Thoracic 7: Pancreas, Duodenum

Thoracic 7: Pancreas, Duodenum

The pancreas is an organ that is essential to life. The pancreas has two major functions. One is to secrete the hormones insulin and glucagon which are the primary regulators of blood sugar. The other is the secretion of digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help break down food for absorption as well as bicarbonates to neutralize stomach acid as it enters the small intestine.

There are two types of diabetes. Type I (aka Juvenile Diabetes or Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus or IDDM) is a defect in the pancreas causing a lack of insulin production. Hence the dependence on insulin shots. Type II (aka Adult Onset Diabetes or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus or NIDDM) occurs when the cells or the body become resistant to insulin. The pancreas produces plenty of insulin, but the cells simply become unresponsive to it. This is caused by years of poor diet. The over consumption of refined foods and sugars causes the body to secrete so much insulin that, over time, it no longer responds to it. The blood sugar then begins to rise, unchecked.

Uncontrolled blood sugar is very damaging to the nerves and blood vessels of the body. As diabetes progresses there is peripheral nerve damage and vascular damage resulting in sores that won't heal, sometimes resulting in loss of limb. It can be a gruesome disease.

The enzymes made by the pancreas are essential for digesting food. Without them, the most nutritious diet would simply pass into the stool, undigested. Whole food also contains enzymes. The enzymes in the food and the enzymes from our pancreas work together. Processed and refined foods do not contain much in the way of living enzymes. As such, they put an excessive burden on our own enzyme production in order to digest them. This is a potential source of pancreatic enzyme deficiency. Although it is controversial, there are those that believe that pancreatic enzymes also circulate in the blood stream and play a role in our general defense against disease. If this is the case then the consumption of refined foods is even more dangerous than you may have thought.

The duodenum is the name given to the first section of the small intestine. The other two parts are the jejunum and the ilium. You have probably heard of "duodenal ulcers." These are ulcerations caused by un-neutralized acid from the stomach burning the inner lining of the small intestine. The pancreas and gall bladder should both release acid neutralizing bicarbonates into the duodenum as food comes in from the stomach. However, if the pancreas and/or gall bladder is under functioning or if the stomach acid is too weak to trigger sufficient response then the acid can cause ulcerations in the duodenum. So duodenal ulcers may result from either a pancreatic, gall bladder or stomach problem.

When we eat, it is important to relax and take our time. The parasympathetic relaxation response allows the secretion of all digestive juices and enzymes. When we are in a hurry the dominance of the sympathetic stress response dries up secretions. Have you ever noticed that all the antacid commercials show stressed out people eating in a hurry (or just plain over eating)?

Nutritional