Bill is a medical writer, on the beat since 1994. His deep connections in the world of alternative health and complementary medicine, including six years working with Dr. David Williams on the Alternatives newsletter, give him access to the latest information and opinions of leading experts everywhere. Bill also has wide experience in conventional medicine, which allows him to help readers through the swamps of prescription drugs and other conventional treatments.
Bowel problems in your dog can include bloating and gas. Not much can clear a roomful of company faster than when your dog passes gas. Your pet can't help it; the bloating and gas are likely a result of eating habits. That means it's up to you to resolve the problem.
Bloating and gas in animals is often caused by taking in air when gulping down food. The food itself can be part of the problem. Highly fermentable foods such as cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and beans generate their own gas. (And yes, your pet should be getting real food along with kibble. It's not much trouble to cook a little extra at dinnertime and add some to the bowl for Rover or Fluffy. Experiment to see what they'll eat and what agrees with their digestion.)
Here's what you can do to ease your pet's bowel problems such as bloating and gas:
Bloating and gas in animals is often caused by taking in air when gulping down food. The food itself can be part of the problem. Highly fermentable foods such as cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and beans generate their own gas. (And yes, your pet should be getting real food along with kibble. It's not much trouble to cook a little extra at dinnertime and add some to the bowl for Rover or Fluffy. Experiment to see what they'll eat and what agrees with their digestion.)
Here's what you can do to ease your pet's bowel problems such as bloating and gas:
- Offer smaller amounts of food more often, to avoid gulping.
- Watch the diet. Corn and wheat are common culprits when it comes to the bowel problems of bloating and gas, in humans as well as in dogs.
- Get your dog outdoors for some exercise. The more your dog moves around, the easier it is for digestion to occur normally (and with less bloating and gas).
ABC's Good Morning America recently reported that some popular osteoporosis drugs may actually increase your risk of breaking your leg.
The good news here is that the word about Fosamax problems is finally getting out to a wider audience. The bad news is that it took so long to happen.
In 2008, the FDA alerted Merck, the manufacturer of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax, that there were reports of what’s called “subtrochanteric fracture of the femur.” In simple terms, this refers to a break in the thigh bone at a point somewhere below the hip. It took Merck more than a year to finally say, essentially, “We’re looking into it.”
I Hate to Say It, But “He Told You So”
Dr. Williams first wrote about the perils of these osteoporosis drugs in 2002. At that time, he warned readers of his Alternatives newsletter about studies showing that drugs like Fosamax, a group called bisphosphonates, do increase bone strength over the first few years of use, but eventually the bone becomes brittle and more susceptible to fracture.
That appears to be exactly what’s happening here. Women who have taken Fosamax for longer than five years appear to be suffering their thigh fractures after doing such commonplace activities as walking down stairs.
Other reported Fosamax problems include erosion of the esophagus, atrial fibrillation, and osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw.
Fortunately, women who took Dr. Williams' advice back in 2002 stopped subjecting themselves to the Fosamax problems, and have saved themselves from years of worry—and possible fracture and disability. He didn’t leave these women in the lurch, however. Over the years in Alternatives he's provided many other safe, natural ways to keep your bones healthy and strong. Here’s a quick summary.
The Dr. Williams 3-Point Plan to Keep Your Bones Healthy and Strong
Exercise. Your bones are living tissue, and they need a healthy degree of stress to stay healthy and vibrant. Weight-bearing exercise such as walking or dancing provides appropriate stress. As your bones respond to this stress, they renew themselves and become stronger.
Whenever you can, get your activity outdoors. For much of the year, exposure to the sun will form vitamin D, which is necessary for good bone health. If bad weather prevents you from getting outside, or you’re not able to be very physically active for some reason, an alternative for good bone health is vibration therapy. Simply standing on the vibrating platform of a device such as the Power Plate will provide your bones with a good dose of healthy stress.
Diet. Bones are more than just a coatrack for your skin and muscle to hang on. They also act as a store of minerals to keep your body’s pH in balance. The modern American diet is loaded with foods that push your pH out of the healthy range, so for better bone health make the switch back. Cut down on bone-unfriendly foods such as white bread and rice, most grains, and most meat. Eat more bone-friendly foods such as fruits and vegetables, flax and chia, and even dairy foods.
Supplements. You need more than just calcium tablets to keep your bones in good shape. Your bones also contain large amounts of magnesium, and smaller amounts of minerals such as boron. In addition, your body needs vitamin D and vitamin K to get that calcium and magnesium moved into position. I recommend the following amounts daily for bone health:
- 500 mg of magnesium (from a combination of diet and supplements),
- 1,000 mcg of boron,
- 2,000 IU daily of vitamin D (in the form of vitamin D3), and
- 150 mcg of vitamin K (in the form of vitamin K2).
What to Do If You’re Taking the Drugs Now
The FDA has issued a patient advisory about the Fosamax problems. In it, they address the recent ABC report, and tell patients to “talk to your doctor.” That would be the same doctor who advised you to begin the drug in the first place, even though the Fosamax problems have been known since 2002.
Dr. Williams does recommend that you talk to your doctor. But the conversation shouldn’t begin with, “Can I stop taking the drug?” Instead, start with, “I want off. What should I do instead?” When your doctor shrugs, or insists that drugs are your best option, show him or her this blog post. Then start on the 3-point plan you read earlier.
Whatever you do, get out of the bone-drug trap, and avoid any more Fosamax problems, as quickly as you can.
The PSA testing controversy has erupted again. This time, Richard Ablin, the discoverer of PSA is the one who set the PSA testing controversy in motion. He says that PSA test reliability is poor, and PSA testing is a waste of health care dollars. In an op-ed piece in the March 10 New York Times, he says, "I never dreamed that my discovery four decades ago would lead to such a profit-driven public health disaster."
Dr. Williams has covered the PSA testing controversy several times--first in 1992. Men who paid attention to Dr. Williams' take on the PSA testing controversy have saved themselves from pain, incontinence, and sexual difficulty, at little risk to their health.
The latest round of the PSA testing controversy was last year, when Dr. Thomas Stamey, the inventor of the PSA test, said that PSA test reliability is poor, and declared the test useless in saving lives.
The PSA testing controversy has arisen because the PSA test only looks for the PSA protein--which can be elevated because of prostate enlargement, an infection, or the use of certain drugs. Dr. Williams would tell you to pay attention to the PSA testing controversy, and pass on the PSA test.
Dr. Williams has covered the PSA testing controversy several times--first in 1992. Men who paid attention to Dr. Williams' take on the PSA testing controversy have saved themselves from pain, incontinence, and sexual difficulty, at little risk to their health.
The latest round of the PSA testing controversy was last year, when Dr. Thomas Stamey, the inventor of the PSA test, said that PSA test reliability is poor, and declared the test useless in saving lives.
The PSA testing controversy has arisen because the PSA test only looks for the PSA protein--which can be elevated because of prostate enlargement, an infection, or the use of certain drugs. Dr. Williams would tell you to pay attention to the PSA testing controversy, and pass on the PSA test.
Constipation and diarrhea are significant concerns for anyone who has celiac disease, an intolerance to the protein gluten found in common grains such as wheat and barley. With baseball season approaching, I thought it would be helpful for people to know that at least one major league team is working to address those bowel problems.
The Colorado Rockies have set up a gluten-free concession stand at Coors Field. The stand will offer many of the typical ballpark foods, such as hot dogs and sodas. The difference is that the buns, cookies, chips, etc. will all be gluten-free. They even serve a gluten-free beer. (The gluten in beer comes from the barley that's often a part of the brewing process.)
No word on how prices compare to those for their gluten-laden cousins, but at least someone is paying attention.
The Colorado Rockies have set up a gluten-free concession stand at Coors Field. The stand will offer many of the typical ballpark foods, such as hot dogs and sodas. The difference is that the buns, cookies, chips, etc. will all be gluten-free. They even serve a gluten-free beer. (The gluten in beer comes from the barley that's often a part of the brewing process.)
No word on how prices compare to those for their gluten-laden cousins, but at least someone is paying attention.
I'm a sucker for corny songs; I just can't help it. So when a South Florida group of gastroenterologists set up a contest to choose the best song to promote National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, I had to check it out.
Their Bottom Line song contest is looking for the best song to describe colonoscopy, the procedure most commonly used to detect colorectal cancer. There are 40 songs to choose from, including "Looking Out My Back Door" and "The Long and Winding Road."
Bowel problems associated with colorectal cancer can include blood in the stool, bloating and gas pains, thin ("pencil") stools, and both constipation and diarrhea.
Dr. Williams has reported on the connection between colorectal cancer and inflammation, and between the cancer and a lack of vitamin D. He's also commented on fiber's benefits, to help keep things moving, and probiotic benefits, to promote a healthy bacterial balance that will protect the cells lining your digestive tract.
Their Bottom Line song contest is looking for the best song to describe colonoscopy, the procedure most commonly used to detect colorectal cancer. There are 40 songs to choose from, including "Looking Out My Back Door" and "The Long and Winding Road."
Bowel problems associated with colorectal cancer can include blood in the stool, bloating and gas pains, thin ("pencil") stools, and both constipation and diarrhea.
Dr. Williams has reported on the connection between colorectal cancer and inflammation, and between the cancer and a lack of vitamin D. He's also commented on fiber's benefits, to help keep things moving, and probiotic benefits, to promote a healthy bacterial balance that will protect the cells lining your digestive tract.
A common diarrhea treatment can actually increase your risk of stomach bleeding.
Maalox Total Relief is pretty much identical to Pepto-Bismol (except it's not pink). It contains the diarrhea treatment medication bismuth subsalicylate, a cousin to aspirin. Users have been taking it the way they would regular Maalox--that is, often and without thought. Using excessive amounts of bismuth subsalicylate can have the same effect as taking excessive aspirin: bleeding in the stomach and upper GI tract.
The maker of Maalox Total Relief, Novartis, has agreed to rename the product to avoid the confusion among consumers. They say they'll have the renamed product on store shelves by September.
No matter what your diarrhea cause, Dr. Williams has recommendations for diarrhea treatment, ranging from clay to probiotic digestive supplements.
Maalox Total Relief is pretty much identical to Pepto-Bismol (except it's not pink). It contains the diarrhea treatment medication bismuth subsalicylate, a cousin to aspirin. Users have been taking it the way they would regular Maalox--that is, often and without thought. Using excessive amounts of bismuth subsalicylate can have the same effect as taking excessive aspirin: bleeding in the stomach and upper GI tract.
The maker of Maalox Total Relief, Novartis, has agreed to rename the product to avoid the confusion among consumers. They say they'll have the renamed product on store shelves by September.
No matter what your diarrhea cause, Dr. Williams has recommendations for diarrhea treatment, ranging from clay to probiotic digestive supplements.
The diarrhea symptoms associated with infection by norovirus--the infamous "cruise ship crud"--are showing up on shore as well as at sea. In just the last month or so, there have been outbreaks in:
Strong digestive health helps avert the diarrhea symptoms associated with norovirus. Take good probiotic digestive supplements daily to keep yourself safe when in an environment such as these.
- a casino, a convention center, and a retirement community in North Carolina;
- an elementary school in Florida (who thought "Rymfire" was a good name for a school?);
- an Idaho prison; and
- two hospitals in Virgina.
Strong digestive health helps avert the diarrhea symptoms associated with norovirus. Take good probiotic digestive supplements daily to keep yourself safe when in an environment such as these.
My wife and I managed to avoid any diarrhea symptoms on our recent cruise vacation by taking probiotic digestive supplements regularly for a month beforehand.
Fortunately, there was no "cruise ship crud" on our recent vacation. This condition is caused by viruses in the norovirus family, a leading diarrhea cause. Preventing diarrhea is pretty straightforward: Good sanitation, plus a healthy gut environment. And of course, probiotic benefits include a healthy bacterial balance in your gut.
We're looking forward to going to sea again, in full confidence that we can avert diarrhea symptoms with probiotic digestive health supplements.
Fortunately, there was no "cruise ship crud" on our recent vacation. This condition is caused by viruses in the norovirus family, a leading diarrhea cause. Preventing diarrhea is pretty straightforward: Good sanitation, plus a healthy gut environment. And of course, probiotic benefits include a healthy bacterial balance in your gut.
We're looking forward to going to sea again, in full confidence that we can avert diarrhea symptoms with probiotic digestive health supplements.
My wife and I are at sea right now, on a long-awaited cruise vacation. (No, that's not us in the picture.) We've been a little leery of the trip, however, because of the possibility of "cruise ship crud," the virus that seems to sweep through a cruise ship every now and then. Our goal this trip is controlling the virus and preventing diarrhea.The virus is usually from the family called norovirus, and the main complaint is diarrhea. Symptoms also include other very unpleasant bowel changes, such as nausea, vomiting, and cramps.
We've waited long enough for this vacation that we're not taking any chances. So here's what we're doing: we're following Dr. Williams' recommendation, and taking a probiotic digestive supplement. We've been doing so for a month now in preparation. Both of us can already tell the difference in bowel regularity and general overall well-being.
I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.
Digestive health supplements offer many benefits, from promoting bowel regularity to eliminating common digestive problems such as bloating and gas. I have to admit, however, that this is a new one on me: digestive supplements that promise to make your stool less smelly.
The products I know of are called OdaFree, Etiquette Up, and (my favorite, I think) Whiff. Right now only OdaFree is available in the US. The others are available in Japan and the UK.
These products were originally developed for people who have had an ostomy--a surgical shortening of the bowel that results in the stool being caught in a bag outside the body rather than being held in the rectum for later elimination. It's only recently that the products have come to be used for people who eliminate normally, if smellily. (Is that a word? You know what I mean.)
OdaFree contains chlorophyll to neutralize odor, plus a prebiotic digestive supplement to support probiotic benefits and improve overall digestion. It takes about two weeks for the full bowel changes to take effect. About the only side effect is that the cholorophyll turns your stool green.
The products I know of are called OdaFree, Etiquette Up, and (my favorite, I think) Whiff. Right now only OdaFree is available in the US. The others are available in Japan and the UK.
These products were originally developed for people who have had an ostomy--a surgical shortening of the bowel that results in the stool being caught in a bag outside the body rather than being held in the rectum for later elimination. It's only recently that the products have come to be used for people who eliminate normally, if smellily. (Is that a word? You know what I mean.)
OdaFree contains chlorophyll to neutralize odor, plus a prebiotic digestive supplement to support probiotic benefits and improve overall digestion. It takes about two weeks for the full bowel changes to take effect. About the only side effect is that the cholorophyll turns your stool green.
Okay, this is just too corny not to share. It's a music video made by a songwriter from Madison, WI named Peter Leidy. I'd change the song name a little, though, because if you've got bowel problems, to you they're everything.
He is going for the fiber, though, so I guess he has the idea. Head off unpleasant bowel changes with probiotic digestive supplements, too, for added security.
He is going for the fiber, though, so I guess he has the idea. Head off unpleasant bowel changes with probiotic digestive supplements, too, for added security.
Vitamin D may turn out to be a remedy for Crohn's disease. A recent study showed that vitamin D acts on genes that encode for several immune-related proteins. And given the changes in our activity habits as a society, it's no wonder that the incidence of Crohn's has risen so dramatically over the past decade or so.
Crohn's is an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract that generates bowel problems such as abdominal pain and diarrhea symptoms, as well as other sign such as weight loss and arthritis.
The bowel changes of Crohn's affect the body's immune system, as well--because a significant fraction of immune components are formed in the gut.
Follow Dr. Williams' recommendations, and up your intake of vitamin D to at least 5,000 IU a day.
Crohn's is an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract that generates bowel problems such as abdominal pain and diarrhea symptoms, as well as other sign such as weight loss and arthritis.
The bowel changes of Crohn's affect the body's immune system, as well--because a significant fraction of immune components are formed in the gut.
Follow Dr. Williams' recommendations, and up your intake of vitamin D to at least 5,000 IU a day.
The FDA has announced that it approved the drug Amitiza as one of the available IBS treatments for those patients who have IBS with constipation. The approval was based on trials that included more than 1,100 patients, nearly all of whom were women.
IBS is a condition that can produce varying bowel changes, including both constipation and diarrhea, plus bloating and gas along with abdominal pain. Until this drug approval, there had been no prescription IBS treatments that addressed the constipation.
That's not to say that there were no IBS treatments at all, however. Dr. Williams has recommended digestive health supplements for IBS support, including peppermint oil, to calm the gut and improve bowel regularity. As a bonus, peppermint oil doesn't produce the common side effects of Amitiza, which include...abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Take enteric-coated capsules of peppermint oil three times a day, between meals.
IBS is a condition that can produce varying bowel changes, including both constipation and diarrhea, plus bloating and gas along with abdominal pain. Until this drug approval, there had been no prescription IBS treatments that addressed the constipation.
That's not to say that there were no IBS treatments at all, however. Dr. Williams has recommended digestive health supplements for IBS support, including peppermint oil, to calm the gut and improve bowel regularity. As a bonus, peppermint oil doesn't produce the common side effects of Amitiza, which include...abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Take enteric-coated capsules of peppermint oil three times a day, between meals.
Dealing with sudden bowel changes can create an embarrassing situation. Particularly for those individuals dealing with conditions such as Crohn's or irritable bowel syndrome, the urgent need to "go" can arise in a moment.
An article in the Des Moines Register writes about public access to employee-only bathrooms. Apparently a constituent had experienced a sudden need while out shopping, and was denied access to an employee bathroom. She then went to her state senator, looking to get legislation passed requiring stores to allow the public to use their restrooms.
I'm not sure that this is exactly the best use of the Iowa legislature's time, but it is one way to address the problem. A more effective way, though, would be to address the bowel changes that create such sudden urges. Diarrhea symptoms can arise from contaminated food, but more often they arise from a disturbed environment in the digestive tract.
Preventing diarrhea isn't that hard if you know ahead of time that it may be a problem for you. Dr. Williams has numerous diarrhea treatments and suggestions for dealing with diarrhea causes and preventing the problem from appearing in the first place.
An article in the Des Moines Register writes about public access to employee-only bathrooms. Apparently a constituent had experienced a sudden need while out shopping, and was denied access to an employee bathroom. She then went to her state senator, looking to get legislation passed requiring stores to allow the public to use their restrooms.
I'm not sure that this is exactly the best use of the Iowa legislature's time, but it is one way to address the problem. A more effective way, though, would be to address the bowel changes that create such sudden urges. Diarrhea symptoms can arise from contaminated food, but more often they arise from a disturbed environment in the digestive tract.
Preventing diarrhea isn't that hard if you know ahead of time that it may be a problem for you. Dr. Williams has numerous diarrhea treatments and suggestions for dealing with diarrhea causes and preventing the problem from appearing in the first place.
Digestive health supplements are probably the farthest thing from people's minds in Haiti right now. I can understand that. But in the space of only a few days, the survivors will begin to face common digestive problems such as diarrhea. The infrastructure in Haiti wasn't all that great to begin with, and the damage from the earthquake just means that even fewer people will have access to clean water. Diseases such as cholera could easily spring up.
The most immediate need--after search and rescue, of course--will be for clean drinking water. Diarrhea symptoms will begin early and spread quickly as people drink water from contaminated sources.
I don't foresee a planeload of probiotic digestive supplements showing up in Port-au-Prince any time soon, but aid organizations are concentrating on providing bottled water and getting filtration systems in place. Preventing diarrhea can be easy; it's a matter of making the effort.
The most immediate need--after search and rescue, of course--will be for clean drinking water. Diarrhea symptoms will begin early and spread quickly as people drink water from contaminated sources.
I don't foresee a planeload of probiotic digestive supplements showing up in Port-au-Prince any time soon, but aid organizations are concentrating on providing bottled water and getting filtration systems in place. Preventing diarrhea can be easy; it's a matter of making the effort.
Lately I've been receiving quite a few e-mails from readers who are concerned about possible gluten in nutritional supplements. The e-mail generally is something like, "I just read your information about (supplement X), and I'd like to try it. I'm allergic to gluten, however, so I need to know whether it contains any gluten."
In an earlier post I wrote about gluten allergies, and the ways in which you can address them. Once you've made the appropriate changes to your diet and undertaken a natural detox program, gluten may no longer be a concern for you.
Meanwhile, unless a product is made using a dedicated manufacturing process, it's not possible to claim that it's completely gluten-free. Even when there are no ingredients that contain gluten, there may be some residual gluten from other products made using the same equipment.
In an earlier post I wrote about gluten allergies, and the ways in which you can address them. Once you've made the appropriate changes to your diet and undertaken a natural detox program, gluten may no longer be a concern for you.
Meanwhile, unless a product is made using a dedicated manufacturing process, it's not possible to claim that it's completely gluten-free. Even when there are no ingredients that contain gluten, there may be some residual gluten from other products made using the same equipment.
It looks like even our FDA is finally getting the idea that some bacteria can provide health benefits. At the American Society for Microbiology's 3rd ASM Meeting on Salmonella, researchers with the FDA and the University of Maryland presented a paper showing evidence that applying bacteria to tomatoes in the field can reduce the presence of salmonella in the crop. Salmonella contamination is a growing problem in the US food supply, and most of the recent outbreaks have had been connected to produce rather than meat.
Many supposedly open-minded doctors and scientists have pooh-poohed the idea that swallowing some specific bacteria can help keep other bacteria under control. As a result, it's taken ages for the public and professionals to catch on to the concept of probiotics. Fortunately, things seem to be changing for the better, as you can tell by increasing sales of dairy products such as yogurt fortified with probiotic bacteria.
As Dr. Williams would tell you, though, you're much better off making your own kefir or yogurt at home than buying a "fortified" product. Why? Because, oddly, enough, the newer products are pasteurized to kill all the bacteria present, then have specific strains added back in.
The contents of the report aren't available online yet, so I can't say exactly which strains of bacteria were used to fight the salmonella. Once that information is available I'll update this post.
Many supposedly open-minded doctors and scientists have pooh-poohed the idea that swallowing some specific bacteria can help keep other bacteria under control. As a result, it's taken ages for the public and professionals to catch on to the concept of probiotics. Fortunately, things seem to be changing for the better, as you can tell by increasing sales of dairy products such as yogurt fortified with probiotic bacteria.
As Dr. Williams would tell you, though, you're much better off making your own kefir or yogurt at home than buying a "fortified" product. Why? Because, oddly, enough, the newer products are pasteurized to kill all the bacteria present, then have specific strains added back in.
The contents of the report aren't available online yet, so I can't say exactly which strains of bacteria were used to fight the salmonella. Once that information is available I'll update this post.
Leave it to the Brits to devote an entire week to digestive health. Their "National Gut Week" runs August 24 to 30 this year. It's no wonder there's an emphasis on digestive health there; estimates are that as many as a third of all Britons suffer from digestive symptoms such as Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease.
I have no doubt that the incidence is just as high here in this country. You name it, people suffer from it. Constipation and diarrhea, bloating and gas, heartburn (or "GERD" these days), nausea, the whole gamut. And it all comes down to one thing: people abusing their insides.
We put so much junk into our bodies (my personal weakness is peanut M&Ms) that we need all the digestive help we can get. That's not to say that taking digestive supplements such as digestive enzymes or probiotics is an excuse to overindulge constantly, but they can help during those times of occasional excess.
Maybe we need a "National Gut Week" of our own to remind some people of what they're doing to themselves.
I have no doubt that the incidence is just as high here in this country. You name it, people suffer from it. Constipation and diarrhea, bloating and gas, heartburn (or "GERD" these days), nausea, the whole gamut. And it all comes down to one thing: people abusing their insides.
We put so much junk into our bodies (my personal weakness is peanut M&Ms) that we need all the digestive help we can get. That's not to say that taking digestive supplements such as digestive enzymes or probiotics is an excuse to overindulge constantly, but they can help during those times of occasional excess.
Maybe we need a "National Gut Week" of our own to remind some people of what they're doing to themselves.
As the school year begins in various parts of the country, administrators are already seeing students who have signs of the flu--something they don't normally see until February or so. If government predictions are correct, this could be one of the worst flu seasons ever, whether the swine flu itself shows up or not.
State and local governments are stocking up on vaccines and medications to address swine flu. What I haven't seen, however, is any effort to support immune health among the general population. And given that your digestive tract is an active component of your immune system, keeping your gut in top shape should be high on your list of swine flu prevention activities.
We're all exposed to a wide variety of pathogens such as the swine flu every day. The question is, why do some individuals get sick, while others do not?
As Dr. Williams has mentioned before, bacteria and viruses can be thought of as the original environmental toxins. (The diarrhea that comes from food poisoning or other digestive upset is your body's way to remove toxins all at once.) And one of the most important elements of a healthy digestive system is a healthy balance of bacteria. You might think that something that simple couldn't possibly be the answer to the flu, but it appears to be so.
If you're looking to keep your children or grandchildren healthy as they head back to school, then I'd suggest starting them on a good probiotic. Benefits go far beyond help with constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and gas, as I mentioned.
While it is possible to get probiotic bacteria from food (in fact, that's the route Dr. Williams prefers), youngsters can be notoriously resistant to strongly flavored foods such as sauerkraut and live yogurt without all the sweeteners. Probiotic digestive supplements seem to be the answer, then.
Look for a probiotic supplement that provides at least 1 billion CFU--short for "colony forming units," which means basically the number of live bacteria. (I've seen products on the market that contain up to 50 billion CFU, but more isn't necessarily better.)
Dr. Williams has formulated his own probiotic supplement, Probiotic Advantage, that is effective at keeping your gut flora in balance. One advantage of this product is that pills are tiny--which means that children who have a hard time swallowing pills will be able to get one of these down. Probiotic Advantage is available on Dr. Williams' Web site, www.drdavidwilliams.com.
State and local governments are stocking up on vaccines and medications to address swine flu. What I haven't seen, however, is any effort to support immune health among the general population. And given that your digestive tract is an active component of your immune system, keeping your gut in top shape should be high on your list of swine flu prevention activities.
We're all exposed to a wide variety of pathogens such as the swine flu every day. The question is, why do some individuals get sick, while others do not?
As Dr. Williams has mentioned before, bacteria and viruses can be thought of as the original environmental toxins. (The diarrhea that comes from food poisoning or other digestive upset is your body's way to remove toxins all at once.) And one of the most important elements of a healthy digestive system is a healthy balance of bacteria. You might think that something that simple couldn't possibly be the answer to the flu, but it appears to be so.
If you're looking to keep your children or grandchildren healthy as they head back to school, then I'd suggest starting them on a good probiotic. Benefits go far beyond help with constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and gas, as I mentioned.
While it is possible to get probiotic bacteria from food (in fact, that's the route Dr. Williams prefers), youngsters can be notoriously resistant to strongly flavored foods such as sauerkraut and live yogurt without all the sweeteners. Probiotic digestive supplements seem to be the answer, then.
Look for a probiotic supplement that provides at least 1 billion CFU--short for "colony forming units," which means basically the number of live bacteria. (I've seen products on the market that contain up to 50 billion CFU, but more isn't necessarily better.)
Dr. Williams has formulated his own probiotic supplement, Probiotic Advantage, that is effective at keeping your gut flora in balance. One advantage of this product is that pills are tiny--which means that children who have a hard time swallowing pills will be able to get one of these down. Probiotic Advantage is available on Dr. Williams' Web site, www.drdavidwilliams.com.
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