Optimal Digestive Health
A Complete Guide
Edited by Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
Edited by Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH
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- Edition: Revised Edition of Optimal Digestion
- Pages: 608
- Book Size: 6 x 9
- ISBN-13: 9781594770364
- Imprint: Healing Arts Press
- On Sale Date: February 22, 2005
- Format: Paperback Book
- Illustrations: 12 b&w illustrations
Drawing on the expertise of 25 practitioners, Optimal Digestive Health explores the symptoms, causes, and effective treatments for 30 digestive disorders. The best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies are paired with intelligent self-care in this integrated approach to health and healing.
A comprehensive and integrative approach to achieving digestive health using mainstream, complementary, and alternative therapies
• Offers complete information on herbal and homeopathic remedies, supplements, diets, medical tests, and environmental toxin reduction
• Includes a step-by-step diet to help readers moderate their carbohydrate intake and balance blood sugar levels
• Contains effective therapies for 30 digestive disorders, from candida to ulcers
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 90 million Americans suffer from digestive disorders. Drawing on the expertise of 25 practitioners, Optimal Digestive Health explores the symptoms, possible causes, medical testing, and effective treatments for 30 digestive disorders, from candida and colitis to ulcers. In addition, the authors explain the role digestion plays in many other health conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, mood swings, immune function, and skin problems. They provide clear information on detoxification, food allergies, and environmental factors, as well as meditation, qigong, and yoga. A step-by-step diet is offered to help readers moderate their carbohydrate intake and balance their blood sugar--keys to health and weight loss. Optimal Digestive Health demystifies the use of herbal therapies, acupuncture, biofeedback, and Ayurveda in the treatment of digestive disorders, pairing the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing.
• Offers complete information on herbal and homeopathic remedies, supplements, diets, medical tests, and environmental toxin reduction
• Includes a step-by-step diet to help readers moderate their carbohydrate intake and balance blood sugar levels
• Contains effective therapies for 30 digestive disorders, from candida to ulcers
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 90 million Americans suffer from digestive disorders. Drawing on the expertise of 25 practitioners, Optimal Digestive Health explores the symptoms, possible causes, medical testing, and effective treatments for 30 digestive disorders, from candida and colitis to ulcers. In addition, the authors explain the role digestion plays in many other health conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, mood swings, immune function, and skin problems. They provide clear information on detoxification, food allergies, and environmental factors, as well as meditation, qigong, and yoga. A step-by-step diet is offered to help readers moderate their carbohydrate intake and balance their blood sugar--keys to health and weight loss. Optimal Digestive Health demystifies the use of herbal therapies, acupuncture, biofeedback, and Ayurveda in the treatment of digestive disorders, pairing the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing.
From Chapter 17
How to Find Out What’s Working and What Isn’t
John Furlong, N.D.
To practice truly preventive medicine, we have to know when to intervene. We need to be able to identify that crucial period when health is beginning to slip away, before the damage has been done.
We now have many of the pieces of the puzzle in our hands--the basis for truly preventive medicine. Basic yet sophisticated new lab tests are able to reflect the uniqueness of individual biology. These tests help us find inflammation, overly aggressive immune responses, poor digestion, and hormone problems; they all fit in the model of functional, preventive medicine. We also have the tools to intervene in these processes effectively with nutrients and herbs, minimizing the use of synthetic medications. It’s clear that medicine has made enormous progress in the development of pharmacology and technology, essential in heroic intervention against acute injury and disease. In contrast, when we’re working preventively, we find the time-honored relationships between what we eat, how we think, how much we exercise, and whether we reduce stress continue to be the most powerful modifiers of the disease process. We can adjust these aspects of our lives, knowing that the results will be naturally in accord with our physiology.
You are the person most likely to benefit from this new preventive medicine, being able to avert severe disease when the first signs of illness are present. Functional tests can help your doctors understand you better, enabling them to recommend therapies specific to your situation and get to the root cause of many kinds of illnesses. See your preventive or functional practitioner before things get out of hand and you’ll reap many benefits. You may even find you feel better than ever before!
The CDSA (Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis)
This simple test, obtained from one to three stool samples, gives some twenty different measures. It assesses how food is utilized by the digestive system and the absorption of fats. The test also indicates the levels of bacteria and yeast, and the by-products of bacteria (both good and bad) in the colon. These assessments together provide a window into our digestion, an area we often overlook, but one essential for good health.
For instance, the test can show low levels of an enzyme from the pancreas called chymotrypsin. If this enzyme isn’t being secreted at the right level, our ability to absorb proteins may be impaired. In some cases, this is the cause of symptoms such as a failure to gain weight, gas, and bloating, and may relate to arthritis. The CDSA also reports on fats found in the stool. Although unabsorbed fats are normally quite low, when they are elevated, they can point to gallbladder problems, and difficulty in absorbing vitamins such as A, D, and E.
Intestinal Permeability
This test measures the degree of intestinal permeability in the small intestine. It answers the question “Has the intestinal wall become too permeable, allowing toxins, allergens, and bacteria to enter the bloodstream?” The procedure involves drinking a solution containing two harmless compounds, lactulose and mannitol. Lactulose is a larger molecule. Mannitol is very small. Because these molecules tend to pass through our system undigested, a urine collection can reflect how much of each substance is passing through the gut barrier into the bloodstream.
This is a test to identify the integrity of the small intestine and how well it’s likely to function and repair itself. So the information gained can help a physician determine how much wear and tear are affecting the small intestine. Periodically during treatment, this test can easily be retaken to gauge how well a person is responding to the therapy. If the test results show improvement with treatment, the doctor is on the right track!
Testing for Oxidative Stress
The test for oxidative stress is actually part of the complete detoxification profile, or it can be ordered separately. With this test, we’re challenging the body just a little by giving a small dose of aspirin. The test is used to measure free radicals that are produced as the body metabolizes the aspirin. Free radicals are highly active molecules that can be compared with a superball bouncing around in a room very rapidly, hitting walls, lights, whatever happens to be there. The energy of the free radical is not necessarily a problem if there’s enough “cushioning” in the tissues surrounding its activity. Free radicals are generated from day-to-day activity such as exercise or metabolizing foods and generally don’t create any problem as long as there are adequate levels of antioxidants from the diet or a supplement.
The value of tests like the oxidative stress test is to detect excess production of free radicals and make changes before problems occur. Two of the chemicals that result from the aspirin challenge serve as markers of how much free radical damage this small dose of aspirin has generated. These chemicals can be measured in urine, and if those levels are high, we know the person is very susceptible to free radical activity. If the levels are normal, then we know he or she has adequate stores of antioxidants.
JOHN FURLONG, N.D., is a naturopathic physician, trained at Bastyr University in Seattle. His experience in medicine ranges from hospital care to holistic health care. He was a founding member of a collaborative health center in Connecticut, where he provided services in nutritional, homeopathic, and botanical medicine and detoxification. He also founded the People’s Health Alliance, a nonprofit organization promoting public education in natural approaches to healing. He is currently assistant director of education at the Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory.
Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory offers a variety of diagnostic testing, including tests described above; educational materials are available to both patients and practitioners on health, preventive medicine, and functional testing through their Client Services Department, 63 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801-1074, or by calling 800-522-4762 or visiting their web site at www.gsdl.com.
How to Find Out What’s Working and What Isn’t
John Furlong, N.D.
To practice truly preventive medicine, we have to know when to intervene. We need to be able to identify that crucial period when health is beginning to slip away, before the damage has been done.
We now have many of the pieces of the puzzle in our hands--the basis for truly preventive medicine. Basic yet sophisticated new lab tests are able to reflect the uniqueness of individual biology. These tests help us find inflammation, overly aggressive immune responses, poor digestion, and hormone problems; they all fit in the model of functional, preventive medicine. We also have the tools to intervene in these processes effectively with nutrients and herbs, minimizing the use of synthetic medications. It’s clear that medicine has made enormous progress in the development of pharmacology and technology, essential in heroic intervention against acute injury and disease. In contrast, when we’re working preventively, we find the time-honored relationships between what we eat, how we think, how much we exercise, and whether we reduce stress continue to be the most powerful modifiers of the disease process. We can adjust these aspects of our lives, knowing that the results will be naturally in accord with our physiology.
You are the person most likely to benefit from this new preventive medicine, being able to avert severe disease when the first signs of illness are present. Functional tests can help your doctors understand you better, enabling them to recommend therapies specific to your situation and get to the root cause of many kinds of illnesses. See your preventive or functional practitioner before things get out of hand and you’ll reap many benefits. You may even find you feel better than ever before!
The CDSA (Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis)
This simple test, obtained from one to three stool samples, gives some twenty different measures. It assesses how food is utilized by the digestive system and the absorption of fats. The test also indicates the levels of bacteria and yeast, and the by-products of bacteria (both good and bad) in the colon. These assessments together provide a window into our digestion, an area we often overlook, but one essential for good health.
For instance, the test can show low levels of an enzyme from the pancreas called chymotrypsin. If this enzyme isn’t being secreted at the right level, our ability to absorb proteins may be impaired. In some cases, this is the cause of symptoms such as a failure to gain weight, gas, and bloating, and may relate to arthritis. The CDSA also reports on fats found in the stool. Although unabsorbed fats are normally quite low, when they are elevated, they can point to gallbladder problems, and difficulty in absorbing vitamins such as A, D, and E.
Intestinal Permeability
This test measures the degree of intestinal permeability in the small intestine. It answers the question “Has the intestinal wall become too permeable, allowing toxins, allergens, and bacteria to enter the bloodstream?” The procedure involves drinking a solution containing two harmless compounds, lactulose and mannitol. Lactulose is a larger molecule. Mannitol is very small. Because these molecules tend to pass through our system undigested, a urine collection can reflect how much of each substance is passing through the gut barrier into the bloodstream.
This is a test to identify the integrity of the small intestine and how well it’s likely to function and repair itself. So the information gained can help a physician determine how much wear and tear are affecting the small intestine. Periodically during treatment, this test can easily be retaken to gauge how well a person is responding to the therapy. If the test results show improvement with treatment, the doctor is on the right track!
Testing for Oxidative Stress
The test for oxidative stress is actually part of the complete detoxification profile, or it can be ordered separately. With this test, we’re challenging the body just a little by giving a small dose of aspirin. The test is used to measure free radicals that are produced as the body metabolizes the aspirin. Free radicals are highly active molecules that can be compared with a superball bouncing around in a room very rapidly, hitting walls, lights, whatever happens to be there. The energy of the free radical is not necessarily a problem if there’s enough “cushioning” in the tissues surrounding its activity. Free radicals are generated from day-to-day activity such as exercise or metabolizing foods and generally don’t create any problem as long as there are adequate levels of antioxidants from the diet or a supplement.
The value of tests like the oxidative stress test is to detect excess production of free radicals and make changes before problems occur. Two of the chemicals that result from the aspirin challenge serve as markers of how much free radical damage this small dose of aspirin has generated. These chemicals can be measured in urine, and if those levels are high, we know the person is very susceptible to free radical activity. If the levels are normal, then we know he or she has adequate stores of antioxidants.
JOHN FURLONG, N.D., is a naturopathic physician, trained at Bastyr University in Seattle. His experience in medicine ranges from hospital care to holistic health care. He was a founding member of a collaborative health center in Connecticut, where he provided services in nutritional, homeopathic, and botanical medicine and detoxification. He also founded the People’s Health Alliance, a nonprofit organization promoting public education in natural approaches to healing. He is currently assistant director of education at the Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory.
Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory offers a variety of diagnostic testing, including tests described above; educational materials are available to both patients and practitioners on health, preventive medicine, and functional testing through their Client Services Department, 63 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801-1074, or by calling 800-522-4762 or visiting their web site at www.gsdl.com.
Preface to the Second Edition
Part I
How Your Body Works
1 Redefining the Problem • Jerry Stine
2 How Digestion Works • Jerry Stine
3 Your Five Protective Barriers • Scott Anderson, M.D.
4 Immune Defenses • Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
5 Friendly Flora • Nigel Plummer, Ph.D.
6 Harmful Flora • Len Saputo, M.D.
7 Leaky Gut Syndrome • Len Saputo, M.D.
8 Effects of Food Allergies • Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
9 Harm from Toxins • Jeffry Anderson, M.D.
10 Stress and Digestion • Martin Rossman, M.D.
11 Toxic Overload • Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
12 Damage from Free Radicals • Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D.
13 How Problems with Digestion Can Cause Illness Anywhere in the Body • Jeffry Anderson, M.D.
Part II
Tools for Evaluating Your Health
14 Testing to Rule Out Disease • Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
Unraveling the Mystery of Digestive Illness: Using Antibody Testing • Aristo Vojdani, Ph.D., M.T.
15 Detecting Microbes • Omar Amin, Ph.D.
16 Testing in Preventive Medicine • The Institute for Functional Medicine
Food Allergy Testing • Sidney MacDonald Baker, M.D.
17 How to Find Out What’s Working and What Isn’t • John Furlong, N.D., and Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory
18 Assessing Immunity and Inflammation • William G. Timmins, N.D.
Part III
New Strategies for Inner Health
19 Remove, Replace, Restore, and Repair • Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D.
20 Minimizing Food Allergies • Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
21 Clearing Bad Bugs • The Team
22 The Problem of Viruses • Richard Kunin, M.D.
23 Minimizing Toxic Exposure • Jeffry Anderson, M.D.
24 Replacing Digestants and Restoring Flora • The Team
25 Repairing the GI Tract • The Team
26 Detox • Jeffry Anderson, M.D., and Jerry Stine
27 Cleaning Up Bad Habits • Elson Haas, M.D.
28 Rebalancing Lifestyle • Elson Haas, M.D.
29 Renewing Immunity--A Checklist • Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
30 The Basics of a Healthy Diet • The Team
31 Managing Blood Sugar and Carbs • Jerry Stine
32 First Aid for Inflammation • Paul Lynn, M.D.
33 Nutrients for Repair • Richard Kunin, M.D.
34 The Role of Hormones in Healing • Paul Lynn, M.D.
35 Drugs and Nutrition in Combination • Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
36 Drug Cautions • Len Saputo, M.D.
37 Benefits of Herbal Therapies • Timothy Kuss, Ph.D.
38 New Strategies for Digestive Health • Jerry Stine
39 Medicine for the Future: Bioelectromagnetic Therapy • Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
40 Improving Digestive Health with Chinese Medicine • Efrem Korngold, O.M.D.
41 Using Homeopathy • Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH
42 Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and Guide • Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician
43 Gentle Exercise • Roger Jahnke, O.M.D.
Part IV
Therapies from Mind-Body Medicine
44 Quality of Life • Michael Lerner, Ph.D.
45 Meditation in Healing • Madeline Ko-i Bastis, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH, Jim Castelli, and H.H. the Dalai Lama
46 Guided Imagery • Martin Rossman, M.D.
47 Self-Care • Tom Ferguson, M.D.
48 Getting the Support You Need • Len Saputo, M.D., and Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH
49 Support Groups • Rebecca McLean
50 Tips for Online Health Searching • Tom Ferguson, M.D.
51 The Healer Within • Roger Jahnke, O.M.D.
52 The Proactive Patient • Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH
Part V
Treatment Options For Specific Conditions
Trent W. Nichols, M.D.
Cancer of the Colon
Candida (Yeast Overgrowth)
Celiac Disease (Sprue)
Cirrhosis
Constipation (Chronic)
Diarrhea (Chronic)
Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
Dyspepsia--Without Ulcers
Fibromyalgia
Fissures
Fistulas
Food Allergies
Gallstones
Gastritis
Hemorrhoids
Hepatitis (Chronic)
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD): Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Lactose Intolerance
Liver Disease
Malabsorption
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatitis
Pruritus Ani
Reflux and Heartburn--GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
Strictures and Structural Conditions
Ulcers/Ulcer Disease
Resources
Index
Trent W. Nichols, M.D., is an internist, nutritionist, and gastroenterologist with more than 30 years of clinical experience. He is the founder and director of the Center for Nutritional Digestive Disorders and also the Advanced Magnetic Research Institute in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH, is coauthor of several books on health and medicine, including The Germ Survival Guide, Boosting Immunity, and Integrating Complementary Medicine into Health Systems. She lives in San Francisco.
“. . . provide[s] an important survey of herbal therapies, homeopathy, and the other alternatives to mainstream methods--including complementary therapies.”
The Midwest Book Review
"This revised edition presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and treatments available. . . . pairs the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing."
Aznet News, Aug-Sept 2005
"From managing blood sugar to utilizing guided imagery in healing, Dr. Trent W. Nichols and Nancy Faass have compiled a thorough, wide-ranging reference work that should be required reading for anyone with a chronic health problem, as well as fo health professionals."
Nicole Noles, New Age Retailer, New Year 2006
The Midwest Book Review
"This revised edition presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and treatments available. . . . pairs the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing."
Aznet News, Aug-Sept 2005
"From managing blood sugar to utilizing guided imagery in healing, Dr. Trent W. Nichols and Nancy Faass have compiled a thorough, wide-ranging reference work that should be required reading for anyone with a chronic health problem, as well as fo health professionals."
Nicole Noles, New Age Retailer, New Year 2006
HEALTH / DIET
More than ninety million Americans suffer from digestive disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health, yet very few of us know where to turn for help and information.
Optimal Digestive Health presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and treatments available from both mainstream and alternative medicine for more than thirty digestive disorders--from seriously debilitating and chronic conditions to the occasional imbalances that can temporarily stop any of us in our tracks, including:
Reflux and heartburn • Ulcers • Candida • Fibromyalgia • Food allergies Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) • Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease Parasitic infection • Gallstones • Chronic constipation and diarrhea Diverticulosis • Colon and pancreatic cancer
Drawing on the advice and research of twenty-five top physicians and practitioners in the field of Integrative Medicine, the book begins with an overall evaluation of your current health and then explores the symptoms, possible causes, medical testing, and most effective treatments available.
The book helps you create an individual health program using diet, nutrients, medications, exercise, rest, and stress reduction. Optimal Digestive Health demystifies the use of herbal therapies, homeopathy, acupuncture, biofeedback, and Ayurveda in the treatment of digestive disorders. This approach pairs the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing.
TRENT W. NICHOLS, MD, is an internist, nutritionist, and gastroenterologist with more than thirty years of clinical experience. He is the founder and director of the Center for Nutritional Digestive Disorders and also the Advanced Magnetic Research Institute in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He was recently selected as one of America’s Top Physicians by Consumers’ Research Council of America.
NANCY FAASS, MSW, MPH, is a writer and editor in San Francisco. She is the coauthor of The Germ Survival Guide and Boosting Immunity and editor of Integrating Complementary Medicine into Health Systems, voted 2001 Medical Book of the Year.
More than ninety million Americans suffer from digestive disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health, yet very few of us know where to turn for help and information.
Optimal Digestive Health presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and treatments available from both mainstream and alternative medicine for more than thirty digestive disorders--from seriously debilitating and chronic conditions to the occasional imbalances that can temporarily stop any of us in our tracks, including:
Reflux and heartburn • Ulcers • Candida • Fibromyalgia • Food allergies Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) • Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease Parasitic infection • Gallstones • Chronic constipation and diarrhea Diverticulosis • Colon and pancreatic cancer
Drawing on the advice and research of twenty-five top physicians and practitioners in the field of Integrative Medicine, the book begins with an overall evaluation of your current health and then explores the symptoms, possible causes, medical testing, and most effective treatments available.
The book helps you create an individual health program using diet, nutrients, medications, exercise, rest, and stress reduction. Optimal Digestive Health demystifies the use of herbal therapies, homeopathy, acupuncture, biofeedback, and Ayurveda in the treatment of digestive disorders. This approach pairs the best of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies with intelligent self-care for an integrated patient-centered approach to healing.
TRENT W. NICHOLS, MD, is an internist, nutritionist, and gastroenterologist with more than thirty years of clinical experience. He is the founder and director of the Center for Nutritional Digestive Disorders and also the Advanced Magnetic Research Institute in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He was recently selected as one of America’s Top Physicians by Consumers’ Research Council of America.
NANCY FAASS, MSW, MPH, is a writer and editor in San Francisco. She is the coauthor of The Germ Survival Guide and Boosting Immunity and editor of Integrating Complementary Medicine into Health Systems, voted 2001 Medical Book of the Year.
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