Digestive Aids

Can you help me please?

antwest55 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:50:54 GMT

Hello my name is Anthony Western and I have PKU Phenylketonuria (I am unable to digest phenylalanine phe) and am looking at a new way of treating the condition. Currently it is treated by means of a low protein diet which is supplemented by a protein drink taken three times a day (this may vary from patient to patient). The diet consists of various low protein products also like low protein rice, bread, pasta, milk etc some of these foods taste ok some don't!

I have decided to come of diet because of the amount of E numbers that are in the protein supplement that I have to take three times a day. In total there is 9 E numbers in each drink along with the sweetener Acesulfame K is but which has not been given its E number (E950)!

There is some research been carried out into enzyme replacement and I have managed to track down the correct enzyme that will help break down the Phe but I have not yet found a way of taking this particular enzyme yet and I was wondering if anyone knows of a way?

The enzyme in question is Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 3 (PAL) it can be found in various plants and fungi e.g. Mouse-ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and the yeast (Rhodosporidium toruloides). I have read that a concentrated tablet had been created for research purpose but has never been issued because it did not have a great enough effect on the amount of phe that it reduced in the blood to be effective!? I have a theory that if taken with liquorice that this will boost its effectiveness and would like to try it out! Can you help me is there a enzyme tablet available which has a high concentration of PAL in it do you know of one? If so could you please let me know.

Thank you,

Anthony Western

links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKU , http://www.pnas.org/content/96/5/1811.full , http://scop.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/scop-1.73/data/scop.b.b.ccj.b.c.c.html

fit for life online - your digestive health & links to disease

fit4lifeonline — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:06:25 GMT

You really are what you eat!

As a natural health practitioner I feel that it is vitally important for everyone to be knowledgeable about his or her own personal health. Too many people leave it up to their health care practitioners to "look after them" and wait for obvious reasons to seek help. It is important to understand that when there is something wrong in a certain part of your body gradually everything will be effected…each organ’s healthy function is integral to the whole body functioning at an optimal level.

Did you know that the health of your digestive system could affect every part of your body?

Your digestive system must be healthy for a healthy ‘you’! Would you believe that most diseases and illnesses could be related to your gastrointestinal tract (GIT)? Some of you may be thinking "well there's nothing wrong with my stomach or bowels…but I do have something wrong with me and I am not sure what it is". In many cases you may not be experiencing any "stomach" upsets or at least they aren't predominant enough for you to notice.Typical signs and symptoms of decreased gut function are:

• Cramps
• Gas
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Burping
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
.
Other signs of problems: too light or too dark coloured stools, blood and/or mucous in the stool, a floating stool or undigested food in the stool. Yes…what comes out of you is telling you something about your health!

A comprehensive stool sample is a great way to find out about your health.

How does your digestive system work?

The main functions of the digestive system are to break down and absorb nutrients, proteins and fats from your diet to give you energy, vitality and keep your body protected from pathogens (a disease carrying agent). The digestive system distinguishes foods as proteins, carbohydrate or fats. Proteins are partially broken down in the stomach while carbohydrates and fats are broken down and digested more in the small intestine. These foods are broken down with the help of gastric and digestive juices released by the stomach, liver, pancreas, the gall bladder and good gut bacteria. These nutrients are then transported into the nearby blood vessels to be picked up and transferred to the rest of the body! This is a very complicated and delicate transition that happens over about six and a half meters of small intestine! If you are not getting enough of these juices in the first place then your body is not going to be able to absorb the nutrients properly - this can be the start of many health problems. After the nutrients have been absorbed and the waste from the nearby blood vessels has been absorbed back into the bowels you now have a waste product that has traveled down into the large intestine to then be excreted (it’s a pick-up drop-off kinda thing).

What can go wrong with your gut?

It is now evident that so many different diseases can be linked to your food intake and digestive system.

• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome): IBS is a common condition in which the large intestine, or colon fails to function properly causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and distension, indigestion, nausea, flatulence, loss of appetite, increased bowel movements with pain, diarrhoea and or constipation and an excessive amount of mucous in the stool. This is usually caused by stress, food allergies or lack of fibre.

Health care professionals commonly label patients with this term when they don't really understand what is going on with their patient, hence the use of the word syndrome. This is unfortunate because there are usually some very defined problems when the body is looked at thoroughly. Many people who have been diagnosed with IBS could actually be suffering from things such as food intolerances, an overgrowth of bad bacteria and gut dysbiosis.

• Food intolerances: can your body tolerate wheat, gluten, cow's dairy, sugar, alcohol and even fruit? Food intolerance occurs when your body has an inability to process a particular food, but the signs and symptoms re not always obvious. With food intolerances there is a slow onset reaction, hours, days or even weeks. It is also thought to be an immune system response. The GIT in some people is simply unable to produce appropriate enzymes for normal breakdown of the foods, particularly the protein molecules. If the food passes through unprocessed, or lingers in the gut it will start to ferment and produce excess gas. In some cases protein fragments rupture the lining of the intestine allowing foreign particles into the bloodstream. And disease spreads!

• Food allergies: much more immediate responses occur so people tend to do more about it. You can be born with a food allergy or you can acquire it during your life. A food allergy is a rather fast response (minutes) by the body’s immune system to a perceived invader. Signs or symptoms are typically immediate, dramatic and visible: coughing, sneezing, vomiting, migraines, watering eyes, rashes, swelling tissue, hives – or in severe cases an anaphylactic shock, which requires emergency intervention.

• Diarrhoea, constipation, reflux, nausea and gallstones: Some of them are symptom of intolerance and some are not but all of the symptoms of intolerance can also be symptoms of many other bowel diseases or illnesses. Symptoms are the body telling us something is wrong and it is up to a health care professional to piece together ALL the information including symptoms to make a diagnosis for treatment.

IBS or food intolerance?

Someone may have intolerance or be having an allergic reaction to a certain food. The symptoms you experience fall under the category of the symptoms in IBS. These symptoms are treated allopathically with anti-diarrhoea, anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory drugs. If care is taken to further investigate, and factor out some of the usual suspects such as wheat, gluten, dairy, sugar and alcohol we (therapist and patient) can eliminate the problem altogether by eliminating these foods. Treatment can then be sought to heal the gastric mucosa and hopefully re-introduce these foods back into the diet in moderation. For natural health care practitioners IBS is either a case of someone who is affected in their bowels by stress or it’s food intolerance, food allergy or it is simply a lack of fibre. Some times it can be all three.

Do you have any of the following bowel problems?

Coeliac disease, Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Depression (lack of correct nutrients reduces production of gut hormones such as serotonin: serotonin plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, human sexuality, appetite, and metabolism, as well as stimulating vomiting), PMT, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Cold's and flu's, Diverticulitis and Hernias.

• Coeliac disease: an abnormal immune response in the small intestine to a protein called gluten which in turn causes damage to the surrounding intestinal tissue. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, rye, triticale, barley, and in very small amounts, oats. This response happens in the small intestine and causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, malnutrition, and weight loss; symptoms in children include abdominal bloating and bulky, very foul-smelling stools. Having this disorder can also be linked to being lactose intolerant.

• Ulcerative colitis: a non-specific inflammatory response which presents itself with lesions in the colon causing symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea, low-grade fever, pain in the lower right abdomen, loss of appetite, weight loss, flatulence and a feeling of unwellness. Note that in ulcerative colitis as well as Crohn’s some heavily debated causes are antibiotic over use, Infectious agents such as rota virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus virus and myobacteria.

• Crohn’s disease: inflammation through out the entire bowel wall including up into the mouth. This may also be defined by small inflammatory lesions but not always. Symptoms of this disease are occasional bloody diarrhoea with cramps in the lower abdomen, mild abdominal tenderness, weight loss and fever. Fissures, haemorrhoids, fistulas and abscesses may accompany this.

• Depression: one of the reasons depression can be related to a digestive disorder is because of the inability to uptake tryptophan via the GIT and/or not getting enough from dietary sources. Tryptophan is an amino acid needed for the synthesis of serotonin. Serotonin deficiency can be a major factor in depression.

• PMT: PMT is strongly associated with decreased digestive function for many reasons. Some of these being; a decrease in nutritional factors, decreased serotonin, a diet high in sugars and refined carbohydrates which contribute to high and low blood sugar levels, decreased liver function leading to reduced oestrogen detoxification and clearance.

• ADHD: briefly, ADHD is related to inadequate digestive function from factors such as sugar, food additives, nutrient deficiencies and food allergies.

• Chronic fatigue syndrome: can be effected by decreased digestive function by many factors such as a chronic Candida infection, food allergies, hypoglycaemia, poor nutrient absorption, poor diet and impaired liver and bowel detoxification processes.

• Cold’s and flu’s: a poor immune system can be everything to do with poor digestive functioning. As mentioned earlier one of your primary immune defence systems is in your GIT, if this is not functioning optimally i.e. filled with lots of good bacteria then it is easy for pathogens to enter the body.

• Diverticulitis: is a condition where the colon wall has been weakened and faeces become lodged in little pockets called diverticula. A diet low in bowel nutrients and fibre can greatly contribute to this. Symptoms include: lower abdominal pain and cramping, constipation or diarrhoea and a sense of fullness in the abdomen. In more severe cases a fever may be present as well as tenderness and rigidity.

• Hernias: a hernia can result from abdominal muscle wall weakening and a piece of intestine slides through the abdominal muscle into the groin or upper thigh area. This can happen when the abdominal muscles weakens because it is protein-deficient. Eating more of the lower fat sources of protein, which include chicken breast, fish and soy can help strengthen the muscle tissue. While this therapy won’t heal an existing condition, it can help prevent a re-occurrence or an initial hernia from developing.

Some very closely related disease processes are:

• Asthma, allergies, eczema, psoriasis, systemic lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and many other autoimmune diseases.

You are what you eat!

How your food intake really does affect your health!

Ok this is a big one and it is mainly due to what you do and don't eat or put into your mouth. The old adage you are what you eat could not run more true! When you don't eat the correct foods that provide your gut with the nutrients it needs to keep the mucosa lining strong and healthy you leave yourself in a vulnerable situation. Your primary line of defense from disease starts in the gut.

How you can ruin your digestive system:

• Poor diet
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• High sugar consumption
• Caffeine
• Environmental pollutants
• Common chemicals found in many of our foods such as herbicides, pesticides, colouring agents and other additives as well as parasites
• Stress
• Lack of nutrients
• Antibiotics
• Decreased liver function
• Over eating
• Lack of digestive enzymes
• Lack of fibre
• Insufficient amount of fluids.

Damage the lining of your bowel and you will be helping the overgrowth of bad bacteria, which then pushout the good bacteria (probiotics).

Good versus bad gut bacteria.

Probiotics are the good or healthy bacteria found in the intestines. Probiotic means pro-life. These little microbes help your gut function by helping you digest nutrients, protect against bad bacteria, aid the growth and health of your gut as well as play an important role with strengthening the bowels own, very important, immune system. They also help in the production of vitamins, hormones and digestive enzymes. Some of the more commonly used probiotics you may of heard of are Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacteria bifidum and B.longum. When you don't have a healthy amount of these good bacteria it allows for the bad bacteria to take over, damaging the integrity of your gut lining – and disease starts! Check out www.progurt.com for a great probiotic option.

Dr. Mercola's Degestiive Enzymes

Chris Geil — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:43:04 GMT

I have been taking digestive enzymes for many years. I am gluten intolerant and my doctor has said that I will need to take them for the rest of my life. I have two questions about the enzymes that I got from Dr. Mercola's site. First it says that the recommended dosage is one capsule a day. Normally I take one at each meal. Is there a difference in the enzymes that makes it so I don't need as many? Also, any enzymes that I have taken in the past have had Betain Hydrochoride and Glutamic Hydrochloride as suggested by my doctor. Dr. Mercola's do not contain these ingredients. Will that be a problem for me?

Complete Probiotics

Nicolette40 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:06:22 GMT

Hi there. Has anyone tried Mercola's Complete Probiotics brand yet? I have an 11 year old daughter and I am looking for a good probiotic for her. I'm looking for any testimonials on this brand of Probiotics sold on the Mercola.com website.

Thank you!

Parasite

Kevin S — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:44:31 GMT

If some one has parasites, how does MT help with this? Im back on to trying to find answers as eating this way is getting very restrictive and progress is slow.

What yogurt do you eat for digestiion help?

egreezy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:39:46 GMT

I've been eating Activia by Dannon. It says it has Bifidus Regularis and meets Nation Yogurt Assocation criteria for Live and Active Cutlure Yogurt. Is the milk used in this pasteurized? Should you generally eat before or after meals, or in between? How much yogurt is too much to eat daily? And what brand do you reccomend?

Probiotics Plus Sold Out! A good alternative?

Jesse E — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:19:00 GMT

Hey Glen, I just went to try to order the Probiotics Plus, but it looks like they're all sold out! I was wondering what you would recommend as a good alternative until they come back into stock.

Jesse

How I got rid of my gas.

anason — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:38:26 GMT

The best advice I can give is to try a few different things. Dr. Mercola's video on enzymes is first rate!

I have found great success using (a) Beano, (b) Twin Lab Super Enzyme. All you have to do is remember to take them before eating!

I am also going to try Bentonite Clay.

My naturopath says never mix proteins with starch when eating and eat three squares instead of 'nibbling all day' to help gas & digestion.

I am also trying DetoxiFiber from Garden Of Life - daily spoonful - highly recommended from a naturopath.

Good luck!

Alex

Enzyme Depletion?

Jesse E — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 22:52:16 GMT

Sometimes raw meats will feel much better to me than cooked meats. When just simply tasting the cooked meat, my body will say "Don't eat this." And then when I try the raw meat, it says "Eat this."

This is usually after a long period of eating lots of cooked meat.

Is this because my body is depleted of the enzymes necessary to digest cooked meat? Is this what I'm experiencing? Any insights would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Jesse

My 5 year old niece needs help!

peaceloverock — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:59:01 GMT

My 5 year old niece has been having digestive issues since she was born. It is very difficult for her to have a bowel movement. My sister just found out that my niece has cerebral palsy, so that may be part of the reason she has such a hard time. One of her doctors suggested to give her a lot of soy so my sister has been giving her soymilk everyday. I have been reading about the dangers of soy so I told my sister that it's a bad idea. I think raw milk would be best for her, but my sister gets WIC brochures for regular or soy milk and can't afford to get raw milk. It is so sad that children are forced to eat unhealthy when they are poor. I suggested acidopholis milk - maybe the next best thing if covered by WIC? But she couldn't find any - she lives in a small town in a very rural area. I wish there was something I could suggest that is natural and healthy for her. Any suggestions?

Manuka honey: a good probiotic?

MarthaB — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:53:01 GMT

Is Manuka honey a good probiotic? I was thinking of giving 1/2 teaspoon or so to my son (he's 11) to help with his allergies which are mild. He also takes the Primal Defense probiotic for kids.

Thanks!

Can you develop allergies to digestive enzymes?

jellystone — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:51:10 GMT

Hi Glen,

Is it possible to become allergic to digestive enzymes or other digestive aids? I'm currently treating for leaky gut sydrome and multiple food allergies. ELISA test results show IgG antibodies to 40 different foods. Needless to say, I am concerned about developing more allergies.

Currently, I am using Source Naturals Daily Essential Enzymes and Swanson Health Products Papaya Supreme. Any chance I could develop allergies to any of these substances from daily use? I am not allergic to papaya--not yet anyway.

Though it worked extremely well, I stopped using Swanson Digestive Enzymes because I am allergic to pineapple and barley and was concerned because this product includes Diastase from barley malt and Bromelain. Should I have stopped using this product?

Also, could I become allergic to salmon oil capsules? I did not test allergic to salmon and am able to eat it with no reaction, but if I take salmon oil softgels every day, could I develop an allergy to salmon?

Diet info: I am a Mixed Nutritional Type. I have been eating only organic foods prepared at home for the past 5 months. I do not eat any gluten at all. I take 3 Swanson Ultra Probiotic Complex capsules daily, and a host of other supplements for leaky gut, digestion and nutritional support. I recently did a parasite and yeast cleanse, though I do not feel better or worse because of it. I go to a colon hydrotherapist every few weeks, which is the best thing I have ever done for my health; tremendous improvement right from the start. (I was very toxic). My diet consists of meat, poultry, fish, some nuts and seeds, most vegetables and fruits. I am allergic to ALL grains (including rice), eggs, dairy, soy, yeast, peanuts, almonds, pineapple, peas, beans and lettuce, to name a few. Oh, and I think I'm allergic to cane sugar. I do not eat any foods to which I am allergic. (My ELISA testing was conducted on May 13th).

I believe I got in this condition from a lifetime of ibuprofen and prescription drugs prescribed by dozens of doctors who only treated symptoms. I stopped taking all medications 5 months ago and began treating my stomach and other ailments with diet and supplements. Within a couple weeks I was digesting food properly for the first time in my 45 years, but the damage was done and I had developed leaky gut and food allergies. At least I now know what was causing the constant inflammation and pain all over my body and can avoid it by not eating those foods.

My main goal is to completely heal my leaky gut and erradicate the food allergies. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Digestive enzyme supplement

irchi — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:01:48 GMT

I've been taking enzigest enzyme supplements for mixed type for the last month. This combined with probiotics helped both my digestion and elimination (I'm going more often) but I usually need three tablets before all meals. But I burp a lot more often and sometimes even have slight indegetion. Could this be a sign that I'm not really a mixed type?

What foods have gluten?

Elena Michaelson — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:11:42 GMT

I tried to find a list of foods that contain gluten but couldn't find one. Right now, I have been eating spelt tortillas. Are they still OK for a protein type? My guess is no...Thanks, Elena

HCL supplement

irchi — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:41:54 GMT

I started taking digestive enzymes from enzigest for mixed type because I have problems with digestion. Particularly with elimination which wasn't a problem at first but now has become one. I have seen improvements but i still have some problems. I read on here that I should take two with all cooked meals which I wasn't following but will start doing. Should I try a HCL supplement and if so where can purchase one? Thanks.

Rhian

lots of gas!

Tina K — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:23:33 GMT

Hi, its my first week on the MT protein diet (parasympathetic dominant) and although some strong positive effects I now find myself with a BIG problem of too much gas! My digestion has always been poor and I suffer dyspeptic symptoms on daily basis. However I now find that during and soon after every meal I'm producing large quantities of gas(upper mostly!) Im currently trying to experiment with my ratios to see if this helps but have not had a reproducible effect so far. Any suggestions? Thanks

(32% sympathetic, 25% balanced, 41% parasympathetic, 46% slow oxidation, 53% fast oxidation)

Best Probiotic Without Lactose?

Jesse E — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:17:35 GMT

Hey Glen, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a good probiotic without lactose. I've been using the Probiotics Plus for a while with good success, but I believe it isn't the best choice for me because I have problems digesting lactose and the Probiotics Plus contains a bit of lactose.

Thanks,

Jesse

stomach pains

supeman — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 01:13:56 GMT

Hi,

This is my third day on the program now. The first two days I followed the program to the letter. Today when I was visiting a dairy farm to buy some raw cheese I picked up a loaf of whole grain bread as well. I was very hungry and did not have a meal ready so I had about 2 oz of raw chedder and about 1 oz of bread to hold me over. Shortly after I started to get a stomach ache in the upper mid section which has been lingering all day it seemed to subside before dinner and then after dinner it started up again. Is this a result of my minor variation earlier, or a digestion issue? I had no problems the first few days.

How Many Enzyme Capsules Per Meal?

Jesse E — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 19:13:43 GMT

If we are experiencing challenges with digestion, how many Enzigest enzymes should we take per meal? Is there a way to determine how many are optimal?

Thanks,

Jesse

Probiotic supplements

Barb Geoff — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:43:54 GMT

My wife and I are fast oxidative, protein types. We take a probiotic supplement (Primal Defense) at breakfast formulated from a 100% vegetarian source. Will this vegetarian based supplement aid in the digestion of animal/fish protein?

Digestive Enzymes

Survey Questions — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:01:55 GMT

Why should I take digestive enzymes?