Bloating and Gas

One of the more painful problems you can experience is that of mouth ulcerations, commonly referred to as canker sores. These aren’t necessarily the same as “cold sores” related to the herpes virus, which generally occur on the outside of the mouth.

There doesn’t seem to be any one trigger for these recurrent mouth ulcers. For some women, they develop when certain hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle; for other individuals excess exposure to the sun may be the trigger; and for others they seem to crop up in times of stress or from actual physical injury to the mouth.

They can be very painful and interfere with swallowing and eating, and oftentimes take a week or longer to resolve.

One very interesting study screened patients suffering from these recurrent ulcerations, looking for gluten intolerance (an allergy to wheat and wheat products, as well as to other grains that contain the protein gluten). This condition is also called gluten sensitive enteropathy or celiac disease. It’s considered an immune disease where products that contain gluten trigger an immune reaction in the small intestine that can cause permanent damage. Common symptoms also include unwanted weight loss, chronic diarrhea or constipation, and bloating and gas.

When individuals with gluten intolerance were placed on a gluten-free diet, there was a very significant improvement in their prior problem with mouth ulcerations. (BMC Gastroenterol 09;9:44)

A gluten-free diet may not be the answer for everyone with this problem, but for some it will be a godsend in more ways than one. Mouth ulcerations may be just the one noticeable symptom of an allergy to gluten that could be destroying areas of the small intestine. A gluten-free diet is not the easiest thing to follow, but it would be well worth trying if nothing else has helped with your recurrent mouth ulcerations.

For more information on gluten intolerance, or for a list of gluten free foods, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

When your body produces inadequate amounts of bile salts to digest fat properly, it will instinctively develop a dislike for fats. Answer the following questions sincerely to determine how well your digestive process is taking place:

• Do you like fatty meats?
• Do you like sausages?
• If fatty meats are not something you like, do you like items such as crisp-cooked bacon or a snack such as pork skins?
• Do you like lamb?
• Do you like salmon?
• Do you like fish only if it isn’t oily or “fishy”?
• Do you like flax oil?
• Do you like nuts and/or seeds?

If you answered “yes” to the first few questions (and don’t have indigestion, bloating and gas when you eat those foods), you’re probably producing adequate amounts of bile salts. The further down the list before you answer “yes,” the more likely it is that you’re having problems digesting fat.

If fat digestion is an issue for you, I suggest using bile salts. There are several bile salt products on the market, and many can be found in your local health food store. I use the product called Cholacol from Standard Process. I recommend taking two tablets immediately before a meal.

For more information on fat digestion, digestive enzymes, or overall body digestion, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

Probably 75 percent of all the patients I've worked on have had problems with bloating and gas or flatulence. This is mostly due to not being able to digest protein adequately.

Protein takes a lot of hydrochloric acid from the stomach to be broken down. A deficiency of this hydrochloric acid production is probably one of the most common conditions after age 50, since research has shown that at age 50 the stomach is only releasing 15 percent of the amount of acid that is released at age 25. A more alarming figure is that 35 percent of all individuals over 65 do not secrete any hydrochloric acid at all.

If the protein isn't broken down completely, then it has a tendency to ferment and putrefy. When this occurs, you will have the bloating and gas after eating, fullness, heartburn, and sometimes vomiting.

Let me tell you the simplest way to stop the problem first. Eat the protein foods at the beginning of the meal! Most of us in the United States will eat a salad before the meal, and the carbohydrates that make up the salad require no hydrochloric acid. The stomach dumps all the hydrochloric acid in to begin with and then when the protein food (meat, fish, beans, cheese, etc.) needs the acid, there is none left. So always eat the vegetable salad either with the protein food or after, but never before.

Now, if the above is still not enough to stop the problem, you may need to help the stomach out by taking some hydrochloric acid with your meal. I always recommend betaine hydrochloride, which you can get at your local health food store. One really important point to remember here is to take one or two tablets after you eat. Whatever you do, don't take them before or during the meal, because you want your stomach to produce and secrete as much acid as it can first, then you add the additional acid needed.

And don't forget to practice these good habits either:

1. Eat smaller meals.
2. Chew all the food extremely well and eat slowly.
3. Never eat if you are not hungry or if you are upset.
4. Don't eat raw fruits and raw vegetables at the same meal.

For more information on bloating and gas and other common digestive problems, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

The state of California, as well as the country of Australia, are considering banning the use of incandescent lighting and encouraging people to start using fluorescent lighting. While this move, no doubt, would save an enormous amount of energy and could substantially reduce toxic emissions, there is one concern involving fluorescent lighting that seems to have been overlooked—the issue of mercury.

Fluorescent lights are filled with argon gas and mercury vapor. It’s the photons given off when the mercury vapor is energized that produces the light. The average fluorescent light contains 20 mg of mercury. (Some of the newer CFLs contain only about 4 mg of mercury, an amount that would just cover the tip of a ball-point pen.) This may not sound like much mercury, but consider the fact that it takes only a single gram to contaminate a 2-acre pond of water. Currently, about 800 million fluorescent lamps are being produced yearly to replace those that burn out. That’s enough mercury to contaminate nearly 20 million acres of water.

And mercury contamination isn’t something new; it’s just the awareness that’s recent. I can remember that, as a child, my brother and I played with the mercury (often referred to as “quicksilver”) from broken thermometers. Those old thermometers contained 500 mg of mercury! I have no idea where that mercury eventually ended up.

The dangers of mercury contamination are well-known and documented. Mercury is the second most toxic naturally occurring substance on earth. (Plutonium is said to be the most toxic.) Mercury is recognized as one of the most hazardous substances in our food and water, and has been linked to everything from mental impairment in our children to heart disease in adults, and is a possible contributor to the growing epidemic of Alzheimer’s. (Neuroreport 1;12(4):733–737)

While a few states (California, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan) have passed laws making it illegal to throw fluorescent bulbs in the trash, I’m not convinced that it can be enforced. I doubt that most people in these states even know about the law.

There are also companies that specialize in recycling these bulbs, for a charge of anywhere from $2 to $4 per bulb. Through recycling, over 99 percent of the mercury can be reclaimed and kept out of the environment.

All of these recycling efforts are highly commendable, but I still think we’re going to see a very significant increase in mercury pollution for several years to come. And along with that we’re going to see increases in childhood mental deficiencies and cases of Alzheimer’s and other “unexplained” neurological diseases.

Don’t get me wrong—I think widespread use of fluorescent bulbs has a place in solving many of our current problems. Full-spectrum bulbs are a good choice, and even better are LED bulbs—which don’t contain toxic material, but haven’t become inexpensive enough yet for widespread use. I have no problem with the use of fluorescent bulbs. I do, however, have a problem with their potential for contamination.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

One of the more painful problems you can experience is that of mouth ulcerations, commonly referred to as canker sores. These aren’t necessarily the same as “cold sores” related to the herpes virus, which generally occur on the outside of the mouth.

There doesn’t seem to be any one trigger for these recurrent mouth ulcers. For some women, they develop when certain hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle; for other individuals, excess exposure to the sun may be the trigger; and for others yet, they seem to crop up in times of stress or from actual physical injury to the mouth.

They can be very painful and interfere with swallowing and eating, and oftentimes take a week or longer to resolve.

One very interesting study screened patients suffering from these recurrent ulcerations, looking for gluten intolerance (an allergy to wheat and wheat products, as well as to other grains that contain the protein gluten). Common symptoms include unwanted weight loss, chronic constipation and diarrhea, and bloating and gas.

When individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease were placed on a gluten-free diet, there was a very significant improvement in their prior problem with mouth ulcerations. (BMC Gastroenterol 09;9:44)

A gluten-free diet may not be the answer for everyone with this problem, but for some it will be a godsend in more ways than one. Mouth ulcerations may be just the one noticeable symptom of gluten intolerance that could be destroying areas of the small intestine. A gluten-free diet is not the easiest thing to follow, but it would be well worth trying if nothing else has helped one’s recurrent mouth ulcerations.

IBS has many triggers, including antibiotics, certain foods, and poor digestive capability, just to name a few.

IBS is a complicated condition with several factors that can trigger or contribute to its development. Top among these are antibiotic use, certain IBS trigger foods, or poor digestive capability.

Antibiotic Use

For many people, IBS first shows up after an infection (often one in the gastrointestinal tract), particularly when a long course of treatment or potent antibiotics have been used to address the infection. Antibiotics disrupt the normal bacterial flora in the gut, and this imbalance can lead to IBS.

Food Intolerance

Intolerance to certain foods is one of the primary triggers of IBS. Many people incorrectly refer to food intolerances as food “allergies,” but ingesting the offending foods doesn’t trigger a reaction from the immune system the way a true allergy does. Studies have shown that patients with IBS can usually correct their problem by following a diet that eliminates offending foods.

Some of the most common IBS trigger foods include:

• wheat,
• corn,
• dairy products,
• coffee,
• tea, and
• citrus fruits.

In fact, one study suggests that fructose (fruit sugar) alone may be responsible for 30 to 60 percent of all cases of IBS. The most common source of fructose in the American diet nowadays is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). And while it’s a given that you need to avoid HFCS, fruit can also trigger IBS.

Poor Digestive Capability

A decrease in digestive juices and/or enzymes results in the incomplete breakdown of various foods. Undigested proteins, fats, and carbohydrates can all create havoc in the intestinal tract. Protein fractions can be absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine and cause reactions that mimic allergies, locally as well as throughout the body.

Undigested fats can ferment in warm cavities of the lower bowel and create gas or flatulence, resulting in bloating, distension, and pain. And, undigested carbohydrates can pass to the lower bowel and provide the ideal food for the growth and replication of pathogenic and disease-causing bacteria, fungi, and yeast.

As we age, our ability to produce hydrochloric acid in the stomach is reduced—which reduces our ability to break down proteins. Sluggish bile and gallbladder problems prevent many people from properly breaking down fats in the diet. Surgical removal of the gallbladder without supplementing the diet with bile salts probably increases the difficulty a hundredfold or more.

Additional IBS Triggers

In addition to antibiotics, food intolerance, and poor digestion, there are a myriod of other factors that can trigger IBS. These include:

• genetics,
• drugs,
• radiation therapy,
• smoking,
• alcohol use or abuse,
• carbonated beverages,
• lack of sleep and exercise,
• surgical trauma or injury to the bowel,
• eating disorders, and
• use of hormones (particularly oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy).

IBS is a digestive disorder marked by cramping, constipation and diarrhea.

It’s estimated that condition called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Unfortunately, an estimated 70 percent of the people with IBS don’t seek any medical attention.

On top of that, being able to diagnose IBS still seems to be a problem for most doctors. The medical profession is more comfortable with diseases that present a consistent set of symptoms. However, roughly a third of those who suffer from IBS experience diarrhea, another third have constipation problems, and the remaining third alternate between the two.

If you have the problem, you likely experience abdominal pain or discomfort that is:

• relieved with defecation,
• associated with a change in frequency of stool, or
• associated with a change in the form or appearance of the stool.

Other symptoms also support a diagnosis of IBS:

• abnormal stool formation—either hard and lumpy or loose and watery,
• abnormal stool frequency—either more than three bowel movements a day or fewer than three a week,
• abnormal stool passage—straining, extreme urgency (in the case of diarrhea), or the feeling of not being able to completely evacuate,
• passage of mucus in the stool, or
• bloating or the feeling of bloating.

I am always amazed when people question whether or not they have the right balance of beneficial bacteria. The answer to this question lies, obviously, in your body. Generally, any negative health symptoms you might have are a very good indication if you have a good, balanced bacterial flora in your bowels.

The following is a partial list of common bowel problems and other health issues associated with inadequate bowel flora:

• Constipation and diarrhea;
• Intestinal gas;
• Chronic bad breath;
• Hormonal problems (i.e. PMS or menstrual complaints);
• Prostate trouble;
• Breast enlargement in men;
• Candida;
• Chronic anemia;
• Allergies to dairy;
• Vitamin B deficiencies;
• High cholesterol levels;
• Severe bruising problems;
• Chronic vaginal infections;
• Chronic bladder infections; and/or
• Osteoporosis.

If you have a healthy intestinal tract, you have over 400 different species of microorganisms living there. They make up two pounds of your body weight! In the stomach, very few are able to survive because of the acidity. In fact, there may be as few as 10 to 100 organisms in every milliliter (.0338 fluid ounces) of stomach content. In the small intestine, there might be anywhere from 100 to 1000 organisms per milliliter.

As you reach the junction between the small and large intestine (at the ileocecal valve), the numbers begin to grow. In the large intestine or colon, as many as one trillion organisms per milliliter are common.

Good bacteria do four key things to help promote a healthy body, digestion, and even immune system:

1. Acidify the Colon—A healthy colon pH should, ideally, be between 6.7 and 6.9. Some of the by-products that help good bacteria achievethis are lactic and acetic acids. This slightly acidic environment inhibits the growth of undesirable bacteria like salmonella (causes food poisoning), shigella (common diarrhea cause), and E coli (which can cause intestinal disease and chronic kidney failure). These bacteria also produce a volatile fatty acid that, along with the acids, makes it difficult for fungus and yeast (like Candida) to survive.
2. Promote Bowel Regularity—Good bacteria can decrease the time it takes for waste products to move through the digestive system. They can also prevent the opposite problem. In other words, they correct both constipation and diarrhea.
3. Improve the Ability of the Immune System—By providing an area for controlled antigen production, good bacteria help stimulate the formation of antibodies. They provide a natural form of vaccination.
4. Eliminates bloating and gas problems and sweetens the breath—Bad breath (halitosis) is very frequently caused when the wrong bacteria takes over in the colon and produce foul smelling waste products, bloating and gas. These gases can be expelled and/or reabsorbed into the blood, where they are later released in the lungs and exhaled. All the breath mints in the world won’t correct bad breath caused by a bowel problem.

Most people are unaware that IBS can be a recurring and intermittent problem linked to, among other things, imbalances within the body. One of the more common issues with IBS is that the protective intestinal mucus lining has been destroyed. One of the better IBS treatments for this is a quarter to a half cup of aloe vera gel daily between meals to help protect and speed the healing of the colon. This gel is available in local health food and grocery stores.

A second common issue with IBS is painful contractions of the colon. Another one of my preferred natural IBS remedies that helps this particular issue is peppermint. Peppermint leaves and oil were probably put on this Earth specifically to treat gastrointestinal disorders.

Peppermint has several very helpful healing characteristics, including:

• It has a gentle disinfecting effect. This helps prevent the fermentation of improperly digested foods in the stomach and bowels. This stops the formation of intestinal bloating and gas and the pain associated with it.
• It alleviates nausea and vomiting.
• It relaxes the muscles of the intestinal tract and prevents colon spasms often present with IBS.

Peppermint tea bags are readily available in both supermarkets and health food stores. The tea can also be made from fresh leaves. Simply add 1 or 2 teaspoons to a cup of hot, not boiling, water and let it stand covered for 10 to 15 minutes. I would recommend keeping a supply of peppermint tea around the house; however, it shouldn’t be used on a casual, regular basis. Use it only during periods of stomach, liver, gallbladder or pancreatic upset. You’ll find that regular habitual use will lessen its effect.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—also known as spastic colon, nervous indigestion, mucous colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease—is the most common gastrointestinal complaint reported to physicians, and it accounts for as many as 50 percent of all referrals to gastroenterologists (physicians who specialize in problems of the GI tract).

If you happen to be part of the estimated 15 percent of the population who needs help for IBS, you undoubtedly know how debilitating the disease can be. Women seem to need help for IBS more than men, but this is probably because men, for some reason, are less likely to seek help for the complaint.

IBS is a complex problem with numerous causative factors and a wide variety of changing symptoms. The following is a list of some of the more common symptoms.

• Spastic constipation and diarrhea
• Pain and distention of the abdomen
• Frequent bowel movements associated with pain
• Colicky pain often relieved by a bowel movement
• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Anorexia
• Intestinal bloating and gas
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Bowel incontinence
• Excess mucus production in the colon

The good news is that there are inexpensive and natural IBS treatments that I will discuss over the next few weeks. So be sure to check in on my blog.

Probiotic benefits vary depending on the bacteria in question. If you're looking for a probiotic digestive supplement, be sure to choose one that does what you have in mind. If you're interested in addressing a specific health area, then a single species of bacteria, or even a specific strain, might be up to the job.

Here are some of my recommendations:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus--for the relief of occasional diarrhea symptoms.
• Bifidobacterium longum--for improvement in bowel regularity.
• Bifidobacterium lactis--for improved immune function and a reduction of H. pylori, the bacteria thought to be responsible for digestive ulcers.
• Lactobacillus plantarum--also for improved immune function.
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus--for a reduction in the diarrhea symptoms known as "traveler's diarrhea."
• Lactobacillus paracasei--also for improved immune function.
• Lactobacillus salivarius--also for improved immune function.
• Lactobacillus gasseri--for the relief of occasional diarrhea symptoms.
• Bifidobacterium longum --for the relief of occasional diarrhea symptoms, particularly the condition known as "traveler's diarrhea."
• Bifidobacterium infantis--for the relief of bowel irregularity and the abdominal pain associated with bloating and gas.

If you're looking for overall digestive health benefits, including improved bowel regularity and relief from bloating and gas, you'll want a product that contains a variety of species.

Probiotic benefits of a digestive health supplement containing Bifidobacterium infantis  include the relief of bowel irregularity and the abdominal pain associated with bloating and gas--making it among the few effective IBS treatments.

As you might imagine from the name, B. infantis is one of the dominant digestive bacteria in children, in whom it helps support immune health. The population of B. infantis declines with age, but it still remains an important part of your digestive flora. As a side benefit, the bacteria can help improve bowel regularity in children.

Look for a digestive health supplement that contains B. infantis, along with a variety of other bacteria species, to get the full range of probiotic benefits.

IBS help can be achieved through hypnosis. While many physicians are reluctant to recommend IBS treatments such as this, numerous studies have shown that the mind-body connection can provide a great deal of help for IBS patients.

Now Dr. Roland Valori, the editor of a brand new peer-reviewed journal called Frontline Gastroenterology says that he has used hypnotherapy among the IBS treatments for more than 100 of his patients.

90% of that group saw significant improvement in the bowel problems associated with IBS--including bloating and gas, constipation and diarrhea. Even better, 40% saw positive bowel changes leading to complete relief.

The bad news? Reviewers of Dr. Valori's writing say that hypnotherapy should be among the last-resort IBS treatments, after drugs have failed. I'm sorry, but that's just crazy. The drugs used for IBS support have significant side effects, and they aren't any more effective than hypnotherapy. Why would you not start there?

Bowel problems in your dog can include bloating and gas. Not much can clear a roomful of company faster than when your dog passes gas. Your pet can't help it; the bloating and gas are likely a result of eating habits. That means it's up to you to resolve the problem.

Bloating and gas in animals is often caused by taking in air when gulping down food. The food itself can be part of the problem. Highly fermentable foods such as cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and beans generate their own gas. (And yes, your pet should be getting real food along with kibble. It's not much trouble to cook a little extra at dinnertime and add some to the bowl for Rover or Fluffy. Experiment to see what they'll eat and what agrees with their digestion.)

Here's what you can do to ease your pet's bowel problems such as bloating and gas:

• Offer smaller amounts of food more often, to avoid gulping.
• Watch the diet. Corn and wheat are common culprits when it comes to the bowel problems of bloating and gas, in humans as well as in dogs.
• Get your dog outdoors for some exercise. The more your dog moves around, the easier it is for digestion to occur normally (and with less bloating and gas).

Oh, and be sure to pick up a copy of the kids' book, Walter the Farting Dog.

A reader recently asked whether he could become dependent on probiotic digestive health supplements after taking them for a long time.

A probiotic benefits you in two ways: first, it adds more of the good bacteria that you need to head off bowel problems such as constipation and diarrhea. Second, it crowds out the bad bacteria that can lead to bowel problems such as bloating and gas.

It's perfectly normal for large numbers of bacteria--both good and bad--to die off every day. That's why you need to replace the good ones, by either eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt or taking digestive supplements.

There are more than 400 species of bacteria in the average person's gut. Some are bad for you. most are neutral, and some are very good. The good ones tend to work together, so taking probiotic digestive supplements that contain only some of the good varieties can bring improve the health of all the good ones.

To get the full probiotic benefits, look for a digestive health supplement that contains four or more varieties of bacteria. And don't worry about becoming dependent on the. Instead, celebrate the independent feeling of not having to worry about the location of the next restroom.

I'm a sucker for corny songs; I just can't help it. So when a South Florida group of gastroenterologists set up a contest to choose the best song to promote National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, I had to check it out.

Their Bottom Line song contest is looking for the best song to describe colonoscopy, the procedure most commonly used to detect colorectal cancer. There are 40 songs to choose from, including "Looking Out My Back Door" and "The Long and Winding Road."

Bowel problems associated with colorectal cancer can include blood in the stool, bloating and gas pains, thin ("pencil") stools, and both constipation and diarrhea.

Dr. Williams has reported on the connection between colorectal cancer and inflammation, and between the cancer and a lack of vitamin D. He's also commented on fiber's benefits, to help keep things moving, and probiotic benefits, to promote a healthy bacterial balance that will protect the cells lining your digestive tract.

Probiotic benefits can vary, depending on which strains of bacteria are in your digestive supplements. Some probiotic digestive supplements are promoted as having the strain that is "the one" among digestive supplements that will cure all your ills. It's just not so, no matter what their hype says.

Some varieties are better at promoting bowel regularity, while others can address diarrhea causes. Yet others are better to address bloating and gas. To get the most probiotic benefits, look for digestive health supplements that contain several different varieties of bacteria. Over the next few weeks I'll review some of the more common strains available and talk about their individual probiotic benefits.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, nausea can be caused when the stomach doesn't empty quickly enough. Nausea can also arise when digestive products don't move quickly enough through the gut, a situation known as slow transit time.

If digestive enzymes don't help with your nausea, try adding probiotic digestive supplements to your daily routine. Probiotic benefits include stimulating the muscles in your intestines to improve transit time, improving bowel regularity, and reducing the possibility of bloating and gas.

Nausea after eating can be cause by delayed emptying of the stomach.

As people age, they naturally produce lower levels of digestive enzymes that are used to break food down. Other symptoms of low digestive enzyme levels include bloating and gas.

Speeding the process of food breakdown allows the stomach to release food into the small intestine more quickly.

If you frequently feel nauseated after eating, try taking digestive enzyme supplements. Look for a product such as Digestin 987, from Progressive Labs, that contains the digestive enzymes lipase, protease, and amylase.