A FRESH LOOK AT IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

The Clark perspective.

It seems that many people live chronically with one form of bowel discomfort or another including bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, constipation or alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Officially the diagnosis of IBS is one that relies on the presence of these symptoms as well as the exclusion of other more serious bowel diseases like celiac disease, lactose/fructose intolerance, chrohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ulcers and cancer. It is a complex field as many infective diseases including parasitic infection can cause similar symptoms as can for example an underactive thyroid. High stress reactions and depression have also been associated with abdominal dysfunction and distress.

Be that as it may there are few permanent or curative medical options available for IBS. Most options are management options and include the use of soluble fibre, laxatives, probiotics, antispasmodics, and in some cases antidepressants. So we are left with countless individuals whose quality of life is severely impaired through this condition. Many frantically try to assess what foods they are reacting to….having repeated allergy and food sensitivity tests.. and potentially leaping onto the next possible cause of their misery or the next possible magic bullet only to find little or no relief…. So lets look at some options that are proposed by the renowned and controversial researcher and author Dr Hulda Clark for potentially more permanent results. (1)

In her book The Cure for all diseases, Dr Clark postulates that much bowel related discomfort is related to the proliferation of pathogenic organisms in the gut. She postulates that due to the pervasive use of solvents in our food and cosmetic products that parasite eggs consumed via our food (from animal products mostly) now appear to have the capacity to hatch in unprecedented ways which in and of itself can cause severe gut symptoms. If the gut lining becomes too porous due to chronic solvent exposure those organisms or eggs may then also move through the gut lining and invade the rest of the body. The most notable subsequent problems relevant to the IBS sufferer of course would be those affecting the liver and the pancreas as this may result in insufficient levels of pancreatic enzymes, bile and hydrochloric acid being released to aid digestion. Even good food will rot if it is not being digested and it lies around too long!!! Putrefying food in turn encourages the further proliferation of even more organisms including Candida and this rotting process leads to the creation of gas, foul odour, distension and discomfort.

If we add to this the widespread and arguable overuse of antibiotics, many IBS sufferers may well also be dealing with disturbed bowel flora which in turn would reduce the gut’s capacity to defend against micro-organisms.

Dr Clark also postulates that the presence of parasites is directly related to the development of gallstones and that these gallstones themselves can become extremely infected leaking never ending infection into the gut. She also controversially maintains that not all gallstones can be detected on X-ray as they are not all sufficiently calcified so that even those who do not present with visible gallstones may none the less be suffering from the effects of gallbladder and bile duct congestion.

So what does Dr Clark suggest be done to begin to unravel the problem?

1. Learn to eat food that is not bringing a fresh round of worm eggs and bacteria into the body. E.g. eat only sterilised dairy products (butter, milk and cream need to be boiled and dairy that cannot be sterilised needs to be avoided- this means no cheese, no ice-cream or yoghurt!) Cook all meat really well- this means no biltong or sushi!
2. Learn to eat food that does not contain fungus e.g. yeast in bread or beer, mould in cheeses, fermented products like wine and pickles…even bottled fruit juices can be mouldy.
3. Clean your food as best you can… soak all veggies, grains, nuts etc for 3 minutes in Hydrochloric acid water (5% solution- 8 drops per litre) to reduce exposure to manure bacteria, worm eggs and fungus.
4. Avoid foods that slow down elimination and cause faecal matter to stick to the walls e.g. wheat…remember our kids use flour and water to make glue for paper mache at school!!
5. Eat a higher level of raw foods (fruit and vegetables) as the cellulose speeds up digestion and elimination. This can be tricky if your bowel immunity is low unless you ensure the foods are cleaned first.
6. Avoid eating left-over’s or salad bar food that has stood out too long.
7. Stick to cooked food when eating out.
8. Observe good hand and kitchen hygiene and do not eat with dirty hands.
9. Drink enough water as a dry colon cannot function well.
10. Reduce refined carbohydrates and sugar as they can feed fungus in the gut. Try stevia for sweetening…not diet sweeteners!!!!
11. Embark on a program of eliminating parasites and pathogenic organisms in the gut as well as elsewhere if that is applicable (She advocates the use of herbal programs and an electronic device called a zapper to do this) Her famous “bowel cleanse” takes a week and includes herbs like turmeric and fennel.
12. Clean the liver (She advocates a series of overnight processes using grapefruit juice and olive oil for this) Note…. Please do not attempt this without first seeking qualified advice. Dr Clark claims that cleaning the liver can also often remove allergies altogether.
13. In The cure and prevention of cancers …one of Dr Clark’s newer books, Dr Clark espouses a theory of widespread allergies in the body relative to liver congestion and parasite infestation. And she documents numerous so called antigenic compounds that target organs preferentially…. It is worth reading if you have some kind of chronic inflammatory condition. (2)

So I encourage you to learn about this condition……take a fresh approach to tackling it and be encouraged that it may not be unrealistic to hope to succeed…. I do agree with traditional thinking though that stress plays a significant part in this condition so meditation, yoga, exercise, counselling, journey work or whatever else allows you to handle stress better can also be beneficial!! Here’s to better digestion!!!

References

1. The Cure for All Diseases, Dr Hulda Regehr Clark: Ph.D., N.D, New Century Press, 1995
2. The Cure and Prevention of Cancers, Dr Hulda Regehr Clark:Ph.D.,N.D, New Century Press: 2007