Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are essential fatty acids.  This means that the body needs them for different functions, and they must be consumed as the body cannot make them from other sources.  Systems that are particularly dependent upon the availability of omega-3 FAs are the immune system, the cardiovascular system and the brain. There are […]

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which an immune antibody reaction to gluten begins to cause cross reaction against the lining of the small intestine. It is associated with intestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea as well as many symptoms outside of the digestive tract such as fatigue, anemia, osteoporosis, joint […]

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a disorder of nerves within the body, particularly in the legs/feet and arms/hands. Symptoms include: Loss of sensation to touch, vibration, and temperature Intense pain called neuropathic pain Muscle weakness. The various symptoms relate to the degeneration of different types of nerve fibers within the nerve; motor fibers in the case […]

A new modeling study that looked at the impact of positive dietary change produced some eye-opening numbers. Much like saving for retirement, dietary benefit compounds over time so the earlier it is started, the more benefit is gained. The changes examined represent changing from the typical Western diet, or as it is alternatively called, the standard […]

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 […]

Osteoporosis is a growing problem with the aging of the population. The CDC recently published data showing that in the 50 and older population 1 in 5 women have osteoporosis. By age 65 and older this has increased to 1 in 4 women. Osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis, occurs in 1 in 2 […]

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 […]