Diarrhea Cause

Clay has a long history of being used internally. Since most people still equate clay with dirt and mud, the thought of ingesting clay internally may seem a little unsettling. It shouldn’t be.

For centuries, various clays have proven very effective at safely stopping diarrhea symptoms and even many types of food poisoning. Research has documented its use in China, Germany, France, and elsewhere to effectively treat cholera and to combat dysentery and other forms of diarrhea. One study from the 1960s involved 35 different individuals whose diarrhea symptoms were being caused by food poisoning, food allergy, viral infection, spastic colitis, or mucous colitis.

Two tablespoons of smectite clay (montmorillonite) were given with distilled water three times a day. (In the food allergy cases, six tablespoons of clay per day were used.) In 34 of the 35 individuals, the diarrhea was stopped in an average of 3.8 days, and bowel movements reduced to an average of 1.8 per day. Food allergy–induced diarrhea proved to be the most difficult cases, whereas those from viral infections resolved the quickest. (Med Ann Dist Columbia 61;30:326-328)

Until the late 1990s, the once very popular anti-diarrheal medicine Kaopectate contained the mineral clay kaolin, primarily found in Georgia and Alabama. It worked great, but there was some concern that the clay was mildly radioactive. The formula later was changed to include attapulgite clay, but around 2003, the formula was changed again and all clay was eliminated, due to possible lead contamination. It was replaced with pink bismuth subsalicylate (the same as Pepto Bismol). (If you’re wondering why it doesn’t work as well as it used to, this is probably the reason.)

For more information on diarrhea treatments, constipation and diarrhea, or other bowel problems, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

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.

As I was sitting eating my crunchy, delicious 15 day–fermented sauerkraut recently, I ran across a study showing that infectious digestive disorders are among the biggest risks to our military troops who are deployed overseas. Every month, about 30 percent get infectious diarrhea. Those who had experienced even just one incident had six times the risk for subsequent functional diarrhea and four times the risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome.

The medical records of personnel deployed in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom indicate the fourth leading cause of their visits to Veterans Affairs medical centers was chronic gastrointestinal disorders. As many as 20 percent of these patients have conditions that have persisted for five years or longer after returning home.

It’s not hard to understand the high incidence of this problem, considering the stress these soldiers are under and the less-than-sanitary conditions they’re exposed to. What is hard to understand is the way these men and women are being treated.

Typical treatment focuses on the use of antibiotics to wipe out the offending bacteria. Patients are then switched to over-the-counter diarrhea treatments and bulking agents when the problem persists. Knowing what we know today, I’m amazed that probiotics aren’t being used to correct and ultimately prevent diarrhea symptoms.

I don’t have cost figures, but I’m certain that adding a daily probiotic supplement to their regimen would be an extremely cost-effective method to prevent many of these problems. And the fact that probiotics aren’t used following every round of antibiotics is absurd.

For more information on diarrhea treatments, body digestion, or bowel regularity in general, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

Gluten intolerance is a tricky condition. Not only is it often misdiagnosed, it is also associated with a myriad of other conditions, including:

• thyroid disease,
• type 1 diabetes,
• lactose intolerance,
• arthritis,
• bowel and stomach cancer,
• eczema, and
• allergies.

Though no two people seem to have the exact same symptom profile, you can expect to see one or more of the more common symptoms:

• abdominal pain,
• diarrhea symptoms,
• no appetite,
• skin rashes (often itchy and blistery),
• anemia, and/or
• stunted growth.

If the condition isn’t addressed, eventually the classic signs of malnutrition will appear, including the large tummy, thin thigh muscles, and flat buttocks.

There are a couple of reasons the symptoms and other diseases caused by celiac disease are so varied; one is the body’s severe allergic reaction to the glutens. Second, the damage to the small intestine impedes the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients:

• Deficiencies in the B vitamins can lead to depression, mental problems, and the expression of neurological diseases, such as the Alzheimer’s.
• Deficiencies of essential fatty acids lead to skin disorders, cancer, etc.
• Inadequate calcium absorption results in osteoporosis, joint deterioration, muscle weakness and wasting, heart disease, etc.

The list related to various deficiencies goes on and on. In addition to deficiency problems, the damaged intestinal wall allows undigested proteins to enter the bloodstream, triggering additional allergic reactions throughout the body.

Based on the variety of related, complex symptoms, it’s easy to see why the diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten intolerance is often overlooked. That’s why a family health tree can be of such great help. Once it is determined that celiac disease could be a factor, there are very specific antibody blood tests your doctor can order. The presence of certain antibodies provides a definitive diagnosis, and the antibodies will rapidly decline once the problem is treated.

There’s a critical connection between bowel problems and the nervous system that doesn’t receive much attention in most medical circles. In fact, in testimonials concerning the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you’ll find that many individuals have seen a dramatic improvement or even complete reversal in such problems as schizophrenia. The same is true when bowel problems are corrected with probiotics or many of the other digestive cleansing methods I’ve discussed in this blog.

Generally, those in conventional medical circles haven’t been able to grasp the connection between toxins in the bowels and neurological disease. (Most still believe the cause of IBS, ulcerative colitis, and similar bowel problems is totally unknown.)

Between 60 and 70 percent of our immune system is located in the digestive tract, which makes sense when you realize it’s one of only three direct connections our body has to the outside world (our skin and respiratory tract are the others)—making it one of the places we are most exposed and vulnerable.

A breach in the gut wall—common in individuals with IBS, Crohn’s disease, and chronic constipation and diarrhea—is commonly referred to as “leaky gut” syndrome. This state allows toxins, bacteria, yeast, fungi, viruses, and incompletely digested foods to enter the bloodstream. An excess of these pathogens creates additional acids, fermentation byproducts, waste, and toxins that eventually overcomes our gut’s defenses.  

That’s why it is vital to maintain bowel health. It’s one of the most effective methods of improving your overall immune function. It can help prevent or reverse many of the neurological diseases on the rise in both children and adults.

Once these toxins and other particles breach our body’s protective barriers, they cause inflammation throughout the body and can often cross the blood/brain barrier, where they then interfere with the circulation and flow of nutrients to the brain—which in turn impairs consciousness, speech, cognition, and behavior. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that digestive and bowel problems are one of the principal complaints of people of all ages with depression, “brain fog,” irritability, schizophrenia, and seizures—even children with autism. It also should be no surprise to see these problems resolved when the bowel problems are corrected.

If you or your loved ones suffer from one of these neurological problems, getting rid of body toxins and restoring the bowels to normal is one thing you don’t want to overlook.

The use of probiotics is preventive medicine at its best. For this very reason it’s important to constantly replenish your body’s supply of these important life-sustaining organisms, which you can do easily with a daily probiotic supplement. And to that you can add my favorite—a nice daily helping of homemade sauerkraut to reap full probiotic benefits.

Common digestive problems are the second most common cause of hospitalizations. (Pregnancy is #1 with women and coronary problems are #1 with men.) Thousands of diseases can be linked directly to a poor digestive system.

In the case of diarrhea, one of the best diarrhea treatments is to increase your intake of cultured foods, specifically, those made milk products, such as yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.

Yogurt has been used for centuries to cure bowel problems and diarrhea. The oldest people in the world, in the mountains of Russia, reportedly use plenty of yogurt and clabbered milk as their protein source. Similarly, a study at a New York hospital confirmed that between a third and a half cup of ordinary yogurt stopped severe infant diarrhea twice as fast as the standard anti-diarrhea drug Neomycin Kaopectate (Clin. Ped.63;1(7):407-411). In fact, yogurt works so effectively at preventing diarrhea in the first place, it is routinely used for that purpose in hospitals throughout Russia, Japan, and Italy.

Yogurt can do so much more than just correct bowel problems. At least seven natural antibiotics have been isolated from yogurt and fermented milk products. One called acidolin has been shown to be as effective, if not more so, as many prescription antibiotics (J. of Antibiotics 74;27(8):631-636). Eating yogurt may also decrease the risk of cancer. One French study discovered that among women who ate dairy products, those who ate the greatest amounts of yogurt had the lowest rate of breast cancer (J.Nat.Cancer Inst. 86;77(3):633-636).
Yogurt can also drop LDL cholesterol levels as much as 10 percent in one week, while raising HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) (Ather.77;26[3]:335-340). And regular yogurt (not the low-fat kind) contains the hormone-like substance prostaglandin E2, which, among other things, can prevent ulcers. It can even boost the immune system.

Like just about everything else these days, the type of yogurt you eat makes a difference. The label of any yogurt you buy should say it has "active cultures." Some companies pasteurize the product after it’s been made, and this kills off the remaining beneficial bacteria making it useless. If you can find products made from L. acidophilus bacteria cultures, they will have the greatest benefits. If the yogurts made in your area don’t list the type of cultures used, you may have to call or write the manufacturer.

Also, avoid the yogurts containing sugar. Usually the yogurts with fruit are loaded with sugar. Add your own fruit. Bananas give it a sweet taste and counteract the sourness. For a more consistent sweetness, try blending the banana into the yogurt in the blender.

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.

If you are looking for IBS help, you first need to understand IBS trigger foods and the role they play in the disease.

One of the main IBS trigger foods is wheat. IBS patients are often sensitive or allergic to wheat and other grain products. As such, wheat bran and other cereals are generally not the best source of fiber for people looking for IBS support. Instead, water-soluble fibers that promote the formation of protective gel and mucus in the bowel are best. This type of fiber is found in guar gum, psyllium or Indian husks, oat bran, flax seeds, fruits, vegetables and legumes. (Legumes is a fancy word for beans and peas.)

Keep in mind that most of these fiber sources are either absorbents or binding agents. One of their characteristics is that they absorb or bind with water. This causes them to soften, swell, and increase in volume. This creates the extra bulk necessary to gently stimulate the cleansing movement in the colon. For the whole process to work, you must consume adequate amounts of water. This means that it’s absolutely necessary to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day.

Note: Although increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables is essential in treating IBS, during periods of diarrhea they are best avoided. But they should be reintroduced gradually when the bowels are normal. The amounts and timing will vary from individual to individual. The same holds true for the amount of guar gum or psyllium that needs to be taken. It would be impossible for me to give the exact amount needed. Each person will have to monitor bowel regularity, consistency, and looseness and adjust the dosages accordingly.

Digestive problems are the second most common cause of hospitalizations. (Pregnancy is #1 with women and coronary problems are #1 with men.) Thousands of diseases can be linked directly to a poor digestive system. And one of the biggest culprits is bowel problems, specifically a bacteria imbalance in the bowels.

Cultured foods can help intestinal bacteria growth. Generally, cultured foods are made from milk products. Since the bacteria is necessary for their production requires milk sugar (lactose), the end product will contain less sugar and therefore be less sweet. This holds true for all "soured" milk products like yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.

Yogurt has been used for centuries to cure bowel problems and diarrhea. The oldest people in the world, in the mountains of Russia, reportedly use plenty of yogurt and clabbered milk as their protein source. A study at a New York hospital confirmed that between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of ordinary yogurt stopped severe infant diarrhea twice as fast as the standard anti-diarrhea drug Neomycin Kaopectate. (Clin.Ped.63;1(7):407-411.) It works so effectively as a diarrhea treatment, it is routinely used for that purpose in hospitals throughout Russia, Japan and Italy.

Yogurt can do so much more than just correct bowel problems. At least seven natural antibiotics have been isolated from yogurt and fermented milk products. One called acidolin has been shown to be as effective, if not more so, as many prescription antibiotics. (J. of Antibiotics 74;27(8):631-636.) Eating yogurt may also decrease the risk of cancer. One French study discovered that among women who ate dairy products, those who ate the greatest amounts of yogurt had the lowest rate of breast cancer. (J.Nat.Cancer Inst. 86;77(3):633-636.)

Like just about everything else these days, the type of yogurt you eat makes a difference. Don't be fooled by the recent clever marketing of many yogurt products. The label of any yogurt you buy should say it has "active cultures." Some companies pasteurize the product after it’s been made, and this kills off the remaining beneficial bacteria making it useless. If you can find products made from L.acidophilus bacteria cultures, they will have the greatest benefits.

Also, avoid yogurts with fruit, as they are loaded with sugar. Add your own fruit instead. I find that bananas give yogurt a sweet taste and counteract the sourness. For a more consistent sweetness, try blending the banana into the yogurt in the blender.

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.

Persistent bowel problems can result from an infection with the bacteria Clostridium difficile, or C diff. I've written about C diff a few times. It's an equal-opportunity bacterium, causing bowel problems for young and old alike--and, more importantly, for those who are otherwise healthy.

C diff infection is marked by watery diarrhea symptoms that occur more than three times a day and last for more than three days.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is an invasive disease that's estimated to cause more than 18,000 deaths annually among hospitalized patients. For several years it was considered the most perilous of hospital-acquired infections, because it's so hard to treat. With C diff on the rise, however, MRSA has to take a back seat.

C diff is transmitted by contact with infected surfaces such as hands or countertops. Until recently it was considered to be a problem only among the elderly ill who had been hospitalized. Now, however, it's become much more prevalent--25% more common than MRSA, according to one recent estimate.

The bowel changes from C diff often arise after the patient has been treated with a course of antibiotics. The problem, of course, is that antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract. My suggestion: If you begin to experience diarrhea symptoms after taking a round of antibiotics, begin taking high-quality probiotic digestive health supplements immediately.

Probiotic benefits of a digestive health supplement containing Lactobacillus gasseri include the relief of occasional diarrhea symptoms.

L. gasseri is a recently discovered strain of bacteria. It resists both acid and bile, so it can survive the trip through the stomach and small intestine into the lower bowel. As side benefits, the bacteria can help in ulcer treatment by reducing levels of the competing bacteria H. pylori, and it supports healthy cholesterol levels. It even helps with the bacterial balance in the vagina.

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

Probiotic benefits of a digestive health supplement containing Lactobacillus paracasei include improved immune function.

L. paracasei is a hardy strain of bactera that's found mostly in the small intestine, but when combined with milk it can survive the trip into the lower intestine. Regardless of where it's found, L. paracasei increases the number of lactic acid-forming bacteria--which can work to reduce diarrhea symptoms. As a side benefit, the bacteria can improve liver function in people with poorly performing livers.

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

Probiotic benefits of a digestive health supplement that contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus include a reduction in the diarrhea symptoms known as "traveler's diarrhea."

L. rhamnosus is a hardy bacteria that survives far down in the digestive tract. It adheres well to epithelial cells in the intestine and elsewhere, and can help reduce irritation and infection in the urinary tract and vagina.

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

Diarrhea caused by antibiotics can present a real challenge to the patient. Antibiotics kill bacteria indiscriminately: the bad ones that cause disease, as well as the good ones that keep you healthy.

Diarrhea symptoms can appear as soon as 12 hours after taking your first dose of antibiotics. The solution is to replace the good bacteria as quickly as you can, with a combination of probiotic digestive health supplements and foods that contain live cultures, such as yogurt, kefir, and real sauerkraut.

Yes, the antibiotic will kill off many of the probiotics, but it's essential to keep replacing them so that they can begin to colonize your bowel the moment the antibiotic is gone.

Bowel problems can be directly connected to working shift work. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that nurses who worked either night shifts or rotating shifts were significantly more likely to experience bowel problems such as abdominal pains, constipation, and diarrhea--essentially IBS symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome).

In the study, 399 nurses were asked about their digestive health, including constipation and diarrhea symptoms. Those who worked rotating shifts reported similar risk for constipation and diarrhea, but a significantly higher risk for abdominal pain and other IBS symptoms.

Certainly the high stress involved in nursing increases ones risk of bowel problems overall. What made those bowel problems worse in the shift workers is that their daily rhythms have been disrupted. I've reported before about how daily rhythm is connected to heartburn. Now it appears that other areas of digestive health, including bowel regularity, are also driven by the clock.

Over the last couple of months I've provided you with treatments for addressing diarrhea symptoms. I've found that these are also useful for preventing diarrhea before it starts. Some of the treatments involve digestive health supplements, and others are dietary items. Here's a summary.

• Diarrhea treatment #1: Clay helps in preventing diarrhea by absorbing water in the bowel
• Diarrhea treatment #2: Ileocecal valve manipulation works for diarrhea treatment by closing off the valve that allows digestive products to move from your small intestine to your large intestine.
• Diarrhea treatment #3: Turmeric works to restore bowel regularity.
• Diarrhea treatment #4: Black tea restores absorption of water in the bowel.
• Diarrhea treatment #5: Carob powder is a useful diarrhea treatment for infants.
• Diarrhea treatment #6: BRAT for kids provides bulk and essential minerals that can be lost via diarrhea, along with calming the digestive tract.
• Diarrhea treatment #7: Lactic Acid Yeast wafers help support a natural bacterial environment in your gut.
• Diarrhea treatment #8: Probiotics also support a normal bacterial balance.

Here are more complete explanations for the diarrhea treatments in this "series."

Diarrhea symptoms are more likely to appear in women travelers than in men. Women seek diarrhea treatment about 25% more often for the "traveler's diarrhea" that's so dreaded by vacationers, according to a report in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The researchers aren't sure why women seek diarrhea treatment more often. It could be because women are more willing to ask for help when they need it, or they may be more susceptible to diarrhea symptoms in the first place. According to the study, women were also more likely to seek help for the bowel problems of irritable bowel syndrome, which include abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea.

Men were more likely to come down with fever-related diseases, including malaria and bacterial infections.

Whenever you're traveling to a new place, it's a good idea to keep a diarrhea treatment available, whether you're a man or a woman. Black tea and digestive health supplements such as probiotics can help promote bowel regularity while you're on the road.

Probiotic benefits of a digestive supplement containing Lactobacillus acidophilus include the relief of diarrhea symptoms. As a side benefit, people who take L. acidophilus supplements tend to come out of a course of antibiotics with more of their good bacteria intact. 

L. acidophilus colonizes in the small intestine, where it helps promote absorption of many nutrients, including iron.

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