Digestive Health Archives

Pregnant Moms Need Probiotics Too

Pregnant Moms Need Probiotics Too

We’ve talked a lot in the past about the steps Moms can take to give their babies a gut-healthy start in life, with natural childbirth and breastfeeding topping the list.

Good gut health plays an important role for new Moms too, especially when common problems like constipation, vomiting and nausea arise.

Moms have a safe, healthy way to treat those problems without a drug by taking a probiotic containing multiple strains from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, according to findings based on new research appearing in the journal Nutrients.

Scientists from the University of California Davis monitored the gut health of 32 Moms-to-be over the course of 16 days. Each woman took a multi-strain probiotic for two six-day cycles and abstained for a pair of two-day cycles.

(Four of the probiotic strains used in this study are among the 10 strains of beneficial bacteria contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

During the length of the study, a subset of the women who were monitored completed daily surveys that tracked the quality of their health while providing fecal samples before, during and afterward in order to determine if taking a probiotic really made a difference in treating their symptoms.

Overall, multi-strain probiotics significantly shortened periods of vomiting and nausea and reduced incidences of constipation, alleviating problems with hard stools.

The Probiotic Difference

How did multi-strain probiotics make such a notable improvement for pregnant women experiencing these symptoms?

Previous research suggests increases in sex hormones like progesterone (that influence the potential for pregnancy) lead to shifts in gut motility as well as the composition of the gut microbiome.

Researchers believe the big changes of sex hormones during the early stages of pregnancy alter the microbiomes just enough to contribute to the challenges new Moms experience, including nausea, constipation and vomiting.

There were some caveats to the study, namely comparing the use of probiotics to a placebo in a more formal, longer trial. However, scientists believe a formalized study could lead to greater findings of probiotic benefits.

These findings are a gut-friendly relief to the daily health of new Moms, and a comforting addition to existing research that has shown how probiotics reduce the incidence of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus.

If you’re a new Mom who is already juggling major life changes, the last thing you want to think about is dealing with constipation or nausea.

Taking a probiotic with proven strains of beneficial bacteria — plus a prebiotic — like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic can make a gut-healthy difference.

Resources

Nutrients

NutraIngredients.com

American Pregnancy Association

Gastroenterology Clinics of North America

Hormone Health Network

The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing

Pregnant Moms Need Probiotics Too Read More »

Woman on walk outside with towel over shoulder. Text: A gut-healthy way to lose weight

How Gut Health Affects Weight Loss

Diet, Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

A Gut-Healthy Way to Lose Weight

As the holiday season approaches, many people are already thinking about the start of a New Year and reminded about those “Let’s lose weight!” resolutions.

It’s not surprising given the results of a recent American Psychological Association report we shared about average weight gains during our COVID-19 hibernation that nearly doubled the quarantine 15 weight-gain assumptions.

Most people focus on the basics, but did you know your gut affects your ability to lose weight too?

The Gut-Weight Link

In a recent study appearing in mSystems that examined a subset of patients who were part of a behavioral modification study, scientists at the Institute for Systems Biology concluded that the mix of bacteria in the gut not only influences your ability to lose weight, but it can prevent it too.

Out of the 105 patients who participated over 6 to 12 months, 57 patients maintained the same BMI and lost no weight while the remaining 48 patients lost more than 1 percent of their body weight each month.

What’s more, these patients were given a specific diet or exercise plan to follow which led researchers to dig deeper with blood work and stool samples.

Two key findings stood out:

People whose weight and BMIs remained the same during the study had a gut bacteria mix that broke down starchy foods into sugars more effectively.
Among patients who lost weight consistently, researchers identified genes that helped gut bacteria grow, replicate and form cell walls faster, allowing starches to be consumed before they could add extra pounds.

These differences in genes shed light on the impact of nutrient-poor Western diets that create differences in the composition of gut bacteria among healthy people and those are obese, says lead study author Dr. Christian Diener.

So, what do you do to lose those extra pounds?

The Gut-Healthy Way To Lose Weight

You can take healthy steps — eat more nutrient-dense whole foods, incorporate more movement during your day and take a few minutes at day’s end to destress — but your body may still need help to build the momentum it needs to lose those extra pounds.

That’s where research has shown how targeted strains of beneficial bacteria in a probiotic supplement can maintain the healthy balance in our gut and help our bodies regulate our metabolism. (This is especially important if you’re older due to a natural decline of beneficial bacteria in your gut.)

EndoMune Metabolic Rescue contains a proven blend of Bifidobacterium lactis and the prebiotic XOS (Xylooligosaccharides) that stimulates the release of hormones in your gut that reduce your appetite by promoting a greater sense of fullness.

If you’ve been struggling to get started on your weight loss journey, EndoMune Metabolic Rescue is formulated to help you start your weight loss journey in a safe, all-natural, gut-healthy way.

Resources

mSystems

Technology Networks: Immunology & Microbiology

Science Focus/BBC

Nourish/WebMD

How Gut Health Affects Weight Loss Read More »

Illustration of a digestive system and a curled arm showing bicep muscle. Text: Your gut and muscle growth

How Gut Affects Muscle Growth

Diet, Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Your Gut and Growing Muscles

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body, whether it’s strength training, swimming, tai chi or walking.

What’s more, the benefits of exercise — from losing weight and reducing your risks of serious disease to strengthening your bones and muscles — are many and well-proven.

We already know exercise changes our gut for the better based on the production of butyrate, short-chain fatty acids that protect your gut from more harmful bacteria.

Did you know the health of your gut microbiome may affect the growth of your muscles too?

The Antibiotic Angle

Researchers at the University of Kentucky put this question to the test by taking an interesting approach using 42 female mice.

During the nine-week trial, some mice were fed water laced with a variety of low-dose antibiotics, no friend to the gut, while others were fed plain water. During this period all test animals had access to running wheels to encourage exercise.

No surprise, the muscles of mice that were fed antibiotics didn’t grow nearly as much as the group protected from antibiotics, although both sets of test animals exercised for about the same amount of time.

Of course, these results provoke new questions regarding the kinds of antibiotics used and whether the gender of the test animals really made as difference.

The fact remains that there is a connection between the presence of specific gut bacteria and muscle growth, according to Dr. John McCarthy, and associate professor at the University of Kentucky.

McCarthy cited a recent study in Nature Medicine that linked endurance for elite marathon runners and mice to the abundance of a specific species of gut bacteria (Veillonella).

The goal here isn’t limited only to improving athletic performance. This growing body of knowledge will help to identify substances made by gut bacteria to promote muscle growth among people dealing with cancer or aging, says study co-author Taylor Valentino.

The Lesson Learned

For now, no matter what researchers learn about muscle growth, our take-home message remains pretty simple…

Even after taking in all of this research, we’re still learning about the wide-ranging benefits the gut has to offer as well as the many problems associated with antibiotics.

If you have concerns about what to do when you’re prescribed an antibiotic by your family physician, be sure to take a look at our recently updated antibiotic protocol for guidance.

Antibiotics have a depleting effect on the bacteria in your gut that keep your immune system strong and healthy. One of the easiest and most effective ways to protect and support is to take a probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, about two hours before that scheduled antibiotic.

That extra time gives those beneficial bacteria to make it to your gut and protect your gut, the center of your immune system.

Resources

The Journal of Physiology

The Physiological Society

Harvard Medical School

MedlinePlus

Clinical OMICs

Nature Medicine

How Gut Affects Muscle Growth Read More »

Four spoons holding different types of sugar and artificial sugars. Text: Should you use artificial sweeteners?

Artificial Sweeteners Disrupt Gut Health

Diet, Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Artificial Sweeteners Disrupt Your Gut Health

Artificial sweeteners are some of the first options people consider when they want to lose weight yet still satisfy their sweet tooth.

But, as we’ve learned from previous research, there are tradeoffs when you turn to popular products like artificial sweeteners. Some of them may do more harm than good to your health.

An international research team from Israel and Cyprus recently took a second look at how those six artificial sweeteners affect human health.

Based on a new report featured in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, scientists found three of those very popular artificial sweeteners used in so many “diet” foods, sports supplements and carbonated beverages may interfere with how the bacteria in your gut communicate and could increase your risk of disease.

The Unsweet Results

The test was a very simple one as researchers exposed light-emitting bacteria to a half-dozen FDA-approved artificial sweeteners contained in many sports supplements athletes use.

Three of those artificial sweeteners — aspartame, sucralose and saccharin — reduced the light from the light-emitting bacteria, signaling to researchers that communication between bacteria was disrupted.

Why this new knowledge is so important: Labeling on products like popular diet sodas and sports drinks don’t accurately tell us how much of the fake stuff they contain, says Dr. Ariel Kushmuro, who runs the Ben-Gurion University’s Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology.

In other words, how much artificial sweetener is contained in that sports drink and what amount of it creates health problems? Given that aspartame, sucralose and saccharine range in sweetness from 200 to 700 more than table sugar, it’s hard to be completely sure.

Healthier Options

If you’re ready to reduce your intake of diet drinks and sports supplements, you do have better, healthier options, like drinking water that promotes more natural fullness and keeps you hydrated.

However, if you’re not ready to give up on sweet drinks and other products containing artificial sweeteners, it’s a good idea to protect the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut by taking a probiotic with proven strains of beneficial bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, like those found in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

References

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Ben-Gurion University

Israel 21

Times of Israel

Artificial Sweeteners Disrupt Gut Health Read More »

Yellow illustration of a gut with a magnifying glass being held up to it and showing probiotic bacteria while enlarged red illustrations of coronavirus are being smashed against the gut illustration and breaking

Does Diet Affect Covid Symptoms?

Diet, Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

How Your Gut Health May Affect The Severity of the Coronavirus

Eating a poor diet like the typical Western diet — full of processed foods full of sugar, fats, and refined grains — creates all kinds of problems for your health related to your gut.

For starters, these nutrient-poor diets increase your risks of obesity and your vulnerability to a cluster of serious health conditions (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer) known as metabolic syndrome.

Now, some health experts believe unhealthy diets may also increase your risks of a more severe case of the coronavirus too, based on a recent review of research published in mBio, the journal of the American Society of Microbiology.

Another Culprit: Leaky Gut

The report stems from a question posed by Dr. Heenan Stanley Kim, a microbiologist at Korea University’s Laboratory for Human Microbial Interactions: Why are countries like the U.S with solid medical infrastructures being hit so hard by the coronavirus?

As we know very well, the common link, the Western diet already disrupts the healthy balance of bacteria in the gut.

Another gut health problem Dr. Kim points to is leaky gut, a condition in which breakdowns in the intestinal wall allow toxic waste products, undigested food, bacteria and viruses to break through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream.

Leaky gut may be a pathway in which the coronavirus spreads from the gut into the bloodstream and other organs in the body, leading to more severe cases. (A healthy gut supported by the presence of butyrate may block that kind of response.)

Rebalancing Your Gut

This report supports a study we shared with you recently that found a link between imbalances in the gut and the severity of coronavirus. Its chief finding: The guts of coronavirus patients contained fewer strains of beneficial bacteria that could muster an immune system response.

What’s more, studies appearing in other medical journals (Gastroenterology and Clinical Infectious Diseases) in 2020 have found similar links to gut health imbalances and the coronavirus, so there’s a likely connection.

Fortunately, you can improve the health of your gut very easily by taking some simple steps.

First and foremost, it’s critical to eat a healthy, balanced diet, especially when you’re prescribed an antibiotic, a well-known disruptor to your gut health.

Make sure that diet includes a daily “dose” of dietary fiber. Just 1 ounce (30 grams) is all it takes and that’s pretty easy to do, especially if you enjoy eating strawberries, lentils, beans, apples, and whole grains.

Another way to ensure the bacteria in your gut stay in balance: Take a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria like EndoMune Advanced Probiotics,‑with 10 buildings blocks from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, plus a prebiotic (FOS) that feeds the good bacteria in your gut.

Resources

mBio

Gut Microbiota For Health

Mayo Clinic

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Gastroenterology

Does Diet Affect Covid Symptoms? Read More »

Vitamin D capsules laid out in the shape of the sun. TEXT: Can vitamin D help relieve IBS symptoms?

Does Vitamin D Relieve IBS?

Digestive Health, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Does Vitamin D Relieve IBS?

Vitamin D is a versatile and very essential nutrient that does great things for your body.

Not only does vitamin D aid in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus to keep your bones strong and healthy, it reduces your risks of some serious health problems (from multiple sclerosis to heart disease and the flu) and helps you regulate your mood too.

Plus, your body makes vitamin D naturally thanks to your daily exposure to the sun. (That’s why it’s called the sunshine vitamin.) However, if your body doesn’t produce enough vitamin D, eating fatty fish (salmon and tuna) or fortified foods like milk or cereal or take a daily supplement may help.

But should you take vitamin D to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? Not so fast…

Putting Vitamin D To The Test

For nearly a decade, scientists at the University of Sheffield have done lots of research on the connections between IBS and low vitamin D levels. In fact, the results of their 2018 study determined that vitamin D had some small benefit, leading them to advise most IBS patients to take a supplement.

Scientists put their theory to the test in this latest study: A 12-week trial in which 135 patients with chronic IBS took a 3,000 IU of vitamin D or a placebo with a goal of lessening its symptoms.

Although vitamin D levels increased in comparison to a placebo treatment, there were no differences reported in the severity of IBS between both groups of patients or even a mild alternations to their quality of life.

For people living with severe IBS, low vitamin D levels may be attributable to changes in diet and lifestyle as a result of adjustments they make due to anxiety or other coping mechanisms, says lead study author Dr. Bernard Corfe.

How To Relieve IBS

If you’re coping with IBS, you may already know that making basic adjustments — eating more fiber and low FODMAP meals, reducing your stress and getting more movement and sleep — are helpful. (These are important ways to curb the obesity epidemic).

Depending on the subtype of IBS affecting you and its severity, your physician may suggest targeted drugs like alosetron (Lotronex) or rifaximin (Xifaxan), but these come with their own side effects ranging from constipation to pancreatitis.

If you want to treat IBS without a drug, many medical experts believe probiotics are one of the most effective and safest treatments available.

Probiotics lessen constipation by maintaining the motility in your intestines and reduce the duration of diarrhea. Plus, they work with your gut-brain axis to calm your emotions and help you better handle your stressors.

What’s more, studies have shown the effectiveness of multi-strain probiotics, especially when they’re taken over the long haul.

Remember your gut microbiome is a diverse accumulation of bacteria, so any probiotic you take needs to be built to combat the symptoms of IBS plus protect and enhance your body’s immune system.

Look for a probiotic with proven strains of beneficial bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, like those found in EndoMune Advance Probiotic.

One more thing: The next time you have blood work done during your annual checkup, be sure you ask about your vitamin D levels and consult with your physician about a supplement if you need one!

References

European Journal of Nutrition

The University of Sheffield

Healthline.com

National Institutes of Health

Nutrients

Does Vitamin D Relieve IBS? Read More »

Thumbs up graphic with healthy foods inside. Thumbs down with unhealthy food inside. Text: Do you have IBS? How's Your Diet?

How Diet Affects IBS

Diet, Digestive Health / By @drHoberman

Poor Diets Increase IBS Problems

For those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), not a day goes by without the imminent reminders of symptoms of diarrhea, constipation or both. But, did you know up to 45 million Americans suffer from IBS, the most common reason patients consult with a gastroenterologist?

Although the experts aren’t exactly sure what causes IBS, a lot of factors play a role, from emotional issues and bacterial infections in your digestive tract to food sensitivities.

What’s more, these factors vary among patients, and there are different subtypes of IBS, depending on whether diarrhea (IBS-D) or constipation (IBS-C) dominate or both symptoms alternate (IBS-A).

However, we may be learning some important clues about the causes of severe IBS related to a very familiar culprit of all sorts of gut health problems: The typical Western diet filled with low-fiber processed foods and bad fats.

Bad Diets, Severe Symptoms

Suspecting poor diets could be a major factor in IBS, a group of European researchers compared the health of 149 adults with IBS (almost half suffering from severe symptoms) to 52 healthy patients by monitoring their eating habits (four days) and stool samples (two weeks) closely via detailed diaries.

Once patients turned in their diaries, three facts stood out right away.

Eating meats and plant-based foods were major drivers in determining dietary patterns. (This makes sense given what we know about paleo diets creating serious gut health imbalances and heart health problems.)

IBS patients with more severe symptoms ate diets filled with more sugary, carbohydrate-rich, low-fiber processed foods that are found in the Western diet.

The guts of IBS patients produced a lot of specialized microbial enzymes related to breaking down complex carbohydrates known as food glycans. That overproduction of glycans is important, given how they shape bacteria in the human gut, according to a study appearing in Nature Reviews Microbiology.

The Take-Home Message

If you’re suffering from IBS, many physicians will recommend eating a more balanced diet focused on avoiding gluten and foods that generate more gas and consuming more fiber. Your doctor may also recommend following a low FODMAP diet, and other important lifestyle changes, like reducing your stress levels and getting more sleep and exercise.

If you’re having problems with IBS, you may want to avoid a drug like alosetron (Lotronex) that has its own share of unpleasant side effects, and consider taking a probiotic.

In addition to protecting the overall health of your gut, probiotics work well to maintain the motility in your intestines which lessens constipation, plus they are a safe, effective means to treat diarrhea too.

In fact, the latest guidelines issued by the British Society of Gastroenterology in the medical journal Gut now recommend probiotics as a frontline treatment for IBS.

But, not any probiotic will do the trick.

Taking a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria like EndoMune Advanced Probiotics —‑with 10 buildings blocks from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families — will help to treat the symptoms of IBS more effectively plus give your body’s immune system a much-needed boost.

Resources

How Diet Affects IBS Read More »

TEXT: Antibiotics 101 How to protect your gut health

Antibiotics 101: Protect Your Gut

Digestive Health, Drug interactions, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

Antibiotics 101: How to Protect Your Gut Health

Every so often, we like to remind you about basic health and lifestyle steps you can take that may help or harm your gut health, like the do’s and don’ts of taking an antibiotic safely.

Antibiotics were once considered “miracle” drugs that treated serious health issues and controlled the spread of disease. For example, some childhood conditions like strep throat and bacterial meningitis were fatal diseases before antibiotics.

Over time, however, antibiotic drugs transitioned from their “miracle” status to being prescribed for many more health problems, such as viral infections like colds, the flu and most coughs and many sinus infections, that do more harm than good.

An estimated 43 percent of the antibiotic prescriptions in America were issued for health problems that were completely unnecessary, based on numbers compiled in a 2019 Oregon State University report.

How did this happen?

The simple explanation: The overuse of antibiotics, plus our exposure to antibacterial chemicals in soaps, paints and even gym equipment, has over-sterilized our lives to such a degree that these drugs may promote resistance and, in some cases, do not work as they should or at all.

This could lead to infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics become much more costly (more expensive treatments, trips to the doctor) and much harder to treat.

Are you concerned about that next antibiotic prescription from your physician? We’ve got you covered.

Your antibiotic protocol

Antibiotics are valuable medications when they’re prescribed by your doctor for good reasons, not because you’ve had a persistent cold or flu and want to feel better right now.

If you’re concerned about over-exposure to antibiotics, it’s important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Do not be afraid to ask them questions!

And, if you do need to take an antibiotic, take them as prescribed by your physician until your course is completed. That’s critical because lots of people only take antibiotics until they start feeling better, then drop them.

Here are some extra steps you can take on your own to lessen the need for antibiotics:

Keep your hands clean with plain soap and warm water, and ditch the antibacterial soap.
Cook your foods thoroughly, and have a working food thermometer in your kitchen always at the ready.
Monitor your use of prescription pain relievers, as some may worsen the problem.
Stay up-to-date on your doctor-recommended vaccinations. Some vaccines will protect you and your family from bacterial infections stemming from whooping cough and diphtheria.

When you absolutely need to take an antibiotic for a health problem, please remember that it’s vital to protect your gut, the center of your body’s immune system too.

Antibiotics create problems for the gut by depleting the balance of bacteria that normally keep you healthy. If you have to take an antibiotic and want to protect the health of your gut, consider taking a probiotic, ideally with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

EndoMune’s powerful formula of 10 beneficial strains of bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families and a prebiotic (that feeds the good bugs in your gut) not only protects but supports your immune health.

Taking a probiotic like EndoMune about two hours before that necessary antibiotic gives those beneficial bacteria extra time to reach your gut and protect it and your immune health when you really need it the most.

Resources

Antibiotics 101: Protect Your Gut Read More »

text graphic: Ready to lose the extra weight you gained during lockdown? Eat more fiber. Read those nutrition labels. Hit the gym. Check in with your mental health. Give your metabolism a natural boost.

Ready To Lose Your Extra COVID-19 Weight?

Diet, Digestive Health, Disease, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

With vaccines readily available and the number of infections and fatalities declining, Americans are emerging out of COVID-19 hibernation and back into the world yet, feeling a little heavier than usual.

Many of us saw social media memes joking about the quarantine 15 (a play off of the “Freshman 15”, however, this is a clear signal of more serious concerns about what social isolation, working from home, less separation from the couch, and a kitchen full of snacks could do to our collective health.

Unfortunately, this extra COVID-19 weight is real, but the numbers are higher than the quarantine 15 many of us expected.

By The Numbers

The American Psychological Association (APA) reports more than 60 percent of Americans they surveyed experienced changes in weight, with 42 percent admitting to much higher weight gains than they expected.

Although 15 pounds was the median weight gain, the APA found the average boost in weight was nearly double that, at 29 pounds. Americans also reported in disruptions in sleep (too much or too little) and greater concerns about their health after the pandemic.

A smaller study of patients in 37 states found Americans gained about a half-pound every 10 days, amounting more 1.5 pounds each month, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

What’s more, that 1.5-pound weight gain may be an underestimate, says Dr. Gregory Marcus, a UCSF professor of medicine and author of a report appearing in JAMA Network Open.

The combination of COVID-19 weight gains spurred by poor diets, plus generous amounts of stress, sleep issues and isolation (not to mention a lack of exercise) have served up a perfect recipe for worsening the existing problems we have with another health epidemic: Obesity.

Your COVID-19 Weight Loss Plan

The good news: Despite these gloomy numbers, here are four very simple steps right now to jumpstart your COVID-19 weight loss plan.

It’s time to diversify that Western diet chock full of processed foods by eating a more nutrient-dense menu full of fruits, lean meats (easy on the red meat) and foods rich in dietary fiber.
Pay closer attention to nutritional labels of the foods you eat, and be careful to not overdo it on products like sugar substitutes like stevia.
Now, that gyms are opening up again, you have no excuse not to get more active with exercise. Even taking aside a few minutes each day for some kind of easy movement, like taking a walk or doing tai chi, makes a difference.
Are you setting aside a few minutes for some personal time to destress at the end of the day? Neglecting your mental health can create bigger problems with anxiety that can become more challenging if left untreated.

By now, you’ve probably noticed a strong gut health connection in this COVID-19 weight loss plan, and that’s critical, especially for your immune health.

Even with this simple plan, losing that extra COVID-19 weight can still be difficult. That’s why we formulated EndoMune Metabolic Rescue to give your weight loss plan a healthy, natural boost.

With a nutritious diet, exercise and better stress management in place, EndoMune Metabolic Rescue can help you get your quarantine 15 weight loss plan on track!

Resources

Ready To Lose Your Extra COVID-19 Weight? Read More »

Don’t Let Traveler’s Diarrhea Slow You Down!

Digestive Health, Misc / By @drHoberman

With the COVID-19 lockdowns coming to an end — no more work or school from home (unless you need or want to), and we would be very, very surprised if you haven’t already made travel plans to catch up with friends and family in faraway places this summer. However, before you hit the road, this is a good time to remind you not to let traveler’s diarrhea slow you down, especially if your plans take you long distances and out of the country, even on a cruise.

As exciting as traveling can be, getting there is stressful and can throw your circadian clock and sleep schedule for a loop when you jump into different time zones.

Then, throw in a Western-style diet full of fatty, sugary foods — something very easy to do when you’re away from your healthier routines at home — and you’re creating opportunities for traveler’s diarrhea to occur.

What Is Traveler’s Diarrhea?

Traveler’s diarrhea is a disorder in the digestive tract that causes abdominal cramping and loose stools, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Eating or drinking contaminated foods or liquids are the main causes of traveler’s diarrhea, the most predictable travel-related illness with estimated rates of “attack” as high as 70 percent, depending on when and where you travel, according to the CDC.

Typically, travelers come into contact with the most common bacterial pathogens (E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni) due to poor hygiene practices in local restaurants.

Traveler’s diarrhea usually occurs abruptly, and can happen during or after your trip. What’s more, you may experience it multiple times.

Although it isn’t considered serious in many cases, recent research from The Rockefeller University showed how some people can develop irritable bowel syndrome due to an unfortunate encounter with traveler’s diarrhea.

How Do You Prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea?

If you and your family are heading out on the road any time this summer, here’s some easy steps you can take to reduce your risk for traveler’s diarrhea.

Know where your water comes from, and avoid drinking unsterilized water. Bottled water is your best friend while traveling.
Wash your hands with plain soap and water early and often, especially before eating.
Don’t ask your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic specifically to prevent traveler’s diarrhea, as it can contribute greatly to your risks of antibiotic resistance.
A recently updated meta-analysis of studies published in Epidemiology and Health concluded taking a probiotic may significantly improve your odds of avoiding traveler’s diarrhea altogether.

In fact, among the beneficial bacteria cited in this analysis are two of the 10 building block strains from the Lactobacillus family contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

More over, older studies have also found that taking a probiotic like EndoMune at least two days before leaving on your trip and during it can help you and yours avoid traveler’s diarrhea and enjoy that long deserved vacation you’ve been waiting for a very long time to enjoy!

References

Don’t Let Traveler’s Diarrhea Slow You Down! Read More »