485 Inherited Stress [20 Aug 2018]

There’s an old joke that insanity is hereditary – you get it from your children. What parent hasn’t at some point exclaimed “You kids are driving me crazy!” Less funny perhaps, but more fascinating is what scientists have learned recently about heredity and health. Dr. Emeran Mayer, devotes Chapter 5 of his 2016 book “The Mind-Gut Connection” to the effects of early life experiences on gut-brain communication.

Stressful family events during childhood, in the womb, or even prior to conception, can affect our health in surprising ways: lowering our tolerance to stress; increasing our risk for anxiety, depression, digestive disorders like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diarrhea or constipation; and causing unhealthy changes to our gut microbiome. Babies born to highly stressed mothers have lower birth weights and are more prone to infections. Brain scans of adults with significant adverse childhood experiences (death of a parent, divorce, abuse, etc.) show abnormalities in brain structure and function.

In animal studies baby rats who were neglected or whose mothers were stressed, developed health problems similar to anxiety, depression, and addiction, while the nurtured pups developed into relaxed normal adult rats. The nurtured pups grew up to be nurturing mothers while the neglected pups became neglecting mothers. This wasn’t just learned behavior – it was hard wired into their hormonal and neurological systems during infancy.

These changes can be passed on to the second and third generation by a process called epigenetics [see #269 May 2014]. Epigenetics is the study of markers that turn genes on or off while leaving them intact. If this happens to reproductive cells, these markers can be passed on to your children.

How can we apply this information to improve our children’s health? First, minimize maternal stress during pregnancy and early childhood (easier said than done – refer back to the first line!). This is where Dad’s support is critical. Secondly, provide a loving secure home for the kids from birth through their teens. Thirdly, ensure the children’s microbiomes are as healthy as possible (more on that in a future article). Finally, don’t blame yourself for your kids’ health problems – blame your parents! [smile!]

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

465 Black Seed Oil [2 April 2018]

Black Seed is a desert plant Nigella sativa, related to cumin (essential for tasty chili!). It has a long tradition of medicinal use in Egypt and India. Muhammad said of black seed that “it cures all diseases except death itself”. While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, black seed has been shown to benefit our health in many ways.

Of the many beneficial compounds found in black seed, thymoquinone (TQ) is probably the most important. TQ:
• Acts as a bronchodilator which provides relief for many lung conditions including asthma, COPD and emphysema;
• Relaxes smooth muscle lowering high blood pressure and relieving arterial spasms;
• Relieves spasms of the digestive tract from the esophagus to the colon;
• Protects the brain and heart from oxidative damage (our two most valuable organs!);
• Improves mitochondrial function in the muscle cells of the heart and in the brain;
• Supports liver, gallbladder and kidney function by preserving intracellular glutathione;
• Improves the outcome and reduces toxicity of chemotherapy in cancer treatment.

A related compound found in black seed is thymohydroquinone (THQ). THQ increases the time that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine remains active in the brain (drugs designed for this function are used in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions including autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s).

A third compound, Thymol (also found in thyme and oregano), has strong anti-viral properties. It is commonly used in treating tuberculosis.

TQ, THQ, and thymol, along with other beneficial compounds in black seed:
• show promise in fighting antibiotic-resistant pathogens including MRSA;
• improve glucose levels in Type 2 Diabetes as well as Metformin but with low toxicity;
• reverse hair loss by strengthening hair roots;
• improve skin conditions such as eczema with black seed cream.

Natural health advocate Cass Ingram, author of The Black Seed Miracle, recommends starting black seed while you are still healthy to prevent illness. With daily use (it’s a food after all!), black seed will support the health of your brain, heart, blood vessels, lungs, liver, kidneys, digestive system, immune system, and more. It is available in liquid oil and capsules.

Sources and links to more information:
Cass Ingram, interview with Dr. Ward Bond
Dr Josh Axe Black Seed Oil Benefits
GreenMedInfo.com The Remedy for Everything but Death
Dr Joseph Mercola Black Cumin Seed Benefits
Self-Hacked Top 28 Scientific Benefits of Nigella sativa

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

387 Boulardii – the Probiotic Yeast [19 Sept 2016]

There is one probiotic that is not a beneficial bacteria – it’s a beneficial yeast. Saccharomyces boulardii is not related to the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Because it is a yeast and not a bacteria, boulardii has many special benefits.

First, it is not affected by antibiotics so can be used to maintain beneficial bowel flora while taking antibiotics (which affect only bacteria). It is however affected by antifungal drugs so should be taken a few hours away from such medications.

Boulardii has proven effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It also helps control more serious acute or persistent diarrhea and diarrhea in children.
Boulardii has been shown helpful in the treatment, and especially prevention, of Traveler’s Diarrhea, which is caused by unfamiliar “bugs” in the water. Boulardii keeps fairly well at room temperature so makes the ideal travel probiotic. Start a week before you leave on a holiday and then take the bottle with you.

Boulardii is proving to be an important adjunct in treating Clostridium difficile (commonly known as C-diff), a common, highly contagious, and difficult to treat bacterial infection. Taking boulardii along with the antibiotic treatment significantly reduces the rate of recurrence of C. difficile infection. Boulardii produces an enzyme which breaks down C. difficile toxin A, stimulates antibody production against toxin A, and inhibits adhesion of C. diff to the intestinal walls.

Another difficult to treat infection that boulardii is proving helpful with is Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria recently found to cause peptic ulcers. Taken with the antibiotic treatment, boulardii increases the rate of recovery and also helps prevent diarrhea, a common side effect of the antibiotic treatment.

Caution – severe diarrhea is potentially serious and requires medical aid. Boulardii and other probiotics seem to work best in conjunction with the appropriate antibiotic treatment, but in mild cases may be effective on their own.

In summary, supplementing with Saccharomyces boulardii could help prevent and treat diarrhea caused by antibiotic treatment, and prove helpful along with antibiotics for serious infections like C. diff and H. pylori. Boulardii has also been used for a variety of bowel conditions involving dysbiosis like IBS, IBD, Crohn’s disease, and colitis.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

368 Irritable Bowel Syndrome [2 May 2016]

April was IBS Awareness Month, a topic I have been neglecting for a while. Better late than never!

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder of the colon (large intestine). Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease involves inflammation and is more serious (which I will discuss another time).

There are many possible causes of IBS. A GI tract infection (“food poisoning”) can trigger IBS. Severe stress can also trigger it or make it worse. Antibiotics can kill off the good gut bacteria allowing pathogens (including the yeast Candida albicans) to flourish.

There are several key components to dealing with IBS.
• Reduce stress.
• Temporarily avoid foods to which you may have a sensitivity – dairy, cereal grains, and caffeine.
• Chew your food thoroughly and take digestive enzymes.
• Reduce sugar, fatty foods and processed meats. Temporarily eliminate cruciferous vegetables and onions and garlic which are high in sulfur and could trigger IBS.
• Take a good multi-strain probiotic. Eat cultured vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi. Better yet make your own (see #326).
• Add fiber to improve elimination and feed the beneficial intestinal flora.
• Ensure you are drinking enough water.
• Give your gut a treat with soothing herbs like marshmallow root, slippery elm, fenugreek, skullcap, peppermint and fennel.
• Supplement with the amino acid L-Glutamine and the monosaccharide N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (NAG), both needed for healing the gut lining.

I have several formulas developed specifically for helping with IBS. A shelf-stable probiotic with L-glutamine is a convenient way to get both those nutrients. Another company has several supplement formulas for IBS – a combination of 26 herbs to soothe and support the colon; a formula with glutamine, NAG, and a few more herbs, to help the colon heal; and a line of high potency probiotics.

These tips and supplements should go far in relieving the symptoms of IBS and healing the gut.

Sources
Wikipedia IBS
Wikipedia NAG
Mayo Clinic IBS Definition
Naka ProPB7
Renew Life: IBS Tips
Renew Life IntestiNew
Renew Life Intestinal Bowel Support
Watson, Brenda ND, 2002, Renew Your Life – Improved Digestion and Detoxification

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

281 Disappearing Microbiota [18 August 2014]

I have written several columns on the many problems associated with dysbiosis (an unhealthy balance of bacteria in the digestive tract) and the benefits of probiotics.
• The obvious problems include digestive disorders like gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea [03].
• Upper respiratory infections like thrush, “strep throat”, sinus and ear infections can be prevented by introducing a particular strain of S. salivarius to the mouth [72].
• Infection by a bacterium H. pylori causes stomach ulcers [221].
• Dysbiosis can cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS) like colitis and Crohn’s which can lead to leaky gut syndrome and food allergies.
• Our immune system [78, 173] is affected by dysbiosis, causing autoimmune conditions like eczema, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
• The work of Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride [147, 172] links unhealthy gut bacteria to neurological and psychiatric disorders ranging from ADHD and autism to schizophrenia.
• Dysbiosis can even prevent weight loss.

Now microbiologist Martin Blaser takes this even further in his 2014 book Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues. Modern scientific study of the human microbiome – the thousands of species of bacteria that coexist in or on our bodies – is revealing how critical it is for our health. Blaser writes

“The microbes that constitute your microbiome … play a critical role in your immunity as well as your ability to combat disease. In short, it is your microbiome that keeps you healthy.”

He then makes a convincing case that loss of many of these species is responsible for the recent worldwide proliferation of the “modern plagues” of obesity, childhood diabetes, asthma, hay fever, food allergies, esophageal reflux, certain cancers, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, autism, eczema, and others.

Blaser believes that the loss of diversity within the human microbiome is an even more serious problem than the antibiotic-resistant super bugs. He calls the problem the “disappearing microbiota” and warns of a coming “antibiotic winter” if the problem isn’t addressed.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.