Easy to read, "Health and Disease Begin in the Colon" is at the leading edge of today's new health paradigm and is the new reference for all those who are interested in learning about early detection and prevention. It offers an understanding about the multiple causes of disease and shows how to prevent and treat them with diet and nutrition.
Three distinct types of contractions perform colonic motility functions. Rhythmic phasic contractions (RPCs) cause slow net distal propulsion with extensive mixing/turning over. Infrequently occurring giant migrating contractions (GMCs) produce mass movements. Tonic contractions aid RPCs in their motor function. The spatiotemporal patterns of these contractions differ markedly. The amplitude and distance of propagation of a GMC are several-fold larger than those of an RPC. The enteric neurons and smooth muscle cells are the core regulators of all three types of contractions. The regulation of contractions by these mechanisms is modifiable by extrinsic factors: CNS, autonomic neurons, hormones, inflammatory mediators, and stress mediators. Only the GMCs produce descending inhibition, which accommodates the large bolus being propelled without increasing muscle tone. The strong compression of the colon wall generates afferent signals that are below nociceptive threshold in healthy subjects. However, these signals become nociceptive; if the amplitudes of GMCs increase, afferent nerves become hypersensitive, or descending inhibition is impaired. The GMCs also provide the force for rapid propulsion of feces and descending inhibition to relax the internal anal sphincter during defecation. The dysregulation of GMCs is a major factor in colonic motility disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and diverticular disease (DD). Frequent mass movements by GMCs cause diarrhea in diarrhea predominant IBS, IBD, and DD, while a decrease in the frequency of GMCs causes constipation. The GMCs generate the afferent signals for intermittent short-lived episodes of abdominal cramping in these disorders. Epigenetic dysregulation due to adverse events in early life is one of the major factors in generating the symptoms of IBS in adulthood.
The book provides an overview on how the gut microbiome contributes to human health. The readers will get profound knowledge on the connection between intestinal microbiota and immune defense systems. The tools of choice to study the ecology of these highly-specialized microorganism communities such as high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic mining will be presented. In addition the most common diseases associated to the composition of the gut flora are discussed in detail. The book will address researchers, clinicians and advanced students working in biomedicine, microbiology and immunology.
According to the National Institutes of Health, there are sixty to seventy million people affected by digestive diseases in the United States. The old proverb tells us “you are what you eat,” and the latest science shows that this may be truer than we even thought. Diet has a profound effect on both physical and mental health. Most of the body’s immune system is in the gut, so pathology and dysfunction in the gut and imbalanced gut flora can cause neuroinflammation and possibly even neurodegenerative disease over time. Featuring contributions from dozens of experts on gut disorders and related physical, mental, and behavioral health, this book will fascinate you as you read about the intriguing world of bad bugs, cytokine storms, and the environment in your belly that influences your brain. From the microscopic world of Clostridium to the complex communities of biofilm, Bugs, Bowels, and Behavior emphasizes one simple fact: The gut is connected to the brain.
Dr. Norman W. Walker is one of the pioneers of the raw foods movement and is recognized throughout the world as one of the most authoritative voices on life, health and nutrition. Dr. Walker shares his secret to a long, healthy, productive life through his internationally famous books on health and nutrition.
Colon Health takes a forgotten part of your body and focuses your attention on it after which you'll never again take it for granted. Learn how every organ, gland and cell in the body is affected by the condition of the large intestine - the colon. Dr. Walker gives a tour of each vital organ of your body and shows how you can live a longer, healthier life. Readers learn that the elimination of undigested food and other waste products is equally as important as the proper digestion and assimilation of food. Maintaining a healthy colon can prevent ailments such as constipation, fatigue, hearing loss, asthma, prostate trouble, allergies, nagging backache, digestive problems, and more. Some of the questions answered is this book include: are cathartics and laxatives dangerous?; can colon care prevent heart attack?; and is your eyesight affected by the condition of your colon?
Now considered an organ with defensive and metabolic capabilities, the intestinal microbiota plays a major role in the local host immune system development and education. It contributes to the generation of a homeostatic balance characterized by the capacity to react against pathogens while remaining hyperresponsive/tolerant against commensals. This homeostatic response depends on bacteria and bacterial product sensing by innate immune cells and their molecular asset at the intestinal mucosa. This book captures the enormous progress that has been accomplished in this field in recent years.
This book conjoins the latest advances on the use of endoscopy to diagnose, monitor, and treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Chapters include the historical use of rigid sigmoidoscopy, non-interventional imaging procedures, and the correlation of pathology and endoscopic visualization. This is the first book to include individual chapters in gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, and IBD texts, the preeminent role of endoscopic imaging in the management of chronic ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. It also includes chapters on capsule endoscopy and balloon and overtube-assisted enteroscopy to define the presence and activity of Crohn's enteritis and additional chapters defining the use of random biopsies versus chromoendoscopy, and computer enhanced imaging to define possible dysplasia development. The book also includes access to online videos, making it the ultimate verbal and visual tool for all medical professionals interested in the advances in the field over the last several decades. Endoscopy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a concise text that is of great value to practicing endoscopists, gastroenterologists, general or colorectal surgeons, physicians in training, and all medical professionals caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Human Intestinal Microflora in Health and Disease deals with human indigenous intestinal flora, the vast assemblage of microorganisms that reside in the intestinal tract. It contains information on the composition of the flora, its development, metabolic activities, importance to the host, and the consequences of upsetting its ecology. The book is organized into four parts. Part I examines the composition and development of intestinal flora. Part II deals with the metabolic activities of intestinal microflora. These include studies on carbohydrate metabolism in the human colon; the compounds used as nitrogen sources by gastrointestinal tract bacteria; and metabolic transformations of xenobiotic compounds carried out by intestinal flora. Part III examines the importance of intestinal microflora, including its role in intestinal structure and function and in suppressing the growth of pathogens. Part IV discusses the factors that can disrupt the ecology of intestinal microflora, such as antimicrobial agents, pseudomembranous colitis, and dietary and environmental stress. The research presented in this book will be of interest to both basic scientists and physicians concerned with the effects of the intestinal flora on human life.
