly and not without due urgency. They should be left behind as soon as possible with serrapeptase interviening even concurrently with a steroid at its initation so early decrease in the steroid drug can be planned. This type of protocol may take a long time, 3 to 6 months, and in some cases longer, of proper supplementaions with both nutrients, living foods and herbal formulas.

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This is a fundamental cause of disease and ill-health that goes untreated because most people don't think about it.

After 40, digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid runs low. When you're older absorbtion issues are even more common.

Some people use apple cider vinegar before meals to increase hydrochloric acid. This hasn't been effective for me so I use hydrochloric acid supplements and digestive enzymes when I have them.

This is too true! Especially if you have dysbiosis, including candida. After I had candida I was very malnourished and had to spend a while--months, in some cases years, building back up my stores of vitamins and minerals. My doc said my magnesium level was so low he couldn't believe I was walking around.

Also, low stomach acid is a problem for many and will keep them from proper absorbsion, like you say, mommiesunshine.

Some have difficulty assimilating protein as well as fats.

I'm sure that one of the causes of obesity is overeating to try and get the nutrients lacking, lacking possibly due to poor absorbsion.