Different manifestations of diseases of the intestinal tract have become more and more frequent in the present day society. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease could take on very threatening forms. Within the group of chronic inflammatory diseases of the bowel and irritable bowel syndrome there is a great number of entities included which have very different causes. The majority of abdominal complaints are, however, non-specific and have, in the meantime, become accepted as normal by many people. These include bloating, gas, feelings of fullness, of distension, recurrent sudden episodes of diarrhoea or constipation over several days or weeks. The intolerance of an increasing number of food substances, not only the intolerance of Gluten as in Coeliac disease, but also of wheat or cow’s milk or nuts has become a considerable burden for a lot of people.

From the point of view of holistic natural medicine there is a series of possible causes which, individually or combined, could lead to bowel diseases, and which could be examined through certain specific stool tests. An inflammation of the intestinal tract could be due to a defect of the protective layers of the bowels, which include the protective intestinal flora, the immune globulins and beta defensins. The protective intestinal flora in turn is made up of the normal bacteria which are present in huge numbers (the Lactobacillen in the small intestines and the Bifidobacteria in the large intestines) and the immune flora (the Enterococcen and E. coli bacteria) which are much fewer in number but have specific functions. Very often, digestion is disturbed because of insufficient break down of food particles due too hasty eating. Or there is a deficiency of the digestive enzymes which might be the result of certain medication. Also, remains of food substances from incomplete digestion lead further to fermentation with production of alcohol. A common result of all these is an insufficient intake of vital substances which underlies a disability of the body to perform its normal functions.

The predominance of a psychic or psychosomatic cause is often over-emphasized. These almost always play a role in precipitating the symptoms whereas the somatic cause might not be identified yet. Last but not least, the increasing stress in life today affects an imbalance in our autonomic nervous system. The resulting symptoms are treated in natural medicine with herbal remedies or acupuncture, among other treatments, unlike the use of strong blockers or suppressors in conventional medicine.