Diarrhea Supplements

If you suffer with knee pain, you are far from alone. Thousands of people undergo knee replacement surgery every year. Fortunately, there are several things you can do now to take an active approach and start reversing the situation with the right exercises and nutrition.

First is to strengthen your quadriceps (front thigh muscles). Strong quadriceps protect the knee from damage and the pain from arthritis in the joint.

The Mayo Clinic recently studied 265 patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee. MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) were given at the beginning, middle, and end of the 30-month study. The patients’ pain and mobility were also evaluated. Those patients with the strongest quadriceps had less pain and more mobility, and were found to lose less joint cartilage. (Arthritis Rheum 09;60:189–198)

Next, you need to give your body the necessary raw materials to protect and rebuild the damaged cartilage in your knee joint. Other studies continue to show that chondroitin sulfate reduces joint pain and the loss of joint cartilage. (Arthritis Rheum 09;60:524–533)

Even better results can be obtained when you supplement with the complete cartilage complex and not just one isolated compound like chondroitin sulfate. Cartilage is composed of hundreds of sulfates, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and various glycosaminoglycans. A high-quality supplement will include these items.

For more information on joint pain and other health concerns, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Chronic inflammation throughout the body can result when the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3s gets out of balance. That’s why increasing fish and flax oils in the diet can have such a dramatic impact on arthritis pain, as well as on dozens of other conditions throughout the body.

Antioxidants are crucial not only for joint health, but for overall health in general. Vitamins C and E are just two antioxidants that come to mind. Eating a wide variety of spices (such as turmeric or curry), colored vegetables, and fruits will help cover this base—as will supplements such as alpha lipoic acid. Variety seems to be the key, since new antioxidants are continually being uncovered. For example, researchers at the National University of Singapore’s biochemistry department recently informed me that their tests found dark soy sauce (not the lighter variety found in most restaurants here) exhibited antioxidant activity 150 times greater than vitamin C and 6 to 12 times higher than red wine.

Their study involved 24 healthy students with an average age of 23. Half the students were given a bowl of rice mixed with six teaspoons of dark soy sauce, and half were given rice with food coloring and salt. Samplings of their blood and urine were taken at intervals and tested for levels of free radical damage.

Between three and four hours after the meal, those eating the dark soy sauce had 20 percent less free radical damage compared to the other group. Additionally, those eating the soy sauce had a 50 percent increase in blood flow compared to the other group during that same time period.

The researchers cautioned that one shouldn’t eat large quantities of the soy sauce, because its high salt content might cause an increase in blood pressure. None of the participants in this study experienced any such problem, though, and I thought it was interesting that researchers felt that the small amount of soy sauce used was the reason there wasn’t a blood pressure problem. Six teaspoonfuls in a bowl of rice would be considered an enormous amount by most people in this country.

Keep in mind that this was dark soy sauce. If you haven’t tried it, it’s quite different than what most of us are used to. You can find it in most Asian markets. Based on the above research, it might be something you want to switch to.

For more information about joint pain and other health issues, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Clay possesses two properties that make it particularly effective at detoxification. Most people don’t realize that detoxification involves two processes: First, you have to mobilize the toxins, and second, you have to remove toxins from the body.

Chelating agents are generally thought of as complete detoxifiers. In reality, they tend to penetrate the body and bind to and mobilize toxins and heavy metals, but don’t necessarily remove toxins from the body.

On the other hand, sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds, found in glutathione (from supplements like N-acetyl cysteine and cruciferous vegetables), and alpha lipoic acid, aren’t true chelating agents, but they work to remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. The best results are obtained using a combination of both.

Clay therapy is one of the few therapies I’m aware of that has complete detoxifying abilities. It can be taken internally or applied externally. Both have their benefits.

For more information on how to detoxify the body and remove toxins, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber—8 grams total in one cup of uncooked oatmeal. And they are the highest of all soluble fiber foods (55 percent). The soluble fiber (fiber which dissolves in water) consists mostly of beta-glucan, which has numerous, very beneficial functions.

Beta-glucan is the fiber-like complex sugar found in the cell wall of baker’s yeast, oat and barley fiber, and many of the medicinal mushrooms that have become so popular as immune stimulants in the last few years. (Beans are also a good source of beta-glucan, and barley actually contains three times as much as oats.) Beta-glucan’s two main benefits are cholesterol reduction and immune system enhancement.

When it comes to cholesterol, beta-glucan acts like a mop. It binds to cholesterol and moves it out of the body with the feces. Typically, after only about a month of eating oats, it’s not unusual to see a 10 percent drop in total cholesterol levels and a drop of 8 percent in the LDL form of cholesterol. At the same time, the “good” form of cholesterol, the HDL cholesterol, may increase as much as 18 percent (Adv Exp Med Biol 90;270:119-27) (Eur J Clin Med 97;51:607-11) (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 99;39:189-202).

As I’m sure you’re aware, cholesterol is not a primary cause of heart disease, but it is a symptom. Many of the eating and lifestyle habits (such as eating oatmeal) that inherently lower your cholesterol levels have a direct link to reduced risks of heart and artery problems.

Beta-glucan—beta-1,3-glucan in particular—has been shown to be effective at activating your body’s first line of defense against foreign pathogens. Beta-glucan activates the white blood cells known as macrophages and neutrophils. These are the natural killer cells and the “clean-up brigade” that recognize and destroy cancerous tumor cells, accelerate the repair of damaged tissue by removing cellular debris, and trigger additional components of the immune system (Pathol Immunopathol Res 86;5:286-96) (Immunopharmacology 99;41:89-107) (Eur J Immunol 91;21:1755-8).

Beta-glucans also appear to help stop the rapid elevation of blood sugar following a meal. In diabetics, this can be a godsend in helping control blood sugar levels. A cup of cooked oatmeal at breakfast can help to stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. Apparently one of the benefits of beta-glucan is to increase cells’ sensitivity to insulin, making them more efficient at mobilizing glucose or blood sugar (J Am Diet Assoc 96;96:1254-61) (Adv Exp Med Biol 90;270:119-27).

Due to its ability to enhance immune function, beta-glucan has also been used widely throughout the HIV/AIDS community, as well as by those dealing with other viral-related problems such as herpes and Epstein-Barr. The recommended dosages for these problems vary depending on the product, the condition, and the individual.

Beta-glucans have recently been isolated and are sold as soluble fiber supplements. They can come in liquid form, bulk powder, or in capsules. Generally, the recommended dosage is anywhere from 100 to 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) a day. There are no known side effects of beta-glucans, so, for general purposes, starting with 1 gram a day during the active stages of a problem shouldn’t be a concern.

You can then cut back to about half that for maintenance purposes. If you’re into growing sprouts, you can also increase your beta-glucan intake through that means. Two tablespoons of sprouted rye seeds or ¼ cup of barley sprouts will give you a decent dose.

A couple of shiitake mushrooms daily are also a good source of beta-glucans. Cooking them destroys much of the beta-glucans, however, so they must be eaten raw.

For more information on the health benefits of fiber, other soluble fiber foods, or soluble fiber supplements, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

Research has shown that a high fiber diet lowers blood sugar levels as effectively as the use of prescribed oral hypoglycemic drugs. Individuals with type II diabetes generally eat less fiber than the general population. And although the American Diabetes Association recently upped its daily dietary fiber recommendation to between 20 and 30 grams a day, that is still too low.

One study asked a group of diabetic individuals to increase their fiber intake to roughly 50 grams a day (25 grams of insoluble fiber and 25 grams of soluble fiber). After only six weeks, those taking the extra fiber had lower blood glucose levels after meals and throughout the day. Total cholesterol levels dropped an average of 6.7 percent and triglycerides dropped 10.2 percent (New Engl J Med 00;342:1392-8).

Adding additional fiber to the diet is not difficult. In the above study, the individuals did so by simply including more fresh fruits and vegetables—items such as cantaloupes, oranges, papayas, sweet potatoes, winter squash, granola, and oatmeal, all of which are some of the highest fiber foods. For instance, a single serving of oatmeal will give you 28 grams of soluble fiber.

Whole ground flaxseed is another good source of fiber and essential fatty acids. Whole foods like these contain both insoluble and soluble fibers (as well as hundreds of other components) in contrast to isolated fiber powders like psyllium, guar, and pectin.

Increasing your dietary fiber is a far better solution than using oral hypoglycemic drugs if both options achieve the same goal. However, I would suggest that you not take your multivitamin/mineral supplement with a high-fiber meal. Take it with another meal or by itself because the fiber interferes with the absorption of some minerals and fat-soluble components.

For more information on the health benefits of fiber or a list of the highest fiber foods, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

One particular supplement that has been shown to remove mercury from your body is alpha lipoic acid. This substance isn’t routinely used medically (it’s not FDA-approved as a chelating agent) but, instead, physicians resort to the prescription compounds DMPS and DMSA—both of which carry their own set of risks.

Alpha lipoic acid has the unique ability to remove mercury from inside cells and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Although it may not be as strong or work as quickly as the above prescription items, there are benefits from working at a slower pace.

Once mercury is removed from tissues or brain cells, it enters the bloodstream and is carried to the liver where it’s mixed with bile and dumped into the intestinal tract.

Ideally, from there it should travel out of the body in the feces. However, if the natural systems are overwhelmed, some of the mercury simply gets reabsorbed and redistributed throughout the body. For this reason, it’s imperative that, if you use alpha lipoic acid to remove mercury from your body, you maintain constant levels of the supplement in your body for periods long enough that the mercury has time to be “escorted” out of your body and not reabsorbed. That’s why detoxing with alpha lipoic acid requires that doses be taken faithfully every three hours.

Alpha lipoic acid “dumps” smaller quantities of mercury into the system, making it easier to compensate for this extra toxic release. The reabsorption of mercury can be further minimized or avoided through a higher intake of sulfur-rich foods (see blog from July 26, 2010). In addition to high-sulfur foods, other known intestinal chelators include:

• blue-green algae spirulina and chlorella
• aloe gel
• algin
• various calcium bentonite clays

I’ve seen a short mercury detox program using alpha lipoic acid work wonders for many people. The program consists of taking 1/8 to ½ mg of alpha lipoic acid per every pound of body weight, every three hours for three days and two nights. (The time can be stretched to every four hours during the night to avoid interrupting sleep as much and then returning to every three hours during daytime.) This would translate to 20 to 80 mg of alpha lipoic acid every three hours for a person who weighs 160 pounds. If you want to repeat the program, you can wait for 11 days following the initial three days and two nights before starting again.

Everyone reacts differently, so dosages often have to be adjusted depending on how you feel. It’s generally better to use the lower dosages to begin with and work with a doctor familiar with this program.

To make things easier, the alpha lipoic acid can be mixed with juice or water. For example, if you were taking 25 mg doses, you could mix a 100 mg capsule in water and then drink a quarter of the liquid at a time.

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

It’s imperative that you do all you can to reduce your direct exposure to mercury. Just as important, you’ll want to implement a diet and supplement plan that will continuously help remove mercury from your body.

Nature provides various substances that help remove mercury and other heavy metals. Mercury has a strong affinity for sulfur. As such, there’s a long list of vegetables and fruits with high sulfur contents that can help remove mercury from the body. These foods do have their limitations, however. With continued exposure, your body’s natural defenses can easily be overwhelmed.

For most of us, mercury will enter our body either through our intestinal tract (water, food, or amalgam tooth fillings) or through our respiratory tract (vapor from pollution or a broken fluorescent bulb). With our food and water supplies so widely contaminated, it will be difficult to avoid mercury completely. This is where a diet high in sulfur-rich vegetables, fruits, and other foods can help. These foods can bind with the mercury while it’s still transiting the intestinal tract and carry it out of your body.

Sulfur-rich foods include:

• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, chard, and watercress
• Other vegetables: asparagus, avocado, parsley, red peppers, and tomatoes
• Root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, turnips, garlic, and onions (but not potatoes)
• Fruits like blueberries, cherries, and grapes
• Nearly all grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds
• Animal products: cheese, egg yolks, meat

Unfortunately, I don’t think these foods receive the attention or research they deserve—and probably never will. Most have strong antioxidant capability and are rich in various bioflavonoids. We now know they also have the added benefit of being able to lock on to mercury and prevent its absorption into the body.

Based on the widespread contamination levels we’re seeing today, I would highly recommend adding several of these items to your diet every day.

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

With all the attention that H1N1 influenza was getting this winter, it’s no surprise that a powerful probiotics study was completely ignored in the mainstream media.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, an international team of researchers evaluated the effects of using a daily probiotic supplement, added to milk, on cold and flu symptoms in 326 children. The children were 3 to 5 years of age and the study lasted 6 months.

One group of children received a placebo. Another group received Lactobacillus acidophilus, and a third group received a combination of L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis.

Relative to the placebo group, the single and combination probiotics reduced fever incidence by 53 and 72.7 percent, coughing by 41.4 and 62.1 percent, and runny nose by 28.2 and 58.8 percent, respectively. Antibiotic use was reduced by 68.4 and 84.2 percent, relative to the placebo. And compared to those getting the placebo, the single and combination probiotics users had reductions in days missed from school by 31.8 and 27.7 percent. (Pediatrics 09;124:e172–e179)

I would love to see a longer term follow-up study with these children to see what effect using the probiotics could have on preventing the development of food allergies—which now affect 4 percent of children 17 years old and younger in this country. The number of children diagnosed with food allergies has increased by 18 percent between 1997 and 2007. The true number is probably higher, since this figure is based only on visits that were actually reported to emergency and outpatient departments and physician offices. (Pediatrics 09;124:1549-1555)

At this rate, we’re looking at a huge problem in the making—or, from the pharmaceutical industry’s point of view, a huge marketing opportunity. Get your kids (and family) reaping probiotics’ benefits now to avoid trouble.

For more information on probiotics benefits, 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.

Prebiotics are substances that bacteria feed on or ferment, and are necessary to maintain a healthy bacterial balance. Most prebiotics are oligosaccharides, or long-chain sugar molecules. They’re considered to be indigestible fiber, and they mostly are, at least from our perspective. But from the perspective of the bacteria, they’re quite digestible.

Whey is a particularly effective prebiotic because of the sugars it contains. (There’s one more reason to start your day with a whey protein shake.) However, many other foods and compounds are also effective as probiotics. One that’s gotten some exposure lately is inulin, from chicory root.
 
Another that’s receiving increased attention is the kiwifruit. Studies from Hong Kong and elsewhere show that eating kiwi decreased constipation and laxative use in constipated patients by improving bowel transit time. (World J Gastroenterol 07;13:4771–4775)

Some of the benefit of kiwi comes from the fiber contained in each piece. The fruit also contains enzymes that aid in digestion and improve bowel motility, the pulsations that help move food through your digestive tract. I know that kiwi isn’t the cheapest variety of fruit available in your grocery, and it’s a very seasonal item in most parts of the country. In addition, the participants in the studies I mentioned were eating around three pieces of the fruit a day.

For those reasons, I’ve been looking for substitutes for kiwi. It turns out that the best substitute is a concentrate of kiwi itself. This concentrate maintains all the enzyme activity of the whole fruit, while packing the prebiotics into a much more convenient form.

Prebiotics are often combined with probiotics to create what’s called a synbiotic. Research in animals shows that synbiotics can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. (Food Chem Toxicol 2009 Dec 21)

Synbiotics also improve healing in patients who have undergone surgery or experienced significant injury. Trials in Greece with trauma patients showed that treatment with synbiotics reduced inflammation and the risk for pneumonia and blood infections, as well as length of stay in intensive care and the amount of time spent on mechanical ventilation. (J Trauma 09;67:815–821) (World J Surg 06;30:1848–1855)

If you find that you’re currently taking a probiotic supplement, and you’re not seeing the probiotics benefits you expected, it could be due to a lack of appropriate prebiotics.

For more information on probiotic benefits, 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.

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.

If you are overrun with body toxins, one of the first places it will show up in your skin. In addition to following my previous recommendations, you can support the liver nutritionally by taking supplements that help your body detoxify waste material.

To help your liver and body detoxify, I generally recommend using milk thistle, which both protects and helps increase liver function. The active ingredient in milk thistle is a bioflavonoid complex called silymarin. Studies have shown that silymarin can prevent damage to liver cells. It also has the unique ability to stimulate regeneration of damaged liver cells.

The best products for this purpose are concentrated extracts standardized to 70 to 80 percent silymarin content. I recommend that you take 500 mg a day.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

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.

If you are looking to detoxify the body naturally (especially if you are doing a colon cleanse), you’ll want to include items that will help heal any damage to the mucosal lining of the bowels. One of the most time-tested products is slippery elm powder—a favorite topical remedy of Native Americans for wounds, burns, and boils. It was also used internally for ulcers and to soothe an irritated intestinal system.

Slippery elm is very safe, and can be purchased in bulk or in capsules (I prefer the bulk product). A slippery elm drink can be made by adding a heaping teaspoon of the powder to a little cold water to make a paste, and then pouring on a cup of boiling water while constantly stirring the mixture. Let it cool and then drink it, three times a day. For a slight variation you can use boiling milk instead of water and flavor the mixture with cinnamon or nutmeg. If you take slippery elm capsules, I suggest 800–1,000 mg three or four times daily.

An alternative to slippery elm is a product called Sialex from Ecological Formulas. It contains an extract of mucin (the main component of mucus) that re-establishes the protective mucus layer in the bowel and provides a lubricating action. You shouldn’t need Sialex if you use slippery elm, but I wanted you to know about it because it is helpful in healing the most stubborn cases, particularly ulcerations in the stomach and small intestine. The recommended dosage is 1 to 3 capsules with meals.

In addition to the slippery elm, now would be a good time to begin drinking green tea. I’ve expounded on the many benefits of green tea for years. However, most people still don’t realize that green tea can have a very positive effect on bowel regularity and bowel flora. Not only does it have antimicrobial properties and inhibit the growth of many pathogenic bacteria, it encourages growth of the beneficial lactobacilli bacteria at the same time.

When you are looking to detoxify the body, you must start with the basics—your diet. To kick off a truly effective cleansing detoxification program, you should try what I call the “weed and feed” program.

The idea is to first cleanse the bowels of any harmful or large numbers of undesirable bacteria, fungi, yeast, and parasites; heal any damage that has taken place; and then re-establish a healthy population of beneficial bacteria.

Overall it’s roughly a two-week program that begins with a 24-hour fast, where ideally nothing would be consumed except purified water. (Chlorinated water is not recommended, because it is not particular about which bacteria it kills—even the beneficial types in the bowel.) If one can’t fast on water alone for 24 hours, a homemade vegetable broth or the low-sodium version of V8 juice can be included, but under no circumstances should you add any fruit, juices, or other foods or drinks.

After the first 24 hours, steamed vegetables and light salads can be gradually added to the diet. (Yeast products, sugar, and starchy foods such as potatoes and rice are not allowed.)

Days 2 and 3 begin the “weeding” of your colon as “broad spectrum” natural antimicrobials are added to the regimen. The standard antimicrobial is garlic, preferably fresh—which has been proven effective against eliminating an extremely wide variety of harmful bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses while at the same time sparing the beneficial forms of bacteria. You can achieve these effects by simply consuming two crushed garlic cloves twice daily with your meals.

Beginning on Day 4, and through the remaining two weeks, you need to heal any damage to the bowel and re-establish the growth and dominance of the beneficial bacteria. In addition to adding specific supplements (such as a good probiotic), you can now gradually begin to introduce more and more fresh foods into your diet.

During this period it is important not to consume sugar, alcohol, caffeine, wheat products, or high starch foods such as bread, potatoes, and rice. Steamed or stir-fried vegetables are highly recommended—particularly high-sulfur foods such as cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cress, kale, mustard, radish, and turnip. Cabbage is one of the most researched (and also one of my favorites)—steamed, stir-fried, or fermented as sauerkraut. Onions, asparagus, and artichokes are also good choices.

Legumes (beans and peas) may also be introduced. Keep in mind, too, that these last few items are higher in fiber—which will be  a great help for IBS and other bowel problems, but may need to be introduced later if diarrhea is an issue. The timing of when and how much can be eaten will vary from individual to individual.

Meat can also be gradually added (begin with chicken, fish, or lamb), and it is generally easier and best to do so in the form of broths, stews, or soups. Slow-cooked (not instant) oatmeal is a good addition at this point. Dairy products may also be included. Start with the fermented ones first (such as yogurt).

As you begin to re-introduce different foods, be alert to any changes in bowel changes or symptoms. You may have to discontinue certain foods and add them back later when you see improved bowel regularity.

Any steps you take to increase your glutathione levels will be an extremely worthwhile investment when trying to detoxify the body. It seems that every disease process begins with a decline in glutathione levels. And when you take a closer look at many of the "miracle" antioxidants that have become popular, much of their therapeutic effect comes from the fact that they help raise glutathione levels.

You can increase glutathione levels by taking the amino acid N-acetylcysteine. N-acetylcysteine is converted in the body to glutathione. Taking 600 milligrams daily of N-acetylcysteine has been shown to increase blood plasma levels of glutathinone by 38 percent. (Euro J Can 95;31A(6):921-923)

You can also take glutathione powder, and while it's possible that it may be one of the more reliable methods of raising glutathione levels, it's also the most expensive. Jo Mar offers glutathione in bulk powder form. In homemade capsules or with food or drink, a daily dose of 500 mg will run around 50 cents a day.

Finally, melatonin has been found to stimulate the production of glutathione peroxidase, the principle enzyme for controlling free radical damage in the brain. Plus, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, curcumin from turmeric, and Pycnogenol from pine bark have all been found to increase glutathione levels.

I am a big fan of anything that aids common digestive problems, as well as more serious conditions like celiac disease. That’s why I am such an advocate of papain.

Papain is a digestive enzyme derived from papaya. Research has shown that taking papain supplements (500 to 1,000 mg with meals) can help digest wheat gluten. It often works so well that with supplementation many celiac disease patients can once again eat wheat products without problems (Gut 64;5:295-303)! Papain can be a godsend to those people who have a gluten intolerance or allergy and must meticulously avoid wheat-containing products.

Finding papain in lower dosages combined with other digestive enzymes is easy to do. You will also find a large selection of papaya tablets. Locating papain by itself is more difficult. One source that sells papain by itself is Nutriteck. It comes as a powder, which can be taken by weighed doses. If you take it in bulk form, make sure you take it with meals. Remember, this is the same stuff used to tenderize meat. It can do a job on your tender lips and mouth if it stays there long enough!

Simply adding fermented foods and/or probiotics to your diet provides incredible IBS support and can eliminate 75 to 80 percent of all cases of IBS.

The first step for dealing with IBS and other bowel problems is to add fermented food and/or a probiotic supplement to your daily regimen. Research and clinical work has shown that anywhere from 50 to 75 percent of those who make this change will notice a significant difference in their health.

Probiotics are live micro-organisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, provide a health benefit to the host by engaging and neutralizing toxic compounds. It’s a constant battle for control, and beneficial bacteria are often sacrificed in the process.

While commercial supplements are the first thought that comes to mind when you mention probiotics, naturally fermented, “live” foods have been around since the beginning of mankind. The most common include:

• fermented vegetables,
• fermented milk products (clabber, yogurt, cheese, buttermilk),
• kefir, and
• fermented soy products (natto, miso, tempeh, soy sauce, fermented tofu.

I highly recommend you include foods like these regularly in your diet.

My favorite fermented food is homemade sauerkraut. I keep a fresh batch going almost constantly, and some already made in the fridge at all times. It provides one of the widest varieties of beneficial bacteria that are known to protect against everything from bowel troubles to cancer. It’s inexpensive and easy to make and keep. A little salt, cabbage, and a crock are all that’s needed.

During those times when you’re not home or don’t have access to homemade sauerkraut or other fermented foods, I recommend the use of a commercial probiotic product. Look for one that can maintain viability without refrigeration, available in health food stores and over the Internet.

I would venture to say that adding probiotics to the diet (and eliminating products that contain HFCS) would provide tremendous IBS help and could eliminate 75 to 80 percent of all cases of IBS, maybe even more.

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).

It seems that the health benefits of fiber are never-ending. Research has shown that diet rich in the highest fiber foods lowers blood sugar levels as effectively as the use of prescribed oral hypoglycemic drugs. Individuals with type II diabetes generally eat less fiber than the general population. And although the American Diabetes Association has upped its daily dietary fiber recommendation to between 20 and 30 grams a day, that is still too low.

In one study, a group of diabetic individuals increased their fiber intake to roughly 50 grams a day (25 grams of insoluble fiber and 25 grams of soluble fiber). After only six weeks, those taking the extra fiber had lower blood glucose levels after meals and throughout the day. Total cholesterol levels dropped an average of 6.7 percent and triglycerides dropped 10.2 percent. (New Engl J Med 00;342:1392-8)

Adding additional fiber to the diet is not difficult. In the above study, the individuals did so by simply including more of the highest fiber foods—items such as cantaloupes, oranges, papayas, sweet potatoes, winter squash, granola, oatmeal, et cetera.

Whole ground flaxseed is another good source of fiber and essential fatty acids. Whole foods like these contain both soluble and insoluble fibers (as well as hundreds of other components) in contrast to isolated soluble fiber supplements or powders like psyllium, guar, and pectin.

Increasing your dietary fiber is a far better solution than using oral hypoglycemic drugs if both options achieve the same goal. However, I would suggest that you not take your multivitamin/mineral supplement with a high-fiber meal. Take it with another meal or by itself, as the fiber interferes with the absorption of some minerals and fat-soluble components.

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.