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Clostridium difficile (C. diff) – More than Difficult!  Chances are you’ve probably heard of C. diff before, or at least its most common (and least pleasant) side effect – the gut-wrenching diarrhea. I know, I know, here I go talking about poop again, but this is important! C. diff infections are becoming more common every year. Studies tell us that 7,000 people are infected each day, and 300 of those die from the infection. So I say the more we know about C. diff, the better.

Okay, let’s start with the basics – just what is C. diff anyway? It’s short for Clostridium difficile, a disease-causing bacterium that most often appears after a person has taken antibiotics. This happens because the good bacteria that are normally present in the intestines (and which help keep our immunity strong) are also destroyed by antibiotics. Basically, when we take antibiotics to fight infection, they kill a lot of the good bacteria in our gut along with the bad, which disrupts our normally healthy intestinal balance. And C. diff is one of those opportunistic little buggers that will quickly take over and multiply if it has the chance, causing a potentially dangerous infection whose symptoms include severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping and nausea.

Interestingly, another culprit in the C. diff epidemic has come to light. The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been associated with a risk for C. diff infection.  PPIs are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux. These drugs suppress the secretion of acid in the stomach. 

But Wait! We Need Our Stomach Acid!  One of the functions of stomach acid is to kill bacteria that comes in with food. When there is not enough stomach acid, as occurs in people taking PPIs, harmful bacteria like C. diff can enter the intestinal tract and quickly multiply.

Can You Say Superbug? Have you heard the term Superbug?  C. diff is a Superbug. Superbugs are bacteria that become resistant to antibiotic treatment, which means that after a while, taking antibiotics won’t do anything to stop the harmful effects of the bug. Antibiotic resistance is largely the result of over-prescribing antibiotics for every little sneeze or sniffle instead of giving the body a chance to fight off the infection on its own, and it’s become a huge concern in the medical community today. I’ll talk about this more in a later post, so stay tuned!

Bottom Line? Our intestinal flora – the friendly bacteria in our intestines – play a major role in our health. One particular probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii has been found to be especially useful for people with C. diff, particularly those that have recurrent C. diff infections. The reason is because S. boulardii is actually a yeast organism, so it’s not destroyed by antibiotics like most bacteria, which means it can keep working in the body to protect against C. diff – even if you’re taking antibiotics. The bottom line is, maintaining a good balance of beneficial microorganisms (probiotics) in the gut is a vital part of creating digestive health, which as we all know is the foundation for total-body health!

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antibiotics, bacteriology, Clostridium difficile, dangerous infection, Diarrhea, diff infection, diff infections, digestive system, food, Gastroenterology, gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, Gut flora, Health_Medical_Pharma, microbiology, nausea, Probiotic, Saccharomyces boulardii

Believe it or not, at any given time one third of the U.S. population has parasites. And when I tell you it can happen to you, you better believe it! Keep in mind that parasites can range from bacterial types to microscopic amoebas and even larger worms. Remember Biology 101? Pretty gross. In a stool analysis study performed by Dr. Amin of the Parasitology Center in Tempe, Arizona, the most notable parasite, blastocystis hominus, was revealed—a microscopic intestinal little bugger that causes symptoms almost exactly like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

I have seen many people who have been diagnosed with IBS, and when they have a stool analysis they find that they actually have blastocystis. This is one reason why some IBS sufferers, despite everything they try, never see any improvement. Not only that, but larger parasites such as tapeworms, hookworms and roundworms are no longer present only in third-world countries… beware, they are here!

 For some good information and moments that will make you squirm, just watch the show “Monsters Inside Me” on Discovery’s Animal Planet channel.

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I know it seems that I am obsessed with poop—but trust me, all the answers to life’s problems lie in the poop. Well, OK, not all of them, but certainly all digestive ones. A stool test can be the single most important test you can take, for instance when determining celiac disease.

If you are sensitive to gluten this may in fact be the beginning stages of celiac, as they really are one and the same—just different degrees of reaction within the body. Gluten sensitivity implies that a person’s immune system is intolerant of gluten in the diet and as a result forms antibodies or displays some other evidence of an inflammatory reaction. When these reactions cause small intestinal damage (visible on a biopsy), the syndrome is then called celiac sprue, celiac disease, or gluten sensitive enteropathy. Research shows that as many as 30% of Americans are gluten sensitive, and 1 in 225 of those has progressed to the stage of celiac disease. A simple stool test will determine if you are truly gluten sensitive or if you have celiac. You can get the scoop by visiting enterolab.com.

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celiac, celiac disease, celiac sprue, gluten, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitive, stool test

IBS can be depressing, literally and figuratively! A lot of people who may be suffering from a type of digestive disorder such as crohn’s, colitis, IBS or even chronic constipation, many times also suffer from mood disorders such as anxiety, depression or irritability.  Now, I know that not feeling well can make you cranky, but there’s a lot more to it than that. The link between between the gut and the brain is very real. Serotonin, know as “the feel good hormone” is produced in the gut. One reason for depression could be the lack of serotonin because the gut is out of balance.

Without getting too technical, the same type of cells and neurotransmitters found in our brain are also located within the digestive system – which by the way is the largest part of our immune system.  When we get any type of intestinal irritation, inflammation, bacterial or viral infection our “intestinal” immune system reacts by producing proteins called cytokines. These cytokines tell our body what type of reaction to have, such as swelling, stiffness, pain etc…It has now been shown that these cytokines will travel a very unique pathway from the gut to the brain, setting into motion a chemical reaction that results in the breakdown of the neurotransmitters involved in mood stability.

 So, this is a two-way street. When your digestive system is out of balance, you feel depressed and when it’s in good shape you feel good. This may be why we often get a sense of euphoria after a really good dump – you know what I mean.

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IBS

Summary:
In this video blog I discuss the use of proton pump inhibitors. A recent study has found why people stay on these drugs for long term use instead of the 6-8 week suggested use. They call it “acid rebound phenomenon”? What is acid rebound phenomenon? What does it to your body? What can you do naturally to help with heartburn? Turn in and find out the answer to these questions and more…

Full Script:
For some time now I have been speaking up about the continued use of the medications prescribed for acid reflux. These medications, called proton pump inhibitors are one of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals on the market. I have many times said that the problem with these meds is that people stay on them long term when if fact they are only meant for a period of six to eight weeks.

Recently results of a study may have revealed the reason why people remain on these drugs long term, something I had suspected for some time now. It seems that these proton pump inhibitors cause what is called an acid rebound phenomenon in the two to three weeks after discontinuing. What this means is when people try to get off the medications they get an increase in gastric acid secretion well above normal which leads to symptoms such as heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia. This increase in symptoms then results in a resumption of therapy with the medication.

In other words, these meds cause a vicious cycle of acid secretion and heartburn symptoms. This occurred not only in those having symptoms to begin with, but those participants of the study that had no prior history of upper gastric disorders. Interestingly most people who are put on these medications do not need their acid levels turned off, but instead need a good digestive enzyme supplement containing hydrochloric acid ( HCI ). It is much more common to have a low stomach acid level, which mirrors the symptoms of too much acid, such as heartburn and reflux.

If only the Heidelberg Acid test was more readily available around the country, one could truly know if they are producing too much acid in the stomach or in fact have too little. This test involves swallowing a capsule that relays information back to a computer on the amount of acidity within the stomach. Until the time this test is available in your area, try taking a digestive enzyme with HCI (hydrochloric acid) like the Renew Life’s Heartburn Prevention formula. You might be able to avoid the vicious cycle of masking acid reflux symptoms with medication only to experience worse symptoms after discontinuing them.

Thanks again for watching, check back for more of my video blogs

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acid rebound phenomenon, acid reflux, Brenda Watson, gastric disorders, Heartburn, heartburn prevention, Heidelberg acid test, low stomach acid levels, proton pump inhibitors

Summary:
In this video blog I discuss Celiac Disease. In a recent study performed by the Mayo Clinic they found that celiac disease is more common today than it was 50 years ago? What is celiac disease? Why is it more common today than 50 years ago. Tune and in find out…

Full Script:
I recently read an article about the incidence of celiac disease today compared to the 1950’s. According to findings of a Mayo Clinic study celiac disease is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago. It now affects about one in one hundred people.

For those of you who do not know – Celiac disease is when the presence of a protein called gluten from grains such as wheat, barley or rye triggers an immune system attack upon the small intestine. This can cause severe damage and result in long term health problems.

A Dr. Murray of the Mayo Clinic study stated “Something has changed in our environment to make it much more common. ….we don’t know why”

Is it really that hard to figure out? How about correlating it with the huge increase in processed carbohydrates people eat today compared to the 1950’s. Wheat gluten is a major, if not the worst, food irritant to the digestive system. It is an ingredient in a huge number of products on the market, not just bread, as some may think. If a product contains wheat, it contains gluten.

I challenge you to take a look in your cupboards for this ingredient or how many food items you have that contain wheat. Look at the packaging label on the products your about to purchase. Those already on a wheat and gluten free diet know how tricky it is to find gluten free products. Luckily, most health food stores have an entire section dedicated to just these type of foods.

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Brenda Watson, celiac disease, digestive system, gluten, gluten diet, health problems, immune system, mayo clinic, processed carbohydrates, wheat free diet, wheat gluten

My assistant recently returned from the latest Institute for Functional Medicine conference in southern Florida. For those not familiar with Functional Medicine it is a personalized medicine that deals with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms for serious chronic disease. In other words, they teach Medical Doctors as well as all other specialties how to evaluate a person to get to the route of a problem or disease and treating the cause verses just treating the symptoms.

A big part of Functional Medicine includes the use of nutraceuticals in treatment.

This year’s conference centered on Mood Disorders, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder as well as touching base on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Amazingly, one of the focuses of the lectures was the gut-brain connection in relation to mood disorders. More specifically, how reactions of our immune system and gut inflammation can directly affect our brain.

Remember that most of our immune system is in our gut.

Without getting too technical, the same type of cells and neurotransmitters found in our brain are also located within the digestive system. The development of an infection or inflammation anywhere in the body will set the immune system in action. Again, most of this reaction takes place first within the immune system of the digestive tract. Our immune system responds by the reaction of proteins called cytokines. These cytokines tell our body what type of reaction to have, such as swelling, stiffness, pain etc…It has now been shown that these cytokines will travel a very unique pathway and arrive at the brain, setting into motion a chemical reaction that results in the breakdown of the neurotransmitters involved in mood stability and inflammation within the brain itself.

Once this brain inflammation develops, it can remain for months even though the initial problem in the other part of our body gets resolved. This brain reaction can result in symptoms such as brain fog, memory problems, depression and anxiety. In addition, the influx of these cytokines to the brain can disrupt the lining of the brain called the blood-brain-barrier, causing what they now call “Leaky Brain” syndrome, making the brain more susceptible to other agents that do not normally pass this barrier. This is very similar indeed to what we know as Leaky Gut syndrome.

The more inflammation and irritation of the gut lining, as in Leaky Gut, will in turn send more of the cytokines to the brain, resulting in more inflammation and irritation there. In reverse, they are now seeing that healing the gut, reducing inflammation and supporting the immune system with the proper nutraceuticals can in turn reduce depression, anxiety and even reduce some symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

All the more reason to take precautionary measures by supporting your immune system with probiotics, as well as your vitamins and minerals. Taking a glutamine supplement such as IntestiNew will help keep your intestinal tract healthy, reduce inflammation and defer the development of leaky gut.

It is funny that years ago scientists and doctors treated the brain and mood disorders as a total separate entity from the rest of the body. It is nice to see that they now realize the brain is connected to the body, through something called the neck!

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Alzheimer's, cytokines, functional medicine conference, glutamine supplement, gut inflammation, IntestiNew, leaky brain, leaky gut, Probiotics

For many years now scientists have been studying how the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut can contribute to, or influence all kinds of chronic diseases. Diseases such as IBS, Chron’s, colitis, even diabetes, asthma and liver disease. But recently coming into the limelight is research showing that your gut bacteria, specifically the type you have, may be making you fat.

Recent research performed by Cornell University microbiologist Ruth Ley has shown that obese people have a different mix of bacteria in the gut than skinny people. When she fed gut bacteria from obese mice to sterile mice, they got fat, but when the sterile mice consumed the gut bacteria from skinny mice, they gained very little.

The theory behind this is that certain microbial populations allow the body to harvest more calories from food. Over time this could contribute to weight gain. The bacteria found in obese individuals and the one believed to cause this effect belonged to a particular microbial subgroup, hydrogen-producing bacteria known as prevotellaceae.

This research is still in the early stages, but some studies suggest that altering or modifying the gut bacteria may result in weight loss. One way to do just that would be to take a high potency probiotic supplement like Renew Life’s Ultimate Flora 50 Billion that could crowd out this unwanted obesity bacteria. This is not to say that this bacteria is the only factor by any means in obesity.

Adding a good probiotic supplement to your weight loss regime could prove helpful.

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Chron's, colitis, diabetes, IBS, obesity, Omega-3 Oils, probiotic supplement, Probiotics, Ultimate Flora 50 billion

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A recent study conducted at the VA Medical Center in Houston analyzed more than 900 employees to determine the “onset, frequency and severity” of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms, including heartburn. The goal of the study was to find out if those symptoms were affected by diet, and whether or not a change in diet may help relieve suffering and prevent the recurrence of the disease. Results indicated that eating high amounts of dietary fat was associated with a greater risk of heartburn (indigestion) and GERD, but that a diet high in fiber was directly related to a reduced risk of heartburn and GERD.

Read more detailed information of the study by visiting: http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/54/1/11#BIBL

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Digestive Enzymes, digestive system sesitivity, GERD, Heartburn, high fiber diet, renew life