Digestive Health Guidance

Dr. David Williams is known for his independence and down-to-earth approach to healing. He also has a hard-earned reputation as one of the world's leading authorities on natural healing. Often years ahead of the conventional medical establishment, he has traveled the world to locate, evaluate, formulate, and write about proven treatments and cures for practically every major health concern today. In his blog, Dr. Williams focuses on the treatment of common digestive problems (constipation and diarrhea, bloating and gas, heartburn, etc.) and on effective ways to remove toxins from the body.

Walking barefoot may provide benefits beyond just a feeling of relaxation, according to a recent study conducted at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Researchers there measured movement and pressure at the knee and hip in 75 men and women who had already been diagnosed with arthritis in their knees. Walking barefoot reduced the load on the knees by nearly 12 percent compared to walking in ordinary street shoes. (Arthritis Rheum 06;54(9):2923–2927)

Your knee is one of the most complex joints in your body. The lower part of your thighbone (femur) ends in two rounded sections. Each of these sections fits into a flattened space at the top of your shinbone (tibia). Between your femur and your tibia is a pair of cushioning disks called menisci.

Everything is held in place by ligaments and muscles that should prevent excessive movement in any one direction. Finally, your kneecap (patella) protects the joint and provides additional stability.

In addition to the normal back-and-forth motion, the knee also has to handle some side-to-side movement. During normal walking, your knees tend to flex a bit toward the outside. This movement puts most of the load on the inside of the knee, called the medial side. Not surprisingly, this is the site most commonly affected by knee arthritis.

Various attempts have been made over the years to correct the problem in people who have arthritis in a knee. The most radical solution, obviously, is to replace the entire structure with a metal-and-plastic joint. Another possibility is to shave down the end of the shinbone on the medial side, which shifts some of the pressure onto the outside of the joint.

A less extreme solution is the use of orthopedic wedge inserts. An insert that lifts the outside edge of the foot by as little as four degrees has been shown to reduce the lateral pressure on arthritic knees, and consequently reduce the pain of walking, climbing stairs, et cetera. (Arch Phys Med Rehabil 02;83(7):889–893) (J Rehab Res Dev 06;43(4):427–434)

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

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.

Not everyone will agree, but I’ve never been a big fan of jogging. I’ve jogged myself in the past, but no longer do so. When I was in active practice, joggers made up a significant portion of my patients. I worked with recreational joggers, plus several college and high school track teams—and even a couple of Olympic runners. It became obvious to me rather quickly that the activity wreaks havoc on the feet, ankles, knees, and other joints. I don’t recommend it as a regular activity. There are far less traumatic forms of aerobic exercise (cycling, rowing, walking, swimming, interval weight training, kettle bells, et cetera).

So, if you are a jogger, I suggest you stop. The pounding destroys joints and eventually mobility. When you lose your mobility, you lose your independence and the ability to take care of yourself without assistance. Take up another form of aerobic exercise instead.

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.

Anyone can tell you that there’s a difference between a person’s chronological age and their biological age. There are times you wake up after a poor night’s sleep and feel a hundred years old. Other times you’ll feel like a “spring chicken.”

Chronologic age has to do with the calendar, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your biological age depends on your actions and lifestyle, though, and you certainly can do something about them.  Day-to-day changes in the way you feel are the surest evidence of this but, there are other ways to monitor your true aging—signs such as your body’s glutathione levels and your overall flexibility.

Recent research suggests that osteoarthritis may also be a sign of faster biological aging. Researchers at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London examined 1,100 individuals, most of whom were female twins aged 30 to 79.

X-rays were taken of their hands to determine if osteoarthritis was present, and white blood cells were examined to determine the length of their telomeres—strings of DNA that cap chromosomes and that have been shown to shorten with biological aging.

As in numerous studies before, this study confirmed that the older a person was, the shorter their telomeres were. What made this study unique was that the telomere lengths were also significantly shorter in the 160 individuals suffering from osteoarthritis in their hands—even after taking into account factors such as age, sex, smoking, and obesity.

All of those found to have osteoarthritis were over the age of 50, and the additional amount of telomere shortening was equivalent to that accrued over 11 years in healthy people. (Ann Rheum Dis 06;65:1444-1448)

This study didn’t receive much publicity, but the results are truly amazing. They show that some of the same mechanisms associated with osteoarthritis, such as low-level chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, appear to also be strongly associated with aging. The researchers found a direct relationship between the degree of osteoarthritis in these individuals and their biological age. I suspect that further research will show similar relationships between other common disease processes and aging.

For more information about joint pain, healthy aging, or other health issues, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Women seem to be more prone to knee problems, especially as they get older. The reason for this stems from the fact that ladies have a wider pelvis and hip structure. These differences make giving birth to children easier, but they also place a lot of extra strain on the knees. I won't get too technical, but if you understand what causes the problem, it will give you a very good understanding about how you can prevent possible future pain and suffering.

Basically, the wider the pelvis is, the more the large leg bone (femur) has to turn in to form the knee. Since the pelvis is wider in females, the angle is greater at the knee, making it more unstable. This greater angle at the knee causes extra strain on the ligaments and muscles supporting the inside of the knee and puts extra weight and stress on the outside part of the actual joint. If this weren't enough, the extra bend or angle makes it harder for the kneecap (patella) to stay in place. All of this extra stress and strain can lead to arthritis (pain, swelling, etc.) in the joint as well as a roughened surface on the backside of the kneecap.

What does all of this mumbo jumbo stuff really mean? Well, it means that women who jog or participate in athletics have a lot of knee injuries. It also means, that as women get older they frequently have weaker knee joints and arthritis there.

If you've started to experience knee problems or if you want to avoid any future problems, there are couple of simple exercises that can help.

The best exercise involves strengthening the muscle that crosses on the inside of the knee. To do this:

1. Stand up straight with your hands on the top of a desk or counter in front of you. To exercise the right knee: lift your left foot slightly above the floor and then slowly bend the right knee until your body dips about six inches. Now, slowly straighten the knee until you're upright again. Do this 10 to 15 times and repeat the exercise with the left knee. Do this at least twice daily (preferably three times, spread throughout the day). (If you have difficulty standing or bending the knees, try exercise #2.)

2. While sitting in bed, with the back supported and your leg outstretched, place a large pillow (or large, folded towel) between your knees. What ever you use should be large enough to separate the knees enough so you cannot touch your feet together. Now, while keeping your legs straight, try to bring your feet together. Try hard for three to four seconds, then relax and repeat the process 10 to 12 times, three times a day. Be sure to keep your toes pointing straight up toward the ceiling.

During either of these exercises, you should be able to feel the muscles on the insides of your thighs tighten. As these muscles strengthen, they will be better able to support the knee, which will mean less pain and more stability.

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

You can use clay powder internally to remove toxins by simply mixing it with juice or water. Make sure the water is either spring water or distilled if possible. Some people like to mix the powder with water, roll it into small balls, and let them dry in the sunlight. These “pills” can be flavored or left natural, and then sucked on throughout the day, like candy. This technique works particularly well for treating problems like inflammation of the gum tissue.

Either way provides the same body detoxifying benefits. In situations where I’ve been uncertain of water quality, I’ve mixed clay with the water and then waited until the clay settled to the bottom of the glass before consuming the water. Clay is very effective at removing a long list of contaminants—along with destroying most pathogens.

When you mix clay for either oral or topical use, never let it come into contact with metal. To avoid any possible reaction with metal, always use wood utensils and glass, clay, or ceramic containers.

One of the benefits of consuming clay orally, in addition to its detoxifying effects, is the wide range of trace minerals you receive. If you look at an analysis of many “consumable” clays, the number of trace minerals present is astounding. Practically every mineral you can imagine will be there—including micro-trace amounts of some known to be toxic, such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium. This has led many people to condemn the consumption of clay.

What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that various other competing minerals in these clays are present in much larger quantities. For example, zinc and copper compete with cadmium, and when present in sufficient amounts, block its absorption. This is true of other toxins as well. Clays with the right mineral content have been consumed safely for thousands of years. The key is to limit any clay consumption to ones that are known to be safe. I don’t recommend digging up your own clay for consumption unless you have it tested.

Since clay has such strong absorptive and adsorptive properties, it is best not to take it with your vitamins or at the same time you take prescription medications. Although I haven’t seen any research specifically in this area, I imagine clay has a tendency to bind to and prevent the action of most synthetic chemicals—including drugs. As such, if you’re ingesting clay I would suggest taking it on an empty stomach and then waiting at least four hours before taking any necessary medication.

Without supervision, ingesting clay isn’t recommended for someone with an intolerance for iron or for someone with high blood pressure.

There are a few things you might experience after taking clay orally. It’s not uncommon to experience easier, more frequent bowel movements. In the beginning, stools may have a stronger odor depending on the amount of contaminants. Just remember to drink plenty of water because clay has a tendency to absorb water.

Clay also has a tendency to “scrub” and cleanse the bowel walls. This results in improved digestion and absorption, which in turn translates into increased energy. Some people even report experiencing fewer overall aches and pains, improved skin conditions, and many other benefits associated with detoxification.

For more information on how to detoxify the body and remove toxins, 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.

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.

Most people with a constipation problem either don’t recognize they have it, or they don’t want to admit it. Rarely have I ever received a “yes” answer to the question, “Are you constipated?” I’ve always received a more accurate assessment by asking the person how often they have bowel movements.

The simple truth is, you eat two or three meals a day, so you should be having two or three bowel movements a day. Anything less than that falls under the category of constipation and needs to be corrected. Don’t kid yourself with the delusion that “everyone is different” or “this is normal for me.” It could end up killing you.

For more information on common digestive problems, constipation and diarrhea, or other bowel problems, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

While much well-deserved attention is paid to soluble fiber foods, it is insoluble fiber that provides roughage and improves bowel regularity. This natural bulk also gives feelings of fullness and satisfaction, resulting in less food intake.

In the 1980s, there was a huge push promoting the benefits of fiber in the diet, particularly its ability to prevent colon cancer. Since that time, there have been conflicting studies, and, for some reason, fiber has fallen out of favor. I predict (something I do very rarely) that you will soon begin to see a dramatic increase in the ill effects of decreasing the amount of fiber in our diets. We’re already seeing an increase in many of these problems, such as widespread obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous bowel problems.

Fiber has decreased dramatically as our food supply has become more and more processed. To make matters worse, low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach often shun the complex carbohydrates that contain insoluble fiber or roughage. The most commonly consumed “vegetable” in this country is now French fries. Food manufacturers have increasingly removed insoluble fiber from processed foods, to both lessen the gritty texture and make ingredients easier to combine.

Insoluble fiber, the portion of the plant that can’t be broken down by your digestive system, provides a valuable service. The fiber absorbs water and swells, making the stool bulky, soft, and easy to pass. (This is why you always need to increase your water intake when you increase the fiber in your diet.) Without adequate fiber, bowel movements slow and toxic material remains in contact with the intestinal walls longer. The foreign material causes inflammation, and additional toxins are reabsorbed into your bloodstream. These additional toxins increase the workload of both your liver and kidneys. The slow-moving stools also lead to a condition called diverticulitis.

Diverticulum: Latin for “You Don’t Want to Know”

In the early stages of the disease, as your intestines struggle to remove toxins and waste material, small, pea-sized, irreversible pockets called diverticula develop. Waste material becomes trapped in these pockets, which often expand and become inflamed, resulting in diverticulitis. If the pockets rupture, the resulting infection and inflammation in the abdominal cavity can prove fatal.

Not surprisingly, the treatment for diverticulosis (the condition before inflammation sets in) is to increase fiber and promote bowel regularity. At the same time, I would also highly recommend the use of probiotics and fermented foods like sauerkraut and others to help re-establish good bacterial flora in the lower bowel at the same time. I don’t recommend the long-term use of over-the-counter fiber products like those mentioned earlier. It is my experience that long-term use of these products seems to deplete various minerals, which can lead to all kinds of seemingly unrelated problems. This just doesn’t happen when the fiber comes from a wide variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, dried beans, popcorn, brown rice, and bran.

For more information on common digestive problems, bowel irregularity, or a list of the highest fiber foods, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

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.

While everyone sings the praises of the low-carb diet, there’s one offshoot of this trend that rarely gets mentioned, however, and that’s constipation. While the more common low-carbs diets such as Atkins or the South Beach diet both advocate salads and various vegetables, in practice they are often low-fiber diets, and that can quickly lead to bowel regularity problems. Reports are that about half the individuals who go on these diets, or variations of them, experience constipation problems.

The fact hasn’t gone unnoticed by the pharmaceutical companies. GlaxoSmithKline has experienced a jump in sales of its fiber laxative, Citrucel. Procter and Gamble has also started promoting its Metamucil product as a “zero net carb” product to help with the bowel regularity problem. Both of these companies see this as a huge opportunity to begin marketing their regularity products to younger consumers instead of just the geriatric crowd.

And, thanks to this diet fad, their target audience is changing to a younger age group. These two products are just part of the $350-million laxative market, and companies know that the sooner you get a customer hooked on one of these products, the greater the chance the customer will end up staying with them for life.

I have a better suggestion for you, if you have bowel regularity problems from a low-carb diet or other cause. Rather than opting for one of these fiber products, start including oats and oatmeal in your diet. Oats are not carb-free, but their benefits far outweigh their carb content. Oats are one of the simple solutions that inexpensively eliminate and prevent dozens of bowel problems.

For more information on bowel changes or other common digestive problems, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

In the 1980s, the big “discovery” was the importance of fiber in the diet. There were dozens of reports explaining how high-fiber diets could prevent heart disease, colon cancer, and dozens of other problems. For a while, high-fiber diets were all the rage. For reasons unknown to me, they fell out of favor. If you want to lose weight or maintain a proper weight, a diet rich in fiber can help.

There are two kinds of fiber in food—soluble and insoluble. In a nutshell, insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and is considered “roughage.” It swells and softens the stool, and it also scrubs and stimulates the intestines as it passes through. It helps protect against constipation, cancer, and the formation of pockets and inflammation in the colon.

On the other hand, soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms sticky gums and gels. A good example is much of the fiber found in oats. Soluble fiber foods tend to absorb certain compounds like toxins, bile acids, cholesterol, et cetera. They also slow the digestion of food, which improves insulin regulation and helps prevent diabetes.

The highest fiber foods include fruits and vegetables (with the skins left on when possible), beans, and whole grains. Stay away from such refined foods as white flour, cream of wheat, oat flour, cornstarch, and white rice—all of which are low in fiber.

From a dietary standpoint, high-fiber foods are very versatile. Some, like beans, can be the main course, while others, such as fruit, popcorn, and raw vegetables, make excellent snacks. High-fiber foods generally are very low in fat and are made up mostly of high-quality proteins and complex carbohydrates. The fiber itself has no calories, yet provides bulk and a sense of fullness. Fiber isn’t the cure for obesity, but a high-fiber diet with proper nutrition can definitely help you lose weight.

A high-fiber diet decreases what is called “transit time” in the gastrointestinal tract—the time it takes for food to move through your body. A shorter transit time results in less formation and absorption of toxic material into your system. Be aware, though, that higher-fiber diets require an increase in fluid intake. As you start to add more high-fiber foods, be sure you’re drinking plenty of water.

Estimates are that most adults consume between 10 and 15 grams of fiber a day but should be taking in at least 25 to 30 grams. Eating 30 grams a day has been shown to reduce the weight gain that seems to gradually accumulate as one gets older.

For more information on the health benefits of fiber or a list of the highest fiber foods, 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 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.

Algin—a non-digestible fiber from brown seaweeds like kelp—is a secret weapon in fighting body toxins, especially mercury.

When algin absorbs water, it expands into a gel, providing a bulk laxative effect. It also binds to various toxins like mercury, cadmium, and even radioactive materials.

Heavy metals like mercury have a half-life of 15 to 20 years in the human body, meaning it takes that long for just half the mercury to be eliminated without any help. This helps explain why symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, nerve pain, et cetera, are often the first symptoms of chronic toxicity.

Fortunately, you can fight back with algin. It is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Nature’s Sunshine makes an algin product that can be found in health food stores and or online. I recommend taking two capsules with each meal for 10 days to help detoxify the body naturally.

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