Americans are Digging Their Graves with Their Teeth: Death Begins in the Colon

If your digestive system is not working efficiently, you will not be able to maintain or restore health no matter how much nutrient-rich, healthy food you are eating. Chronic digestive problems, including incomplete digestion of food, poor absorption of nutrients, or a sluggish bowel resulting in the poor elimination of waste matter, will lead to the deterioration of health. Excess gas and bloating can be caused by foods trapped inside the gut and can cause irritable bowel syndrome or other inflammatory bowel conditions. Low levels of hydrochloric acid or other digestive enzymes result in partially digested food particles ending up in the bloodstream consequently triggering food allergies. These and other conditions precipitated by improper digestion will lead to a toxic colon and chronic illness.

One of the most neglected aspects of digestion is the elimination of waste matter. Proper intestinal elimination is critical to our health. A sluggish bowel (constipation) causes retention of toxic byproducts of normal digestion and harmful bacteria present in the bowel, as well as toxic chemicals from the air, water, and food. Toxins lingering in the intestines eventually end up back in the bloodstream and can trigger illness. Research scientists have linked several conditions to a toxic bowel such as acne, chronic fatigue, inflammatory bowel disorders, psoriasis and behavioral disorders.

A sluggish, toxic bowel is a common problem overlooked by most physicians. However, recently research scientists have begun to uncover the mechanisms by which “death begins in the colon.” Mounting evidence supported by the efforts of these leading-edge scientists point to a toxic bowel as one of the causes of a wide variety of illnesses. Their conclusion is that a toxic bowel and the illness that follows is a result of the standard American diet (S.A.D.).

What Goes In Must Come Out, Sooner or Later

As you can see, good health depends as much upon good elimination as it does upon the quality of food we consume. One of the scientists that spearheaded much of the research in this field of health care was a world-renowned scientist Dr. Dennis Burkitt. While practicing medicine for the British Royal Navy in Africa, Dr. Burkitt, an epidemiologist (a scientist who studies world health patterns) was one of the first scientists to study the relationship between colon health and disease. Although he was commissioned as a physician for British naval officers and their wives, his training in research led him to some very interesting observations while practicing medicine. Dr. Burkitt noticed that the British naval officers and their wives suffered from a plethora of chronic illnesses while the native Africans who worked for them were virtually free of these chronic illnesses. Eventually, Dr. Burkitt realized that the one variable that was different in the two populations was their diet. The natives ate a primarily plant-based diet that contained approximately 100 to 150 grams of fiber per day. On the other hand, the British naval officers and their families ate an animal-based diet with less than 10 grams of fiber per day. As a result of these observations, Dr. Burkitt formulated the fiber theory of disease.

Dr. Burkitt’s conclusions were based upon the stool transit time of the two populations. Stool transit time is the amount of time it takes for food to enter the mouth and then exit the body; He observed that native Africans had an 18-24 hour stool transit time. On the other hand, the British naval officers’ wives’ stool transit time was 48 hours to one week. Dr. Burkitt also observed that the average weight of the natives’ stool was approximately 16 ounces. At the same time the British naval officers’ wives’ stools averaged only 5 ounces. Burkitt eventually concluded that the naval officers’ wives suffered from a long list of degenerative diseases because of a toxic bowel that resulted from a lack of fiber in their diet. The native Africans managed to avoid these diseases because they had healthy digestive systems as a result of their high fiber diet.

Table 2

Diseases Dr. Burkitt observed were caused by slow stool transit time

Gout
Obesity
Skin Disorders
Appendicitis
Hemorrhoids
Constipation
Heart Attacks
Diverticulosis
Dental Problems
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Varicose Veins
Gall Stones
Ulcerative Colitis
Chrohn's Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
High Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular Disease
Kidney Stones

Dr. Burkitt discovered that the single most important difference between the health of the two population groups was the amount of fiber (carbohydrate) in the diet. He also observed that, as the natives adopted the diet of the wives of the naval officers, they developed the same diseases the wives suffered from. It’s interesting to note that other researchers with no association to Burkitt have observed the same phenomenon in many different cultures.

Bringing this all down to a practical level, the average American eats a scanty 8 to 10 grams of fiber per day, while the natives of Africa and other primitive cultures eat approximately 100 to 150 grams of fiber per day. Considering the apparent correlation between low fiber and disease, wouldn’t it make good sense to increase our daily fiber intake? I must tell you that I am quite disturbed that this kind of information is not readily provided to the American public. Currently, common sense medicine has been replaced by drugs and surgery. Perhaps the words of Henry Wheeler Shaw, “a good set of bowels is worth more to a man than any quantity of brains,” should be taken more seriously by our health care policy makers.

I believe that physicians should be warning their patients that the average American adult stool transit time is approximately the same as their British counterparts in Dr. Burkitt’s study—between 48 and 96 hours. It is ludicrous that mainstream doctors claim that this is a normal stool transit time despite all the evidence from Burkitt’s and other studies. I have personally consulted with patients who were advised by doctors at prestigious Cleveland hospitals that bowel movements once every two weeks was normal for them. I can only imagine what condition the health and colon of those doctors was in.

Dr. Burkitt’s epidemiological studies prove that regular elimination is vital to overall health. If bowel movements are not regular, waste products and toxins accumulate and health is jeopardized. Health depends as much upon good elimination as it does upon the quality of the food we consume. Although we certainly cannot overestimate the value of putting good things into our bodies, it is more realistic that we will underestimate the value of getting bad things out of our bodies.

Test Your Stool Transit Time

The following is a simple home test that you can use to measure your colon transit time. Record the time and date of your next bowel movement. Next, the meal that follows your recorded bowel movement should be tagged with any one of the following: one half cup of beets or corn or six activated black charcoal capsules (available at your local drugstore) that contain only charcoal and no added colorings. The meal is tagged with one of these substances so that you will be able to keep track of how long it takes for the food to travel through your digestive tract.

Once you have tagged your meal, over the next week, check your stool for the obvious signs of beets, corn or charcoal in the stool. You can expect to see a red stool from the beets, undigested kernels of corn, or a black stool from the charcoal. Be sure to record the date and time you first notice the tagged stool, and the last time you see one of the three substances in the stool.

Stool Transit Time Test

1. Following your next bowel movement, tag the very next meal with 1/2 cup of corn, beets or 6 charcoal capsules. Record the date and time you completed this task.

DATE___________ TIME___________

2. Next, examine each bowel movement until you first notice the marked stool. Record the time and date you first see the corn, beets or charcoal in the stool.

DATE___________ TIME___________

3. Record when the corn, beets, or charcoal are last seen in the stool.

DATE___________ TIME___________

If you notice the marked stool within 18 to 24 hours, you have a normal stool transit time. But if your colon transit time is more than 24 hours you have a sluggish bowel and are constipated. On the other hand, if your colon transit time is less than 18 hours, you have malabsorption syndrome. The good news is, regardless of your current stool transit time, our 7-Day Jump Start Health Plan will dramatically improve it. In just a short 7 days you will be able to say goodbye to bloating, gas, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, heartburn and more. At the same time, you will improve the absorption of nutrients and your overall wellbeing. Too quick of a colon transit time (malabsorption), may take further evaluation to correct because malabsorption is usually triggered by hidden food allergies, lactose or gluten intolerance, or some other underlying cause.

Any deviation from a normal stool transit time should not be ignored. If you continue to have abnormal stool transit time even after the 7 Day Quick Start Health be sure to consult with a qualified health care professional.

References

Burkitt, D. P. and Trowell, H.D. Refined Carbohydrate Foods

and Disease: Some Implications of Dietary Fiber. London: Academic Press, 1975.

Jarnerot, et. al. "Consumption of Refined Sugar by Patients with

Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome," Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. 18 (1983): 999-1002

Pizzorno, J. E. Total Wellness: improve your health by

understanding the body’s healing systems. Rocklin, California: Prima Publishing, 1996.

Rea, W. J. and Hsueh-Chia, L. “Effects of Pesticides on the

immune system,” Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. 2 (1991): 399-410

Triger, D. R., Alp, M. H. and Wright, R. “Bacterial and dietary

antibodies in liver disease,” Lancet I (1972):60-63

Trowell, H.D., and Burkitt, D. P. Western Diseases: Their

Emergence and Prevention. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press, 1981.

-- Dr. James D. Krystosik

Babysteps to Health

Slow and steady wins the race. When you slowly take off the pounds and stick to an exercise program, you are more likely to keep those pounds from coming back. Look at every pound lost as a small victory in the road to health.
Don't set yourself up for failure; set goals that are attainable. Lofty goals are hard to meet and only leave you frustrated.
Make it easier on yourself--use half the cream and sugar in your coffee. Make small changes that add up to a big defecit but don't leave you feeling like your giving up everything you love.
Reward your success--the right way. We'd all like to celebrate that 5 pound milestone with a hunk of chocolate cake, but consider treating yourself in a different way. Why take five steps forward and then two back?
Keep it interesting. Variety is the spice of life; try new things and new foods. If you eat yourself into boredom, you won't be able to stick to a diet or workout routine.
Small changes for big results. Love eggs? Ditch the yolks. Chicken? Lose the skin and try baking or grilling instead of frying. It all adds up over time.
Keep track of activity. Keeping a log or journal of your workouts not only keeps you honest, it allows you to take a look back and see just how far you've come.
If you must eat sweets, eat dark chocolate because it has many health benefits
Stay away from the scale. When your clothes get looser and your measuments shrink should be proof enough that you are on the right track. Numbers on a scale are just overrated.

When is a Fad Diet a Bad Diet?

Time for a reality check: there is no magic bullet, instant cure, or easy way out. Losing weight is not easy, and many fad diets fall easily into the bad diet category. Be wary of any diet or weight-loss program that:

Promises rapid weight loss. Any weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is too rapid, unsafe, and is unlikely to stay off.
Promises easy weight loss without exercise or that weight loss can be maintained without lifestyle changes.
Uses miracle or magical foods. No food can melt away fat or undo years of overeating and lack of exercise.
It's basis lies in consuming only one (or a limited number) of foods, encourages consuming certain foods in mass quantities, or calls for specific food combinations.
Relies on undocumented case histories. Testimonials and anecdotes mean nothing if there is no scientific data to back up claims.
Promotes unproven or inauthentic weightloss aids such as herbs, supplements, body wraps, pills, cellulite creams, etc.
Sound too good to be true. Most of the time it's because they are.

Splurge vs. Smart: Dining Out Without Breaking Your Diet

High-calorie, fat-laden, large portioned restaurant meals don't have to be a diet breaker. With some careful reading, you too can enjoy a night out without the guilt of a caloric splurge.

When dining American, be wary of words like buttery, fried, pan-fried, crispy, au gratin, creamed, sauteed, and hollandaise. Look for items that are described as steamed, broiled, grilled, roasted and poached to help cut back on calories and fat.

In the mood for a little Italiano? Sauces created from cream or cheese, such as Alfredo sauce, quickly pack in the fat. Go for sauces that are tomato based, and take half home with you--almost all pasta dishes weigh it at well over a serving or two.

Craving some late-night Chinese? Stay clear of batter-coated, breaded, or deep-fried foods and go for the stir-fry. Plain rice is better than fried, and go easy on the sauces; soy sauce and other Asian sauces tend to have high sodium content.