How does NIS approach allergies?

By Dr Allan Phillips D.O.

Allergies essentially, are a symptom of intolerance of the body either internally or externally. Internally would relate to what has been ingested, and externally relates to airborne antigens that are either inhaled or come in contact with the skin or eyes.

The causes of allergies relate to the inability of the immune system to counter antigen disruption by responding with a normal antibody response. Today it is common for these disruptions to be given a label that the public can readily relate to. Common examples would be hay fever, gluten intolerance, asthma, and in a general sense eczema and dermatitisto name a few.

The focus and responsibility of NIS is to establish WHY the immune pathways have failed to recognise the allergen, so let's consider some of those reasons.

When foods breakdown completely into usable nutrients then we have no problems.  This would indicate that the food has passed through the various checkpoints along the digestive tract, and finally has been absorbed as a usable nutrient. This so-called flawless food cycle seldom lives up to our expectation, and this very issue forms the basis for what is commonly referred to as allergies.

Let's look at the food cycle step-by-step explaining the role of NIS in both assessment and treatment.

CHECKPOINT 1: The mouth

All food when chewed comes in contact with Alpha amylase, a carbohydrate splitting enzyme in the saliva.  These enzymes operate in a pH range of 5.6 to 6.9.  Receptors on the anterior aspect of the tongue allow recognition of carbohydrates to prepare for the ongoing function at the next checkpoint.

NIS would assess:

• The function of cranial nerve 7 and 12.
• Any pathology present in the mouth e.g. viral, bacterial, fungal.
• Explain the relevance of spending more time to chew our food.

CHECKPOINT 2: The stomach

The average pH of the stomach is 3.3 which is required to deal with the breakdown of light fats and proteins.  When carbohydrates enter the stomach, the lowered pH immediately inhibits the function of Alpha amylase. The function of gastrin allows hydrochloric acid to be released from the stomach wall starting a series of vital actions. Gastrin allows the chief cells to secrete pepsinogen and pepsin to degrade food into proteins and peptides.  Emotional anxiety has an inhibiting effect on HCL which immediately affects the processing of protein and light fats. The consequence of this is commonly seen as an acid.stomach and the symptom is approached with antacid formulations or H2 blockers.

NIS would assess:

• Nerve supply to the stomach.
• All enteric functions and the control of emotional anxiety and its effects on the stomach. The neurological control of the valves of digestion; cardiac, pyloric, ileocecal, and houstonian valves.
• This function allows appropriate time sequencing of the digestive processes that are essential to completing the digestive process. Reflux, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome are synonymous with gut dysfunction.
• Any pathology that might be present in the stomach.

CHECKPOINT 3: Duodenum and small intestine

Success at this level is dependent on the functionality of checkpoint 1 & 2.  If the stomach fails to process appropriately then the liver becomes burdened, decreasing its effectiveness to deliver bile to the duodenum. The bile is essential to both enable further breakdown of fats and to achieve an alkaline environment in the duodenum.  The alkaline environment in the small intestine is required for the pancreatic enzymes to activate at this point. These are the enzymes that in a pH environment of around 7 will enable the food to complete its final preparation for absorption.

NIS would assess:

• Function of the liver, gallbladder, duodenum, & ileum.
• Any pathology affecting any of the glands mentioned.
• The nerve supply relating to these glands.
• The various emotional triggers that can influence and inhibit the function of these glands.

While the functions described should run automatically under the control of the brain there are many variables that overload and impede the signalling process. It is this process that the strength of NIS will enable the various functions to normalise to resolve the symptom pattern called allergies.

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