Digestive Health

Probiotics Research Update: Glucose Control, Obesity Prevention & Ulcer Remedy

By Kristen Schepker, Assistant Editor

The recent explosion in human microbiome research and its increasing coverage in the media, has made “probiotics” a household word. While many people understand that beneficial bacteria are a crucial component of digestive health, scientists continue to uncover the myriad ways in which probiotics promote good health far beyond the GI tract.

Following are reviews of some of the latest probiotics studies highlighting the roles that gut flora play in regulating blood sugar levels, influencing obesity, and combating H. pylori infection.

How To Restore Gut Flora After Antibiotics

By Kristen Schepker, Assistant Editor

Antibiotics eradicate pathogenic infections and save lives — but in doing so, they also disrupt the integrity of the intestinal microbiome. While many physicians recognize the need for restoring a patient’s microbial balance following a course of antibiotic therapy, far fewer understand how to do this effectively. According to Amie Skilton, ND, restoration of gut […]

Stop Fighting, Start Restorative Healing: A Functional Approach to SIBO

By By Russell Jaffe, MD, Contributing Writer

The key to helping people dealing with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is to initiate restorative healing of the affected tissues. We need to shift physiology so that the internal environment no longer favors the overgrowth of hostile bacteria in the small intestine. If we fail to do that, treatments aimed at eradicating the bugs will have little long-term efficacy

Probiotics: Benefits Beyond Gut Health

By Kristen Schepker, Assistant Editor

Probiotics are widely touted for their capacity to improve digestive function and strengthen gastrointestinal health. But according to new research, the effects of beneficial bacteria extend far beyond the gut alone.

Low FODMAP Diet Offers Road to Relief for IBS

By Kristen Schepker

When it comes to treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), prevailing wisdom encourages eating more dietary fiber to help manage unpleasant digestive symptoms. But new research indicates that a group of fermentable carbohydrates referred to as FODMAPs — found in many high-fiber foods — might actually make IBS symptoms worse.

Why Probiotics Don’t Always Work

By Zach Bush, MD, Contributing Writer

The optimally healthy human gut should contain between 20,000 and 30,000 species of bacteria. Variety is key. The greater the diversity, the healthier the microbiome. Zealous use of probiotics, while reflecting a positive trend overall, could be causing problems by “monocropping” the GI tract with a relatively small number of species at the expense of ecosystem diversity.

Rethinking the Role of Stress in Stomach Ulcers

By Kristen Schepker | Assistant Editor

New research published recently in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology provides strong evidence that psychological factors need to be brought back into the clinical picture of peptic ulcer disease.