Normally you have between 4 and 7 pounds of bacteria in your colon. Normal and well-balanced bacteria have many beneficial functions. Beneficial bacteria do the following: Produce vitamins like folic acid and B12. Nourish the lining of the colon by feeding on vegetable fiber and producing butyric acid. Adequate butyric acid levels reduce the chances Read More …
Bacteria May be the Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
One possible cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. In research appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2004;292(7):852-858) suggests that the bloating seen in IBS can be caused by bacteria in the small intestine. Bloating immediately following a meal is an indication of small intestine bacterial Read More …
Arthritis and Bowel Flora
Reactive arthritis, following bouts of diarrhea, bowel infection or bowel inflammation is well-documented. Several species of bacteria have been associated with reactive arthritis including vibrio cholerae, salmonella, shigella, yersenia and campylobacter. Between 10-20% of patients with Crohn’s disease develop a reactive arthritis. More information about this is found in “Antigens, the Gastrointestinal Tract and Arthritis”, Read More …
Antibiotics Create Super Bugs
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (June 19, 2002;287:3096-3102, 3103-3109, 3133-3135), fewer doctors are prescribing antibiotics to children and teens than in 1990. This is an attempt to halt the rise in antibiotic resistant infections. Over use of antibiotics in the past has created antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Doctors gave only Read More …
Antibiotic Use Linked to Asthma and Allergies
Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School found that, in mice, antibiotics may be responsible for changing the makeup of the bowel flora. A change in bowel flora could affect the way the immune system responds to common allergens in the lungs. According to one of the researchers, antibiotics eliminate bacteria in the GI Read More …
Bowel Flora
Bowel flora are important for good health. You have between four and seven pounds of bacteria in your bowel. There are more bacterial cells there than there are in your entire body. They belong there. Beneficial bacteria do the following: Produce vitamins like folic acid and B12. Nourish the lining of the colon by producing Read More …
Stroke Risk Reduced by Eating Fruits and Vegetables
A study appearing in The Lancet (Vol. 367, Issue 9507, 28 January 2006) looked at eight other studies and the impact eating fruits and vegetables had on the likelihood of stroke. The study analyzed research involving over 250,000 people from the US, Japan and Europe. It found that people who ate five or more servings Read More …
Some pain medication may make blood pressure rise
Some Pain Medications May Make Blood Pressure Rise According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (October 28, 2002;162:2204-2208), frequent use of pain-relief medications may result in an increased-risk of high blood pressure in women. These drugs are known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Use of acetaminophen (eg Tylenol) was also monitored in Read More …
Quercitin Helps Lower Blood Pressure
Quercitin is a bioflavonol found in onions, apples and other produce. A recent study appearing in the Journal of Nutrition (Nov. 2007; Vol 137) found that it may have a blood pressure lowering effect. Of the 41 people who participated in the study, 22 were hypertensive, with average blood pressure of 146/96 and 19 were Read More …
Pine Bark Extract and Heart Health
Pycnogenol is an extract from pine bark. Research published in the journal Hypertension Research (October 2007, Vol 30; pp. 775-780) looked at its effect on cardiovascular health. Sixteen young, healthy men were given either a placebo or 180 mg of Pycnogenol each day for two weeks. The research was designed to see the effect the Read More …