Watch the FREE online masterclass NOW Have you heard the term "gut dysbiosis"? Gut dysbiosis is a negative shift in the microbial communities within the small or large intestine resulting in health conditions or symptoms. Generally speaking, it is an imbalance of gut microbes compared to healthy individuals recognizing that everyone has a unique microbiota. There [...]
Antibiotics alone, diet alone or the combination of the two will not cure SIBO unless your specific underlying cause(s) are identified and addressed. However, a science-based diet that limits ALL fermentable carbohydrates should be used as the first line therapy over antibiotics because: The diet approach is safe and provides a durable response Your underlying [...]
Dietary supplements can be extremely helpful as part of a larger plan for addressing a variety of digestive and general health issues including: Vitamin and mineral deficiencies Microbiota imbalances Deficiencies in molecules made by the body such as stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes Symptoms including gas, bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation, [...]
Are you familiar with the term, Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs)? Don’t let this five-letter acronym intimidate you. It simply refers to conditions or symptoms affecting the digestive tract for which no structural problem or biochemical cause is observed by standard testing such as endoscopy, imaging or blood tests. These are some examples of FGIDs: Irritable [...]
The FDA has warned for some time that the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for heartburn increases the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Now, a new review of 33 separate studies shows that prescription strength versions of the less potent heartburn drugs called H2 antagonists such as Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac, and Axid, carry the [...]
A Swedish team of scientists led by Dr. Karl Mårild, recently reported a link between taking antibiotics and the development of celiac disease[i]. Note: You can download the entire article free. Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten proteins contained in wheat, rye and barley. The disease process causes inflammation and villus atrophy (which [...]
A new study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine published in the September 2013 issue of Nature proposes a mechanism for how disease–causing microbes such as Salmonella and C diff often thrive when people take antibiotics. Soon after someone takes antibiotics two things happen: The number of friendly gut bacteria is dramatically reduced and [...]
In a surprising move, the Food and Drug Administration has reversed course eliminating the heavy regulatory burden imposed in April of this year on US medical facilities that wanted to conduct fecal transplants (commonly referred to as FMT for fecal microbiota transplantation) for people sick with colitis caused by Clostridium difficile (C diff) that does [...]
A friend sent me a great article called "Some of My Best Friends Are Germs" by Michael Pollan about the efforts by a team led by Rob Knight at the BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado, Boulder working on something called the American Gut project. The team analyzes the hundreds of microbial species harbored by [...]
The Fast Tract Digestion IBS ebook is now available on Amazon (Update: The print book is also available through the Digestive Health Institute)! What Really Causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and How Best To Treat It? If you suffer from IBS, you are not alone. IBS affects up to 50 million people in the US. The small intestinal bacterial [...]
