Sure, we hear all the time about the benefits of vitamin C, vitamin A, and of course all those good-for-you B vitamins, but chances are you’ve been hearing lately about another vitamin too—one that’s also important for your body and your health: vitamin D.

Research shows that vitamin D helps with a wide range of health conditions, but unfortunately most people don’t get enough of this beneficial nutrient in their daily diets. Studies have even shown that people low in vitamin D are at risk for many different illnesses and diseases, but what I want to talk about is the importance of vitamin D when it comes to a healthy gut.

A recent study found that vitamin D plays a big role in the body’s response to harmful Salmonella bacteria in the intestines (salmonella bacteria are the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness in the U.S.). Specifically, scientists found that vitamin D is especially effective at helping to quell inflammation caused by Salmonella in the gut. 

The bottom line? If you’re not taking a vitamin D supplement, you should be!  Vitamin D is widely available and inexpensive—just make sure you take vitamin D3 since it’s easiest for your body to absorb and use. Remember also to take vitamin D with a meal that contains fat, since it’s a fat-soluble vitamin. Or better yet, look for a daily Omega oil supplement with preferrably 1000 IU added vitamin D3 to get even more healthy benefits!

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My weekly “Renew You” Challenge: In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty comfortable talking about poop. Most of the people I work with are, too—in fact it’s kind of a running joke! But I think it’s safe to say that for the rest of society, the subject of poop has a MAJOR taboo.  Even the editor’s letter in a recent issue of a popular parents’ magazine had a hard time mentioning constipation, and I thought, “Really?? These are parents! Haven’t they seen pretty much everything when it comes to their kids’ bodily functions?” 

My point is, we need to get more comfortable talking about what’s happening on the inside—in our guts. Why? Because a healthy gut is the foundation for a healthy body, since it’s where the majority of your body’s natural defenses are found.

So where’s the best place to start? With your family, of course! After all, you share just about everything else with them, right? And this is important. Think about it, do you even know how often your spouse poops? How about your kids? And if you do, do you know if they’re healthy poops? Are they too loose? Not frequent enough? All of these things can have a big impact on overall health.

So yes, it can be a touchy subject, but it’s an important one folks. Ignoring our digestive symptoms because they’re hard to talk about can lead to chronic illness down the line. So I say get over it—and let’s talk poop!

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It really wouldn’t be my blog with a good fungus or poop reference every now and then, so here’s the latest news from around the country about a couple of the things we try not to think about all that often…but that can have a pretty big impact on our health.

In the northwest United States an airborne fungus called Cryptococcus gattii has been spreading, and so far it’s caused several deaths in healthy individuals. Normally this fungus affects HIV-infected patients whose immune systems are compromised, but this new C. gattii strain is causing illness and even death in people who aren’t even sick to begin with…scary stuff!

The strain is affecting humans as well as animals—with a death rate of 25% compared to the typical 8.7% seen in previous strains—and scientists are working hard to determine just where this virulent strain originated by studying gene samples collected from infected patients.

In another news story, Chagas disease is making headlines. Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which lives in the gut of the reduviid bug. Yuck, right? Even worse, the reduviid bug is also called the “kissing bug” because it crawls on the lips of people who are sleeping, attracted by exhaled carbon dioxide. And what does it do when it’s there? It numbs and bites your skin, drinking its fill of blood and then defecating on the wound, which in turn transmits the parasite to you, the human host. Double yuck!!

While Chagas is seen mostly in poorly developed areas of the world like South and Central America, its prevalence is increasing in the U.S.—alarming news, if you ask me. And while the acute form of Chagas can be treated effectively by doctors, once it develops into a chronic condition there is no cure, and complications can include heart disease and intestinal malformation…Yikes!

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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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