Indigestion is a term frequently used by people to describe a multitude of symptoms generally appreciated as distress associated with the intake of food. The term is thus non-specific and may not have the same meaning for the patient and the doctor. It is therefore important for the physician first to elicit a good description of the complaint. To some, indigestion refers to a feeling that digestion has not proceeded naturally. They may describe some abdominal fullness, pressure or actual pain. Others may use the term to describe heartburn, belching, distension or flatulence. Closely related symptoms are dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing), nausea and vomiting, and anorexia.

It has been established over the years that three quarters of people with chronic indigestion, believed to be caused by an increased amount of stomach acid, were proven to have low acid levels in the stomach rather than high levels. Yet, the prescribed treatment was, and still is, focused on acid reduction. This prescription is supposed to deal with heartburn, as well as belching, nausea, high abdominal pain and lack of appetite.

Changes in function of the digestion system such as vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are approached as if they were the problem itself. Medication is used to stop these changes and even to prevent them happening without understanding why the body has the need to make these functional changes.

From the above it is clear that in the great majority of cases no reason can be found to account for the symptoms. The term used in these instances is functional indigestion'. If it is functional, shouldn't we assume that it is a perfectly normal and legitimate process? All the complaints and symptoms described above are said to be non-specific, which means that they do not have a specific cause but are likely to appear for a whole host of reasons, most of which are not even understood. Functional indigestion is a term that can only be used after extensive investigation has failed to find any reason for the complaints. This effectively means that when some abnormality is found, it is immediately blamed for all the symptoms. Conditions like this, which very rarely cause indigestion but are continuously blamed for them, are hiatus hernia, gallstones, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, anemia, bacterial infection (if no bacteria are found, it will be called a viral infection), aphthous stomach ulcers, diabetes.

Individual habits are blamed for the symptoms, although there is no evidence to support this. On the contrary, it is obvious that only a small number of people with similar habits suffer from indigestion symptoms. Well known is the finger pointing at smoking, eating fatty foods, spicy foods, dairy products, eggs, wheat products, gluten products, Coca Cola, coffee, tea, chocolate, alcohol, nuts, acidic fruits and fruit juices, sugars and raw vegetables. You may even have been persuaded that swallowing air is the root cause of your digestive problem!

There are well-Known poisons to our system that we take in every day: food additives, colorants, preservatives, food enhancers and chemicals used in the creation of low-fat and low-sugar products. Other recognised poisons are drugs - and not just illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. There is not a prescription medication on the market that does not mention nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea/constipation, abdominal distension and anorexia as possible side-effects on the patient information leaflet. This includes the medication that your physician prescribes you to step the nausea, the vomiting or any other complaint of indigestion!

Stress is another poison in the sense that it distorts the normal function of the digestive system. A misconception is that a person in a stressful situation has to be stressed. It is not the stress as measured by an outside agency (stress-level charts) that is important. What matters is how the individual handles life. This explains why people who seem to have everything going for them, smooth easy life, no worries, are very often internally stressed out. The stress that matters is the stress, the tension, the friction, caused between the natural flow of life and where we want to take it. No anti-depressants or medical counseling will change that.

Most diseases arise from poor or wrong functioning of the digestive system, The digestive fire is central to health. It is not only responsible for absorbing nutrients in food, but also for destroying any pathogens and rendering food acceptable to our systems. Undigested food becomes like a pathogen in the body, breeding toxins and upsetting the immune system, When the digestive fire is normal there is good digestion, circulation and complexion, pleasant breath and body odour, adequate energy and strong resistance to disease. When the digestive fire is abnormal there is poor digestion, poor circulation, bad complexion, offensive body odour, intestinal gas, constipation, low energy and poor resistance to disease. This explains why treating the digestive system is considered a root treatment for most diseases in all ancient traditions.

Digestion occurs in three stages:

The first stage (the water stage): includes the saliva and the alkaline secretions of the stomach lining. Here the heavy elements are extracted from the food. An excess of these secretions leads to nausea, bringing up of mucus, profuse salivation and poor appetite. These are symptoms of water type indigestion. Excess eating of sweet and salty foods will increase these secretions and cause these symptoms.

The second stage (the fire stage): includes the secretion of acid in the small intestine. Here the heated elements are extracted from the (cod. Symptoms relating to this stage (i.e.. symptoms of fire type indigestion) involve hyperacidity and burning sensation in the stomach. Excess eating of sour and pungent substances increases these secretions.

The third stage (the air stage): involves the large intestine with the formation of the stool. Here the air elements are extracted from the food. Symptoms involving this stage (i.e., symptoms of air type indigestion) are gas build-up and constipation. Excess eating of light, dry. bitter, astringent or pungent substances increases these symptoms.

Improper digestion results in the accumulation of an undigested food mass (toxins). Toxic formation is indicated when the stools are poorly formed, breath is unpleasant, appetite is abnormal and a coating appears on the tongue. This undigested mass stagnates and ferments and eventually, entering the bloodstream, moves to different parts of the body, causing various diseases. Even a person who has no immediate disease problem should examine the state of their digestion, including tongue, breath, appetite and elimination, making sure that toxins are not forming. If is easiest to stop the disease process at its origin in the digestive tract. Once it moves into the tissues, it becomes more difficult.

Now we have identified three different types of indigestion we will concentrate on the underlying reasons for their symptoms, in order to avoid or rectify them. This way, treatment is not aimed at controlling or reversing symptoms but at rebalancing the causes that creates the symptoms.

Water type indigestion causes depression of the digestive fire, nausea, lethargy, heaviness, pale complexion, difficulty breathing and excessive sleeping. Treatment therefore focuses on strong emetic (vomiting) and purgation (enema) methods controlled by strict rules, so remember to follow guidance from a qualified practitioner. Food should be dry, little in quantity, sharp, hot and pungent, bitter and astringent in taste. All kinds of exercises, including mental activity, sexual activity and staying up all night, are all going to improve the balance. By taking pleasure in physical hardship and using dry or strong massage a great deal of difference is going to be made.

Fire type indigestion causes yellow-coloured stools, urine, eyes and skin; hunger thirst; a burning sensation and difficulty sleeping. This can be alleviated by eating clarified butter (ghee); purgation with sweet and cold herbs; eating sweet, bitter and astringent foods and herbs; the application of cool, delightful and fragrant essential oils; frequently anointing the head with camphor and sandalwood oils; relaxing in the moonlight or a cool wind, by a cool pool or in a tranquil garden.

Air type indigestion causes emaciation, debility, caving for warmth, tremors, distension and constipation, as well as insomnia, sensory disorientation, dizziness, confusion and depression. It is treated by mild application of oils; mild sweating and purification methods: eating sweet, sour, salty and warm food; oil massage; staying indoors; warm oil enemas and moderate cleansing enemas. Foods should be warm and should contain natural oils as well as warming digestive herbs.

Understanding the reason for the specific symptoms and how they have come about allows us to direct our efforts towards rectifying the imbalance that has been created within our system. It is this very specific approach that turns the tables and stops the disease process from Developing any further. Not only is it important to take note of any digestive disturbances, but it is essential that we realise that it is in the digestive process that all systemic diseases originate. They are all a further development of digestive imbalances that are allowed to overflow.

Let your digestive system talk to you. Learn to speak its language and reap the benefits of understanding the messages it is relaying.

© By Patrick Quanten MD

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