How Disregarding Digestive Limitations
May Lead to Arthritis and Allergies*
©Copyright 1997 by Robert Chuckrow
We will here reason that disregarding digestive limitations can lead to a chain of events ending with arthritis, allergies, and various other degenerative diseases. In such syndromes, the body basically attacks itself. One form of arthritis starts with a trauma to a joint and ends with the body absorbing the damaged cartilage rather than repairing it.
Incomplete digestion and the production of intestinal gas can result from the following: (1) eating haphazard combinations of starches, proteins, and sugars; (2) eating beyond the ability of the digestive organs to secrete digestive enzymes; (3) drinking large amounts of water or sugary beverages with meals, which dilutes the digestive juices and reduces their effectiveness; (4) eating sugary desserts; (5) chewing food insufficiently; or (6) eating too large a quantity of food for the stomach to have room to digest it. As it expands, gas that is produced from the bacterial decomposition of incompletely digested food and the action of yeast on sugars can produce very large amounts of pressure on the inner walls of the intestines. One result of this pressure is that incompletely digested proteins are forced through the tiny ducts that lead from the intestines to the blood stream (“leaky gut syndrome”). Also, yeast can find its way into these ducts, and the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast can enlarge the ducts, making it easier for proteins to pass through. Normally these ducts have such small openings that only completely digested proteins (amino acids) can pass through. Amino acids, of course, are the building blocks of the body’s proteins and are normally present in the blood stream. Proteins, however, are not normally present, and once they find their way into the blood stream, they are treated as foreign invaders and are immediately attacked and removed by the immune system. After a while, the immune system may become so habituated to attacking these wayward proteins that it then attacks healthy bodily cells and tissues.
When a joint has been traumatized, the body must choose whether to repair the damage or eliminate the damaged tissue. When your immune system is habituated to constantly eliminating proteins similar to those in healthy tissues, damaged tissue is more likely to be discarded than repaired. Such a condition may be the cause of degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Allergies may also result from the readiness of the body’s immune system to attack its own healthy tissue.
Consider the foods to which people are most commonly allergic, namely, wheat, peanuts, and milk products. These three foods are very frequently eaten in combination with large quantities of carbohydrate, prompting their proteins to be incompletely digested. For example, peanuts are often prominent ingredients of candy. Peanut butter is usually eaten with bread and jelly, all three of which are placed in close proximity on supermarket shelves. Wheat and sugar are the main constituents of cookies and cakes. Cereals, which are often made from wheat, are typically consumed with milk and sugar. Parents often induce children to drink milk by adding sugar and cocoa to it. Yogurt, to which a large quantity of jam is added, is a very popular food. Ice cream, which consists mainly of milk, cream, and sugar has always been a popular desert. Cheese is frequently eaten with bread or combined with pasta, and pizza is often consumed by children and adults.
The above combinations involving wheat, peanuts, and milk products are combinations of protein and sugar, protein and starch, and/or starch and sugar. These combinations are prone to incomplete digestion.
Hunger Pangs—What They are and How to Alleviate Them
Factors Affecting Digestion
Flatulence and Halitosis
Heartburn, Acid Reflux, and Antacids
The Difference Between True and False Hunger
Combining Foods for Optimal Digestion
*From Robert Chuckrow, The Intelligent Dieter’s Guide, Rising Mist Publications, Briarcliff Manor, NY, 1997.
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