IBD Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Could Our Next Superfood Be Colostrum From Cows?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 07:00:22 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Here’s a riddle: What can strengthen the immune system, balance digestion and aid in brain and bone development? The answer is something most of us take for granted: breastmilk. More specifically, the colostrum “first milk” produced by the mammary glands in the first few days postpartum. Biomedical engineer Maya Ashkenazi-Otmazgin was thinking about the magical qualities of breastmilk when she had a baby four years ago. “There’s this one substance that contains all the important molecules necessary for our biological system to grow and evolve,” she tells ISRAEL21c. “Because of this milk, we are here, alive and kicking.” She wondered if the health benefits of breastmilk and colostrum could be harnessed to create a superfood that would be available to everyone – adults, athletes, the elderly… even pets. But Ashkenazi-Otmazgin didn’t envision asking mothers in the first few days of nursing to donate their colostrum. There was another source, whose proteins are 95% biosimilar to human breastmilk and is available in such abundance that 5 billion liters of it are thrown away every year around the world. Bovine colostrum. Modern dairy farms only allow a newborn calf to ingest the colostrum from its mother for a day or two before transitioning the calf to a set diet. But the mother cow produces colostrum for up to five days. That means a lot of colostrum is going to waste – some 25 to 35 liters per cow – and dairy producers can’t put it in the regular milk for both regulatory and taste reasons. “I wondered why we were not understanding the proteins inside breastmilk and trying to find bioequivalents in other sources,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. After all, “breastmilk is the ‘gold standard’ for nutrients and grownups are being deprived of one of life’s greatest resources.” Functional Milk Protein In 2018, Ashkenazi-Otmazgin teamed up with Dr. Ariel Orbach and Eli Lerner. They raised $3.2 million in seed funding to start Maolac (M.A.O. are her initials, combined with “lac” for lactose), dedicated to introducing “human functional milk proteins into new segments,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin, now the company’s CEO, says. Maolac uses the colostrum from days two to five. That ensures the calf isn’t being shortchanged for the benefit of human yogurt lovers. The Maolac team started by mapping out some 1,500 bioactive proteins in human breastmilk and then identifying the overlap with bovine colostrum. It turns out there are over 400 homologue proteins – that is, proteins containing genes similar in structure and evolutionary origin to genes in another species. “We created a smart algorithm that uses bioinformatic tools and proteomics to understand the combinations of several proteins for different indications,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. “We were then able to find the same in bovine colostrum.” Improving Nature’s Recipe Maolac tranforms the bovine colostrum into a white powder that can be added to various foods – ice cream will be among Maolac’s first products – but Ashkenazi-Otmazgin stresses that it can be added to cooked foods such as pasta without losing functionality. The additive has no discernible taste, so it won’t ruin the flavor of your fettuccini al colostrum. “We found a way to take nature’s recipe and bring it into the 21st century,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. Maolac’s business proposition is solidly win-win. If, in the past, farmers had to pay to dispose of biological waste like colostrum, Maolac flips that model and pays the farmers to take it off their hands. Food manufacturers can expect to pay around $500 per kilogram, similar to other protein supplements in the market, although Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says it takes less colostrum powder to achieve the same benefits, making the final price cheaper. Maolac’s first target audience is athletes, a $65 billion market. Because colostrum has anti-inflammatory properties, Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says consuming a food or beverage with “Maolac inside” should reduce muscle strain and improve recovery time. The same formula may also help improve mobility in the elderly. Moving beyond athletes, Ashkenazi-Otmazgin hopes Maoloc’s products will help with overall intestinal issues including IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and leaky gut syndrome. IBD-related treatments are a $20 billion market, Ashkenazi-Otmazgin notes. “For IBD, our product is very effective even in very small doses of just a few hundred milligrams a day,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. “That makes it easy to put in an energy bar or a beverage. If we can reduce cases of inflammation in the gut, we can allow someone to return to a normal routine. You would be able to go to a restaurant and not be afraid of what could happen. It wouldn’t influence your love life. And all this is happening by helping your body through its own immune mechanism to do the healing process. It’s not done in a synthetic way.” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin contrasts the Maolac approach to probiotics, where “you’re bringing to your own microbiome things from the outside. We support the natural healing process of the digestive system.” New Sources of Protein If Maolac’s timeframe holds, the first products should hit the market in the second half of 2023. Maolac was initially supported by the Strauss Group’s The Kitchen food-tech accelerator; the company now has its own offices in Tirat HaCarmel, south of Haifa. The total amount raised by the 12-person company is just over $4 million. The latest funding round, led by OurCrowd and The Kitchen, will go to building a small-scale pilot production facility. OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved calls “the idea of transforming the first, nutrient-rich milk of cows that have just given birth into a source for human protein a stroke of pure genius.” In a world “desperately searching for new sustainable sources of protein,” he adds, “the company is a perfect example of the circular economy in action” as it turns a waste product into a valuable item. Maoloc currently has a ready-to-go product and the company is in discussions with potential customers and third-party manufacturers, Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. Plant-Based Product Planned Bovine colostrum is not the end of the Maolac story. “We can use our proteomics discovery platform to create new ingredients from plants – from fungi and algae,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says, although proteins created this way will have only 60% to 80% biosimilarity, compared with 95% for bovine colostrum. Nevertheless, “We wanted a solution for vegans. We need to respect everyone,” she says. “In the end, we will have a portfolio of products to sell to food companies, cosmetics companies, supplement companies. They will implement the ingredients in the finished product while we will do all the regulatory work and the clinical studies to prove the effectiveness and safety of each product,” Ashkenazi-Otmazgin says. For more information, click here To read the original article click here.

The post Could Our Next Superfood Be Colostrum From Cows? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

New Study Shows Bidirectional Link Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Depression

AHA Publisher — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 07:00:12 +0000

University of Southern California (USC) Health Sciences via Newswise – Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition involving inflammation of the digestive tract, affecting some 1.6 million Americans. Depression affects more than 16 million Americans. A new study from Keck Medicine of USC shows that patients diagnosed with IBD were nine times as likely to develop depression than the general population. In addition, their siblings who did not suffer from IBD were almost two times as likely to develop depression. Conversely, patients with depression were two times as likely to develop IBD, and their siblings without depression were more than one and a half times as likely to develop IBD. “This research reveals a clinical overlap between both conditions, and is the first study to investigate the two-way association between IBD and depression in siblings,” said Bing Zhang, MD, a gastroenterologist with Keck Medicine and co-lead author of the study. Zhang and his fellow researchers analyzed the data of more than 20 million people from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, which contains comprehensive medical information on more than 99% of Taiwanese residents. For 11 years, they tracked patients with either IBD or depression and their siblings without either condition, comparing onset of depression or IBD with a control group of people without either condition, but with similar age, sex and socioeconomic status. Zhang hypothesizes that many factors may contribute to the bidirectional nature of the disorders, including environmental stressors, the gut microbiome (consisting of bacteria, fungi and viruses) and genetics. “The finding that people with IBD are more prone to depression makes sense because IBD causes constant gastrointestinal symptoms that can be very disruptive to a patient’s life,” he said. “And the elevated depression risk among siblings of IBD patients may reflect caregiver fatigue if the siblings have a role in caring for the patient.” What surprised researchers was that patients with depression were prone to IBD. Zhang speculates that this discovery may have to do with what is known as the gut-brain axis, a scientifically established connection between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system, which consists of the spinal cord and the brain. For example, he said, inflammation of the brain, which plays a role in depression, may be linked to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, a hallmark of IBD. The researchers are not sure why siblings of patients with depression are more likely to be diagnosed with IBD. Zhang surmises that there may be a shared genetic susceptibility for either disease that presents differently in family members. Zhang hopes that the study findings will encourage health care professionals to take both family history and the relationship between gastrointestinal and mood disorders into consideration when evaluating or treating patients with either IBD or depression. Through more research and better understanding of the gut-brain axis, he envisions leveraging the newfound connection between the conditions to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of IBD and mental disorders. The study was supported by grants from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. To read the original article click here.

The post New Study Shows Bidirectional Link Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Depression appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Study Shows “Ultra-Processed” Foods Are Linked to Much Higher Rates of IBD

AHA Publisher — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 07:00:48 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Over 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a potentially debilitating gastrointestinal condition that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. More prevalent in developed nations, IBD is becoming more common in countries where it was previously rare, and scientists think they know why. The increase in IBD parallels the growing adoption of the Western diet (also known as the Standard American Diet, or SAD). The SAD – which relies heavily on processed foods – is high in calories, trans fats, saturated fats, added sugars, and salt while low in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Yet, little research examining the link between SAD and IBD existed – until now. An extensive international study newly published in BMJ examines the effect of “ultra-processed” foods on rates of IBD – with alarming implications. Let’s take a closer look at the revealing research. Large Amounts of Ultra-Processed Foods May Cause IBD Risk to Skyrocket To conduct the study, an international team of researchers gathered detailed information from over 116,000 adults in 21 different countries (including Bangladesh, Sweden, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States) for 13 years. First, participants were questioned about their daily diets, including their consumption of “ultra-processed” foods – such as heavily processed, packaged baked goods, sugar-laden cereals, carbonated sugary drinks and reconstituted meat and fish products. They were then followed for nine years, with new diagnoses of IBD being recorded. To say that the study supported a link between “ultra-processed” foods and higher levels of IBD is an understatement. The team found that participants who consumed five or more servings a day of ultra-processed foods had a stunning 82 percent greater risk of being affected by IBD than those who ate less than one serving a day! For those who consumed one to four servings of ultra-processed food a day, the increased risk was 67 percent. While the study did not show that the foods caused IBD, it certainly suggested a powerful association. In any case, the researchers called for more studies to identify and explore contributory factors among processed foods that might be responsible for the increased risk. Ingredients in Ultra-Processed Foods Disturb the Balance of the All-Important Gut Microbiome The researchers commented that IBD is believed to stem from dysbiosis (imbalances in the microbiome, or community of gut bacteria) in susceptible people. Studies have shown that the bacterial balance of the microbiome can be changed through diet, and this can, in turn, alter the intestinal immune response in the digestive tract, leading to inflammation. While it is too early to say for sure, scientists suspect certain additives – such as added sugars, stabilizers, preservatives, and artificial flavors – of being the culprits. For example, an emulsifier known as carboxymethylcellulose has been shown to increase the ability of bacteria to adhere to the epithelial lining of the intestines. Other suspects are refined sugars and potentially inflammatory omega-6 acids in processed foods. Best Foods to Eat to Help With IBD Some foods appeared to be “off the hook” when it comes to a connection with IBD. For example, consumption of unprocessed white meat, unprocessed red meat, dairy products, starch, fruits, vegetables, and legumes was not associated with an increased risk in the study. In fact, high consumption of fruits and vegetables has been linked in studies with a decreased risk of a form of IBD known as ulcerative colitis. For people undergoing episodes and “flares” of IBD, experts recommend well-cooked vegetables such as green beans, carrots, mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus tips, and pureed squash. Some also advise peeled apples, ripe bananas, melon, and canned fruit to calm a troubled gastrointestinal tract. (While natural health experts ordinarily endorse eating the antioxidant- and fiber-rich peels of apples and the skins of potatoes, a flare-up calls for temporarily lowering fiber intake). Well-cooked, tender, unprocessed meats, scrambled eggs, and tofu are also on the “OK” list. In addition, it’s important to get adequate amounts of vitamin D, calcium, and probiotic and prebiotic foods. So, naturally, you will want to “put the kibosh” on all ultra-processed foods. And, for maximum benefit, opt for organic foods whenever possible. Here Are Some Tips to Support Your Gut Health Naturally Other natural interventions exist for IBD. The American College of Gastroenterology recommends a low-FODMAP diet – a short-term intervention that involves the restriction of fermentable carbohydrates. If you have IBD, your integrative physician may recommend this strategy. In addition, stress management techniques such as acupuncture, mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga have been shown to benefit IBD. Not only is IBD a frustrating, painful, and potentially serious disease, but it appears to be linked to other chronic conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that people with IBD are more likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and ulcers. Therefore, banishing ultra-processed foods from your diet is a practical, common-sense step you can take to optimize your health and steer clear of troublesome IBD. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com UHHospitals.org CDC.gov To read the original article click here.

The post Study Shows “Ultra-Processed” Foods Are Linked to Much Higher Rates of IBD appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Engineered Yeast Probiotic Developed to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease

AHA Publisher — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 07:00:56 +0000

Brigham and Women’s Hospital via EurekAlert – The world of microbes living in the human gut can have far-reaching effects on human health. Multiple diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are tied to the balance of these microbes, suggesting that restoring the right balance could help treat disease. Many probiotics — living yeasts or bacteria — that are currently on the market have been optimized through evolution in the context of a healthy gut. However, in order to treat complex diseases such as IBD, a probiotic would need to serve many functions, including an ability to turn off inflammation, reverse damage and restore the gut microbiome. Given all of these needs, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a “designer” probiotic — a thoughtfully engineered yeast that can induce multiple effects for treating IBD. Preclinical results from their work are published in Nature Medicine. “We’ve taken yeast — the very yeast that’s used to make beer — and we’ve given it the ability to sense inflammation and secrete an anti-inflammatory molecule,” said corresponding author Francisco Quintana, PhD, an investigator in the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the Brigham. “We call this new platform ‘Y-bots’ (yeast robots) and see the potential here for developing therapeutics that can treat diseases of the gut tissue and more.” Previous research from the Quintana lab has helped illuminate the connection between the gut and diseases that affect the brain, suggesting potential applications for engineering probiotics beyond IBD. Quintana and colleagues developed their probiotic using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a species of yeast used in winemaking, baking and brewing. Using the gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9, the researchers introduced genetic elements that could sense inflammation and respond to it by secreting an enzyme that can degrade a key molecule involved in inflammation. The engineered yeast can secrete different levels of enzyme, depending upon how much of the inflammatory signal is present at a location in the gut. This means that the probiotic can have a highly localized response to inflammation. In mice, the engineered yeast successfully suppressed intestinal inflammation, reduced fibrosis and restored a balanced gut microbiome. To bring this new therapeutic platform to bear on IBD and other diseases in humans, Quintana and colleagues will need to conduct safety studies. They also plan to further refine and test the engineered yeast to see if they can speed up tissue repair. Beyond IBD, the team plans to investigate the use of engineered probiotics for treating a common side effect of cancer immunotherapy, colitis. “We want to use the tools of synthetic biology to engineer what can be found in nature,” said Quintana. “By engineering probiotics, our goal is to create more personalized, localized and highly controlled medications for treating diseases of the gut and beyond.” To read the original article click here.

The post Engineered Yeast Probiotic Developed to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

NEW Study: Vitamin D Helps to Improve Gut Function and Your Immune Response

AHA Publisher — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:00:41 +0000

Joy Jensen via NaturalHealth365 – Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a phrase used to describe a group of conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, all of which involve chronic inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than three million adults have been diagnosed with the disease, and it’s becoming increasingly common. But, the big question is: what does science tell us about how vitamin D can improve this condition? Well, previous studies have found that vitamin D deficiency is common among individuals with IBD, and lower levels of this vitamin correlate with a more complicated course of the disease and higher disease activity. In a new study, researchers took a closer look at why a vitamin D deficiency seems to play a part in these diseases and how the vitamin regulates immune response in the gut. The connection between vitamin D deficiencies and IBD patients This new study, published in Autoimmunity Reviews, was built on evidence collected in the past that has shown the protective role vitamin D plays on gut health, which is why a deficiency is linked to poor outcomes and greater disease activity. Not only did researchers review the evidence and confirm that vitamin D deficiencies are higher among patients who have IBD, but they also found out more about how this vitamin works in the gut. Experts believe that leaky gut, which is an insufficient intestinal barrier, is central to how IBD develops. In addition, research has shown that vitamin D seems to work on the cellular level to help increase the integrity of that barrier, reducing problems with leaky gut. It also promotes the interplay between the gut’s microbiome, intestinal epithelial cells, and immune cells, helping to regulate the immune response of the intestines. Although researchers caution that there’s still work to do to further reveal how vitamin D works in the gut, it once again highlights the serious complications that may occur in individuals with a vitamin D deficiency. Scientifically CLEAR: There are serious consequences to this hormone deficiency Beyond its role in the gut, studies also show that vitamin D deficiency comes with additional serious consequences. Being deficient in this important vitamin, particularly if you have blood levels under 30 ng/ml, increases your risk of premature death from any cause. To be clear: Premature death from respiratory disease, heart disease, fracture, and cancers have all been linked to having chronically low vitamin D levels. While that may sounds scary, it’s easy to take control of your vitamin D levels to reduce your risk of chronic disease and premature death. Start by getting 20 minutes daily of direct sunlight so the body is able to create its own. Naturally, if you live in more northern climates … direct sunlight – that’s strong enough to produce a positive result – may not be realistic. The fact is: it’s more difficult to produce this hormone (naturally from sun exposure) during the wintertime or if you live in an area that just doesn’t get as much sunshine, on a regular basis throughout the year. This is where D3 supplementation can help to solve the problem. Just keep in mind, you’ll need to ensure it’s taken with fat-containing foods for the best absorption since it’s a fat-soluble vitamin. And, finally (for best results), you may want to consider taking all the cofactors that enhance absorption such as, zinc, boron and (of course) vitamin K2. Ultimately, if you’re deficient and concerned, it’s a good idea to consult with an experienced (integrative) physician before making any significant changes to your diet or supplement routine. Bottom line: It’s good to know what your vitamin D levels are … so, get a simple blood test and make it a health priority to maintain blood levels of about 50 – 80 ng/ml to protect your health. Sources for this article include: ScienceDirect.com, NIH.gov, NaturalHealth365.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post NEW Study: Vitamin D Helps to Improve Gut Function and Your Immune Response appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

High-Fat Diet with Antibiotic Use Linked to Gut Inflammation

AHA Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:00:57 +0000

UC Davis Health via Newswise – UC Davis researchers have found that combining a Western-style high-fat diet with antibiotic use significantly increases the risk of developing pre-inflammatory bowel disease (pre-IBD). The study, published July 14 in Cell Host and Microbe, suggests that this combination shuts down the energy factories (mitochondria) in cells of the large intestinal lining, leading to gut inflammation. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 11% of people worldwide. It is characterized by recurring episodes of abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits. IBS patients with mucosal inflammation and changes in the gut’s microbial composition are considered pre-IBD. Antibiotic Usage with High-Fat Diet Is a Risk Factor The study included 43 healthy adults and 49 adult patients diagnosed with IBS. The researchers measured fecal calprotectin, a biomarker for intestinal inflammation, of participants. Elevated levels of fecal calprotectin indicated a pre-IBD condition. The study identified 19 patients with IBS as pre-IBD. The researchers found that participants who consumed high-fat diet and used antibiotics were at 8.6 times higher risk for having pre-IBD than those on low-fat diet and no recent history of antibiotic use. Participants with the highest fat consumption were about 2.8 times more likely to have pre-IBD than those with the lowest fat intake. A history of recent antibiotic usage alone was associated with 3.9 times higher likelihood of having pre-IBD. “Our study found that a history of antibiotics in individuals consuming a high-fat diet was associated with the greatest risk for pre-IBD,” said Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical microbiology and immunology and lead author on the study. “Until now, we didn’t appreciate how different environmental risk factors can synergize to drive the disease.” Shutting the Cell’s Powerhouse Promotes Gut Microbial Growth Using mouse models, the study also tested the effect of high-fat diet and antibiotic use on the cells in the intestinal lining. It found that high-fat diet and antibiotics cooperate to disrupt the work of the cell’s mitochondria, shutting its ability to burn oxygen. This disruption caused reduction in cell’s oxygen consumption and led to oxygen leakage into the gut. Higher oxygen levels in the gut promote bacterial imbalances and inflammation. The body’s beneficial bacteria thrive in environments lacking oxygen such as the large intestine. With the disruption in the gut environment, a vicious cycle of replacing the good bacteria with potentially harmful proinflammatory microbes that are more oxygen tolerant begins. This in turn leads to mucosal inflammation linked to pre-IBD conditions. The study also identified 5-aminosalicylate (mesalazine), a drug that restarts the energy factories in the intestinal lining, as a potential treatment for pre-IBD. “The best approach to a healthy gut is to get rid of the preferred sustenance of harmful microbes,” Lee said. “Our study emphasized the importance of avoiding high fat food and abuse of antibiotics to avoid gut inflammation.” To read the original article click here.

The post High-Fat Diet with Antibiotic Use Linked to Gut Inflammation appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Powerful Antioxidant Combats Gut Inflammation

AHA Publisher — Tue, 26 May 2020 07:00:45 +0000

Joy Jensen via NaturalHealth365 – Although researchers believe that many different factors contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammation continues to get more recognition as a potential cause of the condition. Many patients who have IBS deal with low-grade inflammation and scientists continue to try to understand why. One substance, glutathione shows great promise in helping people with IBS. Research hasn’t completely uncovered the answer to this question. However, since we know there’s a link between inflammation and IBS, then it’s a good idea to explore the use of antioxidants that combat inflammation. Emerging evidence shows the benefits of glutathione – known as the most important intracellular antioxidant – for reducing inflammation and relieving IB symptoms. Powerful Antioxidant Glutathione Combats Inflammation Associated with IBS Although multiple factors may contribute to IBS, inflammation is becoming more recognized as a possible cause. Even though inflammation levels are generally low-grade, it still can result in intestinal damage that results in dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant that plays a critical role within the body. Researchers have become more interested in the use of glutathione as an IBS treatment because research shows how effective it is at reducing inflammation. It’s helped reduce symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and it may be just as useful for individuals who have IBS. One study showed that in patients who had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), intestinal glutathione synthesis was impaired. This led researchers to believe that therapeutic intervention with glutathione may help. Another study that involved the treatment of IBD with another well-known antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine resulted in an increase in glutathione, which was believed to have contributed to the positive effects of this therapy. Since glutathione happens to be the most abundant antioxidant within your body, it will likely have similar effects on inflammation as other antioxidants like quercetin and curcumin. This “Master Antioxidant” Looks Like a Promising Way to Help Heal the Body Many patients who deal with IBS are susceptible to side effects that come with conventional (pharmaceuticals) “remedies.” However, the use of glutathione in humans has an excellent safety history. Truthfully, there have been very few side effects (if any) experienced, and side effects that have been reported are usually extremely mild. So, for anyone concerned about trying a new supplement, glutathione is certainly a wise choice offering a great deal of benefits. While there’s still not a significant amount of specific research surrounding the use of glutathione for IBS, a good look at the literature about this antioxidant indicates it’s a worthwhile, natural option for patients suffering with inflammatory issues. Early research has shown it plays a crucial role in reducing inflammation and it is being looked at as a potential therapy for IBD patients. Ultimately, more scientific research is always welcome, but the evidence is clear that with the right nutrition – you can naturally heal the body. Take action today: Work with a good integrative healthcare provider that can help guide you. Foods to avoid include, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, fried or processed foods, gluten, GMOs and conventional dairy products. In terms of smart food choices: Eat small amounts of lean (grass fed) meats, eggs (pasture-raised), cooked greens like, kale and collard greens, sprouted walnuts and chia seeds. The main message here is to eat (only) real food – organic, as much as possible. Drink clean (purified) water and take nutritional supplements (as needed) to help you in the healing process. To read the original article click here.

The post Powerful Antioxidant Combats Gut Inflammation appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Diet Low in Fermented Carbs Improves Quality of Life for Patients With Irritable Bowl Disease

AHA Publisher — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:00:13 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News Medical-Net – A new study by researchers at King’s College London has found that a diet low in fermented carbohydrates improved gut symptoms and health-related quality of life among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the space of just one month. Although researchers already knew that this diet is effective in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), this is the first randomized, trial showing that it is effective in reducing common gut symptoms, says lead researcher Selina Cox. “This improves health-related quality of life in patients with IBD when they are in remission,” she adds. As reported yesterday in the journal Gastroenterology, Cox and team conducted a trial of a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) in patients with IBD who were suffering from persistent gut symptoms, even though their gut inflammation was under control. The researchers found that after just four weeks, symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain and flatulence improved among patients who followed the low FODMAP diet after just four weeks, compared with patients who were placed on normal FODMAP diet. What Is IBD? IBD refers to a group of illnesses where the gut becomes inflamed. The two main disorders are Crohn’s disease, which can affect any part of the intestine and ulcerative colitis, which only affects the large intestine. Symptoms of IBD Include: • Abdominal cramps and pain • Watery or bloody diarrhea • The urgency to have a bowel movement • Fever • Loss of appetite • Weight loss • Tiredness and fatigue • Anemia People can develop IBD at any age, but it generally develops between the ages of 15 and 40. As a chronic and incurable disorder, IBD is managed through lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery. Anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drugs can bring inflammation under control, but symptoms can still persist during periods of disease remission and have a large impact on a patient’s life. The NHS says an estimated one in five people with ulcerative colitis have severe symptoms that do not improve with medication and up to three-quarters of people with Crohn’s disease will require surgery to repair damage to their digestive system. The condition affects about 300,000 people in the UK, some three million people in the US, about 85,000 Australians and, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners, it is only becoming more common. The current study offers hope of a safe and cost-effective way to relieve symptoms among the thousands of people suffering from this condition. Half of All Patients On the Low-FODMAP Diet Reported Improvements For the study, the team studied 52 patients with IBD and persistent symptoms despite their inflammation being under control with medication. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a group where a low FODMAP diet was followed and a group where a ‘normal’ FODMAP diet was followed. Among patients that followed the low FODMAP diet, 52% reported adequate relief of gut symptoms after just four weeks, compared with only 16% of the normal FODMAP group. They also had a higher health-related quality of life scores than the normal FODMAP group. The team also took stool and blood samples at baseline and at the end of the study to test levels of gut microflora, which revealed that patients on the low FODMAP diet had fewer Bifidobacteria. The researchers say this is worrying since this bacteria can be beneficial in IBD because it can reduce inflammation. However, the team found that gut inflammation did not seem to increase among patients on the low FODMAP diet and overall there were no significant between-group differences in gut microbiome diversity. “A Safe and Cost-Effective Management Option” “We carried out this randomized controlled trial to establish whether these common gut symptoms in patients with IBD in remission could be managed by the low FODMAP diet. Indeed, this could represent a safe and cost-effective management option.” –Professor Kevin Whelan, Co-Author Next, the team intends to study the effects of a longer-term low FODMAP diet and determine the effect of FODMAP reintroduction on intestinal symptoms and gut bacteria. “In clinical practice, the low FODMAP diet is followed by a phase of gradual FODMAP reintroduction—it is important to establish what the effects of FODMAP reintroduction are on the gut and whether reintroduction reverses the bacterial changes that were observed during the low FODMAP diet,” explains Cox. National Charity Welcomes the Findings The charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK has welcomed the findings. Research program lead, Nikul Bakshi, said: “We really welcome these findings because research into food and IBD is seriously lacking, and the relationship is still poorly understood. It’s good to see positive results, and if the FODMAP diet can help alleviate debilitating symptoms for some people with Crohn’s and Colitis, this is promising.” However, he did warn that FODMAP is not suitable for everyone with IBD: “The FODMAP diet is very restrictive and also cuts out some types of food that may be helpful in managing the conditions. We would always recommend people get advice from a qualified dietician before making changes to their diet.” To read the original article click here.

The post Diet Low in Fermented Carbs Improves Quality of Life for Patients With Irritable Bowl Disease appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.