www.naturalpractitionermag.com November 2017

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The eyes may be the windows to thesoul, but the gut is the key to overallhealth. According to NYU LangoneHealth’s Division of Gastroenterology,

the gastrointestinal (GI) system serves essen-tial roles in protecting and sustaining theoverall health and wellness of the humanbody, starting with the intake and absorp-tion of nutrients. “Our gut plays a majorrole, not only in our gastrointestinal health,but in the health and well-being of the entirebody,” explained Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, clinicalassistant professor of medicine at NYULangone Medical Center, adding that it isthis digestive process that provides the build-ing blocks the body needs to live, to functionand to stay healthy.

Often referred to as the body’s “secondbrain,” the gut is connected to the immunesystem (approximately 70 percent of theimmune system resides in the digestivetract), and can even have an effect on ourmood or state of mind. “There is increasingawareness of the link between digestivehealth and mood, via the gut-brain-axis,”

said Hannah Braye, nutritional therapist andtechnical advisor at Florida-based Bio-Kult(Protexin).

Because the GI system is so involved witha number of the body’s functions, it is quiteconcerning that so many people today arehaving digestive issues. Ross Pelton, RPh,PhD, CCN, scientific director for Texas-based Essential Formulas noted that diges-tive issues are one of the most common rea-sons people visit doctors. “A 2009 reportfrom the National Institutes of Health (NIH)stated that 60 to 70 million Americans areaffected each year by digestive diseases, at acost exceeding $100 billion and accountingfor 105 million visits to doctor’s offices; 10percent of hospitalizations and 15 percent ofin-patient hospital procedures are related totreatment for digestive diseases,” he said.

As for common digestive issues, SerenaGoldstein, ND and Natural Practitioner advi-sory board member, listed GERD, irritablebowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory boweldisease (IBD), such as Crohn’s or ulcerativecolitis (UC), diverticulosis, celiac disease,

gallstones and hemorrhoids. Dr. Goldsteinadded that other common issues that may bea trigger include Candida, H. Pylori (over-growth is strongly linked to peptic ulcer dis-ease), and small intestinal bacterial over-growth (SIBO), usually associated withGERD. Ryan Sensenbrenner, senior market-ing manager for Enzyme Science, Inc. inFlorida, added that occasional heartburn isalso a major factor in the category.

But what is causing so many digestiveissues? Dr. Pelton noted that driving forceswithin the digestive health category includeunhealthy lifestyle trends such as a poor diet,sedentary work and leisure habits andincreased levels of stress in daily life are hav-ing a detrimental impact on digestive health.

Dr. Goldstein agreed, adding that stress isa driving force behind digestive distress,because it will further alter gut bacteria andthe ability to absorb food, as well as thecapacity for regular bowel movements.“Stress management is a huge factor, aswhen we’re stressed out, our body thinkswe’re running from a bear (primitive

26 NATURAL PRACTITIONER WWW.NATURALPRACTITIONERMAG.COM NOVEMBER 2017

Practitioners can help patients tackle their digestive issues by getting to the root

of the problem. By Shari Barbanel

Distress CallDIGESTIVE

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brain)—so it won’t prioritize resources toour digestion and reproduction organs.Without proper resources nourishing ourgut, it can lead to ‘leaky gut’ (separation oftight junctions that hold food and other par-ticles in, that then get into our body,” sheexplained.

Going NaturalFor years, conventional OTC and prescrip-tions drugs, such as proton pump inhibitors(PPIs) and antacids, have been the go-to fordigestive distress. “The current OTC marketfor digestive issues is dominated by drugsthat inhibits the production of stomachacids or neutralizes the acid in the stomach,”said Jason Edwards, president and CEO ofIndiana-based Rebel Herbs. “This is a mas-sive industry, antacids alone are more than$10 billion annually.”

In addition, these conventional methodsoften only treat the symptoms of the issueand aren’t dealing with what is at the core ofthe symptoms. “The best approaches involveuncovering the root cause of the condition,”noted Jessica Brandes, ND, with Nevada-based Klaire Labs/SFI-USA. “That ofteninvolves the removal of exacerbating agents,i.e. allergens, foods environmental contribu-tors, eradicating infectious agents, and thenimproving the integrity of the gut lining andreplenishing a healthy microbiome.”

However, as Americans are taking morecontrol of their health, they are learning thatmany of the conventional remedies are notonly just masking the problem, but also maybe doing more harm than good. “Research isemerging that points to serious health issuesfor people that use these OTC or even pre-scription medications for digestive disorders(liver cancer, and bone loss for example)—this is pushing the public to consider herbaloptions,” Edwards said.

“Frequent heartburn medications havecome under fire from numerous studieslinking them to things like dementia andheart disease,” added Sensenbrenner. “Thesemedications are intended to be taken for ashort amount of time for severe sufferers, yetthose with occasional mild indigestion oftentake them as well.”

Diet & Lifestyle ChangesIn order to fix their digestive issues, peopleoften look to their health care practitionersto help the get back on track, and often, alifestyle change is in order. “Dietary andlifestyle changes are some of the most impor-tant changes one can make and often mean areduction or discontinuation of conventionalmedications,” explained Jeremy Appleton,ND with Klaire Labs/SFI-USA. “Thesechanges alone can be incredibly effective.”

Braye agreed that improving the diet is thefirst step to addressing digestive issues.“Eating foods which are high in dietary fiberand resistant starches will not only keep ourbowel movements regular, helping to elimi-nate toxins from the body, but will also helpto feed beneficial bacteria within the gut, shesaid. “I encourage clients to aim to eat twoportions of fruit and at least five portions ofvegetables (a rainbow of different colors) aday and to switch to wholegrain varieties ofbread, pasta, rice etc. in order to increasefiber intake.” Braye also recommends prebi-otic foods, naturally fermented foods andgood-quality protein.

Sensenbrenner added that a food allergyor intolerance might be the reason for diges-tive distress. “When faced with an occasionaldigestive challenge, we encourage individualsto first look at their diet to determine if theproblem could be caused by a specific foodor food group,” he said. “Many practitionerswork with their patients on elimination dietsto identify food intolerances. Once the chal-lenge has been identified, supplementaldigestive enzymes, when taken with a meal,can support the digestion of many of theseproblem-foods.”

SupplementationWhile making improvements to their diet,getting enough exercise and sleep are allmajor factors in improving gut health, sup-plementation is often an option to not onlyhelp repair the gut, but maintain its healthonce it is back in working order. “A widerange of products exists to help managedigestive complaints, said Dr. Brandes.

“Among them, nutritional supplements tohelp repair the gut lining, followed by pre-and probiotics to help replenish the micro-biome and digestive enzymes to assist indi-viduals who may have reduced enzyme pro-duction.”

Dr. Goldstein added that the remedymight vary depending on the condition. Shenoted that magnesium is commonly givenfor constipation, deglycyrrhizinated licorice(DGL) can be taken before meals to soothereflux, digestive enzymes are more of a go-towhen there’s indigestion, gas, bloating orconstipation, apple cider vinegar can helpstimulate acid production to promotehealthy digestion, while herbs likechamomile, peppermint and fennel helpwith improved blood flow to the digestivesystem by calming the system and absorbinggases.

Probiotics & Digestive EnzymesOn the supplement front, probiotics may beone of the most well-known products fordigestive health, after gaining notoriety fromActivia yogurt commercials that starredJamie Lee Curtis. According to Dr. Pelton,probiotics help regulate digestion, absorptionassimilation and elimination—essentially,everything “works better” when the micro-biome is healthy, meaning a wide range ofdifferent strains of probiotic bacteria.

“Probiotics are a category of products thatare commonly used to help treat and correctdigestive issues,” he said. “Scientists nowunderstand that compounds created by pro-biotic bacteria in the GI tract are responsiblefor regulating many functions related tohuman health. We refer to these compoundsas post-biotic metabolites. It’s not the actualbacteria, but rather the compounds theyproduce that regulate digestion, absorption,cell signaling, detoxification, gut-brain com-munication, our immune system and muchmore.”

Essential Formulas’ Dr. Ohhira’sProbiotics delivers a complete microbiomesystem with each capsule containing probi-otics, prebiotics and post-biotic metabolites,according to the company. “Dr. Ohhira’sProbiotics is revolutionary in that it is actu-ally a fermented food product that containsprobiotic bacteria … as do all fermentedfoods,” explained Dr. Pelton.

Braye added that, “multi-strain probiotics

NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.NATURALPRACTITIONERMAG.COM NATURAL PRACTITIONER 27

“Research is emerging

that points to serious

health issues for people

that use these OTC

or even prescription

medications for

digestive disorders

(liver cancer, and bone

loss for example)—

this is pushing the

public to consider

herbal options.”

—Jason Edwards, Presidentand CEO, Rebel Herbs

26-28_Digestion Feature.v1_Layout 1 10/30/17 10:38 AM Page 27

have been shown to be more effective atinhibiting pathogens and exert their positiveeffects across more areas of the gastrointesti-nal tract, therefore potentially helping a

more diverse range of digestive disorders.”Bio-Kult’s probiotic range includes Bio-

Kult Advanced multi-strain formula, aunique multi-strain probiotic with 14 strainsof beneficial bacteria; Bio-Kult Candéa,which contains seven strains of probioticbacteria to reinforce the gut microflora,helping to prevent the yeast Candida albi-cans from finding binding sites in the gut togrow; and Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan, a scientificallydeveloped triple action probiotic formulathat works with the body to help maintainnormal levels of bacteria in the gut and ahealthy urinary tract. The company’s newestaddition, Bio-Kult Infantis, is a scientificallydeveloped advanced probiotic formula forbabies, toddlers and young children.

“The main benefits of the Bio-Kult prod-uct range are that they are multi-strain pro-biotics providing a wide range of benefits,do not need to be refrigerated, havea guaranteed two-year shelf life, areproven to survive the stomach acid-ity and reach the intestine intactand are backed with a growingportfolio of research,” Braye noted.

According to Sensenbrenner,probiotics and digestive enzymesare a perfect match, workingtogether to deal with digestionissues. “So often, we see individualswho immediately go to probioticswhen faced with a digestive challenge,” hesaid. “At Enzyme Science, we’re big believersin probiotics as a supplement with enzymes.Probiotics provide fantastic foundationalsupport to set the GI tract up for efficientdigestion, but enzymes can be more efficient

in that they actively work to break downfood. Together, they go hand-in-hand to cre-ate solutions for occasional diges-tive distress.”

Enzyme Science offers a numberof natural digestive formulas. Thecompany’s flagship product,Critical Digestion, provides a com-bination of enzymes and probioticsto break down all of the most com-mon building blocks of foods, suchas fats, fiber, proteins and carbohy-drates. For food intolerances,Intolerance Complex covers all ofthe major food intolerances in one,including gluten, casein, lactoseand phenols. In addition, Acid Calm pro-vides a natural alternative for those withoccasional heartburn. Sensenbrennerexplained that it provides not only digestiveenzymes, but also soothing herbs and zinccarnosine, which has been shown to supportthe mucosal lining of the GItract.

Klaire Labs also offers a num-ber of products that addressdigestive health. According to Dr.Appleton, some of the company’smost well-known products in thecategory include the Ther-Bioticline of probiotics (e.g., Ther-Biotic Complete capsules andpowder, Ther-Biotic Children’sChewable, Ther-Biotic forInfants, Ther-Biotic Women’sFormula, etc.), Vital-ZymesComplete and Vital-Zymes Chewable (diges-tive enzymes), Interfase and Interfase Plus(enzyme preparations designed to interruptdysbiotic biofilms), LactoPrime Plus (probi-otic), Sequest-AC (formerly Nuvexa, featur-ing a fat-complexing functional fiber knownas alpha-cyclodextrin), Saccharomycesboulardii, ABx Support (a probiotic for peo-ple recovering from antibiotic therapy),among others.

GingerMany people remember theirmothers giving them ginger alewhen they were young to settlean upset stomach, which itturns out, isn’t an “old wives’tale.” According to Edwards,ginger extract is well known toimprove digestion and reducenausea. “We deliver it as a singleherb powder that will dissolve

in water or other beverage and can be usedwhenever the consumer has an upset stom-ach of irritated digestive tract,” he said.

In addition to offering ginger as a singleherb powder, Rebel Herbs offers #76Digestade, a broad formula that stimulates

the digestive processes to improve the entireoperation of digestion. Ingredients in #76

Digestade include fennel see,Embelia ribes, Plumbato zeylanica,Aegle marmelos (bael fruit) andHolarrhena antidysenterica.

Having a healthy digestive sys-tem is vitally important for healthin general and natural practition-ers can help their patients imple-ment the proper diet and lifestylechanges that get on a path to hav-ing a healthy gut. Braye noted thatpractitioners could better servetheir patients with digestive issuesby encouraging holistic changes,

which focus on all aspects of both physicaland mental health. “All too often, people fallinto the trap of taking a ‘pill for an ill,’” shesaid. “However, to see significant and lastingimprovements in digestive health, supple-mentation should be used to complement

concurrent changes to diet andstress-reducing lifestyle modifica-tions. Protocols should be tailoredto meet the individual needs of theclient.”

“Digestive health is really at thecore of overall health,” concludedDr. Appleton. “Hippocrates of Kosfamously said that all disease beginsin the gut. As our understanding ofthe human microbiome expands,and inter-relations between that sys-tem and other body systems becomeincreasingly evident, the words of

the father of modern medicine will ring eventruer today than they did when they werespoken more than 2,000 years ago.”

28 NATURAL PRACTITIONER WWW.NATURALPRACTITIONERMAG.COM NOVEMBER 2017

■ Bio-Kult (Protexin), www.bio-kult.com■ Enzyme Science, Inc., www.enzyscience.com■ Essential Formulas Inc.,

www.essentialformulas.com■ Klarie Labs/SFI-USA, www.klaire.com■ Rebel Herbs, www.rebelherbs.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

■ Approximately 70 percent of the immune system resides in thedigestive tract.■ According to NIH, 60 to 70

million Americans are affected each year by digestive diseases.■ Food allergies or intolerances

can be the reason behind digestivedistress.■ Ginger extract is well known

to improve digestion and reducenausea.

Healthy Take Aways

Distress CallDIGESTIVE

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Detox & Liver HealthReg’ Activ Detox & LiverHealth* by Texas-basedEssential FormulasIncorporated, containsthe revolutionaryprobiotic strainLactobacillus fermentumME-3. Studied for morethan 20 years, ME-3 hasbeen found to support healthy glutathione levels—a key to healthyliver function. Glutathione is the body’s “master antioxidant,” and isused by every cell in the human body, and is vital for hepaticfunction. Reg’ Activ Detox & Liver Health* pairs this powerhouseprobiotic strain with additional hepatic health ingredients. L-methionine and N-acetylcystine (NAC) are glutathione precursors,while L-selenomethionine (selenium) promotes healthy levels ofglutathione peroxidase, which supports liver tissue health. Then,there’s milk thistle (silymarin), which produces super antioxidantenzymes for optimal detoxification and liver health. Sixty capsuleshave a suggested price of $49.95.*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

For more information, call (972) 255-3918 or visitwww.essentialformulas.com.

Clinical GlutathioneClinical Glutathione with Sublinthion,manufactured by Wisconsin-basedEuroMedica, provides an effective oralglutathione supplement to defendcritical cells and support neurologicalhealth.* Using new, patented Frenchtechnology, it delivers this essentialnutrient in a slow melt tablet. Studies show that ClinicalGlutathione increases the ratio of active to inactive glutathione 65percent better than the precursor, N-acetylcysteine (NAC).* In apublished human study, Clinical Glutathione improved the bloodratio of reduced glutathione versus oxidized glutathione by 230percent. It increased active glutathione in the bloodstream 38points, while unprotected glutathione reduced the active amount by40 points.* That represents a potentially life-changing difference foryour patients, as mentioned by the company. Sixty tablets have asuggested price of $65.95.*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

For more information, call (866) 842-7256 or visitwww.euromedicausa.com.

Liver SafeGuardThe liver performs many essential functions relatedto digestion, metabolism, immune health, nutrientstorage and detoxification. Liver SafeGuard byRainbow Light (Florida) features concentrated milkthistle to strengthen cellular integrity, support thedetoxification process and promote healthy liverfunction. Additional widely studied hepato-protective ingredients include curcumin, L-glutathione and N-acetyl L-cysteine. The digestivesupport blend in this product contains botanical ingredients that areknown both traditionally, clinically and in the research to besupportive of digestive and liver health: ginger, artichoke leaf,burdock root and dandelion leaf. According to the company, thisproduct is made with natural, purity-tested ingredients and containsno artificial preservatives, colors, flavors or sweeteners, eggs, fish,gluten, milk/dairy, peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts or wheat. A 50-ct.bottle of vegetarian capsules has a suggested price of $35.99.For more information, call (800) 475-1890 or visitwww.rainbowlight.com.

PectaSol-C ProfessionalPectaSol-C Professional by California-basedClinical Synergy Professional Formulas is theonly clinically studied Modified Citrus Pectinand has more than 25 published studies, rangingfrom cardiovascular health to immune supportto safe detoxification of heavy metals. PectaSol-C Professional has been widely used in healthcare practices for more than 20 years; it is soeffective that it has patents for blocking

Galectin-3, and immune support. PectaSol-C Professional is GRAS(generally recognized as safe) and has no known side effects. It hasproven synergies with other supplements and is easily added topatient treatment plans. Depending on the size and quantity, theproduct’s suggested price ranges from $39.95 to $123.95.For more information, call (877) 877-2362 or visitwww.clinicalsynergyformulas.com.

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