In my practice I’m working with families that seem to have a deeper understanding of the importance of nutrition. They recognize that whole, organic, meats, vegetables and fruits are the best sources of nutrients and offer the least toxicity. Many of these families come to me with a diet in place whether it be gluten free, dairy free, ketogenic, MAD, SCD, GAPS or other. Some come to me not certain of where to begin with eliminating what foods. Regardless of their current dietary situation, one thing appears to be consistent among all children. They are nutritionally deficient.
Their organic acids test results may reveal b-vitamin, vitamin C, amino acid, antioxidant and mineral deficiencies. Parents are often surprised by these results especially when they put such care into the purchasing, preparing, and cooking of whole organic foods. It can make a caregiver feel as though their efforts are futile. Yet the common denominator for the source of nutritional deficiencies has to do with poor absorption and poor assimilation, through the digestive system.
There are critical steps that need to effectively function at breaking down food so that it can be absorbed and the nutrients can be utilized. The first step is chewing the food into very small pieces. This requires time, patience and thorough chewing. The second step is the utilization of gastric acid, also referred to as stomach acid. Stomach acid is produced by the cells in the stomach lining and is essential for breaking down amino acids (used in the conversion for making neurotransmitters, cell and muscle repair) and to further stimulate the third step, digestive enzymes. It should be metioned as well that stomach acid creates an acidic environment in the stomach prohibiting the growth of infections. Digestive enzyme further the breakdown system so that the nutrients and waste can pass to the liver for the liver to decipher what to do with both.
If, there is not ample stomach acid, and/or not adequate digestive enzymes the result can be a sluggish digestive system that is vulnerable to permeability (leaky gut) and infections. There was a time that it was perceived that the most vulnerable age group for being deficient in stomach acid and digestive enzymes was the elderly. Now, in the functional world of health recovery, we’ve identified that children are also extremely vulnerable and show with symptoms that may or may not appear related: skin conditions, neurological symptoms, neurodevelopmental, poor growth, low energy, fatigue, low muscle tone, speech problems, coordination issues and immune issues. This may often lead me to ask questions about their bowel movements as well as the consistency/color/settlement of their stool.
Digestive enzymes and/or Betaine HCL can be supportive in promoting a healing response if it is identified that an individual is nutritionally deficient. However I caution the use of Betaine HCL without identifying the need first. If a bacteria infection, such as H.Pylori is present, the use of Betaine HCL can exacerbate symptoms. Simultaneously supporting b-vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and other amino acids (as identified) is also critical to promote a healing response.
Bringing much light,
Lynn
