Evidence suggests that all of these disorders were very rare in the
Western world less than 100 years ago, and that each of these has
greatly increased during the last 50 years. What's more, for years now
researchers such as Cleave, Trowell, Burkitt, and others, have known
that all these diseases are almost unheard of in communities which
still adhere to their traditional way of life.
In developing countries in Asia and Africa for
example, documented evidence has proven the rarity of diseases such as
diverticulitis, appendicitis, bowel cancer, adenomatous polyps,
ulcerative colitis, varicose veins, hemorrhoids and hiatus hernias. In
Africa, this has been the case with appendicitis, ishemic heart
disease, diabetes, obesity, gallstones, varicose veins, venous
thrombosis, and hemorrhoids.
As these countries develop and begin to adopt
Western ways and customs, a rise in the frequency of these disorders
follows almost as surely as night follows day.
They first appear and then become common in the
upper socioeconomic groups, which are the first group of people to
become westernized. In Africa, this has been the case with
appendicitis, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, gallstones, varicose
veins, and hemorrhoids. The same kind of thing happened in Japan after
World War Two, especially in the urban communities.
As it turns out, the result of the investigations
by many over the years has led to a much more specific conclusion than
merely some sort of ambiguous, or mysterious "environmental factor"
which is somehow involved in the cause of these diseases and
disorders. Rather, many have become far more specific about the cause,
supporting what has come to be known as the "F(iber)-Hypothesis".
In the past it was thought that the large intestine
was not really too involved in absorption (the principal absorptive
functions being to conserve water and electrolytes secreted into the
gut during digestion). However, recent research has demonstrated that,
among other things, the colon does in fact participate in protein
absorption.
As it turns out, the result of the investigations
by many over the years has led to a much more specific conclusion than
merely some sort of ambiguous, or mysterious "environmental factor"
which is somehow involved in the cause of these diseases and
disorders. Rather, many have become far more specific about the cause,
supporting what has come to be known as the "F(iber)-Hypothesis".
This is extremely significant inasmuch as the colon
is the major side of exposure to the bulk of endogenous bacterial
proteins, enterotoxins, and breakdown antigens, which may be involved
in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, including ulcerative
colitis and Crohn's disease, food allergies and allergic
gastoenteropathy, bacterial enteritis (from toxins produced by
Escherichia coli, Shigella, Vibro cholerae, etc.), and certain
extra-intestinal immune-complex diseases.
Even more important than protein absorption is the
operation of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) in the colon. These
are nerve endings that are attached to the colon wall and they provide
nerve impulses to stimulate the operation of the various organs and
glands within your body. The type of stimulation that the ANS is able
to provide to your organs and glands is a direct reflection of the
health of your colon.
For a complete description of the development of
gastrointestinal diseases and the operation of the Autonomic Nervous
System, read the book referred to in the Authors Resource Box below.
Part II
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