Bad Digestion

Bad Digestion

with its excessive gas and burping is another plague of the
elderly. They would rather not go to church nor visit a friend than
embarrass themselves in that way.
Chewing
It all begins with the stomach although chewing food well is
essential for really good digestion. Dentures should fit perfectly
so the mouth does not develop sores. Using denture cream is not
a good substitute for correct fit and is toxic. Denture plastic is
often toxic, even containing mercury in its composition! Toxins in
plastic can seep! Such toxins lower the immunity of the mouth
and throat and stomach since it all flows down into the stomach.
Low immunity in the mouth permits throat infections to be
chronic. If your elderly loved one has a red-looking mouth or
throat, instead of pink, an infection is going on in spite of no
coughs and no complaints.
It will do no good to keep zapping bacteria when reinfection
is so easy. First kill the bacteria in the dentures by soaking in
70% grain alcohol. Then test the dentures for toxins. Soak the
dentures in water for several hours. Rinse and soak again in fresh
water. Repeat a third time to insure that any toxin found came
from the dentures, not the saliva. Save this water for testing.
Search for heavy metals in the denture water. If you find any, you
know the dentures are toxic! Get new ones, made of uncolored
methacrylate (see Dental Cleanup, page 409).
The denture-soak should kill bacteria each night. Plastic has
tiny pores where bacteria can hide. Use 70% grain alcohol which
you make yourself or plain vodka which is about 50% alcohol.
Since alcohol evaporates and is expensive, use a wide mouth jar
with close fitting non-metal lid for all this. Fish them out with
your toothbrush so it gets sterilized too. It only takes

minutes to kill everything. Commercial denture cleaners are much
more toxic than grain alcohol; don't use them.
Use food grade hydrogen peroxide or salt water to brush
teeth in your mouth, never toothpaste. Toothpaste has toxic
metals (tin, fluoride, strontium) besides benzene pollution. See
the section on brushing teeth (page 532) for details and sources.
If you are responsible for this daily chore, use homemade floss
(2 pound to 4 pound nylon fish line) first; then brush. If your
loved one is seated they may be able to handle the brush by
themselves, giving them pride in the achievement.
If an elderly person refuses or can't wear dentures, provide
food that is soft and without chunks since this decides whether
the stomach can digest it. The stomach is the weak point of the
digestive process for the elderly because nearly all don't produce
enough acid to get the job done.