Did someone at Stanford U. see “The Road to Perfect Health” PBS special? Now THIS is exciting! http://on.wsj.com/x0n5Yk

I know that way too often the articles that stimulate my comments border on the absurd – in my mind anyhow. FINALLY, in the WSJ (thank you Shirly S. Wang, author) – “A Gut Check for Many Ailments”.

Back in the late 90s, Dr. Michael Gershon (considered the ‘father of neurogastroenterology’) wrote about “The Second Brain”, where he credits two British scientists, Bayliss and Starling, with identifying the “law of the intestine” – peristalsis. This is a muscular movement which happens without direction from the brain. So the word about the important independence of the gut has been out, even if not well appreciated in modern times!

“The gut is important in medical research, not just for problems pertaining to the digestive system, but also problems pertaining to the rest of the body.” says Pankaj J. Pasricha, chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. So encouraging to think a well-known training center for future physicians is expanding their awareness! How many more of you, in a few short years, will be able to finally find a doctor who doesn’t shake his/her head at your symptoms, or inform you it’s just “all in your head”!?

Dr. Gershon, a professor at Columbia University, was quoted to say “The brain is a CEO that doesn’t like to micromanage”. He would undoubtedly enjoy my reference to probiotics as your own body’s “GPS” – Gut Protection System”. Friends, we all know, don’t we, that the balance of bacteria in your gut determines the health of your your digestive system, and, in turn, the health of your entire body!

I’m so happy that Dr. Gershon recognizes that 95% of the serotonin in the body is made in the gut! Besides increasing peaceful and tranquil feelings, it was reported that serotonin is necessary for repair of cells in the liver and lungs, and plays a role in normal heart development and bone-mass accumulation. Definitely important functions beyond elimination, I would say.

How great it was to read that perhaps one day, Parkinson’s disease may be diagnosed and tracked through a routine colonoscopy, rather than an invasive brain biopsy! Apparently gut neurons may mirror the damage experienced by brain neurons, according to Pascal Derkinderen, a professor of neurology at Inserm, Frances national institute of health.

Sometimes, through the years of sharing my understanding of the gut – as a colonhydrotherapist, as a nutritionist/herbologist, as an author in book after book, and more recently on PBS through all the specials, I still feel as though I’m holding up a little candle in the dark. As I hear your stories of suffering, sometimes for months and years with gut issues, and your deep frustration when you can’t find a knowledgeable, compassionate doctor, my heart breaks….  And we move forward, changing diets together, cleansing, supporting, sharing — and we wait.

Today, after reading this WSJ article, I feel a surge of hope and joy!  Working together, you and I, we are educating with love and expanding an awareness of true health that will serve and heal for generations to come.

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Wonder why American’s are plagued with Heartburn, Constipation and Bloating? Join me on CNN-TV at 9:00pm ET tonight with Joy Behar, Suzanne Somers, Dr. Andrew Weil and Kathy Griffin. Watch as I uncover the direct link between an unbalanced gut and weight gain, and how constipation, bloating and heartburn are just a few of the warning signs of bigger problems down the line. I will be joining Suzanne Somers, who is guest hosting the show to promote her informative and inspiring new book, Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty – Shed the Toxins, Shed the Fat.

I was one of the main contributors of Suzanne’s new book, helping her understand the complexities of the gut as it pertains to weight loss. Like most of Suzanne’s other books, this is sure to be a New York Times best seller (already at #15 on Amazon).

Look for me in the second segment, right after Dr. Andrew Weil. For more information, here’s a link to Joy’s show: http://joybehar.blogs.cnn.com/

It is sure to be a fun, exciting and eye-opening evening for all of you. Don’t miss it!

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Notable News

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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