Health starts in the gut
The gut is, quite wrongly, one of our most underappreciated organs. The gut provides the entire system with the nutrients we need for survival, so poorly functioning digestive organs can impair every aspect of our health.
Intestinal problems as a common disease
An organ with great influence
We don’t exactly make things easy for the gut. Instead of leaving it in peace to do its work, we frequently make excessive demands of it, and ignore it unless something is not right: flatulence and constipation for instance. Given our eating habits, it doesn’t come as a great surprise that 20% of the population have digestive problems.
In a healthy gut, the intestinal mucosa acts as a natural barrier against harmful environmental factors, with ‘leaky gut syndrome’ this intestinal barrier is damaged. This means: ‘Molecules enter the bloodstream that otherwise wouldn’t be there’, according to Dr Kogelnig. ‘Possible causes of leaky gut syndrome include gluten intolerance, lactose, fructose and sorbitol intolerance, medication, stress, and infections’. These factors can adversely affect our immune system and help trigger a variety of conditions including autoimmune disorders.
Danger for healthy gut flora
Wrong diet as a trigger
A wrong diet can unbalance the pH value in the intestinal flora. Pathogenic germs then start a cycle that has a negative effect on our intestinal health and our general well-being. With fatal, far-reaching consequences, because: What initially leads to non-specific intestinal problems such as abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, etc., can weaken the entire body over time. Therefore, great attention should be paid to intestinal cleansing and regeneration. Regardless of whether there are already complaints or not, a bowel cleanse is recommended once or twice a year.
Intestinal rehabilitation
Healthy & happy
‘Intestinal rehabilitation with a Mayr programme can assist in strengthening and restoring the intestinal flora, and many of our patients are fully symptom-free afterwards’ says Dr Kogelnig. Parallel to the intestinal cleansing and rehabilitation, a change in dietary and lifestyle habits should take place - the basis for this is provided by a stay at the Park Igls Medical Spa Resort in Tyrol. Because your health starts in your gut! Or, in the words of the Dutch doctor Herman Boerhaave, one of the most important physicians of the 18th century: "Keep your head cool, your feet warm, and don't graft too much on your intestines."
"We still eat like people did at the beginning of the 19th century; with the difference that those people worked hard in the fields and had entirely different calorie requirements."
Park Igls Blog
These articles could also be interesting for you:
Dr Sybille Matzenauer – A Holistic Doctor with Musical Intuition
ParkZeit Editorial Nr 2 2025
Recognising and Treating Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
About the author
Dr. med. Mag. phil. Richard Kogelnig
The deputy head physician at Park Igls Medical Spa Resort is a committed Mayr doctor and general practitioner with additional training in neural therapy, manual medicine and acupuncture.
