Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, emerged in the past century and have exhibited a sharp rise since the 1950s. But despite extensive research, the cause of IBD remains unknown.

In a letter published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Dr. Xiaofa Qin reveals how a series of findings led him to suspect that the artificial sweetener saccharin may have played a causative role in IBD.  However, this failed to provide an explanation for the recently reported record high incidence of IBD in Canada, which has adopted a more strict use of saccharin than most other Western countries. But continued examination led Dr. Qin to evidence suggesting that the high incidence of IBD in Canada was probably caused by sucralose (Splenda), through the same mechanism as saccharine.

According to Dr. Qin:

“Here I would like to provide more evidence I gathered recently suggesting a possible link between sucralose consumption and IBD in other countries.  For instance, Australia approved sucralose use in 1993, while the study by Hanigan and Radford-Smith found an accelerated increase of IBD in north Brisbane since 1994 … The European Union approved sucralose use in 2004, while a series of studies by Perminow et al found that the incidences of pediatric IBD in southeastern Norway were 4.7 during 1990-1993 … and 10.6 during 2005-2007.”

The website Green Med Info has assembled an amazing list of more than 200 studies, which together explore more than 170 diseases which can be helped or treated with probiotics.

The conditions include:

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Atopic Dermatitis

• Diarrhea

• Allergic Rhinitis

• And even the common cold!

According to just one of the many studies linked on the site:

“The ability of the gut microbiota and oral probiotics to influence systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, glycemic control, tissue lipid content and even mood itself, may have important implications …”

To read more, you can click on the link below.

A study attempted to evaluate the efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in functional dyspepsia.

The researchers found that patients receiving a high dose of astaxanthin — 40 mg – showed a significant reduction of reflux syndrome.

According to the study, as reported by Green Med Info:

“Significantly greater reduction of reflux symptoms were detected in patients treated with the highest dose of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin. The response was more pronounced in H. pylori-infected patients.”

Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms. Melatonin has been found to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative damage, and a study sought to evaluate the potential role of melatonin in the treatment of GERD.

The study found that melatonin could play a role in the improvement of GERD when used alone or in combination with other drugs.

According to study, as reported by Green Med Info:

“The present study showed that oral melatonin is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of GERD. It is an effective line of treatment in relieving epigastric pain and heartburn.”

Green Med Info has also indexed over 100 potential medicinal applications for Melatonin.

More than 70 years ago, dermatologists John Stokes and Donald Pillsbury proposed a gastrointestinal mechanism for the overlap between depression, anxiety and skin conditions such as acne. They hypothesized that emotional states might alter intestinal microflora and contribute to systemic inflammation. They advocated remedies including Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures.

A recent paper sought to provide a historical perspective to the contemporary investigations and clinical implications of the gut-brain-skin connection in acne. It found that many aspects of Stokes and Pillsbury’s unifying theory have recently been validated.

According to the paper, as reported by Green Med Info:

“The ability of the gut microbiota and oral probiotics to influence systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, glycemic control, tissue lipid content and even mood itself, may have important implications in acne. The intestinal microflora may also provide a twist to the developing diet and acne research.”

A study assessed the probiotic bacteria Mesalazine and Lactobacillus casei to see how effective they were at maintaining long-term remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon.

Seventy one patients completed the study, of whom sixty six were symptom-free after the 24th month of treatment. All patients who ceased taking the probiotics found that their symptoms recurred.

According to the study, as reported by Green Med Info:

“Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei seem to be effective in maintaining remission of [diverticular disease] for long-time. Moreover, we found recurrence of the disease and complications in all patients suspending treatments.”

A study shows that water may be more effective than acid-inhibiting drugs in its effect on gastric pH.

Study participants were given either a glass of water, antacid, ranitidine, omeprazole, esomeprazole, or rabeprazole. Their gastric pH was recorded for 6 hours after each drug intake.  Water increased gastric pH by more than 4 after just one minute. In contrast, antacid took 2 minutes, and most of the other drugs took more than two hours.

According to the study in Digestive Diseases and Sciences:

“Water and antacid immediately increased gastric pH, while PPIs showed a delayed but prolonged effect compared to ranitidine.”

When you look at the science, it turns out your grandmother wasn’t so far off on some of those home remedies she used to talk about. For example, it’s really true that olives can help stave off motion sickness – but only if you eat them when the first symptoms appear. That’s because olives contain tannin, which works to eliminate the saliva that triggers nausea.

It’s also absolutely true that oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties, and that a finely ground paste of it can help soothe eczema. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics also can help get rid of bad breath.

Gargle salt water for a sore throat, take a spoonful of sugar for hiccups, and chew on a pencil for a headache – they all have a scientific reason why they work.

And, although there are no studies to back up putting Vapor Rub on toenail fungus, enough people have reported success with the remedy to warrant giving it a try.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, such as abdominal pain and bloating, are a daily problem for millions of Americans.  The condition may strike as many as one in five adults, and it is difficult to treat.

However, the peppermint plant has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy. It is believed to relieve gastrointestinal problems by reducing muscle contractions.  One study found that only 26 percent of patients treated with peppermint oil continued to show symptoms of IBS, compared with 65 percent of those who were given a placebo.

According to the New York Times:

“… [P]eppermint oil is … considered safe when used in small doses, with common side effects generally limited to nausea and allergic reactions. But excessive doses of peppermint oil may cause kidney problems.”

Exercise might grant relief to people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.  A study of more than 100 adults with the disorder found that exercise led to improvements in problems like cramps, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

After three months, 43 percent of the exercisers showed a significant improvement in their symptoms. Even a moderate increase in exercise could be helpful.

Reuters reports:

“About 15 percent of Americans have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, which causes bouts of abdominal cramps, bloating and diarrhea or constipation … The typical treatment includes diet changes, as well as anti-diarrheal medication and, for constipation, laxatives or fiber supplements. There’s also some evidence that behavioral therapy and stress-reduction tactics help some people.”

By Dr. Mercola

Entire books are written about the subject of digestion. The current science of how your body breaks down and specifically utilizes nutrients is still in its infancy. 

This article is meant as an overview, talking about the physical process at work in the act of digestion, and some possible causes of why your digestive system may become unbalanced, and what to do if it does become unbalanced. 

Unless you are dependent on a tube for nutrition, the reason you have survived to this point in your life is because your body is able to extract what it needs from the food you eat by properly digesting it.

So the short definition of digestion — you put food or liquid into your mouth, swallow it, and then your body breaks these molecules down into a size it can absorb.  What your body doesn’t use is excreted as waste.

Fairly basic, right?

Is Digestion Really That Simple?

Digestion is actually a complex combination of biological interactions and chemical reactions taking place at every stop along the extensive digestive tract, which is generally split into two halves — the upper gastrointestinal tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum) and the lower gastrointestinal track (small intestine, large intestine). 

Your gastrointestinal tract is also home to the largest part of your body’s immune system, protecting you against foreign invaders by producing acids and housing colonies of beneficial bacteria that act as a defensive army fighting to protect you from pathogens that find their way inside your body. 

So what exactly makes up the digestive system and how does it work?

Everything Starts With What You Put in Your Mouth

Once you select something to eat, your mouth goes to work, using your tongue and teeth to turn large pieces into smaller pieces (mastication) and using enzymes from the salivary glands to begin chemically breaking down food molecules into a size your body can absorb.

This is why nutrition experts are always advising you to eat slowly, and chew your food thoroughly (at least 20 chews per bite).  Because your digestion actually begins in your mouth!  If you often find your stomach feels like a big knot after you’ve eaten, you’re probably swallowing your food whole. 

There’s a reason baby food is mashed into mush.  They have no teeth to break the food down themselves into smaller molecules.

And yes, taking your time when eating and chewing your food properly has a number of beneficial side effects.

For example, chewing your food twice as long as you normally would will instantly help you control your portion sizes, which naturally decreases calorie consumption.

Another benefit of chewing longer is that your food is digested better. The majority of your digestive enzymes are actually in your mouth, not in your stomach. Therefore, chewing your food longer allows the food to be broken down better.

You’re also likely to find that you actually enjoy the taste of the food more if you eat slower.

In my opinion, it’s also a good idea to swallow foods that are neither too hot nor too cold.  Foods and liquids are best taken into your body at the temperature of your body, so it’s beneficial to let warm foods cool in your mouth and let cold foods warm in your mouth – as an aid to digestion.

The exception to this would be water — which is most highly structured and beneficial when cold — and seems to be far better at quenching your thirst when cold.

Also, the first major problem with digestion starts with what you choose to put in your mouth!  

In our modern world, inexpensive processed foods, often loaded with sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, cheaply processed unhealthy fats and artificial colors are designed to be appealing to all of your senses, including your tastebuds. 

And the advertising never betrays that this food can literally kill you! 

Processed foods can lead to a whole host of health troubles, and many people today are getting a majority of their calories from these highly processed, low nutritional value foods.

If you are one of these people getting a majority of your calories from fast and processed foods you can face three major problems you may not be aware of: 

• Processed foods may be broken down by your body into one or more toxic molecules (ie. Aspartame, Splenda ). 
• Processed foods may produce undesirable biological effects (ie. trans fats, high fructose corn syrup).
• Your body may treat processed foods as a foreign invader.

When your body consumes processed foods you may be triggering the release of powerful antibodies meant to fight off foreign invaders, which can  actually cause collateral damage to your body’s cells.  In fact, eating a diet rich in processed foods and junk foods can cause an ongoing mistaken internal attack on very necessary components of your digestive system.

Everyone is affected differently by this constant internal antibody attack, otherwise we’d all have autoimmune diseases.  But it is known that macrophages, one of the more powerful tools your immune system uses to fight foreign invaders can also do indiscriminate damage to your body’s tissues.

What Goes on Inside Your Stomach

Back to the digestive process. Once food makes it past your mouth and is swallowed down past your esophagus, the acid wash inside the stomach begins, and not surprisingly, another host of problems can start to occur.

The environment inside your stomach is highly acidic (pH 4) and this acid acts as the next defense mechanism against harmful pathogens that might have slipped past your first line of defense.  A protective mucous lining protects your stomach from all this acid. 

When I talk about acids in your stomach I am referring to hydrochloric acid and pepsin.  When you are young your body usually will produce enough acid to properly digest your food, but as you age, reduced stomach acid comes along with the territory.  Many people begin experiencing stomach acid problems in their 30’s and 40’s when stomach acid starts to drop off from youthful levels.

Compromised stomach acidity is a common hindrance to optimum digestion, and can frequently be aided by supplementing with hydrochloric acid ( Betaine HCL) or digestive enzymes.  But HCL or enzyme supplementation requires following some basic rules of chemistry.

Your entire digestive tract ranges from strongly acidic (pH4 in your stomach) to slightly acidic (5.7-6.7 pH in your small intestine, and pH7 in your colon).  If HCL or enzymes are used as an aid to digestion, it is imperative to not add any unnecessary alkaline disturbances to the acidic environment. 

This includes water and especially alkaline water. 

So as you age, it is common to experience heartburn, indigestion and GERD-type diseases, and contrary to what you may think, these diseases are almost typically caused by a reduction in stomach acid, not the overproduction of stomach acid. 

This is news to many, because the drug companies spend loads of marketing money to convince you that heartburn and acid reflux are caused by too much stomach acid.

Digestive aids, natural or man-made chemicals that affect digestion, generally fall into two categories: 

• Help produce more stomach acid, more enzymes and more beneficial bacteria
• Help produce less stomach acid

Digestive aids like hydrochloric acid (HCL) , enzymes and probiotics can actually be powerful tools to maintain a more acidic and beneficial environment in your stomach and intestines that will help your digestive system work optimally.

Dangers of Anti-Ulcer Drugs

The other so-called digestive aids, including the class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors, and H2 blockers (Pepsid AC, Prilosec, Zantac, etc) will actually take you in the opposite direction of optimal health because they shut down acid production, making your problem worse. 

So if drug industry into has fooled you thinking drugs like Pepsid AC and Zantac are addressing the problems in your stomach, or even if you’re taking the common calcium tablets to reduce stomach acid, you’re doing your body three huge disservices:

• You are reducing stomach acid even further, the opposite direction that your body actually needs to move.
• You are worsening your already malfunctioning digestive system.
• You are compromising your absorption of the vitamin B-12

Also, the FDA recommends taking these stomach acid reducing drugs for only THREE 14-day periods each year!  Taking these drugs longer than that is dangerous, because long-term effects are not well understood and longer-term use is not recommended.  So these acid reducing drugs aren’t even meant to be a real solution for your chronic poor digestion in the first place!

On top of all this, short-term use of acid reducing drugs like Prilosec have a long list of possible side effects, including:

So clearly it’s in your best interest to address the cause of digestive imbalances by properly increasing the acid in your stomach, not decreasing it.

For more in-depth information, I highly recommend reading Dr. Jonathan Wright’s excellent book Your Stomach: What is Really Making You Miserable and What to Do About It. 

Make Sure Your Vitamin B12 Levels are Good

B-12 is a vitamin that can only be digested by your body through high stomach acid content, because it takes a lot of acid to break down this essential B vitamin.  If you are shutting down your stomach acid production, your body is not going to get the B-12 it needs from the food you eat. 

And oral B-12 supplementation will not address this issue as they will not break down in your stomach if acid production is low. 

In fact, if you are one of the people taking these proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers, the primary way your body can effectively absorb the B-12 that it needs is through inter-muscular injections. 

So why is getting B-12 so important?

Here are some common symptoms of B-12 deficiency:

Clearly, keeping your body’s natural B-12 absorption mechanism functioning well is vitally critical for optimal health.  Without proper B-12 absorption, a whole host of seemingly inexplicable health problems can result, which a conventionally trained doctor will have trouble linking to low levels of B-12.

The Importance of Good Bacteria

Now, moving a little bit further down your digestive tract to the small intestine, there are about 100 trillion microorganisms living in your gut.  That’s 10 times more than the total number of cells in your body (about 10 trillion).  These tiny creatures make up between 3-5 pounds of your body weight!

Your body receives help breaking down foods into their component parts from the organisms that live in your gut (intestinal flora).  These bacteria, yeasts and fungi can produce beneficial waste products as they feast on your digesting food, such as B and K vitamins that your body needs. They also function to break down some foods that your body cannot absorb by itself (they change carbs into simple sugars and proteins into the component amino acids). 

But when you eat too many grains, sugars and processed foods, these foods serve as fertilizer for the bad bacteria and yeast and will cause them to rapidly multiply. 

One of the best things you can do for your health, including your digestive health, is eliminate sugars and processed foods as much as possible!

In fact, millions of people currently suffer from yeast overgrowth and a host of maladies related to the rapid spread of the bad bacteria in your intestines.  And most conventional doctors will not be able to identify the cause of your symptoms if you suffer from bad bacteria or yeast overgrowth.

Estimates are that as many as 80 million people, mostly women, are currently suffering from harmful yeast overgrowth. 

Symptoms of this yeast overgrowth include:

As you can see the list is long and varied, and the symptoms mimic those caused by many other diseases.  If you think you may be suffering from yeast overgrowth, see my free report here.

So the key to good intestinal health, especially in your small intestine, is keeping an optimum balance of the helpful and harmful microorganisms.  This is why probiotics (for life) supplements are so important, because they increase the ratio of “good” bacteria in your gut, and why antibiotics (against life) can interfere with the delicate balance in your gut.

In fact, contrary to what you might have heard about probiotics not surviving in the highly acidic wash of your stomach, the helpful bacteria like acidophilus thrive in an acidic environment and not only survive the stomach environment, but acidophilus will actually also create lactic acid to maintain a more acidic condition in your small intestine.

Some examples of health problems that you may face if your gut microorganisms stay out of balance for long periods of time include:

This is why it pays dividends to eat plenty of fermented foods like:

If you are unable to find good fermented foods, or are not able to eat them often in your diet, then supplementing with a high quality probiotic product will also serve the function of multiplying the “good” bacteria found in your digestive tract. 

When searching for probiotic supplements, be sure to buy the highest quality you can find, because when it comes to feeding your beneficial bacteria, not all products are created equally.

The Truth about Soy

Another food I want to talk about in relation to good digestion is soy.  More specifically, I advise you to avoid all unfermented soy products.

Soy is widely touted today as a health food, mostly through slick food company advertising and marketing.  The soy industry’s propaganda likes to point to the high levels of health in Japan, where soy is claimed to be a main component of the diet.  But the truth is a little more complicated.

The types of soy popular in Japan are mostly variations of fermented soy, including tempeh, soy sauce, miso and natto are better but still have isoflavones which can act as powerful goitrogenic or thyroid harming influences. So if you have issues with your thyroid you should not consume large quantities of these.

Non-fermented soy products, including tofu, soy milk, soy oil, soy protein powder and soybeans present a more complicated picture, and in my opinion non-fermented soy is definitely not a health food and should be avoided.

Unfermented soy contains natural toxins known as “anti-nutrients”.  Soy also contains other anti-nutritional factors such as saponins, soyatoxin, protease inhibitors, and oxalates.

Some of these factors interfere with the enzymes you need to digest protein.

While a small amount of anti-nutrients would not likely cause a problem, the amount of soy that many Americans are now eating is extremely high.

Soy is also one of the most widespread GMO foods in America, with over 91 percent of all soy grown with GMO seeds.  I consider eating GMO soy to be like taking part in a giant laboratory experiment, and I recommend you avoid unfermented soy for the anti-nutrient reasons and the GMO reasons if you want to be optimally healthy.

Chewing Gum Fools Your Digestive System

Your body was designed to activate digestive process through chewing.  This is a good thing as your body needs the enzymes and acid to digest your food. However chewing without eating food can be counterproductive.

When you chew gum, you send your body physical signals that food is about to enter your body.  The enzymes and acids that are activated when you chew gum can cause bloating and overproduction of stomach acid.  Besides this, chewing gum can cause jaw muscle imbalance (if you chew on one side more than the other) and even TMJ in your jaw, which can be a painful chronic condition.

The bottom line is you shouldn’t chew gum or if you do use gum, use if very rarely or right before a meal where the acid and enzyme stimulation may actually be beneficial …

Gallbladder Problems

Your gallbladder stores bile produced by your liver, and releases it into the digestive tract as needed.  Sometimes, the gallbladder becomes diseased and must be removed. 

Rather than lose the mechanism that regulates bile secretion into your digestive tract, it is far better to address a malfunctioning gallbladder by looking at dietary imbalances.  Addressing digestive issues at the source of the problem, the food you eat, is always a more direct way to intervene in disruptions in your body’s digestive mechanisms.

However, if the condition is advance gallbladder removal occasionally becomes necessary.  When this happens, or if you have previously had your gallbladder removed, you can expect fats in particular may have trouble breaking down in your digestive tract, and diarrhea may also become a problem.  With the mechanism for bile regulation removed, your GI tract may receive either too much bile, or too little. So, adjust your diet before it’s necessary to remove your body’s bile regulator. 

But if you do lose your gallbladder, you can combat poor digestion with either with HCL and enzyme.

The best enzyme to supplement is would be an enzyme that breaks down far or a lipase.  This is because you will not be producing much bile which typically aids in fat digestion.  

One key thing to keep in mind with gallbladder problems, and even after gallbladder removal, is that your body still needs to take in “good” fats.  So getting a good source of omega three fat (like krill oil) is still essential to good health, even though your body may have some trouble processing all fats if you have gallbladder problems. 

Some Final Thoughts

Hopefully this trip through your digestive system has helped you to a better understand of why it is vitally important to provide your body with the good fuel and good digestive aids it needs, and why providing too much of the wrong kinds of foods or the wrong kinds of digestive aids can lead to problems.

You should also understand why a diet too rich in simple sugars can lead to a whole host of negative consequences from unhealthy yeast overgrowth (which can lead to leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, poor absorption of nutrients, excess gas, weight gain and craving carbs). 

Also, a diet rich in food-like substances containing man-made chemicals may also be the cause of other digestive maladies, such as:

• acid reflux
• indigestion
• heartburn
• abdominal pain
• vomiting
• diarrhea

Remember, your digestive system is an extremely complex dynamic system that protects you through a strong defense mechanism against harmful invaders from the external environment.

Some proactive steps you can take to aid in your digestion and help the beneficial microorganisms to flourish and keep digestive disorders away include:

Every day you are presented with a vast array of food choices, and our modern world has found some truly innovative ways to present food to you that appeals to all your senses (smells great, looks great, tastes great).  However, relying on your senses alone to choose the nutrients your body needs can lead you down a slow path of self-destruction, chronic diseases and shortened lifespan for not just yourself but for future generations as well. 

Nowadays, it truly does take an act of will to train your body to recognize whole natural foods as delicious and nutritious, when the alternative is food-like substances that have been processed, designed, crafted and marketed to appeal to all of your senses and to your intellect.

Yahoo Shine lists some natural aids for indigestion.  Herbs have been used to treat illnesses for thousands of years, and indigestion is particularly well-suited for natural remedies.

Fennel / Fennel Seed

Fennel seed fights gas, cramps, and acid indigestion, and eases spasms in the intestinal tract.  Fennel is also said to act as a carminative, meaning it helps your body expel gas and sooth indigestion.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a member of the mint family.  It is often mixed with other herbs to help promote relaxation. Evidence suggests that lemon balm can help treat indigestion, but its stress-soothing qualities alone can often be useful for this purpose.

Turmeric

Turmeric is used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine to aid digestion and liver function, relieve arthritis pain, and regulate menstruation. It can also be used for heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, intestinal gas, and stomach bloating.  Studies show that its active ingredient, curcumin, provides indigestion relief.

Ginger

Ginger has long been used as a medicine in Asian, Indian, Chinese, and Arabic herbal traditions.  Health care professionals still recommend ginger to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting. It is also used as a digestive aid for mild stomach upset.

Artichoke Leaf

In traditional European medicine, the leaves of the artichoke plant (not the leaves of the bud, which is the part you normally eat) were used as a diuretic to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder.  A large study designed to evaluate artichoke leaf as a treatment for dyspepsia found that it was significantly more effective than a placebo.

Peppermint

Peppermint is often used to soothe an upset.  Many studies have also show peppermint oil to be helpful for a variety of conditions that involve spasm of the intestinal tract, especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Cayenne

Oral use of cayenne reduces discomfort in your stomach, and can help alleviate pain, bloating, and nausea.

KSBW reports:

“Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say — about your overall health.”

Here are some of the signs to look for:

1) Flat, Worn Teeth and Headache — Sign of: Stress

Many people are surprised to find out they’re tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.

2) Cracking, Crumbling Teeth — Sign of: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Tooth erosion isn’t a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that’s coming up from the stomach and dissolving them

3) Sores that Won’t Go Away — Sign of: Oral Cancer

When an open sore in the mouth doesn’t go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.

4) Gums Growing Over Teeth — Sign of: Medication Problems

This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.

5) Dry Mouth — Sign of: Sjogren’s Syndrome, Diabetes

Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases —  Sjogren’s syndrome and diabetes.

6) White Webbing Inside Cheecks — Sign of: Lichen Planus

This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.

7) Crusting Dentures — Sign of: Potential Aspiration Pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.

Even short courses of antibiotics can leave your gut harboring antibiotic resistance genes for up to two years. This reservoir increases the chances of resistance genes being transferred to pathogenic bacteria.

Eurekalert reports:

“The impact of antibiotics on the normal gut flora has previously been thought to be short-term, with any disturbances being restored several weeks after treatment. However … high levels of resistance genes can be detected in gut microbes after just 7 days of antibiotic treatment and that these genes remain present for up to two years even if the individual has taken no further antibiotics.”

In related news, babies treated with antibiotics for middle-ear infections or other problems may have increased odds of developing inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers found that among children with either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, the two main forms of IBD, 58 percent had been prescribed at least one course of antibiotics before they were one year old.

New research suggests that there are associations between obesity and gastrointestinal health, including such maladies as gastrointestinal-related cancers and the severity of Crohn’s disease.

A number of new studies have shown that obesity can have an effect on these conditions.  One study found that patients with non-cirrhotic liver cancer had a high prevalence of diabetes and elevated Body Mass Indexes (BMIs).  BMI was also linked with adenoma recurrence in the short and long-term, in another study.

Science Daily reports:

“In other findings, Crohn’s disease patients who are overweight or obese (BMI>25) are more likely to have more severe disease characterized by a higher likelihood of Vitamin D deficiency, stricturing ileocolonic disease, and are more likely to require surgery compared to normal weight patients (BMI < 24.9) with Crohn’s disease”.

Vitamin D deficiency puts patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at greater risk of abnormal bone density, including illnesses such as osteoporosis and osteopenia.

A new study found that reduction in bone density with a diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia was found in 22 percent of IBD patients.  Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients diagnosed with osteoporosis had a significantly higher rate of Vitamin D deficiency.

IBD affects more than one million people in the United States, with the number of IBD patients split roughly equally between those with Crohn’s disease and those with ulcerative colitis.

According to Science Daily:

“… [P]revious research has suggested a high prevalence of osteoporosis and overall abnormal bone density in IBD patients that is likely caused by corticosteroid use and excess of inflammatory cytokines, as well as from calcium and Vitamin D malabsorption.”

The Food and Drug Administration said preliminary results from a study in Mexico involving GlaxoSmithKline’s Rotarix vaccine suggest an increased risk of a serious bowel problem that could be fatal. A statement posted to the FDA’s website said the study showed an increased risk of intussusception in the 31-day period following the first dose of Rotarix. Intussusception is a twisting or obstruction of the intestine that can be fatal.

The safety of Rotarix and RotaTeq, a similar vaccine made by Merck, have carefully been tracked by regulators since another vaccine by then drug-maker Wyeth was pulled off the market in 1999 after it was linked to an increased rate of intussusception.

Extracts of broccoli and banana could help fight stomach problems. Studies show that fibers from the foods may boost your natural defenses against stomach infections.

Scientists looked at how roughage influenced the passage of harmful bacteria through gut cells. They found that certain fibers were particularly beneficial.

On the other hand, according to BBC News:

“… [A] common stabilizer added to processed foods during the manufacturing process had the opposite effect … This research shows that different dietary components can have powerful effects on the movement of bacteria through the bowel.”

Antacids–drugs that are used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and ulcers– are among the most widely prescribed medications in the world. And they don’t get much scrutiny from doctors or patients.

“When patients were admitted to our geriatric wards, a lot of them didn’t have clear indications for taking these drugs,” said Dr. Ian Logan, a Scottish physician. “And they’ve remained on them for a lot longer than they should have.” One of his patients had been taking an acid reducer for 15 years.

“They do have significant side effects, especially in older patients,” Dr. Logan said. Studies have linked antacids to an increased risk of pneumonia, gastrointestinal infections, antibiotic resistance, severe diarrhea, and possibly osteoporosis.“

Your digestive tract contains hundreds of different types of bacteria — trillions of microbes that help you digest food and keep bad bacteria in check.

Now scientists have found that the vitamin D receptor is a key player in this system, helping to govern the activity of gut bacteria, responding to their cues, and sometimes countering their presence.

According to Science Daily:

“The findings deliver a new lead to scientists investigating how bacteria might play a role in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulceractive colitis. The work complements studies suggesting that Salmonella infection can increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.”

New research shows that an extract made from a food plant in the Brassica family is effective in alleviating signs of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition, in mice.

The study will move on to examine the potential use of the plant extract against colon cancer.

Newswise reports:

“A plant-derived compound called Phenethylisothiocyanate, or PEITC … showed potential anti-inflammatory activities … PEITC is found in the Brassica genus of plants, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, watercress and broccoli. Barbarea verna, also known as upland cress or early wintercress, a herb that is used in salads, soups, and garnishes, is one of the richest sources of dietary PEITC”.