A case report on intestinal metaplasia improvement using Ortho-Cellular Nutrition Therapy (OCNT)
A 68-year-old Korean female shows symptoms of atrophic gastritis, indigestion, abdominal distention, and gallbladder pain, causing inconvenience in her daily life.
Symptoms of intestinal metaplasia improved after nutritional therapy
Nutrition therapy can help improve symptoms and alleviate dyspepsia in patients with symptoms of intestinal metaplasia.
Intestinal metaplasia refers to the changing surface of the stomach wall (mucous membrane) like the surface of the small intestine wall. It is yet unclear why the gastric mucosa changes to the intestinal mucosa. Atrophic gastritis (thinning of the gastric mucosa), which is type of a chronic gastritis, usually become intestinal metaplasia, which indicates that long-term exposure of the gastric wall to inflammation is considered one of the major causes.
In other words, it can be estimated that the phenomenon in which the gastric mucosa changes like the intestinal mucosa is accelerated when inflammatory factors become involved in the process of gastric mucosal cell replacement due to inflammation or wounds and new formation. There is no treatment method available for intestinal metaplasia from a modern medical point of view as of now.
As intestinal metaplasia cells can develop into gastric cancer through dysplasia, they are considered pre-cancerous cells.
Diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia can be made only based on the observational findings through clear primary endoscopic observation, and diagnosis is made by microscopic observation through biopsy when observational findings are ambiguous.
If intestinal metaplasia is diagnosed based on the endoscopic observation, the hospital will recommend undergoing endoscopic observation on a regular basis, and in the case of moderate intestinal metaplasia, endoscopic observation is recommended once a year.
For early stage intestinal metaplasia, endoscopic observation is recommended once every two years, and the only method available in modern medicine is to carry out observation regularly to perform a surgical procedure at an early stage if gastric cancer progresses.
Therefore, from the patient's perspective, his/her anxiety grows not knowing when it will turn into cancer since it feels as if they are waiting for a death sentence when intestinal metaplasia is diagnosed. Many studies have proven that patients with intestinal metaplasia have 11 times higher chance of developing gastric cancer than the general population.
Among many, the major focus of this study is intestinal metaplasia.
The target includes a single case with a patient diagnosed with intestinal metaplasia.
1) Name: Kang, O O (F/68 years old) 2) Diagnosis: Atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia 3) Date of Onset: November 21, 2019 4) Treatment Period: November 21, 2019 to June 26, 2020 (Approximately 7 months) 5) Chief Complaint: Intestinal metaplasia, atrophic gastritis, dyspepsia, abdominal distension, gallbladder pain 6) Past History: Bronchiectasia 7) Social History: No history of smoking and alcohol 8) Family History: Stomach cancer 9) Current Medical History and Drug Administration: ppi antacid, digestive, prokinetics
For OCNT, Cyaplex-A 101, Euphaplex Stick 101, and Heartberry Black 101 were recommended and administered orally twice a day, as well as herbal granules that help with the patient’s digestion.
In addition, patients were recommended to improve their diet management, lifestyle, and exercise habits. The relevant improvement proposal is as follows.
Patients were recommended to eat three meals a day that consist of regular Korean food in an appropriate amount and follow the eight things listed below.
1. Mixed grain rice or white rice for the time being when experiencing digestive system dysfunction. The menu shall consists of seasoned vegetables (Namul), vegetables, seaweed, fish, and fermented soybeans (Chunggukjang, soy sauce, and soybean paste).
2. Main vegetables to be consumed should include beans, carrots, zucchini, garlic, onions, and wild edible greens, and main seaweed-type food to be consumed include seaweed, kelp, and dried seaweed.
3. Sea salt can only be used as seasoning (mineral bamboo salt is recommended)
4. All monosaccharide, processed and concentrated sugar products (oligosaccharide, sucrose, and fructose) must be eliminated completely and complex carbohydrates (grains, vegetables, fruits, seasoned vegetables, and seaweed) and dietary fiber should mainly be consumed.
5. Milk, dairy products, eggs, cooking oil, coffee, snacks, ice cream, fried food, grilled meat, nuts, and peanuts must be completely excluded.
6. Bottled water is recommended instead of tap or purified water.
7. Synthetic ingredients such as shampoo, conditioner, perfume, cosmetics, air freshener, and deodorant should not be used.
8. GMOs (wheat, corn, soybeans) must be completely excluded from consumption.
1. Always keep a positive and optimistic mindset.
2. Enjoy exercising on a regular basis.
3. Create the optimal bedroom environment for deep sleep.
Stress, tension, depression, lethargy, and anxiety can cause or aggravate pain, inflammation, or tumors, so reducing stress through breathing, posture, bodywork, and exercise can increase one’s immunity levels.
1. Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing, in other words, abdominal breathing, improves energy levels, reduces tension, and improves mental activities.
2. Posture
Poor posture, such as slouching, drooping shoulders, or a lowered head, can lead to shallow breathing and low energy levels, but lifting the head to sit up and straightening the spine and neck can bring about full level of self-confidence and increase energy levels.
3. Bodywork
Bodywork relieves tension by continuously stimulating the connective tissue that supports the human body, muscles, bones, and organs softly, and regular exercise can make one feel better and relieve stress and tension by releasing endorphins.
4. Exercise
30 minutes of daily exercise (10 minutes of bodily exercise, 20 minutes of walking) can reduce stress, tension, depression, lethargy, and anxiety.
Gallbladder pain (discomfort under the right rib) was relieved by about 50% after 1 month of nutritional therapy, and feeling of discomfort in the digestive system was completely disappeared after 2 months of treatment.
However, endoscopy was to be conducted after 6 months of administration because the 6-month duration was emphasized for complete OCNT. However, endoscopy was performed after 7 months of administration as the endoscopy procedure vacancy was unavailable and delayed.
Results of endoscopy revealed that atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were completely cured, but the bile duct function was significantly reduced due to abnormal bile secretion with its current level of function diagnosed as 61%. Also, the digestive function after consuming greasy food is still not fully balanced.
| Symptoms | 1st November 21, 2019 | 2nd December 21, 2020 | 3rd February 5, 2020 | 4th June 26, 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intestinal metaplasia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Atrophic gastritis | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Dyspepsia | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Abdominal distension | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Gallbladder pain | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
The exact cause of intestinal metaplasia has not been identified in modern medicine. It can be assumed that it is simply a process of aging, and has been estimated that cells are transformed during the process of recovery while inflammation is repeated. Aging deteriorates the ability of antioxidant enzymes, and cell membranes are easily damaged due to increased amount of active oxygen.
Substances with strong detoxifying power capable of performing the role of antioxidant enzymes that decrease after the age of 40 are considered to be the major talking point of longevity as well as cell health. Thus, in this respect, it has been reported that Cyaplex-A contains excellent naturally-derived plant nutrients, and one of its components, cyanidin, particularly has an antioxidant function.
The function of parietal cells that secrete gastric acid also becomes dysfunctional in the mucosal area that have progressed to intestinal metaplasia, causing decreased secretion of gastric acid. Since the patient introduced in this case experienced belching and abdominal distension, it can be seen that the hypoacidity persisted for a long time. It has been reported that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol contained in Heartberry Black, has diverse functions including glucose metabolism, activity regulation of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and protection of internal organs, and
Although this demonstrates only a single case of a patient using OCNT, this report has been made with the patient’s consent as it seems reasonable to think that it can be another alternative for patients with the same disease.
This report has been translated and edited by the CellMed editor-in-chief, Prof. Beom-Jin Lee.