[Progression of intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A and the condition of the patients during naturopathic therapy and fasting therapy]

Abstract

Background: In clinical observations it was noticed that patients who have been treated with naturopathic methods - especially with the treatment of heal fasting - experience a stabilization of their immune system. The immune system stands in close relation to the intestinal flora and influences the condition of the patient.

Question: For this reason the influence of a 3-week in-hospital naturopathic therapy - among others a heal-fasting therapy -, a corresponding follow-up on the intestine-associated immune system as well as the condition of the patients have been examined.

Patients and methods: Classical naturopathic treatments based on standardized therapy concepts were applied. The patients (n = 55) showed different kinds of basic diseases, whereof in 56% of the cases the patients suffered of diseases of the skeleton, the muscles, and the connective tissue. The patients got a 3-week standardized high-quality nutrition or they took part in a juice-modified fasting therapy. The state of the local endogenous defense system within the intestine was measured by the concentration of the secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the feces of the patients. A positive criterion was a sIgA concentration in the stool of under 0.5 mg/g. Additionally the judgement of the patients concerning their own condition ('quality of life') was determined by the condition scale.

Results: It was shown that the content of the sIgA within the stool was increased during the course of the in-hospital stay, in the complete population of patients as well as in the different subgroups 'with heal-fasting' and 'without heal-fasting'. Even in the follow-up analysis it could be observed that 3 months after the treatment the content of secretory IgA in the stool of all groups was between 0.78 and 0.89 mg/g. This value was significantly higher than the starting values. The most intensive effects concerning the change of sIgA were measured within the group of the patients who performed heal fasting (epsilon > 1.0). Aside from the increase of the secretory IgA, a mediocre improvement of the condition of the patients within the pre-post comparison could be noticed, but no correlation between the secretory IgA values and the values concerning the condition was found.

Conclusion: A 3-week in-hospital therapy with classical naturopathic treatments (but especially the application of the heal-fasting therapy) leads to a significant improvement of the immune condition of the intestine and consequently of the whole organism. The improving effect lasts beyond the stay in hospital.