| Colostrum is a critical part of my protocol for every GI problem that I treat. In fact it is part of Mother Nature’s protocol for preventing GI problems among other things. |
| It is an incredible example of nature’s wisdom and only when we mimic it are we able to re-establish the “conditions” of a healthy GI tract- made up of your esophagus -stomach- colon/intestines. |
| Colostrum comes from the mother’s breast when she is nursing her baby. What is also present in the milk is probiotics- the good bacteria that many of you have taken to try to fix your GI problem -that did not work. The probiotics & Colostrum stick / adhere to the GI wall protecting it. Then one day you got sick - took an antibiotic that killed the bad bacteria as well as the good that you got from mom. This does not grow back – on it’s own. |
| We take a good probiotic AND COLOSTRUM. If we do not take the Colostrum with the probiotic it will not work. It will not stick to the GI tract wall and it will pass right through you and end up in the toilet leaving you saying- “I took probiotics & they didn’t work & my GI still “hurts”. |
| Here is the most important tip I can give you to “fix” this problem & is your ticket out of the misery of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. ALWAYS TAKE COLOSTRUM WITH PROBIOTICS OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT WORK AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER WITH IBD. Colostrum is available in capsule or powder form at good health food stores and online.Read more at holisticgastroenterology.com |
| rates of autoimmune disorders, like Crohn’s and multiple sclerosis, have more than doubled in the last four decades. |
| Current treatments focus on the symptoms, but do little to address the root cause of Crohn’s, including the potential role of bacteria. Whether infection plays a role remains a hotly contested area among experts. The theory, however, is gaining ground as evidence mounts supporting the connection. |
| Infection has emerged as a causative agent in other diseases, but not without resistance. Con sider Australian researcher Dr. Barry Marshall, who faced an uphill battle when challenging the medical doctrine by suggesting that a bacterium causes most ulcers–a discovery that has changed the course of treatment and quality of life for millions, At that time, the then-radical notion and its proponents were widely ridiculed. Dr. Marshall believes that infectious agents may play a role in other diseases, including Crohn’s. |
| if a microorganism causes Crohn’s, what is it and how is it transmitted? |
| Researchers point to a persuasive body of evidence linking the bacterium, called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), to the disease and underscore the route of transmission into the human population through one of our most popular drinks–milk. |
| MAP infection causes a debilitating disorder called Johne’s disease that commonly occurs in cattle throughout the world, including the United States. Cows with Johne’s share similar symptoms to people with Crohn’s. infected cows secrete the mycobacterium in their milk. |
| Individuals with a genetic susceptibility to Crohn’s may thus pick up the disease. Supporters of the theory note that Crohn’s is most frequently found in developed countries where milk consumption is high, except in countries where milk is boiled prior to consumption–an extra measure of precaution that some suggest would be prudent today. |
| The dairy industry, however, vigorously maintains that current pasteurization techniques are adequate to eliminate the bacteria, while critics highlight studies of the milk supply where MAP survived conventional pasteurization processes. Several European countries, such as Britain, have called for more stringent pasteurization procedures to ensure eradication of the microorganisms from the milk supply. |
| “The rate of detection of MAP in individuals with Crohn’s disease is highly significant,” said the researchers, writing in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. “The discovery that the MAP bug is present in the vast majority of Crohn’s sufferers means it is almost certainly causing the intestinal inflammation.” |
| Hermon-Taylor: Endoscopy as done in the past wouldn’t detect it, but the paper that we published in the U.S. in the July 2003 Journal of Clinical Microbiology shows that if you take endoscopic mucosal biopsies fresh from the endoscopy suite into the lab–and test them by the methods that our science has very carefully optimized and perfected–you can detect MAP with great accuracy. Read more at goliath.ecnext.com |
| Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two most severe digestive afflictions. They cause life impairing symptoms, necessitate long-term dependence on powerful drugs, and often result in debilitating surgery and even death. Tens of thousands of Americans are affected. Both diseases are classified under the medical rubric of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). |
| The incidence of IBD has risen with the tide of civilization |
| Once thought of as a psychosomatic illness arising in individuals with “passive personalities with a tendency to suppress personal conflicts,” the cause of IBD remains elusive. |
| One theory holds that modern measles virus, improperly cleared from the body, results in low grade, chronic inflammation of the intestinal lymphoid tissue; other hypotheses posit a relationship to contemporary diet. Indeed intake of sugar and “junk food” has been correlated in many studies with susceptibility to both forms of IBD. Some researches have even suggested that the abrasive “polishers” found in modern toothpastes set up inflammatory reactions in the gut. A higher incidence of IBD has even been reported after tonsillectomy. Oral contraceptive users also have an increased risk. |
| Curiously, the role of diet therapy for IBD is minimized by the gastroenterology establishment. One authoritative text, after devoting 20 pages to minute details of IBD diagnosis and drug and surgical treatments, notes tersely: “In mild to moderate ulcerative colitis, there is no need to impose general dietary restrictions.” |
| This might sound, at the very least, counterintuitive to an informed layperson, who would question the dissociation between what a person eats and the condition of the selfsame alimentary canal through which food passes. The situation is analogous to that of a hydraulic engineer who makes no allowance for pipe corrosion susceptibility based on the acidity or chemical characteristics of the fluid the pipe conducts. |
| Ignoring diet in IBD also flies in the face of much evidence linking poor diets, especially those high in sugar and starches like bread and potatoes, to ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease incidence. Historical documents date back to Greek and Roman times with references to detoxifying protocols that prompted remission in intestinal diseases. |
| Remission of Crohn’s Disease may be maintained for long periods when foods to which patients are intolerant are identified and eliminated from the patient’s diet, according to researchers from Cambridge, England, as reported in Drug Therapy (January 1986). |
| In their controlled study, seven of ten patients with remitted Crohn’s Disease who excluded specific foods remained in remission for six months (Lancet 1985;2:177-180). In contrast, none of the ten similar patients who consumed an unrefined carbohydrate, fiber-rich diet were able to stay in remission for this length of time. |
| In a subsequent uncontrolled trial, the exclusion of certain foods enabled 51 of 77 patients to remain in remission for up to 51 months; the average annual relapse rate in these patients was less that 10%. |
| In my experience, the most significant breakthroughs for my patients with IBD have taken place with the “Specific Carbohydrate Diet” advocated by Elaine Gottschall in her book Breaking the Vicious Cycle (its foreword written by yours truly). |
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The basic theory underlying the SCD is that disease-producing bacteria and fungus spread their toxic humors in the intestines when a natural balance has been disrupted. This can arise several ways:
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inadequate breast-feeding
over-reliance on antacids
use of antibiotics
a diet high in sugar or starch
parasites or harmful bacteria or yeast from food or water
immunosuppression from disease, malnutrition or stress
toxic chemicals in food or water
natural aging of the GI tract
use of aspirin and aspirin-like pain-killer (NSAIDs) that inflame the intestinal lining.
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| In a “vicious cycle,” harmful bugs proliferate, irritate the intestine, disrupt digestion, impair immunity, and foster fermentive degradation of certain hard-to-digest foods. The main dietary culprits: two-sugar and other enzymatically-resistant carbohydrates found in grains, certain starchy vegetables, certain fruits, table sugar, and lactose-rich dairy products. |
| Gottschall’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet is a balanced, varied program consisting of meat, fish, eggs and poultry with most vegetables, nuts, and some fruits and sugars allowed. Lactose-free dairy products are permitted, as are certain ingeniously-formulated grain-free breads, cookies and pastries consisting of nut-meal. Beans are usually able to be reintroduced within three months. |
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Indeed, the yeast connection is an important one in IBD. Some studies have shown increased sensitivity to Brewer’s and Baker’s yeast in colitis and Crohn’s sufferers. Avoidance of yeast and sugars with the Candida Diet, as well as the use of anti-fungal herbs and medications, often speeds resolution of IBD.
Read more at www.drhoffman.com |
| Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village with another group living in Italy and found a dramatic difference. The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria, and more fatty acids which protect against inflammation. |
| The diet of the African children was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago. |
| The trillions of microbes that inhabit your gut help you to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation. |
| “Pediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti … and colleagues said children in industrialized countries who eat … ‘Western’ diets may reduce microbial richness — potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.” |
| Indeed, the importance of eating a gut-healthy diet cannot be underestimated. Your gut plays a major role in your physical and even mental health, and having a healthy gut entails maintaining a balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria – something you simply will not accomplish by eating highly processed, “dead” foods. |
| Until recently, most doctors dismissed the notion that your digestive system did much of anything outside of breaking down food, but in recent years scientists have revealed just how inaccurate this thinking was. |
| For example, an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is actually located in your gut, so supporting your digestive health is essential to also supporting your immune system, which is your number one defense system against ALL disease. |
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Therefore, it should come as no major surprise to find out that lack of beneficial bacteria in your intestines will also allow allergies, inflammation and autoimmune diseases to flourish where they might not otherwise.
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Common signs and symptoms that you may need to address your intestinal balance include:
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The ideal ratio between the bacteria in your body is 85 percent “good” and 15 percent “bad.” That’s right – you need FAR more beneficial bacteria (probiotics) than you might think in order to maintain the right balance.
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The key here is to avoid as many processed foods as you can. This is a challenge because over 90% of the foods that Americans eat are processed and the number source of calories is high fructose corn syrup. So the general principle is to avoid processed foods, but some foods are more particularly pernicious than others so let me give you some examples.
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This ratio is essential for:
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- The proper development and function of your immune system
- Protection against over-growth of other microorganisms that could cause disease
- Digestion of food and absorption of nutrients
- Producing vitamins, absorbing minerals and eliminating toxins
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As you can see, probiotics perform a wide variety of functions, which renders them useful and beneficial for a number of health concerns, including the prevention or control of:
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- Inflammatory bowel disease
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Fortunately, influencing the ratio of bacteria growing in your body is relatively easy. One of the most important steps you can take is to stop consuming processed and sugary foods. This includes cutting down on grains, as most grains are quickly converted into sugar in your body.
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When you eat a healthy diet low in sugars and processed foods, one of the major benefits is that it naturally causes the good bacteria in your gut to flourish.
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Yet, even with an extremely low-sugar diet, there are other factors that influence your gut bacteria. Antibiotics, chlorinated water, antibacterial soap, agricultural chemicals, pollution — all of these things help to kill off your good bacteria. This is why it’s a wise choice to “reseed” your body with good bacteria from time to time by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement or eating fermented foods.
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In the past, people used fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut to support their digestive health, as these foods are rich in naturally beneficial bacteria. This is still the best route to optimal digestive health.
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Keep in mind, however, that processed foods in general will destroy healthy microflora and feed bad bacteria and yeast, so you can’t use the drug approach to probiotics — meaning, you can’t maintain a diet high in processed foods while taking a probiotic supplement to counteract the ill effects.
Read more at articles.mercola.com |
