The human microbiome, or the microbes that live in and on us are vast and diverse.  These microbes number 100 trillion with the majority residing in the digestive tract. For a perspective on 100 trillion, the number of microbes in the human microbiome is 10 times greater than the number of our own cells. As […]

The most commonly known autoimmune disease associated with gluten consumption is celiac disease. The disease involves an immune reaction against a small segment of a peptide in gluten called an epitope. Once the immune system recognizes this epitope and mistakes it for a dangerous invader such as a virus, it can activate an attack against […]

As the awareness of food sensitivities grows, an area of keen interest is about how they happen. For some persons they begin very early in life and likely have a genetic basis. For others they often occur as an adult and gradually foods that had been previously tolerated now cause symptoms. This makes it difficult […]

IBS – Part 3 Dysbiosis is an imbalance in the microbiome living in the gut. To give a perspective how that can be such an important factor, the microbiome consisting of bacteria, yeasts, viruses and other organisms is made up of 100 trillion organisms.  To get a perspective on the size of the human microbiome, there […]

IBS – Part 2 Food sensitivities and food allergies are often confused.  Persons suspected of having a food sensitivity often report, “I was tested for that and nothing was found”.  More in-depth discussion reveals that testing was done with skin testing, a method of testing that examines allergies rather than sensitivities. Allergies are caused by […]

What Causes It and How to Fix It Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is one of the most common causes of symptoms in the digestive tract.  It is estimated that 15-20% of the population have some degree of IBS.  Just over 50% of all patients presenting to health care providers for digestive symptoms will receive […]

Exciting New Study on it’s Natural Treatment One of the common problems associated with chronic abdominal pain is gallbladder dysfunction and disease.  Dysfunction is a state of having symptoms from a poorly functioning gallbladder but without advanced disease present yet.  Long-standing dysfunction eventually may lead to diseases such as gallstones requiring surgery.  Appreciating that timeline, […]

Proton pump inhibitors are one of the most broadly used types of drugs with over 15 million adults using them by prescription and many more using OTC forms.  As their use has become more long-term for many, several adverse effects have been associated including fractures, pneumonia, Clostridium difficile diarrhea, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), hypomagnesemia, […]

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is becoming one of the most common problems in modern society. It is estimated to have increased 50% in the last decade alone. The most commonly prescribed drug for GERD was the third largest selling drug in 2011 at $6.2 billion. The explosive increase in GERD strongly suggests that it […]

Perhaps the best rule of good nutrition is to eat as much food as is possible that does not need a label (simple, whole foods). Unfortunately, this is not always possible and we must enter the jungle of packaged foods. The best defense in doing so is knowledge of how to understand from the label […]