Norm Robillard received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst studying Bacillus anthracis and other Bacillus species. His post-doctoral training at Tufts University focused on antibiotic resistance and gene transfer between the gut microbes Bacteroides fragilis and E. coli.
During his career in pharma / biotech, Dr. Robillard studied the genetics of antibiotic resistance, septic shock, viral illnesses and antimicrobial and antibody-based therapies prior to founding the Digestive Health Institute. Dr. Robillard is the creator of the Fast Tract Diet, author of the Fast Tract Digestion book series and publisher of the Fast Tract Diet mobile app. He was the first to propose excess intestinal fermentation as the underlying cause of acid reflux and explained the connection between intragastric pressure from gas-producing bacteria in our intestines, nutritional malabsorption and the symptoms of acid reflux. His latest book series, Fast Tract Digestion provides a safe and effective dietary tool and behavioral strategy as an alternative to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 blockers, IBS drugs or antibiotics for heartburn, acid reflux, GERD, laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR), IBS and other SIBO related conditions.
Dear President Obama, I’m hoping your recent diagnosis of acid reflux might be a teachable moment for you, your team of doctors, and for some of the 60 million Americans who suffer from reflux. The symptoms include heartburn, abdominal pain, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, laryngitis and sinus irritation. Persistent damaging reflux is referred to as [...]
As discussed in the Fast Tract Digestion book series, problems digesting certain carbohydrates are at the root of so many if not most digestive health problems. But, ill fated fat phobias prevent people from cutting enough troublesome carbs while maintaining a healthy weight. Once we understand that fats, including saturated fats, are healthy and an [...]
This is the final article of a four part series on acid reflux and GERD. Read the first article on the underlying cause, the second article on the myths of H. pylori and low stomach acid being the major causes and the third article on the main stream medical treatments. Online dietary advice for GERD is often [...]
This is the third article of a four part series on acid reflux and GERD. Read the first article on the underlying cause, the second article on the myths of H. pylori and low stomach acid being the major causes and the final article on the myths of trigger foods and GERD diet that works without drugs. [...]
Thanks to Christina Mason for bringing this article to my attention on the gut microbiota of babies with colic. In a nutshell, gas-producing Lactobacillus (called heterolactic fermenters) were found in the guts of infants with colic. Healthy infants didn't have these gas-producing strains but did have other non-gas-producing Lactobacillus strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. This [...]
This is the second article of a four part series on acid reflux and GERD. Read the first article on the underlying cause, the third article on the main stream medical treatments, and the final article on the myths of trigger foods and GERD diet that works without drugs. Does H. pylori cause GERD? Based on [...]
This is the first article of a four-part series on acid reflux and GERD. Read the second article on the myths of H. pylori and low stomach acid being the major causes, the third article on the mainstream medical treatments, and the final article on the myths of trigger foods and a GERD diet that works [...]
Since my first article on resistant starch (RS) titled Resistant Starch - Friend or Foe?, raw unmodified potato starch, or RUMPS as I like to call it, continues to light up the blogosphere. Like a lot of people, I was caught off guard by the overwhelmingly positive light RUMPS has been cast in. Some people [...]
Here's a great visual, mechanistic video on the biochemistry of digestion in the small intestine. You can become an expert simply by watching this video!
Most people have never heard about a protein called vinculin, but a recent study of 165 IBS, 30 IBD and 26 healthy controls found that people with IBS have higher levels of (auto) antibodies to this protein than do healthy controls or people with inflammatory bowel disease. One possible outcome of this work is a [...]