INDEX
• The Reality : Staying Alive.

• - - Toxins : Aluminum, heavy metal.
• - Fungals : Aspergillosis depressive interference.
• Hormones: Liver-Thyroid digestive functions.
• -Lubricate: Probiotic modifications.
• - Support : Limonene, as an acid neutralizer.
• -- Signals : Nerve blockage.
• - Nutrition: Activation by Taurine.
• - Nervous : Spinal Sympathetic system.
• -2nd Brain: Enteric nervous system.
• - Minerals : Magnesium excess & deficiency.
• Sensitivity: Vagus nerveaction & dysfunction.
• -- Meridian: Liver energy supports peristalsis.

  Oxygen Loss: Large intestine (ischemic colitis).

  Oxygen Loss: Small Intestine (Mesenteric ischemia).

• Insight: Peristaltic action takes may forms & functions in our body.
• Insight: Facts and Influences about the vagus nerve, including peristalsis.
• Insight: Pineal gland .. tryptophan.. serotonin .. melatonin .. initiates peristalsis.
• Insight: Low blood pressure can contribute to inhibited peristalsis.
• Insight: Hyprothyroidism can slow peristalsis, decrease liver function.
• Insight: Inhibitory effects of Calm, Focus, Reverence (dopamine and adrenaline).

• Comment: Prepare to be abandoned.

• -Focus-: Monographs on Toxins and Enhancers.

The Reality: Staying Alive. INDEX

Physical LIFE for mammals, humans, and many other animals depends upon converting food and medium (air, water, ...) into energies which can be used and directed by conscious and unconscious intentions and needs to the effecting of self-sustaining interactions with the environment and other surrounding lifeforms and dynamics. This gaining access to and converting these resources produces a physical waste of mass most unlike that generated by most plants. The waste of plants is mostly water vapor and carbon dioxide gas. They cannot become quickly toxic by NOT passing through themselves some physical part of their nutrition. For animals and humans, the dynamic is much more demanding and complicated. Separating death from life becomes a continuous necessity which enables life to continue. We call the components of death, waste. If our waste accumulates out-of-proportion to our components of life, our living deteriorates into diseases and illness. Those, in a wide continuum of time, terminate in death, unless, we regain a healthful balance.

A quantity of what we humans eat, we cannot EVER digest.
We do carry with us, protect, and feed other organizms which continuously convert undigestible foods into assimilatable nutrients. Still, a portion of even these predigested foods remains useless to us. To make physical matters more in need of physical expulsion, a great number of these helper organizms complete their life cycle in a matter of hours or days. They die, and new participants are born. If the new births are to survive and grow, the old ones must be removed from their environment so it will not be fouled, become toxic to them, and push them into an ill health presence with the vibrancy of life draining away. IF we are not to ever expand and continouslyadd bulk to ourselves which will begin to decompose, and, which affords us no longer any energy benefit, while stealing from us energy and nutrients in support of deterioration ... the used nutrients must be discarded. How we get that used and dead material out of our energy factories will be crucial to our survival. Resources can always support living, or, assist in death. Throughout the living dynamic, a balance between growth and death is constantly active.

Intestinal Peristalsis is an involuntary contraction of smooth gastrointestinal muscles that results in food moving through our digestive tract. Many things can slow peristalsis, including physical inactivity and poor nutrition. Peristalsis begins when a mass of chewed food, mixed with oral juices, is swallowed, triggering a reflex of smooth muscle action. Nerves are stimulated in the digestive tract that cause smooth muscles to contract above and relax below the descending food, pushing it along the pathway. The food mass moves from the mouth to the esophagus to the stomach, where it mixes with more digestive juices and other digestive agents. From there it descends into the small intestine, where it mixes with bile and becomes chyme. In the small intestine, chyme is processed in the duodenum, passed to the jejunum, where carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed, and to the ileum, where iron and other nutrients are absorbed. It then passes to the large intestine, where water is extracted, and out of the body through the rectum, as waste.

Peristalsis is a spasm of muscle contractions which synchronistically activate in a particular direction.
This ripple of tissue pushes anything touching it forward. The action of the spasm will be stimulated by one or more physical, chemical, or electrical stimuli. Once activated, a brain structure capable of organizing stimuli into patterns will add in a repetitive cycling of stimulating and then relaxing signals and movements to generate the ripple. Within one or more of these patterns of response, there will be contributing signals which will enable and control the continuance of the peristaltic ripple for a duration of time. This duration may be sustained, terminated, modulated, or otherwise modified and will find a most constructive use for the organism as a whole. If such particular cycles of physical motion are disturbed, terminated, confused, or, extended ... the constructive, useful, and life enhancing benefits afforded by the peristaltic action will be interrupted, or, lost.

Peristaltic action in the human body takes many forms.
• Maintaining blood flow.
• Assisting lymph fluid flow.
• Creating a sudden expulsion of an irritant (sneeze).
• Providing a sudden expulsion of an irritant (cough).
• Assisting in transferring fluids & foods from mouth to stomach.
• Encouraging & facilitating the expulsion of solid digestive waste.
• Working with gravity to pass urine fluids out of the body.
• Being stimulated to ejaculate sexual fluids.

Some of the above muscle responses and reactions are more automatic than others.
Some of them are more activated at particular times or timing and are periodic (bowel movements).
Other peristaltic actions are continuous from before we are born until we die (blood).
Still others, perhaps many, we can learn to exert conscious control over (sexual).
And some, we accept as a matter of choice and automatic response (swallowing).

Toxins : Aluminum, heavy metal. INDEX

Article: Aluminum and Glyphosate ... Induce Pineal Gland Pathology ..
Aluminum and Glyphosate Can Synergistically Induce Pineal Gland Pathology:
Connection to Gut Dysbiosis and Neurological Disease
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53106
Stephanie Seneff, Nancy Swanson, Chen Li
Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 6 No.1, January 2015
LINK: Download as a pdf

.. The pineal gland is highly susceptible to environmental toxicants.
Two pervasive substances in modern industrialized nations are aluminum and glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup. ...

Glyphosate chelates aluminum, allowing ingested aluminum to bypass the gut barrier.
This leads to anemia-induced hypoxia, promoting neurotoxicity and damaging the pineal gland.
Both glyphosate and aluminum disrupt cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved in melatonin metabolism.
Furthermore, melatonin is derived from tryptophan, whose synthesis in plants and microbes is blocked by glyphosate. ...

Sleep is regulated by the neurotransmitter, melatonin, released by the pineal gland at night.
The pineal gland is situated in the middle of the brain behind the optic chiasma. It is outside of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and is highly perfused -- receiving a blood flow rate that is second only to that of the kidney. These considerations likely explain why it is especially susceptible to exposure to environmental toxicants such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium and fluoride. A postmortem study of aluminum levels in various brain regions revealed that the pineal gland accumulates aluminum at a rate that is at least twice that of other brain regions.

... Much less well studied is the herbicide, glyphosate, currently the most heavily used herbicide worldwide.
Glyphosate application to weeds has grown enormously in the last decade in the US, in step with the increased adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops such as corn, soy and canola that are engineered to be “Roundup Ready”. Epidemiological data readily available on the web from US government sources indicate a remarkably strong correlation between glyphosate application to corn and soy and multiple neurological disorders, as will be shown later in this paper. ...

The precursor to melatonin is serotonin, and the sole precursor to serotonin is tryptophan, one of the three aromatic amino acids whose synthesis by plants and microbes is disrupted by glyphosate through the shikimate pathway.

Finally, glyphosate also disrupts sulfur metabolism, especially the homeostasis of sulfate in the body. We propose here that melatonin plays an important role in distributing sulfate to the brain, and that sulfate plays an essential role in disposing of cellular debris during sleep.

A study on the effects of hypoxia on the pineal gland showed that ... melatonin content was significantly reduced. ...

The pineal gland has significant transferrin receptor protein expression, which is enhanced under hypoxic conditions.
Neuronal injury due to hypoxia resembles the molecular abnormalities seen in Alzheimer’s disease. ...

... Gastrointestinal symptoms are strongly correlated with autism, and this could lead to treatment with aluminum-containing antacids, thus providing a ready source of aluminum, chelated by either citrate or glyphosate, to gain entry into the general circulation. Aluminum-containing antacids can lead to constipation, which is a common symptom among autistic children.

Serotonin initiates peristalsis by activating serotonin receptors on sensory neurons in the intestine, and hence a deficiency in serotonin could further promote constipation issues. Such a deficiency could easily arise in the presence of glyphosate, since serotonin is derived from tryptophan, a product of the shikimate pathway. ...

Fungals: Aspergillosis depressive interference. INDEX

++ Alcohol: many fungi, including Candida Albicans and Aspergillosis species, produce alcohol as one of their digestive products. For a variety of factors, there would appear to be a personal maximum threshold of alcohol presence in the body. Beyond that threshold, the individual will either be drunk, or, have reached a concentration which triggers "Neutralized Motivation", or, the strength of influence over other life functions will be depressed into inactivity.

Neutralized Motivation:
This is an emotional state which significantly weakens rational and body housekeeping-support abilities.
I find it almost impossible to adequately describe in words which others will understand who have not experienced it.
It will be a reflection of how the individual is transformed during alcohol intoxication. So many personal reports have been offered and recorded that it is a cultural stereotype to assume that alcohol intoxicated persons will express themselves in either of two extremes of attitude and behavior.

Aggression:
One form of alcoholic intoxication expression is increased aggressiveness beyond what is a norm for the individual.
This can take the form of increased levels of frustration, anxiety, impatience, swearing, anger, paranoia, violence. To the aware individual, this is a change in their personality. To others nearby, the perception is often clouded by cultural stereotypes supported by rationalizations which are most often incorrect and irrelevant and demonstrate the immaturity and lack of self-esteem of the observer. The consciousness of the subject has become stimulated. For the same individual it is possible that they also have a contradictory-to-norm response to caffeine, sedatives, and other drugs ... making them MORE awake, sensitive, and, reactive. This is a minor pattern of response within the species.

Passivity:
A Second, and much more familiar form of intoxication expression is often perceived by others as being more passive, calm, out-of-it ... by observers. I myself have never been intoxicated with alcohol either by choice, or, by social participation. I have never been drunk nor had to cope with an addiction to alcohol. Yet, my experience with an exaggerated presence of aspergillosis appears to parallel such an experience as described consistently by many others. WITHOUT the strong and persistent influence of one or more high level heavy metal toxicities, and, when my internal manifestation of Ball Aspergillosis seemed, by a number of other symptoms, to be intensely present, my normal and accessible intensities of motivation and self-directedness ... became NEUTRALIZED. It was NOT a negation or suppression of them. Including short-term memory and a temporary absence of longer-term memory, I consciously had no awareness of present or past motivation.

It is easy to understand that persons in a temporary or longer expression of Neutralized Motivation would make NO effort to find, develop, or participate in any form of CHANGE, activity, analysis, or prescription for ANY ailment or previously documented and confidentially expressed desire for improved health. This includes a desire to and ability to communicate with others the real nature of one's incapacity to participate in work, social activities, or intimacy by reason of health complications. One is not uncaring or unmotivated .. both of which require a Choice; one is simply in a state of feeling such that a state of Calm and Easy Going appearance actually conceals an Intensity of Nothing! A person may die by simply not requesting Help when their lifestyle signals that their life is slipping away.

This UNCONSCIOUS influence of attitudes and awareness is reflected in one's DECREASED choice of activities as well as in the realm of unconscious internal physical patterns, including intestinal peristaltic activity. It is as if the metabolic processes have been PAUSED together with lowered blood pressure, decreased oxygen intake and a subtle presence of weakness. ALL of these simply encourage the presence and exapnsive growth of fungal organisms, including Candida Albicans and Aspergilliosis.

Risk Factors:
Common risk factors associated with ALL fungal pathogens include:

• darkness,
• lack of activity **
• cool temperature,
• an acidic environment,
• reduced oxygen presence,
• weakened immune functions,
• minimal use of alcoholic substances, ++
• a diet largely of carbohydrates, especially refined starches & sugars.

** Lack of Activity includes SLEEP, with the exception of REM cycles, and, Death.

The influence of one or multiple heavy metal toxicities produce symptoms of an acidic environment, depressed lung and other organ functions, and, through the cellular weakness and fatigue experienced ... lead to an even greater loss of activity and oxygen availability. Immune functions are distracted, weakened, and, minimized.

The intestine and colon of a mammal experiencing a minimization of peristaltic action through heavy metal toxicity provides an IDEAL environment for subtle aspergillosis expansion.

Hormones: Liver-Thyroid digestive functions. INDEX

Peristalsis (Intestinal) and Liver Health. INDEX
http://symptoms.rightdiagnosis.com/cosymptoms/
decreased-intestinal-motility/slow-peristalsis.htm
Decreased intestinal motility and Slow peristalsis.

Hypothyroidism, Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, & Lactose Intolerance
LINK 2: http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/06/03/
hypothyroidism-intestinal-bacterial-overgrowth-lactose-intolerance/
June 3, 2012

The RightDiagnosis Symptom checker webpage divides problems with intestinal peristalsis into 2 categories / lists:

Results: Causes of Decreased intestinal motility AND Slow peristalsis

1. Al Gazali Hirschsprung syndrome
A rare disorder characterized by Hirschsprung disease (an intestinal disorder), nail abnormalities and facial anomalies...

2. Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the digestive system.
It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.
The disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus. It often affects the lower part of the small intestine ...

Causes of Decreased intestinal motility OR Slow peristalsis

1. Adhesions
A fibrous band or structure by which parts abnormally adhere...

2. Al Gazali Hirschsprung syndrome
A rare disorder characterized by Hirschsprung disease (an intestinal disorder), nail abnormalities and facial anomalies...

3. Carcinoid
A carcinoid tumor is a type of neuroendocrine tumor which tends to occur in the lungs or gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms will vary depending on the location of the tumor...

4. Codeine -- Teratogenic Agent
There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Codeine (an opiate drug) during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the lev..

5. Colonic volvulus
Twisting of the colon ...

6. Constipation
Difficult or dry bowel movements...

7. Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the digestive system.
It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.
The disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus.
It often affects the lower part of the small intestine called the ..

8. Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Life-threatening complication of high blood sugars and diabetes ...

9. Duodenal atresia
A rare birth defect where a portion of the small intestine is absent or completely closed off and the digestive products cannot pass through. It is usually associated with other birth defects ...

10. HOTS
High blood calcium levels and bone resorption that occurs in some patients with T-cell lymphoma which is a cancer of the white blood cells ...

11. Hernia
General term for an organ protruding where it should not ...

12. Hyperparathyroidism
Increased secretion of parathyroid hormone from the parathyroid glands ...

13. Intussusception
Bowel folding into itself sometimes creating bowel obstruction...

14. Irritable bowel syndrome
Spasms in the colon wall ..

15. Jejunal Atresia
A rare birth defect where developmental abnormalities result in the small intestine being completely absent or blocked ...

16. Mineral deficiency
A deficiency of any minerals in the body..

17. Paralytic ileus
Temporary intestinal paralysis..

18. Parkinson's Disease
Degenerative brain condition characterised by tremor...

19. Physical inactivity
When an individual is physically inactive...

20. Shock
Severe condition from reduced blood circulation ..

21. Short Bowel Syndrome
Disorder of shortened bowel usually from bowel surgery..

22. Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord as a result of a direct trauma to the spinal cord itself or as a result of indirect damage to the bones and soft tissues and vessels surrounding the spinal cord...

23. Woodhouse Sakati syndrome
A condition which consists of numerous symptoms such as diabetes, hypogonadism, deafness and mental retardation..

COMMENT:
In my over 3 years of personal experience with 99% absence of intestinal peristalsis, allowing for normal bowel evacuation, the above lists of possibilities are mostly of academic benefit and rarely see the light of a Canadian General Practitioner's or Gastroenterologist Surgeon's eyes. In both the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, the doctors and specialists I visited either afforded me a blank stare to a query about the medical problem, or, (the surgeons) stated that intestinal peristalsis was totally under the mandate of the Vagus Nerve. Drugs and laxatives were the reflexive institutional response, even before any tests were run, sometimes. Political control can reduce Quality service to the most minimum Quantity and can lengthen and intensify illnesses by replacing Effectiveness with short-term Efficiency.

Courtesy of Danny Roddy’s Work: INDEX

“The gastrointestinal tract is particularly sensitive to general stress.
Loss of appetite is one of the first symptoms in the great “syndrome of just being sick,”
and this may he accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.” – Hans Selye (The Stress of Life)

“In hypothyroidism, digestion in the stomach and intestines is delayed.
The concentration of acid and enzymes involved in digestion may be diminished.
Motility of the gut is reduced and food is propelled more slowly along the tract.
Absorption through the intestinal wall is slower.” -Broda Barnes, MD, PhD

“The somewhat erratic digestion and absorption of food in the hypothyroid patient is one factor.
Another is sluggishness of the liver, which may occur when thyroid function is low, with the result that stored glucose in the liver is not released properly as blood sugar begins to fall. There is usually an adequate store of glucose in the liver to last until the next regular meal but. if it is not released, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, may develop and call for extra food. Thyroid therapy improves digestion and absorption so that there is a more constant supply of nourishment in the blood; it also sensitizes the liver to the need for glucose release after digestion is complete.”
-Broda Barnes, MD, PhD

Quote by Ray Peat, PhD: INDEX

“Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine can be caused by hypothyroidism (Lauritano, et al., 2007), and the substances produced by these bacteria can damage the lining of the small intestine, causing the loss of lactase enzymes (Walshe, et al., 1990).”

“Once we accept Warburg’s thesis, that damaged respiration is the prime cause of cancer, the therapeutic use of thyroid in cancer seems obvious. Aging and estrogen-dominance are other states in which cells seem to be relatively insensitive to thyroid hormones. (Unsaturated fats are involved in resistance to thyroid, and promote the incidence of cancer in a variety of ways.) If the liver is a main site of T4's conversion to T3, cancer patients may require very large doses of thyroid hormone, or else direct use of T3 (possibly in large doses), since the liver is so likely to be inefficient. Incidentally, thyroid’s ability to improve digestion and peristalsis is important for liver function; endotoxin absorbed from the intestine can be a serious burden to the liver, and it is known to cause a large increase in the blood estrogen level.”

“In hypothyroidism there is little stomach acid, and other digestive juices (and even intestinal movement) are in-adequate, so gas and constipation are common. Foods aren’t assimilated well, so even on a seemingly adequate diet there is ‘internal malnutrition.'”

“The absorption and retention of magnesium, sodium, and copper, and the synthesis of proteins, are usually poor in hypothyroidism. Salt craving is common in hypothyroidism, and eating additional sodium tends to raise the body temperature, and by decreasing the production of aldosterone, it helps to minimize the loss of magnesium, which in turn allows cells to respond better to the thyroid hormone. This is probably why a low sodium diet increases adrenalin production, and why eating enough sodium lowers adrenalin and improves sleep. The lowered adrenalin is also likely to improve intestinal motility.”

“Polysaccharides and oligosaccharides include many kinds of molecules that no human enzyme can break down, so they necessarily aren’t broken down for absorption until they encounter bacterial or fungal enzymes. In a well maintained digestive system, those organisms will live almost exclusively in the large intestine, leaving the length of the small intestine for the absorption of monosaccharides without fermentation. When digestive secretions are inadequate, and peristalsis is sluggish, bacteria and fungi can invade the small intestine, interfering with digestion and causing inflammation and toxic effects. Lactose malabsorption has been corrected just by correcting a deficiency of thyroid or progesterone… Sometimes having a daily carrot salad (grated, with salt, olive oil, and a few drops of vinegar) will stimulate (and disinfect) the small intestine enough to prevent fermentation.”

“The upper part of the small intestine is sterile in healthy people.
In the last 40 years, there has been increasing interest in the “contaminated small-bowel syndrome,” or the “small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome.” When peristalsis is reduced, for example by hypothyroidism, along with reduced secretion of digestive fluids, bacteria are able to thrive in the upper part of the intestine. Sugars are very quickly absorbed in the upper intestine, so starches and fibers normally provide most of the nourishment for bowel bacteria … Thyroid hormone increases digestive activity, including stomach acid and peristalsis, and both thyroid and progesterone increase the ability of the intestine to absorb sugars quickly; their deficiency can permit bacteria to live on sugars as well as starches.”

“Any starch can support the growth of toxic bacteria in the small intestine, where there should be no bacteria.
Cocoa and the flour both contain starch and fiber that can stimulate bacteria and inflammation, but they are both very common allergens. The effects of a particular food can last for days or weeks”

Lubricate: Probiotic modifications. INDEX
https://www.livestrong.com/article/517213-foods-that-stimulate-peristaltic-motion/
Are There Certain Foods That Stimulate Peristaltic Motion?
by MICHELLE MATTE --- Oct. 03, 2017

LINK 2: http://www.constipationexperts.co.uk/remedies/benefits-of-probiotics.html
Benefits of Probiotics & Prebiotics, By Megan Crowch, 2018?
LINK 3: http://www.probiotics-lovethatbug.com/probiotics-for-constipation.html
Probiotics For Constipation, by Dawn Rotarangi
LINK 4: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/foods-stimulate-peristaltic-motion-11787.html
Foods That Stimulate Peristaltic Motion --- Written by Sandi Busch; Updated Nov 28, 2017

Nutrition (can) play an important role in peristalsis.
Dietary fiber found in whole fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains stimulates peristalsis, flushing out fats and waste.
Gas-producing foods like broccoli and cabbage also stimulate peristalsis. Drinking plenty of fluids is important because it keeps stools soft and easy to pass. Yogurt and other probiotic foods contain live bacterial cultures that promote healthy intestinal flora that facilitate digestion. Foods low in fiber, like meats, milk, cheese and refined carbohydrates, pass slowly through your digestive tract and can slow peristalsis. Eat low-fiber foods in moderation, and combine them with high-fiber sources.

The probiotic strain Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®, ... converts prebiotic fibres into short chain fatty acids which lubricate your gut and naturally stimulate peristalsis. Whilst 'stimulant' and 'osmotic' laxatives do this too, probiotics achieve the same effect naturally and don’t irritate your gut in the process. One of the main benefits that probiotics have over laxatives is that they can’t cause ‘lazy’ gut, which happens when your digestive system becomes reliant on the extra help from laxatives. Probiotics also don’t carry the risk of dehydration, which means you can take them on an ongoing basis.

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, or NDDIC, constipation is a symptom of slowed peristalsis. The NDDIC lists inadequate dietary fiber and lack of physical activity as two primary causes of constipation. Other causes are dehydration, medications, abuse of laxatives and life changes like pregnancy, travel and aging. As you age, decreased muscle tone and slower nerve impulses combined with medications and decreased physical activity can cause peristalsis to slow, resulting in constipation.

In addition to poor dietary habits, physical inactivity can slow peristaltic action.
Engaging in regular daily exercise speeds up your metabolism and stimulates the digestive process.
Psychological factors like depression can slow peristalsis, as can a disruption in timing of bowel habits or lack of privacy.
Pregnancy, surgery, illness and medications can also reduce peristaltic stimulus.

Reasons why probiotics help constipation

1. Probiotics lower the pH in the bowel and this is known to assist peristalsis ...
2. Taking some probiotics is known to improve the time taken for waste to pass through
3. There are different bacteria in the bowel of people with chronic constipation compared to non-constipated people.

High-Fiber Foods
Fiber stimulates peristalsis by adding bulk, which in turn distends intestinal walls and activates peristaltic activity.
Beans are one of the top sources of fiber, with 1/2 cup containing 6 to 9.6 grams of fiber, or 24 percent to 38 percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Cereals made from 100 percent bran are good sources of fiber, but as long as you choose whole-grain products you’ll get fiber from the bran. Top fruit choices include pears, apples, raspberries and prunes. For vegetables, go with peas, broccoli, leafy greens, baked potatoes and winter squash.

Prebiotics, such as FOS (FructoOligoSaccharides) are used by the beneficial bacteria residing in the colon as a food source, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, which suppress harmful organisms. FOS is a pure natural extract of chicory. It provides many health benefits similar to soluble dietary fiber. Being a non-digestible carbohydrate, it is not broken down by the digestive tract and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels in the body. No fermentation of sugar is used during the extraction of FOS, as it is a plant extract.

Support : Limonene, as an acid neutralizer. INDEX

Article: D-Limonene: Safety and Clinical Applications.
http://altmedrev.com/publications/12/3/259.pdf
Alternative Medicine Review, Volume 12, Number 3 2007
by Jidong Sun, PhD
– Nutritional science, University of Nebraska;
Director of Scientific Affairs, Thorne Research, Inc.;
12 years experience in dietary supplement industry.
Correspondence address:
Thorne Research, PO Box 25, Dover, ID 83825
Email: jidong@thorne.com

Abstract
... In humans, d-limonene has demonstrated low toxicity after single and repeated dosing for up to one year.
Being an excellent solvent of cholesterol, d-limonene has been used clinically to dissolve cholesterol-containing gallstones. Because of its gastric acid neutralizing effect and its support of normal peristalsis, it has also been used for relief of heartburn.

D-limonene has well-established chemopreventive activity against many types of cancers. ...

Because it is a solvent of cholesterol, d-limonene has been clinically used to dissolve cholesterol-containing gallstones.
It has also been used to relieve heartburn, ... and its support for healthy peristalsis.
D-limonene has well-established chemopreventive activity against many types of cancers. ...

Signals: Nerve blockage. INDEX
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/chronic-intestinal-pseudo-obstruction/
LINK 2: https://www.aboutgimotility.org/
disorders-of-the-small-intestine/intestinal-pseudo-obstruction.html
IFFGD, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders,
Milwaukee, WI 53217 --- Phone: (414) 964-1799
Last Updated: 01 October 2015

Chiropractors, and many of their patients, will testify to the reality that spinal subluxation of a number of vertebrae can pinch the associated nerves that convey action-inaction signals from the Central Nervous System (CNS).

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP) is a rare, potentially disabling gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abnormalities affecting the involuntary, coordinated muscular contractions (a process called peristalsis) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Myopathic CIP is caused by injury to the smooth muscle of the GI tract.
Smooth muscles are involuntary muscles – the brain has no conscious control over them.
Smooth muscles react involuntarily to various stimuli. Smooth muscle lines the walls of the GI tract and helps to control the wave-like contractions (peristalsis) that aids in the digestion and transport of food.

Neuropathic CIP is usually caused by damage to the enteric nervous system, which is sometimes referred to as the brain in the gut. The nerves of the enteric nervous system are embedded in the walls of the digestive tract all the way from the esophagus to the anus. The enteric nervous system is involved in various processes in the GI tract including peristalsis and is vital to overall health and well-being. Less often, neuropathic CIP can be caused by abnormalities affecting other nerve cells in the GI tract.

In (a) form of intestinal pseudo-obstruction that mostly affects older adults, the colon becomes enlarged after surgery or illness. This condition is known as acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO), also called Ogilvie syndrome or acute colonic ileus. ACPO can lead to serious complications and can be life-threatening.

Normally, nerves and muscles work together to produce wavelike contractions that push food through the intestines. In intestinal pseudo-obstruction, nerve or muscle problems prevent normal contractions. As a result, people with the condition have problems with the movement of food, fluid, and air through the intestines.

When the cause of the nerve or muscle problems leading to intestinal pseudo-obstruction is not known, the condition is called primary or idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. If the cause is known, the condition is called secondary intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Causes of secondary intestinal pseudo-obstruction include:

• abdominal or pelvic surgery
• diseases that affect muscles and nerves,
  ---- such as lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and Parkinson's disease
• infections
• medications such as opiates and antidepressants that affect muscles and nerves

... symptoms of intestinal pseudo-obstruction?

• cramps,
• abdominal pain,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• bloating, and
• constipation.
• Occasionally, diarrhea.

  Over time, the condition can cause

• bacterial infections,
• malnutrition,
• weight loss, and
• muscle problems in other parts of the body.

  Some people develop problems with their

• esophagus,
• stomach, or
• bladder.

Treatment may include medications, such as antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, pain medication, and medication to treat intestinal muscle problems. People with ACPO may need procedures to remove gas from the bowel. In severe cases of intestinal pseudo-obstruction, surgery to remove part of the intestine or other intestinal surgery might be necessary.

Nutrition: Activation by Taurine. INDEX
The Weekly Medical Review, Volume 14, p 652-54
https://books.google.ca/books?id=WTpYAAAAMAAJ...

What property do all or nearly all of the tubes of the body possess in a greater or less degree?
It is the property of performing peristaltic contractions, and most of them in either direction of the tube, which we will now proceed to try to prove. The proofs of peristaltic contraction of muscular vessels, we will divide into indirect and direct.

DIRECT PROOFS.
We know very well how the esophagus, which is a simple muscular tube is made to propel, even against considerable resistance, its contents in the process of swallowing, or the opposite one of eructation. It will even convey in this way a solid object. The same is true of the large and small intestines, the peristaltic action of which is well understood, and is an example of the kind of action of which I am speaking. It is a muscular tube supplied rhythmically, or otherwise, with fluid or semi-fluid contents, the chief agent in moving which is the muscular wall of the intestines, acting in a vermicular or peristaltic manner. This action may be quickened or it may be reversed, as in stereoraceous vomiting, in each case modifying the velocity or even the course of movements of its contents. There are other cases such as the Fallopian tubes, the ejaculatory ducts in expelling semen, or the urethra in expelling the last of the urine, and the muscular tubes in many of the lower animals that do not have a heart proper. In all these cases, it cannot be denied that they have an unmistakable peristaltic contraction with the effect to circulate or propel their contents. The case of the small muscular blood vessels seems to me to be perfectly analogous.

You have a muscular tube somewhat rhythmically supplied by the heart, with its contents, and if so, we may inquire why?
In the one case the peristaltic action occurs and not in the other. Unless it is certainly known as a matter of fact, that the muscular vessels do not act in the way we have supposed, what good reason can be given for refusing to admit it in the one case, when it is known to happen in many that are parallel with it? I will now cite other cases of indirect proof; as for example -- the portal circulation. Here you have the blood transmitted to the intestines by the mesenteric arteries. After passing through the capillaries in the walls of the intestines the blood enters the corresponding veins which unite to form the portal vein. So far, all is clear, but now the blood made to pass through this second set of capillaries at the hepatic end of the portal vein? I am sure I cannot explain how the blood is circulated through this second set of capillaries in a solid organ like the liver, if not in the way I have supposed. Surely it cannot be said the heart does, or the large elastic arteries. I think it is certainly carried on by the peristaltic action of the muscular veins, which in the case of the portal vein is very muscular, as compared with some others, a fact which does not seem to have been considered as it should have been.

Another indirect proof of this kind is in the fetal circulation.
How is the blood circulated from the fetus through the long umbilical arteries to the placenta, and through the placenta by the umbilical vein to the child again? I presume you have noticed the powerful impulse with which the blood circulates through the cord of the fetus? With too much power certainly for the fetal heart to have exerted; and I do not believe it is the fetal heart for another reason, because the fetal heart often beats twice as fast as the cord does. If the pulsations of the heart are the source of the pulsations, they should be synchronous, and they are not, according to writers who have investigated that subject. Then, from what source is it caused? I would say by the powerful muscularity of the umbilical cord. Especially of the placenta itself, as the muscularity of its vessels is simply remarkable. But why are they so much more muscular than the corresponding muscles in the child? I think I can see very well why they are so -- that they may do the work of a heart by powerful peristaltic action, which in my judgement, is the origin of the impulse we feel when we take the cord between our fingers. ...

Other proofs of this kind of action I think may be found in the erectile tissues of animals.
And also examples are found in the human species. Take for instance the erection of the penis.
I know in this case you have a dilation of the vessels of the organ, and an active congestion of it, but I hold you have the peristaltic contractions of the vessels playing an important part also. If not, why does it become so much more rigid and harder than other tissues exposed to a similar vascular action? Take for instance a part plugged by a thrombosis, or a varicose condition of a part, and they are not nearly as rigid as the first-mentioned organ.

Another condition in which I think peristaltic contraction plays a prominent part, is in the secretory organs.
We will take, for instance, the stomach in the act of digestion. Here you have more blood passing through the organ in a given time than is done normally; and why is this? Is the heart action at all increased? I think not. Then how is more blood carried to the part in a given time than there is normally? I know that it is held by some that the "vessels of the stomach become dilated," and in this way receive a greater supply of blood. But how is the extra supply of blood produced? In the following manner. The food in the stomach presses the peripheral ends of the sensory nerves in the mucous coat of the stomach and a sensory impression is carried over this sensory nerve fiber to the vasomotor center and is reflected as a motor impression to the muscular coat of the blood vessels and produces a peristaltic contraction of the blood vessels leading to the stomach, and in this way increases the amount of blood sent to the stomach in a given time and not by mere dilative action as is generally supposed, or by a paralysis of the vaso-contrictor nerves of that organ.

We will see how a mere paralysis of the vaso-motor nerves would affect a part, a thing that has often been done by simply dividing the nerves of the part, and in this way paralysing the vaso-constrictor nerve fibres, of course, producing a dilation of the muscular blood vessels. Now, the point I wish to get at is, will this dilation of the vessels cause more blood to flow through a part in a given time or less? I must say that I think less, from the simple reason that the rapidity of the blood current is greatly diminished, and there is less tone possessed by the vessel, and a consequent stasis of the blood of the vessel. This has been proven more times than one, by dividing the cervical sympathetic in the neck which causes a congestion and a statis of blood in one half of the head. Consequently if the increase in blood supply to the stomach during digestion, cannot be accounted for by a simple dilation of the vessels, how can we account for it? I can see no more rational way of accounting for it than by giving to these vessels a paristaltic action. ...

Nervous : Spinal Sympathetic system. INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_nervous_system
Many contributors, accessed March 9, 2018

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the other being the parasympathetic nervous system. (The enteric nervous system (ENS) is now usually referred to as separate from the autonomic nervous system since it has its own independent reflex activity.)

The autonomic nervous system functions to regulate the body's unconscious actions.
The sympathetic nervous system's primary process is to stimulate the body's fight-or-flight response.
It is, however, constantly active at a basic level to maintain homeostasis.
The sympathetic nervous system is described as being complementary to the parasympathetic nervous system which stimulates the body to "feed and breed" and to (then) "rest-and-digest". ...

Organization.
Sympathetic nerves arise from near the middle of the spinal cord in the intermediolateral nucleus of the lateral grey column, beginning at the first thoracic vertebra of the vertebral column and are thought to extend to the second or third lumbar vertebra. Because its cells begin in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, the sympathetic nervous system is said to have a thoracolumbar outflow. Axons of these nerves leave the spinal cord through the anterior root. They pass near the spinal (sensory) ganglion, where they enter the anterior rami of the spinal nerves. However, unlike somatic innervation, they quickly separate out through white rami connectors (so called from the shiny white sheaths of myelin around each axon) that connect to either the paravertebral (which lie near the vertebral column) or prevertebral (which lie near the aortic bifurcation) ganglia extending alongside the spinal column.

To reach target organs and glands, the axons must travel long distances in the body, and, to accomplish this, many axons relay their message to a second cell through synaptic transmission. The ends of the axons link across a space, the synapse, to the dendrites of the second cell. The first cell (the presynaptic cell) sends a neurotransmitter across the synaptic cleft where it activates the second cell (the postsynaptic cell). The message is then carried to the final destination.

Function.
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for up- and down-regulating many homeostatic mechanisms in living organisms. Fibers from the SNS innervate tissues in almost every organ system, providing at least some regulation of functions as diverse as pupil diameter, gut motility, and urinary system output and function. It is perhaps best known for mediating the neuronal and hormonal stress response commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. This response is also known as sympatho-adrenal response of the body, as the preganglionic sympathetic fibers that end in the adrenal medulla (but also all other sympathetic fibers) secrete acetylcholine, which activates the great secretion of adrenaline (epinephrine) and to a lesser extent noradrenaline (norepinephrine) from it. Therefore, this response that acts primarily on the cardiovascular system is mediated directly via impulses transmitted through the sympathetic nervous system and indirectly via catecholamines secreted from the adrenal medulla.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for priming the body for action, particularly in situations threatening survival. One example of this priming is in the moments before waking, in which sympathetic outflow spontaneously increases in preparation for action.

Sympathetic nervous system stimulation causes vasoconstriction of most blood vessels, including many of those in the skin, the digestive tract, and the kidneys. This occurs as a result of activation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors by norepinephrine released by post-ganglionic sympathetic neurons. These receptors exist throughout the vasculature of the body but are inhibited and counterbalanced by beta-2 adrenergic receptors (stimulated by epinephrine release from the adrenal glands) in the skeletal muscles, the heart, the lungs, and the brain during a sympathoadrenal response. The net effect of this is a shunting of blood away from the organs not necessary to the immediate survival of the organism and an increase in blood flow to those organs involved in intense physical activity.

2nd Brain : Enteric nervous system. INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enteric_nervous_system
Many contributors, accessed after December 4, 2017

LINK 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischemic_colitis
LINK 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesenteric_ischemia

The enteric nervous system (ENS) or intrinsic nervous system is one of the main divisions of the autonomic nervous system and consists of a mesh-like system of neurons that governs the function of the gastrointestinal tract. It is capable of acting independent of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, although it may be influenced by them. The ENS is also called the second brain.

The enteric nervous system can operate autonomously.
It normally communicates with the central nervous system (CNS) through the parasympathetic (e.g., via the vagus nerve) and sympathetic (e.g., via the prevertebral ganglia) nervous systems. However, vertebrate studies show that when the vagus nerve is severed, the enteric nervous system continues to function.

In vertebrates, the enteric nervous system includes efferent neurons, afferent neurons, and interneurons, all of which make the enteric nervous system capable of carrying reflexes and acting as an integrating center in the absence of CNS input. The sensory neurons report on mechanical and chemical conditions. Through intestinal muscles, the motor neurons control peristalsis and churning of intestinal contents. Other neurons control the secretion of enzymes. The enteric nervous system also makes use of more than 30 neurotransmitters, most of which are identical to the ones found in CNS, such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. More than 90% of the body's serotonin lies in the gut, as well as about 50% of the body's dopamine,

Structure
The enteric nervous system in humans consists of some 500 million neurons (including the various types of Dogiel cells), one two-hundredth of the number of neurons in the brain, five times as many as the one hundred million neurons in the human spinal cord, and about 2/3 as many as in the whole nervous system of a cat. The enteric nervous system is embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system, beginning in the esophagus and extending down to the anus.

The neurons of the ENS are collected into two types of ganglia:
myenteric (Auerbach's) and submucosal (Meissner's) plexuses.
Myenteric plexuses are located between the inner and outer layers of the muscularis externa, while submucosal plexuses are located in the submucosa.

Function
The ENS is capable of autonomous functions like the coordination of reflexes; although it receives considerable innervation from the autonomic nervous system, it can and does operate independently of the brain and the spinal cord. ...

ENS function can be damaged by ischemia. ..
Ischemia or ischaemia is a restriction in blood supply to tissues, causing a shortage of oxygen that is needed for cellular metabolism (to keep tissue alive). Ischemia is generally caused by problems with blood vessels, with resultant damage to or dysfunction of tissue. It also means local anemia in a given part of a body sometimes resulting from congestion (such as vasoconstriction, thrombosis or embolism). Ischemia comprises not only insufficiency of oxygen, but also reduced availability of nutrients and inadequate removal of metabolic wastes. Ischemia can be partial (poor perfusion) or total.

Pathophysiology
Ischemia results in tissue damage in a process known as ischemic cascade.
The damage is the result of the build-up of metabolic waste products, inability to maintain cell membranes, mitochondrial damage, and eventual leakage of autolyzing proteolytic enzymes into the cell and surrounding tissues.

Restoration of blood supply to ischemic tissues can cause additional damage known as reperfusion injury that can be more damaging than the initial ischemia. Reintroduction of blood flow brings oxygen back to the tissues, causing a greater production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species that damage cells. It also brings more calcium ions to the tissues causing further calcium overloading and can result in potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias and also accelerates cellular self-destruction. The restored blood flow also exaggerates the inflammation response of damaged tissues, causing white blood cells to destroy damaged cells that may otherwise still be viable

COMMENT:
A shortage of blood to the tissues involved (Ischemia) can induce behavioral restrictions on the muscles much like paralysis ... in this case, lack of peristaltic action; if the tissues/muscles die, it will be a permanent paralysis.

Minerals: Magnesium excess & deficiency. INDEX
https://www.livestrong.com/article/470686-intestinal-peristalsis-magnesium/ Intestinal Peristalsis & Magnesium
by CHRIS DANIELS --- Oct. 03, 2017

Peristalsis is a series of orderly contractions of the intestines that push food through your intestines.
High levels of magnesium can interrupt peristalsis, causing diarrhea and cramping.

High enough levels of magnesium may be obtained when taking magnesium supplements or a large number of supplements using magnesium stearate, or another magnesium compound, as a filler. ... Most food contains some level of magnesium. Additionally, magnesium is added to many processed foods. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, there is no tolerable upper limit for dietary magnesium:

Excess dietary magnesium is excreted with waste.
Magnesium stearate, as well as related chemicals, is used in the processing and as a filler in many dietary supplements and medicines in both pill and powder form. Taking large amounts of dietary supplements at once, especially without food, can disrupt peristalsis leading to nausea, cramping, diarrhea and other intestinal discomfort.

Sensitivity: Vagus nerveaction & dysfunction. INDEX
http://www.nootroguide.com/vagus-nerve-dysfunction/
Vagus Nerve Dysfunction Symptoms and Remedies
August 21, 2017

LINK 2: https://fromdoctor.com/inflamed-vagus-nerve-symptoms-and-remedies.html
by admin on 15 March 2014

The vagus nerve from the brain is responsible for controlling the parasympathetic system.
It is involved in many functions, from the movements of the mouth, the heart or the fact of sweating. ...

Unknown to the vast majority of people, the pneumogastric nerve, known as the “vagus nerve”, it is the tenth nerve in the brain, the longest in its class; it starts in the cranial box; it originates in the medulla, a part of the brainstem, which is located in the lower posterior part of the brain and descends through the neck and thorax until it reaches the abdomen. We have two vagus nerves, one to the right and one to the left of the human body.

It supplies nerve fibers to the throat area, the lungs, the heart and the digestive organs.
It is the nerve that confers sensitivity to the respiratory mucous membranes (pharynx, larynx, esophagus, trachea, lungs and bronchi) and transmits rhythm, strength and frequency in breathing. It also receives signals from internal organs and sends them back to the brain.

... The vagus nerve provides a bidirectional connection between the gut and the brain and it links all major organs.
It even plays a role in neurogenesis which is the process of manufacturing new neurons. ...
Besides giving some output to various organs the vagus nerve makes up between 80% to 90% of afferent nerves.
It mainly gives sensory information to the central nervous system about the state of the body’s organs.
So, the vagus nerve plays a very important role inthe proper functioning of the organs and the central nervous system. ...

If an underactive vagus nerve occurs then the body is delayed in gastric emptying.
Usually, peristalsis – is a continual contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles pushes food into the small intestine for additional digestion. These contractions are supervised by the vagus nerve and if it is damaged these contractions are inhibited. Conversely, if the vagus nerve becomes overactive the heart rate will decrease dramatically causing fainting, and other related symptoms.

A traumatic experience will trigger excessive vagus nerve activity this in turn (can) cause a drop in cardiac output which decreases blood flow to the brain. ... if the vagus nerve fails to send satiety messages to the brain you will just keep eating. This is because your body will not sense when to stop eating. ...

The sympathetic nervous system is aimed at sinking the foot in the accelerator since it feeds on adrenaline and cortisol and is part of the fight or flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite pole. The vagus nerve is the central axis of the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system. This is aimed at reducing speed and uses neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine to slow down heart rate, blood pressure and help the heart and organs to go more slowly.

The symptoms of vagus nerve dysfunction are varied and widespread.
They can appear in the body totally unexpected and some of them are minor while others could be very serious.
It seems like not a lot of doctors are familiar with this condition or its symptoms. Which could lead to the conclusion they may not know how to treat it. But it is a real condition that affects a lot of the parts and organs of the body. Some of the symptoms of vagus nerve dysfunction could be fatal.

Short Facts About the Vagus Nerve.

• Increased vagal tone is associated with increased intimacy (such as with your marriage spouse) and social interaction.
  Conversely, feeling lonely decreases vagal tone.

• Vagus nerve activity has an antidepressant effect.
  The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress system is out of whack in depression and vagal nerve stimulation normalizes dysregulation of the HPA axis. If the vagus nerve does not regulate this HPA axis depression will set in.

• Vagus nerve dysfunction causes gastrointestinal symptoms.
  The vagus nerve increases stomach acidity, gut motility and digestive juices.
  A hypoactive vagus nerve results in delayed gastric emptying. This could cause acid reflux or indigestion.

• The vagus nerve keeps inflammation in check.
  When the vagus nerve senses inflammatory cytokines it alerts the brain to suppress inflammation via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. This communication is interrupted the inflammation will set in.

• Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in liver, spleen and heart.
  Conversely removal of part of the vagus nerve (vagotomy) exacerbates TNF responses to inflammatory stimuli.
  You may develop cancer if the vagus nerve doesn’t properly inhibit the synthesis of tumors.

• Enterotoxin is responsible for the symptoms of food poisoning.
  Enterotoxin stimulates the vagus nerve and the vomiting center of the brain, resulting in sickness behavior.
  You will vomit foreign food matter when this process kicks in. If the vagus nerve doesn’t fulfill its role in the vomiting process you will be in trouble.

These are the following ways the vagus nerve affects organs:

• Heart: Decreases heart rate and vascular tone

• Brain: Keeps anxiety and depression away and it fights the sympathetic response to stress

• Liver: Controls insulin secretion ... and glucose homeostasis in the liver

• Mouth: Taste data is sent through three central nerves one of those being the vagus nerve.
  The vagus nerve is needed for the gag reflex, swallowing and coughing.

• Gut: Increases gastric juices, gut motility, and stomach acidic.

• Blood vessels: Decreases vascular tone lowering blood pressure
  again people who suffer from high blood pressure may have a unhealthy vagus nerve that is not controlling blood pressure properly.

• Inflammation: Stops inflammation by the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway

One of the best ways to help us and prevent imbalances is with an ancestral diet, which mainly contains fish, vegetables, nuts and fruits, avoiding the high dependence on cereals (mainly refined wheat derivatives) of oxidized vegetable oils, of sugars, of “dairy”, of processed food, leaving periods of fasting more or less long, maintaining an active life, implementing even intense training (not strenuous).

But, because of the close relationship between the vagus nerve and the brain, the other great way to stimulate and keep it healthy is conscious breathing, relaxation, and meditation. It should be noted the importance of proper breathing when performing practices related to relaxation and meditation. Breathing not only supplies us with oxygen, but also provides us with prana or chi, which is the vital energy that keeps the energy and physical systems functioning, and which is the “earthly” representation of the subtle energies that our soul receives from the universe. Breathing is the only function of the autonomic nervous system that can be controlled and regulated by consciousness, therefore it functions as a link between the psychic and physical dimension of the human being.

Deep breaths, made consciously, serve both to calm nerves before a presentation, interview or talk in public, as to put us in a state of relaxation and mental calm after a day’s work. Breathe deeply, fill the lungs to the fullest and then take out as much air as you can, several times, cleanse our body of stale air that accumulates and never comes out when we breathe superficially, and leaves us with a sensation of inner freshness that is really nice. The fact of doing all this while maintaining the concentration on the breathing process causes the mind to be occupied in the present moment, in inspiration and expiration, achieving, even for brief moments, the peace of mind necessary to enter states of mind.

There are other ways that help stimulate the nerve:

• Hold your breath.
• Put a cool wet cloth on your face.
• Press vigorously on the eyes.
• Drink a glass of cold water quickly.
• Lie down with your head down.
• Contract the abdomen.
• Inspire deeply by swelling the belly to oxygenate the blood.
• Relaxation and meditation.

The results of this stimulation can be amazing if we practice it when we feel stressed or in a moment of overwhelm.

... long-term stimulation of the vagus nerve can

• repair some organs,
• lowers blood pressure,
• improves heart rate,
• increases brain volume,
• improves immune function,
• fixes the nervous system,
• reduces anxiety, stress and depression.

Meridian: Liver energy supports peristalsis. INDEX
http://www.natural-treatments-for.com/natural-treatments-for-constipation.html
Constipation Natural Treatments
By Dr. Mao Shing Ni -- 2015

LINK 2: https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/
chapter/23-5-the-small-and-large-intestines/
23.5 The Small and Large Intestines, by Rice University

LINK 3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3376632
Effect of dopamine and adrenaline on the motility function of the digestive tract in the place Platessa platessa.
GroUisman SD, Shparkovskii IA. --- [Article in Russian]
Zh Evol Biokhim Fiziol. 1988 Jan-Feb;24(1):28-33.

LINK 4: https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/adrenaline
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™ Copyright © 2013, Columbia University Press.

In Chinese medicine, the bowels are recognized as being connected to the liver and spleen digestive systems.
Besides improper diet, many cases of constipation are due to prolonged stress and emotional imbalance, causing the liver energy to stagnate and preventing natural peristaltic bowel movements. ... It regulates the amount of blood circulating, withdrawing and storing it when resting or sleeping, and releasing it during exercise.

The Liver is called the "Official of Planning." Every function and process begins with a plan or vision.
The Wood element is directed toward a future goal. The liver controls the peripheral nervous system, which regulates muscular activity and tension. ... The Liver grants us powers of reason, clarity of thought, logic, the ability to "see" with the mind's eye what is communicated by another, as well as to present our ideas in a way that others can "see" what we mean.

The Liver is responsible for planning and creativity, as well as instantaneous solutions or sudden insights; it is therefore considered The General in Charge of Strategy. The Liver houses the body's Hun and governs fright. Its positive psycho-emotional attributes are kindness, benevolence, compassion, and generosity; its negative attributes are anger, irritability, frustration, resentment, jealousy, rage, and depression. The Liver is also called the "root of resistance to fatigue."

If the Liver is imbalanced, we may be unable to make plans, be uncertain, tentative, aimless, or may over-plan, exemplified by over-perfectionism, in which case nothing gets started because it's not perfect enough. We may become so attached to one point of view (lacking flexibility and adaptability) and, incapable of "seeing" another idea, we become rigid, bossy, or overly-assertive.

The inability to relax is often caused by liver dysfunction or imbalance in Wood energy.
Liver energy also controls ligaments and tendons, which together with muscles regulate motor activity and determine physical coordination.

Spiritually, having a plan or goal gives us a sense of purpose and direction.
It orients us toward a future with confidence, hope, and optimism. In imbalance, we may feel hopeless, desperate, with no perceived direction or purpose and, thus, resigned.

Constipation: Advice on what to Avoid.

• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle, inactivity, and prolonged sitting,
  --- which suppress natural intestinal peristalsis.
  (and can be motivated by enthusiasm, strong willpower, commitment, duty, obligation, guilt, reward)

• Avoid smoking, alcohol, and coffee,
  --- which tend to be dehydrating, making constipation worse.

• Avoid resisting the urge to move your bowels when necessary,
  which can contribute to abnormal bowel habits and constipation.
  (and, which can be facilitated by any number of social & other distractions)

• Avoid some antacids,
  especially those containing aluminum, calcium, and iron supplements, as they can cause constipation.

Mechanical Digestion
The movement of (small) intestinal smooth muscles includes both segmentation and a form of peristalsis called migrating motility complexes. ... (Segmentation ... look(s) as if the contents were being shoved incrementally back and forth, as the rings of smooth muscle repeatedly contract and then relax. (It) does not force chyme through the tract. Instead, it combines the chyme with digestive juices and pushes food particles against the mucosa to be absorbed. ... )

In the large intestine, mechanical digestion begins when chyme moves from the ileum into the cecum, an activity regulated by the ileocecal sphincter. Right after you eat, peristalsis in the ileum forces chyme into the cecum. When the cecum is distended with chyme, contractions of the ileocecal sphincter strengthen. Once chyme enters the cecum, colon movements begin.

Mechanical digestion in the large intestine includes a combination of three types of movements.
The presence of food residues in the colon stimulates a slow-moving haustral contraction.
This type of movement involves sluggish segmentation, primarily in the transverse and descending colons. When a haustrum is distended with chyme, its muscle contracts, pushing the residue into the next haustrum. These contractions occur about every 30 minutes, and each last about 1 minute. These movements also mix the food residue, which helps the large intestine absorb water.

The second type of movement is peristalsis, which, in the large intestine, is slower than in the more proximal portions of the alimentary canal. The third type is a mass movement. These strong waves start midway through the transverse colon and quickly force the contents toward the rectum. Mass movements usually occur three or four times per day, either while you eat or immediately afterward. Distension in the stomach and the breakdown products of digestion in the small intestine provoke the gastrocolic reflex, which increases motility, including mass movements, in the colon. Fiber in the diet both softens the stool and increases the power of colonic contractions, optimizing the activities of the colon.

Electrophysiological studies have been made of the inhibitory effects of dopamine and adrenaline on motor activity of the stomach and intestine in the place Platessa platessa. This effect revealed itself in suppression of peristaltic and tonic contractions of the digestive tract for 2-5 hours.

Upon entering the blood, the adrenaline raises the oxygen consumption of organs and tissues and participates in the mobilization of glycogen, the cleavage of which leads to an increase of the sugar level in the blood (hyperglycemia). Adrenaline stimulates protein, carbohydrate, fat, and mineral metabolism; raises arterial blood pressure (primarily by constricting the small peripheral blood vessels); increases heart and respiration rates and the force of cardiac contractions; slows intestinal peristalsis; and so forth. Adrenaline content of the blood rises during emotional stress, increased muscular work, choking, chilling, and lowering of the sugar level in the blood (hypoglycemia).

In a learned, patterned, or, strengthened spiritual state of Calm, Focus, and Reverence, dopamine (desire & motivation) and adrenaline (energy) activation suppresses peristaltic and tonic contractions for up to 4 hours beyond the end of the expressive spiritual state and includes periods of total rest and anxiety-free sleep. If such periods become repetitive often enough to enable a continual bridging of the suppressed peristaltic action, normal defecation can become hampered.

Oxygen Loss: Large intestine (ischemic colitis). INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischemic_colitis

Symptoms of (large intestine) ischemic colitis vary depending on the severity of the ischemia.
The most common early signs of ischemic colitis include abdominal pain (often left-sided), with mild to moderate amounts of rectal bleeding.
(A study of kind and frequency of symptoms produced the following results. )

    abdominal pain (78%)
    lower digestive bleeding (62%)
    diarrhea (38%)
    Fever higher than 38 °C (100.4 °F) (34%)

Physical examination
    abdominal pain (77%)
    abdominal tenderness (21%)

... ischemic colitis is a well-recognized complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, when the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery is covered by the aortic graft. ... Bloody diarrhea and leukocytosis in the postoperative period are essentially diagnostic of ischemic colitis. ...

Colonic blood supply
The colon receives blood from both the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries.
The blood supply from these two major arteries overlap, with abundant collateral circulation via the marginal artery of the colon. However, there are weak points, or "watershed" areas, at the borders of the territory supplied by each of these arteries, such as the splenic flexure and the rectosigmoid junction. These watershed areas are most vulnerable to ischemia when blood flow decreases, as they have the fewest vascular collaterals.

Development of ischemia.
Under ordinary conditions, the colon receives between 10% and 35% of the total cardiac output.
If blood flow to the colon drops by more than about 50%, ischemia will develop.
The arteries feeding the colon are very sensitive to vasoconstrictors; presumably this is an evolutionary adaptation to shunt blood away from the bowel and to the heart and brain in times of stress. As a result, during periods of low blood pressure, the arteries feeding the colon clamp down vigorously; a similar process can result from vasoconstricting drugs such as ergotamine, cocaine, or vasopressors. This vasoconstriction can result in non-occlusive ischemic colitis.

Pathologic findings
A range of pathologic findings are seen in ischemic colitis, corresponding to the spectrum of clinical severity.
In its mildest form, mucosal and submucosal hemorrhage and edema are seen, possibly with mild necrosis or ulceration.
With more severe ischemia, a pathologic picture resembling inflammatory bowel disease (i.e. chronic ulcerations, crypt abscesses and pseudopolyps) may be seen.

In the most severe cases, transmural infarction with resulting perforation may be seen; after recovery, the muscularis propria may be replaced by fibrous tissue, resulting in a stricture. Following restoration of normal blood flow, reperfusion injury may also contribute to the damage to the colon.

Diagnosis of ischemic colitis.
Ischemic colitis must be differentiated from the many other causes of abdominal pain and rectal bleeding (for example, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis, or colon cancer). It is also important to differentiate ischemic colitis, which often resolves on its own, from the more immediately life-threatening condition of acute mesenteric ischemia of the small bowel.

There are devices which test the sufficiency of oxygen delivery to the colon.
The first device approved by the U.S. FDA in 2004 uses visible light spectroscopy to analyze capillary oxygen levels. ... Specificity has been 90% or higher for acute colonic ischemia, and 83% for chronic mesenteric ischemia, with a sensitivity of 71%-92%. This device must be placed using endoscopy, however.

Diagnostic tests for ischemic colitis.
There is a recent optical test, but it requires endoscopy.
There are no specific blood tests for ischemic colitis.

Plain X-rays are often normal or show non-specific findings.

CT scans are often used in the evaluation of abdominal pain and rectal bleeding, and may suggest the diagnosis of ischemic colitis, pick up complications, or suggest an alternate diagnosis.

Endoscopic evaluation, via colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, is the procedure of choice if the diagnosis remains unclear. Ischemic colitis has a distinctive endoscopic appearance; endoscopy can also facilitate alternate diagnoses such as infection or inflammatory bowel disease. Biopsies can be taken via endoscopy to provide more information. Visible light spectroscopy, performed using catheters placed through the 5 mm channel of the endoscope, is diagnostic.

Oxygen Loss: Small Intestine (Mesenteric ischemia). INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesenteric_ischemia

Mesenteric ischemia is a medical condition in which injury of the small intestine occurs due to not enough blood supply.
It can come on suddenly, known as acute mesenteric ischemia, or gradually, known as chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Symptoms:
Acute disease often presents with sudden severe pain.
Symptoms may come on more slowly in those with acute on chronic disease.
Signs and symptoms of chronic disease include abdominal pain after eating, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, and being afraid of eating.

Risk factors include atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic renal failure, being prone to forming blood clots, and previous myocardial infarction. There are 4 mechanisms by which poor blood flow occurs:

1. a blood clot from elsewhere getting lodged in an artery,
2. a new blood clot forming in an artery,
3. a blood clot forming in the superior mesenteric vein, and
4. insufficient blood flow due to low blood pressure or spasms of arteries.

Chronic disease is a risk factor for acute disease.
The best method of diagnosis is angiography, with computer tomography (CT) being used when that is not available.

Treatment of acute ischemia may include stenting or medications to break down the clot provided at the site of obstruction by interventional radiology. Open surgery may also be used to remove or bypass the obstruction and may be required to remove any intestines that may have died. If not rapidly treated outcomes are often poor.
Among those affected even with treatment the risk of death is 70% to 90%.

In those with chronic disease bypass surgery is the treatment of choice.
Those who have thrombosis of the vein may be treated with anticoagulation such as heparin and warfarin, with surgery used if they do not improve.

Acute mesenteric ischemia affects about five per hundred thousand people per year in the developed world.
Chronic mesenteric ischemia affects about one per hundred thousand people.
Most people affected are over 60 years old.

Diagnostic heuristics

In the absence of adequate quantitative studies to guide diagnosis, various heuristics help guide diagnosis:

• Mesenteric ischemia
  "should be suspected when individuals, especially those at high risk for acute mesenteric ischemia, develop severe and persisting abdominal pain that is disproportionate to their abdominal findings".

• Regarding mesenteric arterial thrombosis or embolism:
  "... early symptoms are present and are relative mild in 50% of cases for three to four days before medical attention is sought".

• Regarding mesenteric arterial thrombosis or embolism:
  "Any patient with an arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation who complains of abdominal pain is highly suspected of having embolization to the superior mesenteric artery until proved otherwise".

• Regarding nonocclusive intestinal ischemia:
  "Any patient who takes digitalis and diuretics and who complains of abdominal pain must be considered to have nonocclusive ischemia until proved otherwise".

Comment: Prepare to be abandoned. INDEX

By mid-2017, I had asked medical doctors in the province of British Columbia, and, more recently in the province of Alberta about tenderness in my mid-abdomen near the location of my aorta ... for as long as TEN years. With the advent of intestinal peristaltic loss, on an almost sudden basis and then continuously onward from 2015 ... the doctors I went to either responded to my queries and concerns with a blank stare, or, waited for ME to make a medical suggestion. NONE ever expressed a personal interest in doing any research or contacting other peers or refering me to specialists to resolve the FUNCTIONAL loss. None ever asked if I was taking any prescription drugs or supplements ... which one might presume could encourage enteric problems.

When I asked to be referred to a Gastro-Intestinal Surgeon in Alberta in the Fall of 2017, I already knew that I had passed the medically reported danger threshold of having an endoscope examination due to the internal abdominal pressure. Medical research indicated that in such instances there was a High risk of intestinal puncture ... which would necessitate high risk open abdomen major surgery to repair. Almost a year earlier, I had contacted a highly experienced Endoscopic surgeon at the University of Vancouver to request his suggestions or assistance. There had been no reply.

The relatively young and recently (within the past 5 years) Alberta accredited Gastro-Intestinal surgeon was a surprising another discouragement. I did my best to note my symptoms, test results, concerns, and desire for open abdomen diagnostic intervention in the customary 10 minutes which the typical Canadian provincial limitation of their doctors recommended. I was shocked when the surgeon did not appear to understanding what and how the intestinal valves/ spinctures worked, and, confidently expressed that intestinal peristalsis was SOLELY and only controlled by the autonomic nervous system, in particular, the vagus nerve. As you will note from the brief details noted above ... there are many more influences to the presence or absence and strength of intestinal peristaltic actions. And, the vagus nerve has a MINIMAL influence on inhibited intestinal peristaltic activity. His solution: wait another 3 months and then have him do a colonoscopy. Why would anyone invite a seemingly incompetent, poorly informed, insincere surgeon to puncture their intestine and threaten their survival?

More than 15 years earlier, I had underwent a colonosopy and colon x-ray in the Province of Ontario.
On one occasion I was experiencing chronic fatigue and a lack of bowel motility. The urologist found nothing of interest in the colonoscopy and the medical Team (a new dignostic approach for the time) referred me to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist prescribed an anti-depression drug for me in less than 10 minutes with no other tests. As a serotinin booster, the drug worked almost immediately. But, it was not fixing or repairing anything. I could either become a medically generated addict, or, I could find the problem. Eventually, I did find that the source of the intestinal dysfunction and fatigue was a HIGH toxicity of Mercury. Lowering that toxicity led to my recovery. At no time did the psychiatrist, urologist, or any medical doctor express ANY interest in HOW I recovered or WHAT was clearly the source of the MEDICAL problem.

Several years apart from the fatigue/ bowel motility problem, I was experiencing a relatively sudden onset of a set of symptoms identical to those for intestinal CANCER: bleeding, gas, abdominal cramping, headaches .... It had taken some time to traverse the medical system to a point of getting a colonoscopy. I felt in a state of emergency, as, from my viewpoint, I was losing a lot of blood daily. I expected to hear back the results from my doctor within a week. He had told me that result were usually back in 3 or 4 days. After almost a week I called. He had left the day after my colonoscopy for a 2-week vacation. No one else had been left in charge to follow-up. No one was going to step in either. I would have to wait. So, with prayer, I was Spiritually Guiided to a protocol of fasting and using a combination of mustard, garlic, and honey daily. After about 2 weeks, I passed 7 white almond shaped rubbery cyst-like objects. IMMEDIATELY, all of the symptoms disappeared ... no thanks to the medical system. I never went back to that doctor, and, he never called me to find out what was happening, or even to provide me with the test results.

I could regale you with a number of other examples of similarly incompetent medical service, I've experienced over 7 decades, as well as others experienced by family, friends, and heard second hand ... perhaps you are getting the picture. If you are at the mercy of a POLITICALLY regulated (dollars before quality) health care infrastructure, it really is unreasonable to expect competent treatment for anything medical beyond a cut, broken bone, or, an odditty of concern and awareness springing from a recent experience or discovery by the medical personnel present. If YOU want to recover from, or avoid, either an acute or chronic illness ... you had better get going on researching (after learning how to do Quality research), or, hire someone who can, and/or work with user groups of others who are experiencing symptoms similar to yours ... and have also been abandoned.

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