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Conferences & Events
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New Guidelines Give a Nod to Probiotics for Irritable Bowel
In it's new position paper on treatment of IBS, the American College of Gastroenterology has formally recognized the value of certain probiotics. Natural medicine has much else to offer patients struggling with this difficult chronic condition.
Vol. 10, No. 1. Spring, 2009
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New Probiotic Company Plans to "Share The Health" in Poor Regions
Probiotics have great potential to help people in strife-torn regions recover digestive health and nutritional status. The problem has been to develop formulations that deliver high doses of the beneficial bugs without need for refrigeration. With his new Vidazorb line and an outreach program called "Share the Health," socially-conscious entrepreneur E. Frank Hodal is meeting that challenge.
Vol. 9, No. 2. Summer, 2008
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Confronting the Challenge of Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy, the progressive piling on of medications, is one of the biggest unspoken public health threats facing the nation. Simply put, more meds means more adverse events and drug interactions. The problem is only going to grow as the Boomer generation ages, unless physicians and patients work together to use medications more judiciously.
Vol. 8, No. 2. Summer, 2007
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For Psoriasis Patients, Olive Polyphenols May Provide Relief
What began as a serendipitous observation during a cardiovascular trial could be a beacon of hope for individuals with severe psoriasis. Antioxidant compounds found in water pressed out of olives during oil-making, can down-regulate the inflammation underlying the skin symptoms. In some cases, this results in dramatic clinical improvements.
Vol. 8, No. 2. Summer, 2007
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Everything Starts in the Gut: Enzyme Therapy as a Cornerstone of Health Improvement
Deficiency of digestive enzymes is very common, and can reflect poor diet, use of antacids and anti-ulcer medications, or chronic gastrointestinal diseases. For many people, supplementation with digestive enzymes can make a world of difference in their digestive function and their overall health.
Vol. 7, No. 4. Winter, 2006
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Cultures of Healing: Traditional Fermented Foods Find Their Place in the Modern World
There's a reason why nearly all traditional cultures worldwide have some form of fermented food as part of their dietary staples. Unfortunately, in the rush to modernity and "convenience," many people have lost the taste for things like kefir, kimchi, and natto. These and other fermented foods are extremely healthy, providing a rich source of probiotic gut bacteria, which aid digestion, reduce inflammation and promote overall health.
Vol. 7, No. 4. Winter, 2006
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Botanical Medicine's Shiny Horse Rides to the Rescue of Damaged Mucous Membranes
Named for Pegasus, the flying horse of Greek myth, Sea Buckthorn plant (Hippophae rhamnoides) has been mainstay of traditional medicine in Eastern Europe and Asia for centuries. Its orange berries are very rich in Omega 7 fatty acids as well as vitamin E and other compounds speed the healing and support the integrity of the skin and other mucous membranes. It may have an important role in treating irritable bowel syndrome and other gut problems.
Vol. 7, No. 3. Fall, 2006
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New Food Labeling Regs: Consensus on Allergens, Contention Over Mercury
New food allergen labeling regulations, effective in January 2006, will make it easier for food-sensitive people to avoid allergy triggers.
Vol. 6, No. 4. Winter, 2005
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Coping with the Challenge of Celiac Disease
Once thought to be relatively rare, celiac disease is actually very common, and physicians need to pay more attention to it. A naturopathic physician who has the condition herself offers insights on diagnosing, treating and living with this complex digestive disease.
Vol. 6, No. 4. Winter, 2005
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Cutting the CRAP: Natural Therapies Improve Abdominal Pain in Children
Chronic recurrent abdominal pain is very common in children. Fortunately, the majority of kids with this problem will respond well to combinations of herbal therapies, dietary changes, and biofeedback, reports Joy Weidert, MD. This is a far safer approach than wanton use of antispasmodics, anti-depressants or other drugs that have little evidence to support their use for abdominal pain in kids.
Online Feature. Winter, 2005
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New Studies Support Probiotics for IBS, Ulcerative Colitis
VSL#3, a combination of probiotic organisms, is proving highly effective in clearing ulcerative colitis and alcoholic liver disease. Bifidobacterium infantis, an important probiotic bacterium found in infants, can help many patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Vol. 6, No. 3. Fall, 2005
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Zinc Carnosine: A New Option for Peptic Ulcers
A special report on zinc carnosine, a new natural product that promotes wound healing and strengthens the stomach. s natural defenses against Helicobacter pylori and other factors causing peptic ulcers. Marketed in the US as ZinLori 75, zinc carnosine has a strong scientific pedigree and offers major advances over conventional acid-inhibiting therapies.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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A Clinicians Guide to Probiotics
Physicians and patients alike are beginning to realize the therapeutic benefits of probiotics, i.e., . friendly. bacteria that help optimize digestive function. And supplement companies are meeting the increased demand with a host of probiotic products. Probiotics experts offer their advice on how to select from the vast number of probiotics now available.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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Saccharomyces boulardii Proves to be a Powerful GI Pathogen-Buster
Saccharomyces boulardii is a tropical yeast that grows on the skins of tropical fruits like lychees and mangosteens. People in Indochina have been using it to treat digestive problems for centuries. Thanks to Dr. Henri Boulard, who brought this strain to France nearly a century ago, and Biocodex, a French natural medicine company, S. boulardii is now among the most widely used probiotics in the world.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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Probiotics Research Roundup
Medical researchers have been paying a lot of attention lately to probiotics for the management of many digestive problems including ulcerative colitis, Crohn. s disease, diarrhea, and liver diseases. A review of some of the most compelling recent scientific papers on probiotics.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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Innovative Products for Inflammatory Bowel, GI Ulcer Conditions
Glutamine is an amino acid with major benefits for patients with ulcers, and ulcerative colitis. Biotics Research has made glutamine a cornerstone of its digestive health line. Proper Nutrition. s SeaCure, a hydrolyzed fish protein originally developed to helped malnourished children, is proving highly beneficial for many patients with chronic lower GI disorders.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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In Chronic Digestive Disease, Every Symptom Tells a Story
Long term management of chronic digestive diseases like gastroesophageal reflux, ulcers, Crohn. s disease and ulcerative colitis, require far more than prescription drugs. John Mizenko, DO, a holistic gastroenterologist, believes it is essential to understand a patient. s eating habits, psychosocial stresses, and the subjective meaning of the symptoms. He offers his strategies, learned over 40 years in practice, for treating a range of common digestive diseases.
Vol. 5, No. 2. Summer, 2004
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Helpful Tools for Spring Cleaning
There are many herbal cleansing and detoxification kits now on the market. Holistic Primary Care provides a brief review of three widely available kits of varying degrees of intensity.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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A Seven-Day Diet Cleanse
Herbal self-cleansing kits can be effective approaches to internal cleansing, but they are not the only method. Many of the same benefits can be obtained with special diets, including this seven-day elimination diet.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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Spring Cleaning: Internal Cleansing for Optimal Digestive Health
Periodic internal cleansing makes a lot of health sense, and there are a number of methods for doing this, including fasts, elimination diets, and botanical-based cleansing regimens. Robyn Depasquale, ND, Martha Volchok, and others provide a guide to the benefits of seasonal GI cleansing.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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For Gut Health, Know Thy Fibers
Dietary . fiber. is actually a mixture of soluble and insoluble plant polysaccharides. Soluble fibers like oat and psyllium absorb a lot of water and slow the release of nutrients into circulation. Insoluble fibers like wheat bran, soy, and other grain fibers, scour the intestinal lining, increasing surface area for absorptions. Which type to use depends on what sort of digestive symptoms are present.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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Good Digestion Requires Right pH at the Right Place at the Right Time
In order to digest and absorb food properly, the stomach must be highly acidic, while the intestine is strongly alkaline. Many individuals with digestive problems have dysregulated gut pH. The most common problem is underproduction of stomach acid, which results in poor enzyme function, dysbiosis, and incomplete breakdown of many food groups. Fortunately, these problems can be easily corrected with relatively inexpensive dietary supplements.
Vol. 4, No. 2. April, 2003
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Diagnosing Dysbiosis: Key Clinical Questions
Dysbiosis, the loss of . friendly. gut bacteria and overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, underlies a lot of digestive disorders. A few key questions can help identify what is going on and what sorts of treatment might help.
Vol. 3, No. 3. October 15, 2002
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Gut Feelings: Rethinking the GI Tract
The GI tract is far more than a passive piece of biological plumbing. It contains almost as many neurons as the brain, regulates immunologic function, and hosts an amazingly complex community of microorganisms. Keeping the digestive system. s micro-flora in balance is one of the keys to managing digestive problems and maintaining overall health, says Leo Galland, MD, an internist specializing in holistic management of GI problems.
Vol. 3, No. 3. October 15, 2002
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