Digging for Answers for The Common Root of Dysfunction

When the leaves of a plant start looking sick, wise gardeners will dig out the root to take a look. Even though it is buried in the soil, hidden from view, gardeners know they must go to the root to find where most plant diseases begin. It does not surprise them that it was far away from the root, on the leaves, that the first symptoms appeared. They know that for the leaves to be healthy, they must receive nutrients from the roots, where they are absorbed from the soil. I learned this as a kid, watching the gardeners in my own backyard.

As I looked for answers and solutions to my own health issues, my journey also changed me from Western-trained specialist to open-minded doctor. As I started studying other traditions of healing, one concept kept cropping up in many of them: health and disease start in the intestines. This concept, which initially I did not understand, held the key that unlocked the answer I was looking for. Hidden, just like roots, our intestines absorb nutrients from food, our soil. Intestinal health plays a huge role in whether we get well-nourished. Toxicity, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, nutrient depletion, mucus, acid­ity, serotonin production—all these loose pieces of the puzzle became connected in a multilevel matrix that answered my questions about how and why.

Most people underestimate the importance of intestinal health. Other organs, such as the heart (the “king of the organs”), tend to get center stage. Yet as I learned, information on this system proved to be the missing link between my irritable bowel syndrome and my depression.

The human gut is similar to the root of a plant: both are hidden, both absorb water and nutrients, and when sick, both can show symp­toms on organs far away, like the leaves and branches or the skin and hair. But hidden in this root is one of the most important systems for human life: a high-precision machine with abilities and functions that not only allow us to obtain the building blocks and chemicals that will make our bodies, but also detect who to trust in life. A machine so deli­cate, it needs a very specific set of conditions for balanced function. Nature is the designer of the machine and also provided the perfect conditions. When we departed from the ways of nature, the conditions for optimal gut function deteriorated. When the intestines are in dis­tress, nutrient deficiencies are likely. But also your intuition may suffer. Your “gut feelings” may get confused. Your seasonal allergies may come back with a vengeance. You may gain weight despite “not eating,” get depressed, or get constipated. You may start to react to foods that you never reacted to before. Every single organ or function in the body has a direct link to the intestines.

Toxicity often affects the gut before any other organ. The gut, as I refer to it here, is not a single organ. It is a system that performs impor­tant, diverse, and almost magical functions. A short description of the four major constituents of the gut system will help you understand how it can be the root of the problem for totally different diseases.