This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ettu (talk | contribs) at 04:37, 26 November 2006 (Reverted. If you would like to discuss this, fine. I've already tried working with you and have not got anything accomplished.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:37, 26 November 2006 by Ettu (talk | contribs) (Reverted. If you would like to discuss this, fine. I've already tried working with you and have not got anything accomplished.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Mucoid plaque or mucoid rope is a thick coating of mucus-like material that exists in the alimentary canal of some people.
Background
A term first expounded by naturopath Richard Anderson N.D. N.M.D:
- "I coined the term mucoid plaque, meaning a film of mucus, to describe the unhealthy accumulation of abnormal mucous matter on the walls of the intestines. Conventional medicine knows this as a layering of mucin or glycoproteins (made up of 20 amino acids and 50% carbohydrates) which are naturally and appropriately secreted by intestines as protection from acids and toxins." (What is Mucoid Plaque?, by Richard Anderson)
Dr. Anderson explains that medical doctors are not trained to recognize the difference between mucoid plaque and the normal mucosa. “Until the mucoid plaque begins to mix with fecal matter, its color and texture may appear similar to healthy bowel mucosa,” he says (Anderson 66; 88).
Dr. Anderson states that many doctors are not trained to recognize mucoid plaque. In his book, he cites numerous conventional scientific sources referring to intestinal mucus to support his assertion (Anderson 59). The term "mucoid plaque" of course is not mentioned, as it is his original term to describe the various mucosal abnormalities cited in the sources.
Enemas, rigorous fasting and herbal treatments are said to expel the plaque, which then appears as a rope-like rubbery stool matching the shape and length of the large intestine.
Criticisms
A major objection is that this concept has never been described in the major medical journals, i.e. New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Gastroenterology, et cetera.
The role of the colon is to absorb water and nutrients. A limited amount of bacterial fermentation and absorption of other substances goes on, but the suggestion that thickening the lining of the colon would inhibit digestion is unsupported by medical evidence. The experience of those whose colon does not absorb (eg those with ulcerative colitis is of drastic diarrhoea as the volume passing through is not diminished sufficiently.
Edward Thuman, M.D., a practicing pathologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Texas School of Medicine, has said on the basis of never having seen it in several thousand intestinal biopsies: "This is a complete fabrication with no anatomic basis" (Thuman).
Another practicing pathologist, Ed Friedlander, M.D., at Brown University, states, “As a pathologist, I have opened hundreds of colons and never seen anything like ‘toxic bowel settlement’”. Furthermore, in reference to those pictures of mucoid plaque he says, “Sites they have shared include one depicting what I recognize to be a blood clot” (Friedlander).
It is known that impaction of as little as a pound of fecal material will cause extreme pain and even bleeding. In 1994, an Israeli man sought medical attention because he was suffering from severe constipation two days after having eaten a large quantity of pomegranates. He refused to allow doctors to administer an enema, fled the hospital, and returned a week later in severe pain and bleeding from his rectum. This time the doctors operated to remove the impacted feces, which weighed half a kilogram or a little over a pound. Just one pound of impacted feces was causing extreme pain and rectal bleeding in this patient.
Richard Anderson claims that “clinical and anatomical studies from many papers and textbooks have demonstrated that mucoid plaque exists in the alimentary canal” (Anderson 60). As an example, he points to a reference to the gastric mucosa in the 7th edition of Textbook of Medical Physiology by A.C. Guyton, suggesting that this applies to the colon as well.
References
- The Jerusalem Post. "Pomegranate Feast Ends in Constipation." 4 September 1994 (p. 2).
- Anderson, Richard. Cleanse & Purify Thyself: Book Two. Mt. Shasta, California: Christobe, 2000.
- Thuman, Edward. Mucoid Plaque.
- Forstner, JF. “Intestinal mucins in health and disease.” Digestion 1978 17(3) 234-63. Medline.
- Gray, Robert. The Colon Health Handbook: New Health Through Colon Rejuvenation. Reno, Nevada: Emerald, 1991.
- Friedlander, Ed. “Ed’s Guide to Alternative Therapies.” The Pathology Guy. <http://www.pathguy.com/altermed.htm#colonic>.
- http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/fecalcolon.asp
- The Jerusalem Post. "Pomegranate Feast Ends in Constipation." 4 September 1994 (p. 2).
External links
- Mucoid Plaque - Edward Thuman, M.D.
- Colon Plaque - Mucoid Plaque - Richard Anderson, N.D.
- Mucoid Plaque - a dubious idea
- Urban legend that is used to support such beliefs