What's in your food?

We came across this disturbing but very interesting article and wanted to share it with all of you. Here’s a quick summary of what stood out the most to us:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the umbrella term for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This disease affects over 3 million people in the US. It consists of chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract with symptoms such as abdominal cramps, fatigue, and diarrhea. It also increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

So, what causes to IBD? Genetics, environment, diet, an altered intestinal microbiome and immune system all play a part in the development of IBD. One of the largest factors is the diet. Digestive Medical Solutions states that air pollution, increased amounts of antibiotics, pesticide exposure and GMOs are the main culprits in digestive changes with IBD.

Pesticides like RoundUp contain glyphosate, a chemical that inhibits an enzyme that helps to oxidize organic matter in our systems. The inhibited enzyme is one that detoxifies xenobiotics, which are chemicals that are not normally produced or eaten by an organism. When these enzymes are inhibited, those chemicals go free in the digestive tract and wreak havoc on the system. Glyphosate also inhibits the body’s natural serum sulfate transport system and destroys the tight junctions between cells in the digestive tract. This can lead to “leaky gut” symptoms. Some of the most commonly consumed foods that may contain glyphosate include:

• Corn (found in most processed foods in the form of corn meal, corn syrup, corn starch, corn flour and so on)
• Soy (which can hide under descriptions such as lecithin and starch, among others)
• Canola (rapeseed oil)
• Sugar beets

Processed foods can also lead to bowel issues. Most processed foods contain emulsifiers. Emulsifiers transport harmful bacteria across the cell walls in the GI tract lining and can also alter “the balance between cell proliferation and cell death, which enhances tumor development” says Medical News Today.

Click on the link to see the whole article by Health Impact News. http://healthimpactnews.com/2016/how-gmos-pesticides-and-processed-foods-contribute-to-common-bowel-disorders/