A recent Cochrane Systematic Review, which involves an extensive review of the scientific literature, found that probiotics are effective at reducing diarrhea. The results were similar across all 63 different trials that were analyzed.

A separate review was done for trials involving children with persistent diarrhea. Though only four trials were available for review, results showed that probiotics can reduce the length of time of an episode of persistent diarrhea.

Diarrhea often occurs as a result of infection by many different organisms. This results in a big imbalance in the ratio of good to bad bacteria, so probiotics, (also known as good bacteria), are sometimes recommended as a way to repopulate the gut and bring balance back to the intestines. Indeed, if the Cochrane Review is confirming this, you can’t get more mainstream than that. 

More research needs to be done on specific strains of bacteria and on preventing the progression from short-term to persistent diarrhea. But probiotic therapy can be used safely in addition to rehydration fluids, which are also given during diarrhea treatment.

Diarrhea can be a serious condition. If you are experiencing an episode of diarrhea, talk with your doctor about taking probiotics to help rebalance your gut.

Share this Post...

bacteria, bad, balance, Children, Cochrane, condition, Diarrhea, fluids, good, gut, imbalance, infection, intestines, organisms, Probiotics, rebalance, repopulate, research, scientific, strains

There is still a general belief with medical doctors and the public as well that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are mostly stress-related psychological disorders. I have personally had many patients who were reluctant to discuss their bowel problems for fear of being labeled a “psych” case. Many practitioners still aren’t aware there can be legitimate causes of disease that come from both mind and body.

With IBS and IBD, as with most discussions, there is often an element of truth on both sides or there would be no controversy. First, let’s look at the validity of the stress factors. People with genetic short serotonin transporter systems react negatively to stress-related increases in cortisol (a stress hormone) than people with normal serotonin transport systems.1 Second, ALL people react to significant stress, which can produce damage to the gut epithelial lining. However, people with a history of IBD generally show more gut lining damage than those without IBD. The damage includes: increased levels of stress hormones, activation and degranulation of mast cells, mitochondrial damage in epithelial cells, and mucosal protein oxidation which can create multiple problems with permeability (leaky gut) and immunity.2 Again, this happens to everyone under stress, but is worse with IBS and IBD because stress can trigger a relapse of either condition.

On the other hand, there are many reports that suggest anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of IBS and IBD patients have had a serious gastrointestinal infection days or weeks before they began having symptoms of chronic bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation (or both diarrhea and constipation) that may have lasted years. A study was done on 111 patients with IBS using the lactulose breath test (measures hydrogen and methane gas produced by too many of the wrong bacteria) and 84 percent of patients were positive, which indicates small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Those who were treated with a non-absorbable antibiotic, Neomycin, had a statistically significant improvement both in symptoms, and normalization of the breath test.3 A more recent study4 showed that patients with IBS, but without constipation, treated with rifaximin (a broad spectrum non-absorbable antibiotic) for two weeks provided significant relief of IBS symptoms including: bloating, abdominal pain, and loose or watery stools.

Both of these studies strongly suggest that bacterial overgrowth, which creates a low-grade infection, is a major part of IBS, and can be treated with antibiotics. In addition, I think the standard of care today strongly suggests using probiotics while on antibiotics. This has been shown to lower the incidence of antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD), and especially Clostridium difficle diarrhea, which can lead to total removal of the colon or even death.

Probiotics alone have been shown to significantly help with IBS. More specifically, probiotics enhance gut barrier function, inhibit pathogen binding and modulate gut inflammatory response. They reduce visceral hypersensitivity associated with both inflammation and psychological stress. More importantly, probiotics can alter colonic fermentation and stabilize the colonic microbiota, show that dietary exposure to pathogens maybe less likely to create another relapse of symptoms.5

Once again we can see that the use of high fiber, essential oils (omegas), probiotics and digestive enzymes (Brenda Watson’s HOPE Formula) can be beneficial in preventing or treating intestinal inflammation—be it IBS or IBD.

1. Way BM. “The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Is Associated with Cortisol Response to Psychosocial Stress.” Biol Psychiat. 2010 Mar 1;67(5):487-92.
2. Farhadi A, et al. “Heightened Responses to Stressors in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.” Am J Gastro. 2005;100:1796–1804.
3. Pimentel M., et al. “Normalization of Lactulose Breath Testing Correlates With Symptom Improvement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Am J Gastro. 2003;98:412-19.
4. Pimentel M., et al. “Rifaximin Therapy for Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome without Constipation.” N Engl J Med. 2011 Jan;364:22-32.
5. Spiller, R. “Review article: probiotics and prebiotics in irritable bowel syndrome.” Aliment Pharmacog Ther. 2008 Jun;28(4):385-96.

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.

Share this Post...

abdominal pain, antibiotic, antibiotic associated diarrhea, bloating, body, bowel, Clostridium difficile, colon, Constipation, cortisol, Diarrhea, dietary, Digestive Enzymes, fiber, gastrointestinal, gut epithelial lining, gut lining, IBD, IBS, immunity, infection, inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, lactulose breath test, microbiota, mind, Omegas, oxidation, pathogen, Probiotics, psychological, Serotonin, SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, stress

Okay, so maybe it isn’t a headline you expect to see very often, but lately things are changing, and I say they’re definitely changing for the better. More and more people are becoming aware of the vast numbers of microscopic bacteria living inside their bodies, and a whole new field of science has emerged to study the literally trillions of microorganisms that grow and thrive inside us—helping us do everything from digesting our food to boosting our immune defenses and protecting us against illness and disease.

To help you get an idea of just how important these bacteria are, consider this: In the human body there are 10 times more microbial cells than human cells. Just think about that for a second—it means that roughly 90% of our genetic makeup is microbial. Whoa! I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty amazing that something we can’t even see can be such an important part of who we are.

In the gut especially, there are about 100 trillion bacterial cells. Some are good, some are bad, and some are neutral, but the key is making sure you always have more good than bad (somewhere around 80% to 20%), because the good guys—called probiotics—help to nourish and protect not just your digestive tract, but your whole body.

In just the last few years scientists have made some pretty amazing discoveries about the role of probiotics in human health, and studies show that taking a daily probiotic supplement can help with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel, diarrhea and constipation, as well as aid in vitamin production, weight loss, mental health, and of course building up our immune defenses by crowding out harmful, disease-causing bacteria.

So the next time you hear someone talk about bacteria, resist the urge to cringe and remember the good guys! Probiotics literally means “for life,” and no wonder. I heard this great quote the other day by Dr. Jeffrey Gordon at the Center for Genome Sciences at Washington University, and it really sums it up: “Most people have this view of our encounters with microbes from the perspective of disease. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Most of our interactions with microbes are beneficial and are healthy.” Like I said, hooray for bacteria!

Share this Post...

bacteria, beneficial, bodies, cells, Constipation, daily, Diarrhea, digesting, digestive conditions, digestive tract, discoveries, disease, disease-causing, foods, for life, genetic, grow, gut, harmful, Health, helping, human body, illness, immune defenses, important, irritable bowel, mental health, microbes, microbial, microorganisms, microscopic, new, nourish, probiotic supplement, Probiotics, protect, science, strengthening, study, thrive, trillions, vast, vitamin production, Weight Loss

A lot, actually! Just recently scientists at the University of California discovered a difference in brain structure between people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and those who showed no IBS symptoms.

What they found was that those with IBS actually had less gray matter in the areas of the brain that controlled things like thinking, reasoning and evaluating. Pretty interesting stuff, I thought, and it just goes to prove that the gut and the brain are more connected than we might think.

Experts call this relationship between our digestive system and the brain our gut-brain connection, and it’s been linked to everything from migraine headaches to autism. It’s not surprising though, when you consider that more than 70 percent of your body’s natural defenses are found in your gut. To put this in perspective, it helps to remember that there are only about 10 trillion cells in your entire body, but roughly 100 trillion bacteria cells in your gut. Talk about running the show!

Results of the UCLA study are also helping scientists to better understand IBS, a debilitating disorder with symptoms that include abdominal pain and cramping, along with severe diarrhea or constipation. At one time doctors thought IBS was a psychological disorder, but thanks to studies like this one they’re starting to change their tune—and it’s about time. I see and talk to people every day with IBS, and let me tell you, it’s real!

Share this Post...

abdominal, Autism, bacteria, brain, cells, changes, connected, Constipation, defenses, Diarrhea, digestive, digestive system, disorder, evaluating, gray matter, grey matter, gut, gut-brain connection, headaches, Health, IBS, irritable bowel, migraine, natural, organ, organic, pain, physical, psychological, reasoning, scientists, structural, studies, study, symptoms, thinking, UCLA, University of California

Irritable Bowel? Diarrhea? Painful gas and bloating? This might come as a surprise, but as many as one in every five Americans suffers from IBS or some other intestinal disorder—and just like you they’re searching for relief. But conventional medicine may not always be the answer, especially if doctors aren’t looking deeply enough to get to the root of the problem!

Tomorrow on the Poop Scoop I’ll be talking with leading gastroenterologist and nutrition expert Dr. Leonard Smith to learn more about irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive conditions. Learn why IBS is what some physicians call a “catch-all” diagnosis and what that means for you, and join us as we take a look at the many causes of digestive distress (some might surprise you!) and the natural solutions that can help you get your insides back on track.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

Share this Post...

bloating, Diarrhea, Gastroenterology, IBS, intestinal disorder, Intestine, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Leonard Smith, Other Intestinal Disorders, Painful gas

Hey, guess what? Feeling good is good for you! A recent study found a connection between positive emotions and a lowered risk of coronary heart disease—pretty neat, huh? Specifically, they studied something called “positive affect,” which is basically just another way of saying that someone is experiencing positive emotions, and what they found was that increased positive emotions actually decreases your risk of developing heart disease by 22%… wow!

But before you roll your eyes and say, “Oh, now you expect me to be chipper and pleasant all day?” let’s not get carried away. Positive affect doesn’t mean you can’t have a slump here and there. Let’s face it, everyone has their down days. But overall, if you’re able to experience emotions like joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment more often than negative emotions, you’re already on the right track to a healthier heart.

When it comes to good health, we simply can’t ignore the impact that our emotions have on our bodies…even the gut! When you experience emotions like anger, anxiety or stress, healthy digestion slows down, and that can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation and other problems. I bet a lot of you are nodding your heads, right? Of course! We’ve all paid the price of negative emotions at one time or another, which is why it’s so important to turn that frown upside-down. And the next time you’re feeling upbeat, remember: your heart is getting the benefits!

Share this Post...

anxiety, body, Constipation, coronary heart disease, Diarrhea, digestion, digestive system, emotions, gut, healthy, heart disease, negative, positive, positive affect, stress, symptoms, upset stomach

Are there days when you feel sluggish and tired, and you just don’t have the energy to do the things you enjoy? Do digestive problems like constipation, diarrhea or even gas and bloating seem to weigh you down? Or do you sometimes feel more scatterbrained and forgetful than usual and wish there was a way to feel like yourself again? It’s time to discover the natural solution that will bring back the vibrant health and energy you deserve.

Tomorrow on the Poop Scoop I’ll share with you the secret to better digestion and a clearer mind and body, and it all begins with High fiber, Omega oils, Probiotics and Enzymes. These four nutritional supplements are the key to my H.O.P.E. Formula, and they have helped millions of people just like you live healthier every day. But where should you start? And how much do you need every day to get the most benefit? Join me and learn everything you need to know!

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive.

Share this Post...

bloating, Constipation, Diarrhea, Dietary Fiber, digestion, energy, Enzymes, gas, Health, high-fiber, HOPE formula, nutrition, Omega oils, Probiotics

Here’s something I bet you didn’t know about irritable bowel syndrome—once upon time doctors thought IBS wasn’t even real. I mean it! They thought it was just an imaginary health condition made up by middle-class housewives with too much time on their hands, can you believe that? And not only that, but because they thought the condition was “all in their heads,” their solution was just to prescribe antidepressants. Thank goodness we’ve come a long way since then.

Today the medical community recognizes that IBS is a real, honest-to-goodness disorder that affects millions of people all over the world, but even now many doctors are still prescribing antidepressants. And while yes, there is a mental component to IBS, antidepressants are really just a band-aid for a group of symptoms that begins elsewhere…in the gut!

It’s no surprise that IBS involves symptoms that affect mood and emotions—the gut-brain connection is very real, and it’s true that what goes on in your gut affects your brain. But…if you have IBS and have been given the antidepressant band-aid, you need to dig further. Sure, antidepressants can make you feel better—that’s what they’re meant to do—but they don’t come without side effects, and they don’t get to the real cause. 

Your symptoms of constipation, diarrhea (or both), gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort and moodiness are the result of a war going on in your own gut, so what’s the solution? I’m blogging all month on the real truth about IBS to help you take the steps necessary to bring peace to your gut—and eventually, peace of mind.

Share this Post...

abdominal, antidepressants, bloating, brain, cause, condition, connection, Constipation, Diarrhea, discomfort, focus, gas, gut, gut-brain, Health, housewives, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, mind, peace, side effects, steps, symptoms

If I asked you what the connection was between the bacteria in your gut and the symptoms of irritable bowel, would you know? Okay, so those of you who’ve spent any time reading my books or listening to my Poop Scoop internet radio show probably would, but something this important is definitely worth repeating—especially during IBS Awareness Month!

The number of bacteria in your gut outnumbers the cells in your body twenty to one, which means these little guys are in control of your health whether you like it or not! So when we talk about a gut bacteria balance, we mean we want to keep the good guys (called probiotics) in control so they can help crowd out the bad bacteria before they can cause problems. Another term for unbalanced gut bacteria is dysbiosis.

And here’s where it gets interesting! In IBS patients, lower amounts have been found of the probiotics Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, but the potentially harmful bacteria like enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and bacteroides have been found in higher amounts. Interestingly, dysbiosis causes many of the same symptoms as IBS, and in fact one form of dysbiosis known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been associated with IBS.

So can probiotics help bring balance back to your gut and possibly relieve IBS symptoms such as gas and bloating, occasional constipation and occasional diarrhea? Yes! Keep in mind however that for some people with more sensitive colons, it may be necessary to start with smaller amounts of probiotics, building up to a therapeutic dose gradually to avoid the over-fermentation that may occur.

Share this Post...

bacteria, balance, beneficial, bloating, cells, connection, Constipation, control, Diarrhea, dysbiosis, fermentation, gas, gut, Health, pathogens, Probiotics, rebalances, SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, symptoms, therapeutic, unbalanced

As you know from my previous post, April is IBS Awareness Month, and over the next few weeks I’m going to be talking a lot about IBS to help folks get a better understanding of just what it is, what causes it, and what you can do about it—so get ready to love your colon!

First things first, just what is IBS? Irritable bowel syndrome (commonly called IBS) is an intestinal disorder defined largely by its symptoms, which include abdominal cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and constipation or diarrhea (or both). Based on those symptoms, there are three main types of IBS:

• IBS-C is constipation-predominant IBS, which means it involves constipation-associated symptoms.
• IBS-D is diarrhea-predominant IBS, which means it involves diarrhea-associated symptoms.
• IBS-A, or alternating IBS, involves both constipation- and diarrhea-associated symptoms.

IBS is also one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders today, and as many as 20 percent of Americans have IBS symptoms. However, diagnosing it can be difficult since there are no “biological markers” to look for in a diagnostic test—which essentially means there are no indicators that help doctors distinguish whether you have IBS or something else. So then how do they know if you have it??

An IBS diagnosis is based on certain criteria called the Rome III Criteria, which state that a diagnosis can be made after six months from the first signs of IBS symptoms, with at least three months of recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort in association with two or more of the following conditions:

• Improvement of symptoms with bowel movement
• Onset of symptoms associated with a change in frequency of bowel movements
• Onset of symptoms associated with a change in form of stool

So now that we know a little more about what IBS is, next time we’ll talk about what causes it, so be sure to keep reading!

Share this Post...

abdominal pain, Americans, bloating, bowel, Constipation, cramping, diagnose, Diarrhea, discomfort, gas, IBS, IBS-A, IBS-D, INS-C, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, movement, Rome III Criteria, stool, symptoms