Digestive Health Archives

Your gut bacteria may determine how statins work…or don’t

Digestive Health, Drug interactions / By @drHoberman

Statins are a very handy and popular class of drugs that reduce cholesterol levels and lessen a patient’s risks of cardiovascular disease (stroke and heart attack).

Well-known brands of statin drugs like simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) can be an advantage to human health when they work properly. Unfortunately, statins don’t work for everyone, and a 2011 study published in PLOS ONE suggests a gut bacteria link may explain why.

Overall, data collected from 148 patients enrolled in the nationwide Cholesterol and Pharmacogenetics (CAP) study who had taken simvastatin were reviewed by a research team led by a Duke University scientist.

In addition to examining health data from 100 patients whose LDL cholesterol dropped dramatically thanks to taking simvastatin, researchers also reviewed results from 24 patients who derived little benefit from the statin drug and an equal number whose response was deemed “fairly good.”

Scientists collected blood work before any patients had taken a statin to identify signs of specific bile acids and sterols (fat-like substances connected to the use and breakdown of cholesterol).

Three kinds of bile acids produced by specific gut bacteria were found in samples taken from patients who responded well to statins for six weeks. On the other hand, five different kinds of bile acids were produced in patients whose bodies didn’t respond well to statins.

The difference between both groups: because bile acids and statins share the same pathways (to the intestines and liver) and compete for dominance, scientists speculate that patients whose bodies produce too many bile acids prevent statins from reaching their intended target—the liver—where the production of cholesterol is controlled.

Researchers believe a blood test that screens for bile acids could determine who responds well to simvastatin and who doesn’t.

“It’s no doubt that metabolites from bacteria are playing an important role in regulating our systems,” said lead researcher Dr. Rima Kaddurah-Daouk at Duke University School of Medicine in a press release. “We’re at a very early stage of understating this relationship, but eventually we could take a quick chemical assay and get a read on where we are metabolically.”

A more recent study supporting these findings concluded increasing bile salt hydrolase (proteins produced by gut bacteria that alter the chemical properties of bile acids) may slow down weight gains and serum cholesterol in mice.

In both studies, researchers cited probiotics as a possible solution to lower cholesterol, another reason among many to protect and enhance the diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut by taking a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

Your gut bacteria may determine how statins work…or don’t Read More »

Dietary changes may affect your gut health, triggering auto-inflammatory bone disease

Diet, Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

As you know, the diversity of bacteria in your gut—specifically the lack of it—can be an indicator of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and obesity.

Moreover, your daily diet plays an important role in the makeup of your gut bacteria, which influences your susceptibility to health problems like auto-inflammatory bone disease, according to a study recently published in Nature.

Scientists at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital studied mice with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), an inflammatory childhood bone disorder. These test animals had mutated Pstpip2 genes whose presence leads to osteomyelitis (an infection inside a bone).

During their research, scientists discovered changing the nutritional balance of test animals affected the makeup of their gut bacteria positively and negatively. Among the bacteria affected by diet variations was Prevotella, which has been linked to inflammatory problems in humans like arthritis, periodontal disease and osteomyelitis.

For example, one beneficial diet scientists tested limited the growth of Prevotella by reducing amounts of Interleukin-1 beta chemicals. (For this study, the supply of Interleukin-1 beta chemical was affected in specific immune cells called neutrophils, chemicals that are the biggest type of white blood cells in mammals that form an essential part of the innate immune system.)

“While multiple lines of evidence have suggested that diet can impact human disease, the scientific mechanism involved was a mystery,” said Dr. Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti of St. Jude’s Department of Immunology.

“Our results show that diet can influence immune-mediated disorders by shaping the composition of the gut microbiome, which our findings suggest play a role in immune regulation.”

The intestinal connection between osteomyelitis and the gut microbiome was verified when scientists successfully treated test mice fed a disease-promoting diet, first, with an array of broad-spectrum antibiotics, then, by transplanting the microbiomes of healthy mice to sicker, genetically modified mice.

“The results suggest probiotics might provide a more targeted method for suppressing production of [Interleukin-1 beta] and protecting against autoimmune diseases,” said Dr. John Lukens, according to a press release.

Often, our go-go-go lifestyles don’t leave us much time to eat healthy, nutrient-rich diets that promote good gut health and boost our collective immune systems.

That’s why taking a probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic or EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids) with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, is so important and beneficial in protecting your health naturally.

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Jet lag may affect your gut health, increase obesity risks

Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

Jet lag — a temporary sleep problem created when your body’s natural circadian rhythms are out of whack — is a common occurrence for people who regularly fly long distances and multiple time zones for business or pleasure (or do regular shift work).

You may be surprised to learn jet lag, long associated with symptoms including fatigue and sleeplessness, has become such a health problem that it’s now defined by experts as a disorder.

No wonder, considering a recent study from the Weizman Institute of Science (Israel) that compared the gut microbiota of mice at different times during a 24-hour cycle concluded jet lag may also affect your gut health and trigger more serious problems including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

These differences between healthy and jet-lagged gut bacteria were most pronounced when comparing fecal samples from healthy mice and genetically engineered mice with disabled circadian clocks kept in normal 12-hour cycles of light and dark.

During the light phase, the healthy gut microbiomes of mice functioned normally, detoxifying their environments and building flagella that help microbes move, according to the journal Science. Bacteria were more active during the dark phase, digesting nutrients, growing and repairing DNA. During a 24-hour day, some 60 percent of bacterial types in normal mice fluctuated.

In genetically modified mice, however, their gut bacteria didn’t experience the same fluctuations of growth or activity, leading scientists to conclude an animal’s biological/circadian clock has a direct effect on gut health.

Another very noticeable and health-harming difference between both sets of mice was their eating habits. Genetically modified mice ate almost all of the time while normal mice ate only at night (when they’re very active). Additionally, the modified mice gained weight and exhibited other health complications related to diabetes (insulin resistance), according to Science.

Interestingly, this same shift in the composition of gut bacteria to unhealthy extremes was also observed during part of the study in which researchers compared the fecal bacteria of two humans who lived on a normal schedule to another pair who had travelled from America to Israel and endured jet lag.

The good news: Although the fecal samples of human subjects who were jet-lagged experienced an uptick in unhealthy bacteria linked to patients with diabetes and obesity, their microbiome returned to normal after their bodies adjusted to the distant time zone.

“Our inner microbial rhythm represents a new therapeutic target that may be exploited in future studies to normalize the microbiota in people whose lifestyle involves frequent alterations in sleep patterns, hopefully to reduce or even prevent their risk of developing obesity and its complications,” said Dr. Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute’s Immunology Department in a press release.

Dr. Elinav also believes populations harmed by jet lag or shift work may benefit from probiotics or other antimicrobial therapies that “may reduce or even prevent their risk of developing obesity and its complications.”

Just another of the many reasons travelers and swing-shift workers benefit from taking a multi-strain probiotic, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic or EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids) that contains multiple strains of beneficial bacteria to boost your immunity by maintaining a healthy balance of good gut bacteria.

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Do you really need an oral fecal transplant for a C. diff infection?

Digestive Health, Drug interactions / By @drHoberman

There’s no denying fecal transplants — the transferring of gut flora from a healthy donor to sick patients — can be helpful in treating Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections that contribute to diseases from colitis to diarrhea.

Transfers of healthy gut bacteria have been delivered via a variety of uncomfortable methods, ranging from tubes through the nose to the intestines (nasojejunal) and stomach (nasogastric) to endoscopies, colonoscopies and enemas.

However, the promising findings of a recent Journal of the American Medical Association report may be changing the delivery of fecal transplants for good.

After successfully testing the delivery of frozen fecal transplants to patients via nasogastric tubes and colonoscopy to treat patients earlier in the year, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital designed a study to test the efficiency of fecal transplant capsules.

To produce those capsules, stool samples were taken from healthy volunteers who had been screened for infectious diseases and avoided consuming common food allergens. Then, the samples were processed, placed into capsules and frozen for four weeks.

Feeling squeamish yet?

Scientists tested their frozen transplant on 20 patients between ages 11-84 who were suffering from a persistent or recurring C. diff infection. Over two consecutive days, each patient took 15 capsules per day. After an initial two-day treatment, the symptoms from 14 patients were completely resolved.

Then, after a second treatment with the remaining six patients (who were generally in poorer health) a week later, all but one were successfully treated. Over the eight-week trial, all but two patients responded successfully to the frozen fecal transplant capsules.

Despite the success of the study, Dr. Ilan Youngster (co-author of the study) warned patients, literally, not to experiment with fecal transplants at home. “While we are striving to make this treatment more accessible to patients, it’s important to remind people of the potential dangers of attempting ‘home brew’ FMT [fecal microbiota transplants] using fecal material from family members or friends.

“Many people can be carriers of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that are shed in their stools but have no symptoms. It’s not enough to know your donor and just ask how he or she feels, as some websites suggest. In any form, this procedure should only be performed under strict medical supervision with material from thoroughly screened donors.”

The lesson to be learned from this study is pretty simple: If doctors encouraged their patients to take a probiotic when prescribing them antibiotics, doing that one thing would reduce the number of C. diff cases significantly.

Taking a probiotic about two hours after a prescribed antibiotic will reduce the risk of antibiotics depleting the live, beneficial bacteria that protect and improve your gut health naturally.

Taking a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids) can give your immune system a much needed boost by improving the diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut, and eliminate the need for a fecal transplant.

Do you really need an oral fecal transplant for a C. diff infection? Read More »

Artificial sweeteners may harm your gut health

Diet, Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

Earlier this year, we explained how poor gut health can be one underlying factor that contributes to the epidemic of obesity plaguing our country.

So, you start on the right track by getting the right amount of exercise and sleep, cutting down on fatty foods, and switching from products containing real sugar to those made with non-caloric artificial sweeteners (to liven up that early morning infusion of java).

Unfortunately, those artificial sweeteners—specifically sucralose (sold in America as Splenda), aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal) and saccharine (Necta Sweet or Sweet‘N Low)—may have the opposite effect, according to research published in the journal Nature.

Scientists from the Weizman Institute of Science’s Department of Immunology (Israel) made the discovery after feeding 10-week-old mice one of several diets (normal or high-fat) and water laced with one of the artificial sweeteners mirroring amounts sanctioned by the FDA, plain water or water mixed with glucose.

Eleven weeks later, the test animals exhibited signs of glucose intolerance, an indicator signaling several metabolic conditions including adult-onset diabetes or metabolic syndrome. What’s more, repeating the same test with different mice and different amounts of artificial sweeteners produced the very same results.

How test animals react to artificial sweeteners

Then, researchers tested a theory that the gut’s reaction to artificial sweeteners may be triggering glucose intolerance, because our bodies don’t recognize the sugar as food, using only saccharin. Interestingly, they found saccharin isn’t absorbed by the gut but does have contact with the gut bacteria in mice, which triggers glucose intolerance.

Other signs that gut bacteria was affected by artificial sweeteners:

Treating the mice with antibiotics reversed the process completely.
Transferring the microbiota of mice harmed by artificial sweeteners to sterile mice conferred the same results to the new animals.
DNA sequencing revealed contact with saccharin affected the diversity of gut bacteria.
Even placing the affected gut microbiota outside the bodies of sterile mice along with artificial sweeteners was enough to induce glucose intolerance.

How YOUR gut reacts to artificial sweeteners

Lastly, researchers at the Weisman Institute turned to data collected from The Personalized Nutrition Project, the largest human trial to study the connections between the human gut microbiota and nutrition.

Based just on the reporting of some 400 people (at this time only from Israel) participating in the project, scientists discovered a significant connection between their gut bacteria, self-reported consumption of artificial sweeteners and clinical signs of glucose intolerance.

Finally, scientists recruited seven fit and health volunteers who didn’t use artificial sweeteners to incorporate the maximum daily amount of it in their diets for seven days. The gut health of four patients changed to a balance associated with the propensity for metabolic diseases, while the remaining three weren’t affected at all.

Why were some volunteers affected, but others weren’t? Specific bacteria in the guts of those who developed glucose intolerance reacted to the fake sugar by secreting substances that triggered an inflammatory response similar to sugar overdose, thus promoting changes in the body’s ability to metabolize sugar, said Dr. Eran Elinav.

Even more compelling: Treating mice with gut bacteria of volunteers whose gut bacteria developed glucose intolerance triggered the same result.

Taking a probiotic protects your gut

“Our relationship with our own individual mix of gut bacteria is a huge factor in determining how the food we eat affects us,” said Dr. Elinav in a press release. “Especially intriguing is the link between use of artificial sweeteners—through the bacteria in our guts—to a tendency to develop the very disorders they were designed to prevent; this calls for reassessment of today’s massive, unsupervised consumption of these substances.”

Because the effect of artificial sweeteners wasn’t universal, it’s possible that probiotics could be used to shift gut bacteria in order to reverse the damage done by glucose intolerance, said Dr. Eran Segal, Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the Weizman Institute to the New York Times.

Because your gut bacteria can change very quickly based on the good and bad foods you eat, it’s more important than ever to take a probiotic, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic or EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids), containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria for your good gut health.

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Is the Paleo diet good for your gut and losing weight?

Diet, Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

Think about that bad morning when you got ready for work and nothing in your closet fit. You had been losing the battle of the bulge for so long that you were willing to consider extreme dieting fads just to fit into those old but favorite clothes.

Perhaps, that desperation has led you to consider the Paleolithic diet, better known as the Paleo diet, based on what scientists speculated cavemen/women ate during that era, ending some 10,000 years ago.

Some experts (Loren Cordain, Ph.D. and Robb Wolf) assume that shunning the many unhealthy staples of the Western diet—dairy products, processed foods filled with extra salt and sugars, carbs, starches, and grains—for a more basic diet made up of lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables and “good” fats can be a healthier way to lose weight.

Unfortunately, the Paleo diet isn’t open to everyone. Vegans aren’t allowed in the party due to their specific dietary restrictions (no eggs, seafood or meat), plus Paleo dieters aren’t allowed to eat veggie sources of protein (beans and other legumes).

So, despite its limitations, does the Paleo diet really work? A study published by the American Society of Microbiology earlier this year that compared the gut microbes of humans and animals questioned the Paleo diet’s ability to suppress hunger.

A scientist at Imperial College London compared fecal bacteria samples taken from human vegans to those from gelada baboons, the only modern primate that mostly eats grass.

Then, researchers fed the samples one of two diets—a predigested grassy, high-fiber diet or a predigested potato, high-starch diet—then tracked the changes in bacteria.

Interestingly, human cultures fed the potato diet by scientists produced the best results: High levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), chemicals associated with triggering appetite-suppressing gut hormone peptides.

What’s more, baboon cultures fed the potato diet produced more SCFAs than those given grass. When some of these potato cultures were added to the colon cells of mice, the animal cells produced appetite-suppressing, gut hormone peptide YY (PYY).

Simply put, these results demonstrate the belief among many dietary experts that the appetite suppression connected with following a Paleo diet may not be entirely accurate, or that plant-based, high-fiber diets may not increase the presence of SCFAs or inhibit appetites after all.

If you want to overcome obesity and improve your health, eating like Fred and Wilma Flintstone may not help you very much.

Along with eating the right foods and starting an exercise plan, taking a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic will increase the diversity of bacteria in your gut that will assist you in beating obesity and improving your health for the long term by helping to produce the SCFAs that decrease your appetite.

Is the Paleo diet good for your gut and losing weight? Read More »

Take these 5 steps to prevent colon cancer

Digestive Health, Disease, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

You may recall an earlier blog post discussing colon cancer, the second leading cause of death due to cancer and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women in the United States according to the CDC.

Until recently, health experts assumed most cases of colon cancer were confined to patients over age 50. However, a report discussed at the annual Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium predicted the incidence of colon cancer will rise dramatically among 20-34-year-olds (90 percent) and to a lesser degree among 35-49-year-olds (28 percent) by 2030.

These predictions about the sharp rise in colon cancer among younger adults are especially alarming considering how avoidable this disease really is. Following these simple steps will help reduce your risk of colon cancer and many other diseases, too.

Beat the obesity bug

The plague of obesity in America—more than a third of adults are obese—contributes to scores of health problems (stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancers including colon cancer).

Fortunately, there are many ways to beat the obesity bug, and it doesn’t take as much time and effort on your part to make that happen.

For example, the results of a preliminary study of colon cancer patients released last summer found that eating fish less than twice a week or exercising less than an hour a week more than doubled their risks of a recurrence.

Imagine how beneficial doing those two small things alone would be for you?

Get enough calcium and vitamin D

There is good evidence that taking enough calcium and vitamin D (two of the eight supplements you need to take for your good health) can help to protect you against colon cancer. Be sure to take enough of a dose of calcium (1,000-1,200 mg) and vitamin D (1,000 IU) every day.

Cut down on red/processed meats

The link between red and processed meats and the elevated risk of colon cancer is strong, possibly due to a link with a common gene variant affecting about a third of all adults, according to a 2013 study.

The good news: Based on that same study, researchers identified another genetic variant that may lower people’s risk of colon cancer when they eat more fiber, fruit and vegetables.

For a safe baseline on eating red meat, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a limit of 18 ounces (cooked) per week.

Limit those lifestyle factors

When discussing how to prevent cancers, many experts lean heavily on cutting out smoking altogether and drinking alcoholic beverages to a minimum for good reason.

For colon cancer, research has pointed to changing the way nutrients are metabolized as one solid reason to reduce your consumption of alcohol, according to the American Cancer Society.

As far as the risk of smoking tobacco elevating one’s colon cancer risks, many studies have connected the dots between the two (a 2009 study cited as much as a 60 percent increase of colon cancer due to smoking).

However, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office was reluctant to make that conclusion until the most recent report released in January, spanning a half-century and 31 reports.

“Amazingly, smoking is even worse than we knew. Even after 50 years, we’re still finding new ways that smoking maims and kills people,” CDC Director Thomas Hayden told USA Today.

Take a probiotic

A 2013 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute cited a serious cause of colon cancer: Microbial imbalances in intestinal bacteria. In fact, colon cancer patients were more likely to be depleted of some beneficial bacteria and have more “bad” bacteria linked to gut inflammation than healthy patients.

Another factor in microbial imbalances in your gut: Taking antibiotics over the long term that eliminates the good and bad bacteria in your gut indiscriminately.

The good news: Taking a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids) can give your immune system a much-needed boost by increasing the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria, thus protecting your health from colon cancer.

Take these 5 steps to prevent colon cancer Read More »

Supplements 101 Part 2 of 2: Eight supplements to take every day for your good health

Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

In my previous post, I discussed the five questions everyone must ask before taking any supplement. Now, we’ll review the eight key supplements to take for your good health

Before we examine these top supplements, keep one very important caveat in mind: The best supplements for you may vary depending on your current diet, health and any current medicines you take. So you should see your doctor before taking any supplements for your own safety.

1. Vitamin D

Although commonly found in cold water fish like salmon, halibut and sardines and fortified foods (cereals, dairy products and juices), the best and most natural source of vitamin D is your body’s daily exposure to sunlight.

However, depending on the season and your work schedule, you may not get enough exposure to sunlight to make a difference. For instance, work schedules and the seasons can limit our ability to get outdoors, especially during colder times of the year. Also, when taking vacations in warmer weather, the sunscreens you wear on your body can block the sun very effectively.

In fact, some studies in 2014 have underscored the need for vitamin D, from raising survival rates among cancer patients to lowering the risks of preventing the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

2. Calcium

Out of all the supplements listed here, calcium may be the least necessary, unless you don’t eat leafy, green vegetables, fish and dairy products regularly.

Your teeth and bones store almost all the calcium in your body, which may explain why taking a calcium supplement—at least 1000 mg—prevents bone loss, osteopenia and osteoporosis. More recently, scientists have discovered calcium, in combination with vitamin D, may improve the cholesterol levels of postmenopausal women.

Medline Plus advises consumers to look for the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) logo word or the word “purified” on calcium supplement labels. Also, be careful about calcium supplements containing dolomite, unrefined oyster shell or bone meal, as may have high levels of toxic metals, including lead, in them.

3. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 may be one of the lesser known supplements you need to take, but it’s one of the most important. Not only does this nutrient protect the health of the human body’s blood and nerve cells, but it also helps to create DNA.

Although the recommended daily amount of vitamin B12 is low for teens and adults (ranging from 2.4-2.8 mcg), epidemiological studies have found more than 20 percent of older adults have less than what they need. Moreover, many older adults over age 50 don’t have enough hydrochloric acid in their bodies, preventing them from getting enough vitamin B12 through food alone. As a result, doctors have prescribed vitamin B12 supplements ranging from 25-100 mcg in older people, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Deficiencies in vitamin B12 can also occur when you take certain medications, including proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid or Prilosec) for the long term, histamine H2 receptor antagonists (Zantac or Tagamet), the diabetes drug metformin and the antibiotic chloramphenicol (Cholormycetin).

4. Iron

Iron supplementation is important but can be tricky. Too little iron due to blood loss—particularly women during their child-bearing years due to menstruation or people who donate blood more than twice a year—can trigger anemia. Not to mention, the healthy RDA amount of iron a pregnant woman needs jumps to 27 mg, according to the National Institutes of Health.

On the other hand, taking too much iron can poison your body, and an inherited disease like hemochromatosis allows the body to buildup too much iron.

5. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil

There’s no doubt about benefits of eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, naturally found in fatty fish (catfish, halibut, salmon) and plant-based sources (vegetables oils, tofu, walnuts).

However, as mentioned earlier, the problem lies in getting the right amounts, as most people don’t consume the right balance of fatty acids for their good health. Instead of consuming foods rich in omega-3s, American diets are dominated by high levels of health-harming omega-6 fatty acids, like those found in palm, soybean sunflower and rapeseed oils, that have been linked to depression and heart disease.

On the other hand, the advantages of taking a fish oil supplement are its rich sources of omega-3s that may benefit people with a number of health obstacles, including cardiovascular and sleep problems.

6. Aspirin

More doctors are prescribing a low dose aspirin tablet—81 mg—at least every other day, if not daily, to lower one’s risks of a second stroke or heart attack and preventing one altogether.

This low dose routine works by slowing down the blood’s clotting action by decreasing the risk of platelets clumping that forms blood clots.

However, if you’re interested in pursuing this therapy, be sure to see you doctor first, as there are many reasons why some people shouldn’t take a low dose aspirin, from existing stomach ulcers to allergies and asthma.

7. Multivitamins

Recommendations about the value of taking multivitamins seemingly change by the day. A recent Annals of Internal Medicine editorial says using them or supplements is “waste of money.”

That said, taking a multivitamin that contains 500 mg of calcium and 1,000 IU of vitamin D may be a good two-for-one solution for your health, if you’re not getting enough of either from your diet.

Iron is another consideration. If you’re a healthy adult over age 50, you won’t need iron in a multivitamin, unless you donate blood more than twice a year. And, a woman going through menstruation will also need that iron.

8. Probiotics

Seemingly, there are studies being released every day that spell out all the reasons you need to be taking a daily probiotic for your continued good health. Boosting your body’s immune system by replenishing some of the key strains of beneficial bacteria is one of just 10 very important reasons to take them.

When you’re doing research to find the best probiotic for your health, I strongly recommend taking ones containing multiple strains of bacteria, as they have been found to be more effective in treating many health problems, including diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, immune functioning and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Supplements 101 Part 2 of 2: Eight supplements to take every day for your good health Read More »

Supplements 101 Part 1 of 2: Five questions to ask before taking a supplement

Digestive Health, Disease / By @drHoberman

From time to time, many folks who take EndoMune Advanced Probiotic on a daily basis have asked me what other kinds of supplements they should be taking to help them maintain their good health.

The answer to that question actually isn’t so easy, and it’s filled with confusing and conflicting information. For example, a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study advised Americans to stop wasting money on multivitamins. (Just tell that to the 40 percent of Americans who take at least one every day.)

One co-author of that study advised Americans to spend their time and money eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and low-fat dairy, and getting more exercise. The real catch: How many people actually get the 40+ vital nutrients and daily activity they need to stay healthy without receiving help from a supplement?

Yet, other governmental sources—Nutrition.gov and the National Institutes of Health—provide good referential information about supplements.

Before taking any supplement, consider the answers to these simple questions when doing your homework.

1. Do I need to see a doctor before taking a supplement? Anyone wanting to take a supplement or a probiotic should see his or her family physician first. It’s the only way to ensure the supplement you’re taking on a daily basis is a safe quantity and doesn’t conflict with any other supplement or (over-the-counter or prescription) drug you’re using.

2. Where can I find simple, easy-to-understand information about any supplements I’m taking? In addition to Nutrition.gov and the National Institutes of Health, WebMD.com’s Vitamins & Supplements Center provides a great search engine to do your research for free.

Another great source of information for specific details is ConsumerLab.com (available as a paid subscription), an online service that tests supplements based on their active ingredients and any impurities or deficiencies they may have.

3. When is the best time to take a supplement? Although natural health guru Dr. Andrew Weil admits there’s no “best time,” take supplements when “they most agree with you” and your daily routine. However, be aware that taking too many supplements on an empty stomach or with a light early meal can cause indigestion, Dr. Weil says. And, be sure to drink enough water.

4. Which form of vitamin should you select? It depends on the supplement, according to WebMD. Some come in pill form because they can be harmful or ineffective, while others may perform better as a liquid or powder. Again, don’t hesitate to ask your physician or pharmacist for guidance, based on your specific daily drug and activity regimen.

5. Should you take a supplement after the expiration date listed on the bottle? Medical experts like WebMD take a conservative approach, noting that vitamins and supplements sitting in a dark, cool cabinet for too long lose their strength over time and should be thrown away.

However, please be careful about how you dispose of expired supplements or drugs. The FDA urges consumers not to flush any drugs down the sink or toilet, unless instructions on labels tell you to do so.

Be on the lookout for community-sponsored take-back programs that allow you to bring unused drugs to a central place so they can be properly disposed. If you miss those dates, mix those supplements with coffee grounds or kitty litter, place them in sealable bags and throw them in your trash.

In my next article, I’ll share information about the eight supplements you should consider taking for your good health.

Supplements 101 Part 1 of 2: Five questions to ask before taking a supplement Read More »

Probiotics may treat IBD via intestinal bacteria

Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been one of the most frustrating conditions for gastroenterologists and their patients to treat, as this disorder—connected to a chronic immune response or inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract—requires lifelong treatment and has no cure.

The good news: Probiotics may have more value in treating forms and symptoms of IBD than ever before, based on the findings of a recent study published in the medical journal, Immunity.

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City discovered the connection by studying the behavior of the intestinal epithelium, a single-cell layer of tissue that covers the small and large intestine and prevents intestinal bacteria and related toxins from escaping and harming the rest of the body.

The link comes in the form of metabolites, a wide variety of chemicals secreted by intestinal bacteria that influence the intestinal epithelium’s integrity in once unknown ways, said Dr. Sridhar Mani (co-corresponding author of the study).

Metabolites activate healthy proteins

Researchers believed bacterial metabolites operated by binding to, then activating, pregnane X receptors (PXRs), proteins in the nuclei of intestinal epithelial cells. According to the study, PXRs could be activated by body chemicals, such as bile acids, along with drugs (antibiotics and steroids).

As a result of several mouse studies, scientists discovered indole 3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite produced only by bacteria that helps with digestion, strengthens functioning of the intestinal epithelium’s barrier and prevents inflammation by activating the PXRs.

PXR activation stops the development of the inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) and increases levels of a protein that boosts the junctions between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells, the study said.

How do probiotics help? “By adding probiotics in the form of IPA-producing bacteria to the intestine or by administering IPA directly, we may be able to prevent or treat IBD and other inflammatory diseases that occur when the intestinal epithelium has been compromised,” said Dr. Mani.

Additionally, Dr. Mani believes this probiotic strategy could be tested on other health problems related to the breakdown of the intestinal epithelium, ranging from some forms of liver disease to asthma, allergies, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Studies have shown strengthening your immune system and treating a host of health problems like those mentioned may be as easy as taking a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Advanced Junior (for kids).

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