I have blogged before on superbugs in our bodies—like C. diff, MRSA and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Superbugs is the term for bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance, making the infections they cause very difficult to treat. The main reason for the development of these superbugs is the overuse of antibiotics—in medicine, food production (livestock) and even in hand soaps.

Now, there’s a new superbug in town, a superbug of a different kind. And who is behind it, but Monsanto, the biotechnology giant. It seems that one of Monsanto’s biggest money-makers—Bt corn, is creating superbugs. The majority of non-organic corn planted in the U.S. is genetically modified to produce a toxic compound against western corn rootworms—a major corn pest. This corn is well-known as Bt corn, because it contains a gene from the soil microorganisms Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces an insecticide against the corn rootworm.

Genetically modified Bt corn worked so well against the corn rootworm that some farmers began planting it every year, instead of the usual rotation of growing corn one year and soybeans the next—a method that helps reduce pest populations. If there is one thing that farmers should know, it’s that planting the same thing every year is a recipe for disaster (even if it doesn’t seem that way at first).

It turns out the corn rootworms, much like the superbug bacteria infecting humans, are developing a resistance to the Bt toxin that usually destroys the pest. A few farms in Iowa are reporting that the Bt corn no longer kills the corn rootworm, meaning the bugs—now superbugs—have developed resistance to the Bt toxin. First superbugs in our guts, now superbugs on corn, soon superbugs everywhere. (Anyone notice a problem, here?)

Competitors of Monsanto estimate that about one-third of all the corn grown in the U.S. is Monsanto’s Bt corn. These competitors have their own Bt corn, with slightly different genes, that they are offering as a solution for the Bt resistant rootworm. Are you kidding? This seems ridiculous to me. It’s like placing a Band-Aid on a war wound. If they think that the corn rootworm won’t also develop resistance to their Bt toxin, they’re crazy. Unfortunately, it’s all about money. Preserving human health, or even feeding the planet, has nothing to do with it.

Corn and its by-products are in so many foods. Try to buy products using organic corn, or at least non-GM corn, to avoid being part of the human experiment that is the consumption of GM foods in this country. We just don’t know if they’re safe yet, and many studies suggest they’re not.

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On May 27, 2011 a New York Times article reports that Sherwood Gorbach, a 71 year doctor, has been instrumental in the development of a new antibiotic, Dificid, also known as fidaxomicin, for treating C. difficle (C. diff) diarrhea. Dr. Gorbach spent most of his professional life as professor of medicine and public health at Tufts University. He is also well known in the natural health community as one of the co-inventors of a probiotic known as Lactobacillus GG  (GG stands for Drs. names: Sherwood Gorbach and Barry Golden).  So it is needless to say he is well versed in the use of probiotics.

The discovery and bringing to market of Dificid is no doubt a wonderful event. One reason is there are more antibiotic resistant C. diff strains due to the overuse of Flagyl and Vancocin which have been the mainstays for C. diff treatment. It is important to point out that there are many studies in the medical literature that show the concurrent use of probiotics or probiotic yogurts with antibiotics greatly reduce or prevent C. diff in the first place. ¹ Also, prolonged use of probiotics after a C. diff infection reduces the likelihood of getting recurrent C. diff infections. What a novel concept—why not use probiotics and/or fermented yogurt on a regular basis?  

It turns out that the Dificid, at this point in time being the “new kid on the block,” was shown to be much better than Vancocin in preventing recurrent C. diff. About 25 percent of the Vancocin users had a recurrence compared with only about 15 percent of the Dificid users. Why would this be?  It’s too soon and too new for resistant C. diff strains to develop! What’s more, Dificid like most prescription drugs, has its dark side—namely side effects of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Now let’s talk about cost; the drug is likely to be at least as expensive as Vancocin, which costs $1,000 or more for a course of treatment. Optimer, the pharmaceutical company that sells Dificid, is predicted to make about $159 million per year after a few years of selling the drug.

If we really had a health care system in addition to a sickness care system, probiotics would be taken as seriously (if not more so) than antibiotics in both the prevention—and yes, the treatment—of most all infections. It would be interesting for both Dr Gorbach and the New York Times to tell the more complete story of how Dificid could be avoided, but if truly needed, be complemented with probiotics that would include multiple species and strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria in a high enough dose to really matter, several hundred billion probiotic bacteria per day.

1. Hickson M, et al., “ Use of probiotic Lactobacillus preparation to prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.” BMJ. 2007 Jul 14;335(7610):80. Epub 2007 Jun 29.

Leonard Smith, M.D.

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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Over-prescription of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance and affects the ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment.  That’s very important because if antibiotics do not work for infections, there isn’t much else that will.  Now that’s scary!

A recent study of patients hospitalized for respiratory infections found that in those who were diagnosed with a viral infection (antibiotics will not help a viral infection) and who also had a normal chest x-ray (which detects pneumonia, which is often a bacterial infection), 63 percent were still prescribed antibiotics!  Is it perhaps just habit to prescribe them? 

Surprise, surprise:  Those patients were found to not benefit from the antibiotic treatment and, in fact, some went on to develop the antibiotic-associated Clostridium difficile infection.

This over-prescription of antibiotics is widespread, and is putting people at risk of developing dangerous infections, like C. diff, MRSA, E. coli and Klebsiella infections. In fact, two bacteria strains that carry a specific gene (NDM-1) have recently been in the news. Why?  Because bacteria that carry this gene are resistant to almost all antibiotics, including the last-resort antibiotics currently being used when the more common ones fail.

Next time your doctor wants to prescribe an antibiotic, make sure that it’s being used for a bacterial infection, and not a viral infection.

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I love it when I hear from people who have taken my advice and to learn how they have personally benefitted from it. Just look at this incredible testimonial from a woman who decided to take her health into her own hands:

“I am writing to let you know that the Ultimate Flora probiotics you recommend not only helped me recover from a debilitating disease, but made it possible for me to continue nursing my baby. In 2004, I originally came down with Clostridium difficile colitis (C. diff) and spent six months in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals trying to get cured. Every time a course of antibiotics (first Metronidazole, then Vancocin) would stop the symptoms, they would come back as soon as I went off. It wasn’t until I did my own research and tried tapering down the antibiotics while tapering up probiotics that I got rid of the disease. But, as has been known to happen, this year (2010) it returned, after the birth of my 3rd child. After a few days of symptoms, I had a feeling what might be wrong. Sure enough, a clinical test turned up positive for C. diff. I was told that I would need to start Metronidazole right away, and that it would no longer be safe for me to nurse my baby. I told the clinician to hold off on ordering the prescription, and let me try something first. I went to my local health food store and purchased Ultimate Flora Super Critical (200 billion cultures) probiotics. After two weeks of Super Critical therapy, my symptoms were mostly gone. Two more months of daily maintenance on Critical Care (50 billion cultures), and I had no more symptoms at all. I have not relapsed in the 6 months since this happened. I am completely confident that nothing short of the Super Critical product you recommend could have cured this virulent disease. I have you to thank for my health, and that of my baby, who is still nursing at 7 months.” ~ Rachel P., Maryland

Please note C. diff is a very serious, often fatal condition and should only be treated under the care of a qualified physician. Most physicians are now treating C. diff with a combination of probiotics and antibiotics.

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It’s a subject you’ve heard me talk about before, but considering new research it’s definitely worth repeating. A recent CBS news segment revealed that not one but five new studies showed that using acid-blocking drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be potentially dangerous to your health, and that “more than half of prescriptions for these drugs are unnecessary”. Folks, this is an eye-opener if there ever was one!

Every year more than 100 million Americans are prescribed PPIs to help relieve symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux, but what many people don’t know is that these drugs often come with some pretty serious side effects—including a nearly 75 percent greater risk of developing a severe intestinal infection known as C. diff, according to new evidence. Essentially, taking PPIs upsets the healthy bacterial balance in your intestines (which is where the majority of your natural immune defenses can be found), leaving your body vulnerable to illness and infection.

Widespread PPI use has also been linked to higher rates of pneumonia, as well as esophageal candidiasis (yeast overgrowth), inflammation of the stomach lining, increased permeability of upper GI tract lining, and even osteoporosis-related bone fractures due to the fact that PPIs block calcium absorption in the body. Because long-term PPI use also leads to hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid secretion), bacterial overgrowth and acetaldehyde production, PPI users have an increased risk of developing gastric cancer. 

The good news? There are simple things we can do every day to help prevent heartburn and acid reflux without relying on harmful drugs. Diet changes like limiting our intake of caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and fatty or spicy foods can make a big difference, along with maintaining a healthy body weight, getting plenty of exercise and quitting smoking—all pretty good advice if you ask me! Natural supplements made with ingredients such as ellagic acid (from raspberries and pomegranates) can also provide soothing relief for occasional heartburn, and digestive enzymes with added HCl can help ensure complete digestion and reduce the chances of heartburn and acid reflux happening in the first place.

The bottom line is this: why take a potentially dangerous drug when smarter, safer alternatives exist? My hope is that the more people learn about PPIs and their side effects—including why they may not even need them in the first place—the more people will take steps to improve their digestive health naturally.

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