Digestion

Turmeric is a perennial plant, botanically related to ginger that is native to India,China and Indonesia. It is a component of curry powder and prepared mustard. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine and in Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to treat digestive disturbance, menstrual difficulties, pain and protecting […]

Patients with Crohn’s disease may have decreased pancreatic activity. A study appearing in the journal, Gut (1990;31:1076-1079) compared the activity of amylase and lipase (pancreatic enzymes that digest carbohydrate and fat respectively) in patients with Crohn’s disease and healthy controls. The 59 men and 84 women with the disease had less pancreatic enzyme activity than

An adult has between six and eight pounds of bacteria in his or her intestines. The total of bacterial cells in the colon is more than the number of cells in the entire body (the bacterial cells are much smaller). The bacteria belong there. The right species of bacteria will produce nutrients, remove toxins, support

Normally you have between 4 and 7 pounds of bacteria in your colon. Normal and well-balanced bacteria have many beneficial functions. Beneficial bacteria do the following: Produce vitamins like folic acid and B12. Nourish the lining of the colon by feeding on vegetable fiber and producing butyric acid. Adequate butyric acid levels reduce the chances

One possible cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. In research appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2004;292(7):852-858) suggests that the bloating seen in IBS can be caused by bacteria in the small intestine. Bloating immediately following a meal is an indication of small intestine bacterial

The intestine is a kind of ecosystem. There are between four and seven pounds of bacteria in the large intestine. The number of bacterial cells outnumber all the cells in your body (the bacteria cells are much smaller than human cells). Bacteria perform necessary functions, like suppressing pathogens, detoxifying harmful chemicals, and producing vitamins. In

A study performed on mice done by researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute shows that acid suppressing medications (proton pump inhibitors, like Prilosec and Prevacid) may actually aggravate the conditions that they are designed to treat. The stomachs of mice treated with these drugs developed more inflammatory