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The Olde Crohn Vol 2
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-=] THE OLDE CROHN [=-
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EX NIHILO NIHIL FIT
"There is no effect without a cause"
Volume 2 - October 1995
Dedicated to the concept that no one should suffer
from any inflammatory bowel disease
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THIS ISSUE
DIGESTION * ENZYMES * NEW DEVELOPMENTS
FOCUS ON GOOD DIET
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NEWS FLASH !!!
THE OLDE CROHN now has her own WWW page. Thanks to a generous
donation of time and online service by kathy@netline.net, our
readers can access issues with any graphical or non-graphical web
browser. While you can still get THE OLDE CROHN by ftp, check
out the web page at URL:
http://www.netline.net/~kathy/crohn/index.html
The Olde Crohn website will allow you to send us email and to ftp
a copy of any issue automatically. Ain't technology a gas!
If you like the web page, why not send Kathy some email
and let her know. Thanks to you Kathy, from all of us.
==============================================================
----] THE EDITOR'S SOAPBOX [----
WELCOME back to THE OLDE CROHN. On behalf of all the volunteers
who contributed to the first issue in August, we would like to
thank all of our readers who sent us the kind comments, advice,
letters and encouragement. Your enthusiasm has given us that
special energy that makes it all worth while.
Before we get on with the new issue, we also want to express our
sincerest thanks to Carol Sveilich and Ellen Nilhoff who for the
last 2 1/2 years have faithfully published IBDetails. We especially
thank you Carol for all of your advice and help and we will work
diligently to make THE OLDE CROHN come up to the standard that
IBDetails has set. We would also like to make special note of
Chris Holmes who was responsible until recently for posting the
Crohn's/Colitis FAQ to alt.support.crohns-colitis. Thank you
Chris, your service to all of us did not go unnoticed or
unappreciated.
There are some significant changes since last issue in our funding
and policy. We think that they are for the benefit of all.
1. DON'T ORDER ANY MORE NOVUS REPORTS! We have since come to
agreement with the copyright owners to make them available free of
charge. Watch alt.support.crohns-colitis for a posting of where
and how to ftp report copies.
2. Email Delivery of The Olde Crohn: If you are having
problems or do not have ftp or www access (and you are not just
being lazy about it), send us an email request with EMAIL DELIVERY
in the subject header. This service is limited by our available
online and volunteer time but we will try to get copies out to
anyone who asks.
3. Hard copy by Snail Mail: We have received quite a few
requests from members of support groups and other individuals who
do not have regular computer access but want copies of THE OLDE
CROHN. Our policy on hard copy is based on the concept that this
is an ELECTRONIC journal. We set up a hard copy subscription rate
that we thought would help discourage snail mail subscribers. It
did not and we are not really equipped to do mass mailing. So, to
that end, we are offering a hard copy subscription (free of charge)
to any one member from any support group. The catch is that you
have to distribute the hard copy to your members. If you agree and
want a copy, send us a post card or email.
4. Advertising: Thanks to the generous and beneficent nature
of the Internal Revenue Service we can derive some of our funding
from "commercial advertising" in The Olde Crohn, however what
percentage that constitutes is still unknown. [If you notice that
my personal email address changes to a mail site in Switzerland or
the Bahamas you will know that we exceeded that percentage].
So, we are now accepting advertising as a funding source. We
are also being told to disclaim any claim made by any advertiser.
If you have any comments or critiques (beware, I am very, very,
very sensitive) to pass on to me as editor, email at
rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put EDITOR in the subject header.
Here, deep in the bowels of the Novus Research facility, the best
excuse for not getting any real work done is, "I'm reading my
email".
Thanks again to all of our readers and contributors. Keep those
emails coming.
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-:] THE OLDE CROHN SPEAKS [:-
[This column is devoted to answering questions of significance
about Crohn's and Colitis related topics. It is NOT intended to be
medical or treatment advice, but rather to stimulate discussion on
the many aspects of inflammatory bowel disease -ED]
Q: My friend wants me to try colon cleansing for IBD that I have
had for eleven years. She claims that my problems come from an
impacted bowel. Is colon cleansing safe?
A: If you are talking about "cleansing" by inserting a speculum
into the anus and filling the entire colon with water and herbal
mixtures that is administered by a "colon therapist", DON'T DO IT!
Most legitimate medical sources contain warnings that Crohns and
colitis are contraindications for this therapy.
If you are talking about dietary regimes that cleanse by
herbal or fiber action, see your physician before you choose a
therapy.
The problem with inflammatory and ulcerative bowel disorders
are the severe structural and absorption defects that the diseases
create. Avoid colonic irrigation as it has the potential to
severely damage the intestine through hydraulic pressure and
spasms. Also, any abcesses, tumors or fistulas can be ruptured by
the process no matter how gentle or gradual the therapist claims
the process is.
As far as diet and fiber is concerned, you should always be
aware of the inherent problems that come with an inflamed bowel.
That is, poor absorption of nutrients. Any diet should be
evaluated for its effect on your nutrition, and then weighted
against the potential benefit.
With that warning made, it is very possible that impacted
fecal matter and poor absorption can be alleviated by dietary
cleansing and thus relieving some inflammatory bowel symptoms. We
have not found any anecdotal or scientific evidence that it will
"cure" inflammatory bowel disease. But it may be an important
ingredient in an overall approach.
------------------------------------------
Q: I read that fasting can have a positive effect on Crohns by
helping my body to eliminate built up toxins, but I need to know
how long and how often I should fast?
A: Fasting for religious purpose has been extolled in the Bible
for Christians, and the Holy Quran requires that Muslims fast for
one month every year. However, even the Quran gives an exemption
to those who are ill.
If you are under weight, or have inflammatory bowel disease
you should not fast unless you are under strict medical
supervision. Hospitalized patients undergoing severe abdominal
pain are often placed on IV and have solid foods withheld to allow
intestinal spasms to stop. The key here is the IV which will
supply needed nutrients and electrolytes that you must have to stay
among the living.
It is hard to weigh the potential dangers of fasting against
the benefits and come up on the side of a fast. If you want to
fast because you feel you need to eliminate toxins or impacted
matter, try dietary changes instead. The result may take longer,
but the long term benefits are greater.
What you should never do is to fast to relieve acute
symptomology. The dangers of increasing the problems are far
greater than any potential benefit. The time to experiment with a
new approach is not during a flare.
Q: What is Ayurvedic Medicine? Is it some new fad?
A: Ayurvedic Medicine has been practiced in India for over five
thousand years so it does not qualify as a fad. The name is hindu
for "science of life" and it combines natural therapies with a
highly personalized therapy regime. Ayurvedic places equal
emphasis on body, mind, and spirit and strives to restore the
innate harmony of the individual.
The FULL participation of the patient is essential as the
therapies are "self-directed". Diet, exercise, hygiene, yoga,
meditation, and breathing exercises are significant parts of the
personal health program. The World Health Organization recognizes
Ayurvedic and supports research and the integration of this medical
discipline into modern health care.
With that as an endorsement, Ayurvedic is definitely something
to look into for IBD patients. However, as in all nonstandard
medical systems there are a number of scams and charlatans out
plying the trade. Research the medical literature first and become
familiar with Ayurvedic before you seek out a practitioner. Then,
like you would check out a contractor to build your dream house,
check out the Ayurvedic practitioner THOROUGHLY before you agree to
treatment.
Q: Can you tell me about an herb called Cat's Claw. I heard it is
good for the intestinal tract and aids in healing gastrointestinal
disorders?
A: Cat's Claw (uncaria tomentosa) is a woody vine which grows up
to 100 feet in length on trees in the highlands of the Peruvian
rainforest. It's inner bark and root are decocted into a
traditional medicinal tea that the Ashania natives of Peru have
used for hundreds of years to treat serious diseases. It is just
recently (the past 5-7 years) been introduced to the U.S. herbal
medicine scene.
Dr. Brent Davis has been working with Uncaria tomentosa since
1988 and calls it a "world class herb" and the "opener of the way"
because of his claim of its remarkable ability to cleanse the
entire intestinal tract. He says, "Cat's Claw helps patients
suffering from stomach and bowel disorders."
Cat's Claw appears to have many therapeutic applications.
Studies conducted in Peru, Austria, Germany, England, Hungary and
Italy suggest it may be benficial in the treatment of AIDS and HIV
virus, allergies, arthritis, bursitis, cancer, systemic
candidiasis, chronic fatigue syndrome, organic depression,
diabetes, herpes, lupus, PMS, and bowel disorders including Crohn's
disease, diverticulitis, leaky bowel syndrome, colitis, hemorroids,
fistulas, gastritis, ulcers, parasites, and intestinal flora
imbalance.
In an article written by Phillip N. Steinberg, he mentions
that he found more than 20 different references and articles about
Uncaria tomentosa through a Med-line database search. He also
publishes a newsletter about Cat's Claw.
A major supplier is Peruvian Imports Unlimited in North Palm
Beach, Florida. It is available in herbal tea or capsule form.
According to research three to six grams per day is considered
therapeutic if using capsules or three to four strong cups of tea
per day. As much as twenty grams per day might be used in advanced
stages of pathology. Dr. Richard Gerber of Germany says German
studies have determined that Cat's Claw has very low toxicity even
when taken in large amounts. Since the use of Cat's Claw is new in
the U.S. we would welcome any additional information any of our
readers may have. Enough said.
[ If you have questions, comments, suggestions or criticisms
for The Olde Crohn Speaks send an email to rmalloy@squeaky.free.org
and put SPEAKS in the subject header - ED ]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I CONQUERED CROHNS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[ This is the second in a series of articles written by individuals
who have conquered Crohn's disease and Colitis through personal
perseverance, research, and dedication. These articles are not
intended to be an exhaustive account or a medical course of
therapy. We do not suggest that anything espoused in any article
is a sure cure for Crohn's or Colitis, nor is it meant to
contradict another course of treatment. These articles are
intended as a source of new information, perspectives, and a
stimulus for discussion and debate.]
=================================================================
[Normally we edit articles for grammar, content, and we sometimes
rewrite for style. This one we left exactly as submitted. We hope
you will agree. - ED]
------
My name is Dayl Demio. I have a daughter who was diagnosed
with Crohn's Disease six years ago. She was fourteen at the time.
I want you to know that chronic illness like CD not only effects
the person who is diagnosed, but that the suffering is spread
across the entire family. My daughter's pain has been my pain and
while I have never felt it in the way that she does, I feel it deep
inside of me. I felt it deep in the pit of my stomach as I
listened on the other side of the bathroom door to her crying from
cramps and diarrhea. I felt it split my heart open when she
refused to go out on dates because she was terrified of "accidents"
and ashamed of constantly going to the bathroom. My eyes still
fill with tears when I recall the forever lost adventures of her
young womanhood. While her friends went camping and to the
beaches, and on overnight trips, she stayed home watching videos.
I may not have felt her physical pain but it seemed like a hot
knife went through me when she refused all suitors to go to her
senior prom.
And I felt more than pain. I felt anger. Violent, hot rage
that I directed at myself and everyone around. Why can't the
doctors do something? Why don't they know what the cause or the
cure is? Why doesn't the medication work, why doesn't the medical
diet work, why doesn't she get better? Why!
Then comes the blame. Self blame. Maybe I did something wrong
or ate something bad while she was in my womb. Maybe I fed her
something wrong as a baby. Maybe I've been too strict, maybe I've
put her under too much stress. Maybe, I'm a bad person and I'm
being punished through my daughter.
Then comes despair. Nothing is going to work, nothing is
going to cure her, no one is going to help. The despair breeds
hopelessness and complacency. You simply give up and stop
questioning. You allow the disease to shape your life and your
interaction with the medical world. You become sheep-like.
So we, my daughter and I, went through the many prescribed
treatment regimes. Prednisone, Flagel, Asulfaldine, immune
suppressors, mood elevators. None provided any real benefit, most
made her sicker from side effects. As her treatment progressed, so
did the deterioration of her lovely features as she bloated and
acne ravaged her once smooth cheeks. As my daughter lost interest
in anything outside of our house, she also became more distant,
more unresponsive, and more moody. She succeed in completely
alienating her father and her brother as their patience and
understanding of her condition wore away from the constant abrasion
by her attitude. I thought that this was the lowest our family
could go. I was wrong.
On February 4, 1992 I got a call from the school nurse.
My daughter had been taken to the hospital doubled over with
intestinal pain and vomiting. The diagnosis was a partial
blockage. I learned that she could have died. She was
hospitalized for seven days and her medications were increased.
When she was sent home her doctor prescribed Zantac and Imuran
which is an anti-cancer drug along with her regular medication.
After spending seven days on the living room couch in her
bathrobe she began having more pain and vomiting. I convinced her
doctor to see her right away and on his first glimpse of her in his
office he immediately ordered her hospitalized. Unknown to us, she
had become dehydrated and it was now feared that she may have an
intestinal abscess and infection. She spent the next ten days on
a tube feeder and IV and endured a horrible series of xrays and
tests. When she was sent home, she arrived weak, depressed, and
with the horrifying news that she would probably need a section of
her bowel removed. Her doctor increased her dosages again and said
that surgery would be needed if she did not respond.
This is where the panic comes in. I went out into the
backyard and I screamed. I screamed until I my throat burned and
I did not care what the neighbors thought. I screamed so that God
would listen to me. I wanted God to take me in trade for my
daughter's health, for my daughter to have a whole bowel.
Then I sat in the grass and cried. For how long I don't know.
Maybe only a few minutes, maybe for a really long time. I did not
know that I had so many tears inside of me.
There was a gentle hand on my hair. My elderly neighbor, a
widow in her seventies was standing next to me. She said that she
knew and felt and understood. I cried some more.
Later, at her kitchen table, between sobs and a cup of tea I
became aware that I was not alone. That I had not been singled out
for punishment, that my daughter had not been singled out for pain.
She did not talk to me about God or religion or medicine. Only
about her husband who was gone some ten years now. She never
talked of loss, or of his fight with cancer, or of her loneliness
without him. She talked about time together, of sharing, of
loving, of living. She talked about how they knew when he was
diagnosed, that his chances were slim and his time limited.
She told me that they had decided that they would fight his
cancer regardless of the medical prognosis or dire predictions from
her doctor. I learned how they sought out alternative treatments
and took an active role in working with his physicians. I learned
that they researched and explored together, even though they fully
expected that he would indeed die.
But more than anything else, she talked about how they and
their friends grew closer together. And as they grew closer
together in common cause they began to form an active community.
A community composed of other cancer patients, enlightened doctors,
university researchers, friends, relatives and family. All
interested and active, supportive and concerned. Even though her
husband knew what the expected result was, he lived vibrantly in
this community. And drew solace and strength from the combined
love and support of people that were known to him as friends.
Friends, even though a good number had only met her husband over
the phone or by letters.
When he finally died, she grew great support and comfort from
the group. Even the letters to others telling of his passing
helped to ease the pain and loss. She survived and she told me
that I would survive. I believed.
It is now 1995. My daughter still has Crohns. She still has
occasional problems, but she is alive and has all of her bowels.
She and I are active in our support group. We experiment, we
research, we trade ideas. In my daughter's case, macrobiotics
helped to turn the downward trend around. No, it did not cure her.
It did stabilize her. She eliminated most but not all medication
and she only needs prednisone a few days out of the year and I
suspect it happens when she strays far from her diet. Last week
she made Dean's List for the third time. She is active socially
and is now seldom home. My husband and I know that she is making
up for lost adventures, and we don't mind.
This comes straight from my heart to you. You cannot deal
with nor do you need to deal with Crohns by yourself. There are
many, many people who suffer from this. There are many, many who
treat this. Together you can get through. Together you can find
a full and active life, free from fear, despair, anger, and pain.
Together we conquered Crohns. We conquered that part of the
disease that imprisons us in hopelessness, that mires us in misery,
and robs us of our lives. Together those who suffer from and those
who suffer with conquered Crohns. We did this. You can do this
too.
[Dayl Demio is an office manager who lives in Washington state with
her family and three dogs. She says that she would enjoy hearing
from you and loves to write letters. We have promised to forward
all email and snail mail to her. If you would like to comment by
email, address it to rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put DAYL in the
subject header, or send her some snail mail c/o The Olde Crohn. -
ED]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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-:::] HEALTH NOTES FROM THE WAITING ROOM [:::-
=================================================================
It appears that all inflammatory bowel disease sufferers have
several serious "secondary" symptoms in common. Aside from the
pain and fever associated with Crohn's and Colitis, these common
symptoms prove to be the most taxing on individuals, often
affecting their ability to function normally even when the pain and
fever are suppressed. This column is devoted to discussing and
understanding the often overlooked parts of a full treatment
regime.
-- INTESTINAL GAS --
One of the most frustrating and embarrassing symptoms of bowel
disease and digestive disorders are gas and odor. The typical
crohns patient will produce up to three quarts of gas per day.
The majority of this gas is created as food naturally breaks down
during the digestive process.
Fermenting foods in the intestines produce hydrogen and
methane as well as carbon dioxide and oxygen which of themselves
are odorless. The foul odor of hydrogen sulfide, indole, and
skatole are produced when improperly digested foods decompose in
the colon. If the digestive process is working properly, the
matter entering the colon should be composed primarily of water and
indigestible material. However, for the IBD patient, the
incomplete digestion caused by inflammation or damaged intestinal
lining allows food that is still fermenting to enter the colon.
Here the matter putrefies and releases the offending odor.
But the problem of gas is more of pressure than of odor. As
the gas builds so does pressure and that pressure can aggravate
inflamed tissue or diverticular pouches. As gas forms in pockets
between blocks of fermenting food matter passing through the small
intestine, the internal pressures on small regions of the intestine
can be very high. As the expanding gas can not move forward or
backward it expands and distends the surrounding intestinal wall
causing sharp pain. If that area also contains weakness due to
stricture, diverticular disease or abscess, a pouch (or in extreme
cases a rupture) can be created in the wall.
As the colon becomes filled with putrefied matter, gas
production can increase and have a significant impact on fistulas
or rectal abscess. The overall effect is one of irritation and
potentially chronic damage.
So the problem of gas in IBD sufferers is not something to be
regarded lightly. Fortunately there are several treatment regimes
from both traditional and alternative medicine that have proven to
be effective.
Over the counter medications that contain Simethicone (tm)
have some effect on gas production, while activated charcoal may
act as an absorbent. However, the root problem is one of digestion
in the IBD patient and not the "gulping of air" while eating. It is
doubtful that over the counter anti-gas preparations will work for
most people with IBD.
Digestive enzymes, such as the lactose supplement lactase(tm)
are often prescribed for patients that show signs of lactose
intolerance. In those cases lactose supplements work wonders as
dairy products are a major component of our western diet. The
addition of lactobacillus to the diet can have beneficial effects
as well.
Asafoetida is a powerful digestive agent that dispels
intestinal gas production and is effective on beans and legumes
which can be problematic for even a healthy bowel. Small doses of
psyllium powder two or three times per day will also reduce gas
production.
However, the most important tool in reducing intestinal gas
production is a healthy diet. Adding numerous digestive aids and
supplements to a poor diet is a waste of money and can lure a
patient into a false sense of accomplishment. Avoid low fiber
meals and highly processed foods but be aware that the initial
change to high fiber diets will at first increase the level of
intestinal gas. Clinicians who work with high fiber diets relate
that the increase is caused by the loosening of impacted material
that initially adds to the volume of gas producing putrefied
matter. The increased production of gas is reversed after the
impacted matter is cleared.
And finally, avoid overeating. Filling the stomach and the
resultant filling of the intestines speeds digestive matter through
the system. A significant amount of undigested matter is then
dumped into the colon to putrefy. It is generally preferable for
any IBD sufferer to eat several small meals per day rather than
three large ones.
With a little common sense and a strong commitment to proper
diet, gas and odor does not need to be a factor in your
symptomology and in the quality of your life.
NEXT ISSUE: FISTULAS
[ If you would like to respond to Health Notes From The Waiting
Room send us an email at rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put NOTES in
the subject header. ]
##################################
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-:|] RESEARCH REPORT [|:-
================================================================
[ Since those of us who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases
have what it generally known as a "digestive system disorder", The
Olde Crohn thought it would be a good idea to present a basic
primer on digestion. With all the new talk of broad spectrum
antibiotic therapy for Crohns and for stomach ulcers, we thought
that all of us should at least be informed as to how "the long,
squiggly tube" really works. Some of this may be difficult to get
through, but it behooves us all to acquire the basic understanding
that it takes to make informed decisions and develop productive
treatment regimes. This is part one of a two part series (Novus
Report #21-3312).
TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF DIGESTION #21-3312
PART I: DIGESTION - BACK TO THE BASICS
Digestion: Essential to Health
The digestive system is the "golden door" to the maintenance and
health of the entire body. The digestive system is made up of the
organs, accessory digestive glands, their secretions, probiotic
bacteria and mechanical and chemical processes that act on ingested
food substances so that essential nutrients can be absorbed and
metabolized to create energy to sustain life. Proper functioning
of the digestive system is essential to the production of hormones,
enzymes, vitamins and for the repair of body tissue and for all
processes of energy and cellular metabolism.
Simply, digestion is the process which allows us to create energy
to fuel bodily functions from the ingestion of food substances. It
is a combination of muscular movements and chemical transactions
which break down food substances, absorb essential nutrients into
the circulatory fluids to fuel metabolic processes and eliminate
any waste or residue from the process. Looking more closely we
will discover, the digestive system is a complex process involving
numerous digestive enzymes, a sensitive pH acid-alkaline balancing
act combined with specialized muscular actions and billions of
"friendly" bacteria, all designed to promote and maintain metabolic
harmony. Proper functioning of the whole digestive system, both
mechanical and chemical is essential to the health and well being
of the human body. The human body depends on good digestion to
absorb the nutrients in the food we eat and proper elimination as
a foundation of optimal health.
Alimentary Canal
Digestion takes place in the alimentary canal. The alimentary
canal is composed of the mouth, the pharynx, the esophagus, the
stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine. The
alimentary canal or digestive tract is essentially one long open
tube in which food passes through, it enters at one end, the mouth,
and exits at the other end, the rectum, acted on and transformed in
the process. The process of digestion takes place in the
alimentary canal, the digestive tract, which in some ways is
essentially outside of the body.
The innermost layer of the alimentary canal, the mucosa, is lined
with epithelial tissue from mouth to anus. This epithelial mucosa
is similar to that which covers the outside surfaces of the body.
Throughout the intestinal tract this tissue is capable of
regenerating and replacing cells lost due to functional activity,
like the epithelial tissue that make up skin.
The digestive tract is separated from the body's immune system.
The immune system relies on the circulatory system for
transportation. Blood vessels are absent in the epithelial tissue
that lines the alimentary canal. The digestive system therefore
must provide and house its own defense system against harmful
parasitic invaders, as well do its part in keeping disease causing
bacteria from entering the bloodstream.
Accessory Glands
Another important part of the digestive system is the accessory
glands. The accessory glands are the salivary glands, the gastric
glands, the liver and the pancreas. These digestive glands arise
from epithelial tissues as well and manufacture and secrete a
specific substance that does not become a part of the body tissues
but is used to effect a chemical process. These secretions contain
enzymes. Enzymes provide the stimulus for every chemical reaction
that occurs within the body. Specifically there are twenty-two
specialized digestive enzymes.
Enzymes
While a complete discussion of digestion is impossible without the
inclusion of enzymes we do not go into detail in this report. A
future report will take a more detailed look at digestive enzymes
and enzyme therapy.
Enzymes are substances that make life possible. They are complex
catalytic agents produced only by living cells. Their presence
accelerates the speed of chemical reactions. They are colloids and
they are capable of acting independently in inducing changes in
other substances without being changed in the process themselves.
Enzymes are responsive to temperature changes, each enzyme having
an optimum temperature of activity. Each enzyme is influenced by
the reaction of the medium in which it acts, there being an optimum
pH level, either acidic, alkaline or neutral. Enzymes are specific
in their actions, one enzyme will act only on one type of chemical
substance or one group of chemically related substances.
Enzymes activity can be inhibited in a number of ways. Excessive
heat, unfavorable changes in pH, and the addition of substances
that compete with the enzyme and thereby inhibit its activity are
a few. Some antibiotic drugs work by inhibiting enzyme activity.
Most foods taken into the body are in the form of large complex
molecules that cannot be absorbed by the interior lining of the
intestine. Enzymes are responsible for breaking down food into its
component parts so that essential nutrients can be taken up by the
intestine. Twenty two different enzymes are found in digestive
juices, acting upon food substances causing them to break down into
simpler more absorbable compounds. The reactions affected by the
digestive enzymes are primarily decomposition, but enzymes are
equally important in the synthetic reactions of assimilation. No
mineral, vitamin, or hormone can be used to build body tissue
without enzymes.
Food is digested at each stage of the digestive process with
specific enzymes that break down different types of foods at
specific pH levels. An enzyme specific to protein has no effect on
carbohydrates and an enzyme active in the mouth will eventually be
deactivated by the increased levels of acid found in the stomach.
The digestive process is balanced through acidity levels at each
site along the digestive tract. Each site has a different pH level
that allows certain enzymes to function while inhibiting others.
Basic categories of digestive enzymes are protease, which acts to
digest proteins, amylase, which acts to digest carbohydrates,
lipase acts on fats, disaccharases act on double sugars and
cellulase acts to digest fiber. Plants are the only source of
cellulase. The human body is unable to produce it.
Because of the enzymes they can provide it is important to include
organic raw fruits and vegetables in our diet. Enzymes from raw
plant sources are sensitive to heat above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.
They are deactivated or destroyed by the cooking process,
pasteurizing, canning and microwaving. While a total raw food diet
is not necessary, a diet rich in whole, raw, unprocessed organic
foods helps to ensure ingesting additional amounts of helpful plant
enzymes. This also eases the body's workload in having to produce
less of its own enzymes. Many supermarket vegetables are missing
cellulase because they have been sprayed with sulfites which can
destroy these enzymes.
Low levels of enzymes can contribute to organ and system toxicity
and glandular exhaustion. Toxicity can be caused by incomplete
digestion of food and glandular exhaustion by a gland trying to
produce enough secretions.
Plant enzymes have long been approved by the FDA as food
supplements and may offer help for certain digestive conditions.
Certainly adding organic raw foods to the diet would be one way to
increase the ingestion of these beneficial enzymes.
The Mouth
Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and mixing of food with
saliva. In the mouth food is ground by the teeth and moistened by
saliva. While chewing, saliva is secreted by salivary glands and
released into the mouth. Saliva helps to form food into a ball and
makes it slippery, thus facilitating its passage through the
pharynx and esophagus. Salivary digestion is limited by the amount
of time food remains in the mouth, but enzyme activity continues in
the stomach until the salivary enzymes, ptyalin (salivary amylase)
and maltase, which require a alkaline medium, are inactivated by
the acidity of gastric secretions.
Saliva is secreted by numerous salivary glands many of which are
located in the mucosa or submucosa of the mouth cavity, but the
major portion is produced by salivary glands located outside the
mouth cavity. The pH of saliva is normally slightly alkaline (pH
7.2) when exposed to air, when loss of carbon dioxide is prevented
it is slightly acid (pH 6.6).
Saliva moistens and lubricates mucous surfaces, making speech and
swallowing possible, moistens and lubricates food, making
swallowing easier, acts as a solvent whereby food particles go into
solution which activates enzymes, helps food particles stick
together and form a ball so that they can be swallowed together,
initiates the process of digestion through the action of enzymes,
acts as a cleansing agent for the mouth and a neutralizing agent
that tends to counteract tooth decay, and aids in the elimination
of foreign substances from the blood.
Saliva is ninety-nine percent water, the balance being mucin,
inorganic salts, enzymes and other organic compounds. Mucin is a
complex glycoprotein which gives saliva its sticky consistency,
which helps food particles to stick together. It also lubricates
the mouth. Inorganic salts are evidenced by the formation of tartar
on teeth. Enzymes include ptyalin, an amylase that converts
starches to dextrins and maltose; and maltase, which converts
maltose to dextrose. Another enzyme in saliva is lysozyme
(muramidase) which has an antibacterial action on various
pathogenic organisms.
Pharynx and Esophagus
The pharynx is a muscular tube that serves as a common passageway
for food and air. The pathways for these substances cross but
automatically controlled mechanisms operate to prevent the passage
of food into the windpipe. The esophagus is a muscular canal about
nine to ten inches in length extending from the pharynx to the
stomach.
Swallowing occurs in three stages and, with the exception of the
first stage, is a reflex action. In the first stage food passes
from the mouth to the pharynx. In the second stage the food passes
from the pharynx to the esophagus. In the third stage food passes
from the esophagus into the stomach. The time required for
swallowing varies. Fluids reach the opening to the stomach in one
second, but they remain there for four or five seconds until a
peristaltic wave relaxes the cardiac sphincter. For most solid
substances, the average time is six seconds, although it may be
longer.
Gastrointestinal Tract
The gastrointestinal tract consists of the stomach, small intestine
and large intestine. All muscles in the gastrointestinal tract are
of the smooth type and are controlled by the autonomic nervous
system, therefore they are involuntary in action. Smooth muscles
are functionally different from striated muscles. Smooth muscles
exhibit slow contraction and relaxation repeated rhythmically at
regular intervals. Also, smooth muscle tissue tone is not
dependant on impulses from the central nervous system, thus when
the stomach or intestines are empty their cavities are practically
non-existent.
In general, the muscles of the alimentary canal are under nervous
and hormonal control. The smooth muscles of the intestine are
capable of spontaneous rhythmic contractions independent of nervous
or hormonal input. Gastrointestinal motility is effected by
emotional state because of the connection to the autonomic nervous
system. Grief, sadness and depression generally decrease
motility while excitement, anger and fear tend to increase it.
Stomach
The stomach is an expanded saclike portion of the alimentary canal
located in the upper left portion of the abdominal cavity, and is
roughly J-shaped. It has three parts and two openings. The
muscles of the stomach differ from those of the other parts of the
digestive tract by having an additional third layer in which the
fibers run obliquely.
The gastric glands are confined entirely to the mucosa. They are
simple and branched tubular glands each with a narrow neck that
opens into a gastric pit. It is estimated that there are three to
four million pits and fifteen to twenty million glands in an
average stomach. Gastric glands occur in separate regions of the
stomach and are named according to where they occur, cardiac
glands, fundic glands and pyloric glands. There is no sharp
demarcation between glands of one region and those of another. The
glands of one type mix freely with glands of another type at the
borders. There are four types of cells found in gastric glands.
Pre-digestion of food happens during an interim period before
enough hydrochloric acid (HCl) accumulates in the stomach to begin
the next stage of digestion. When food enters the stomach it first
fills the peripheral portion of the stomach and as food continues
to enter the stomach it assumes a central position and is almost
completely enclosed by the food that preceded it. In this way the
continuation of digestion by salivary enzymes and ingested enzymes
is facilitated. It takes almost an hour before enough HCl
accumulates in the stomach to initiate this next stage of the
digestive process. HCl does not destroy but merely inactivates the
salivary, gastric, and plant enzymes by making the environment more
acidic. Enzymes in the stomach are capable of digesting thirty to
forty percent of the starches we eat.
The gastric glands of the stomach secrete gastric juice. It
contains hydrochloric acid which is produced by parietal cells.
Proteins are converted into peptones by pepsin, which is produced
by the chief cells which are also the source of gastric lipase and
an intrinsic anti-pernicious anemia factor essential for the
absorption of B-12. Pepsin hydrolyses proteins through the
successive stages into metaproteins, proteoses, and peptones.
Gastric juice also acts on the protein of cow's milk. The milk is
curdled in this process and therefore is prevented from passing
directly into the intestine and is held in the stomach long enough
for pepsin to act on its protein contents. Pepsin requires the
presence of hydrochloric acid for its action. The action of
gastric lipase is limited because only traces of it are present.
It acts on finely emulsified fats, such as egg yolks, butter, and
cream hydrolyzing them into fatty acids and glycerol. In addition,
gastric juice contains water, mucin, mucin-like proteins and
inorganic salts.
Gastric juice is very acidic and has a pH of .9-1.5. Its acid
kills a large portion of the microbes present in most food and is
important in maintaining the acid-base equilibrium of the body.
The volume secreted varies with the content of a meal, the most
abundant secretion occurring after the ingestion of meat.
In an empty stomach there is little to no cavity space, except
maybe in the fundus, the upper most portion of the stomach, which
may be distended with gas. As food enters and fills the stomach
the muscles relax, and the volume of the cavity is adjusted to its
contents. Stomach contractions are initiated at a rate of about
three per minute when the stomach is empty. After filling the
stomach contractions first weaken for twenty to thirty minutes and
then peristaltic waves are initiated and increase in intensity and
continue until the contents are emulsified and expelled. The
muscles in the upper half of the stomach maintain a steady tonic
contraction and show little movement, but at the middle of the
stomach active peristaltic contractions occur every ten to twenty
seconds. It takes another twenty to thirty seconds for the
peristaltic action to pass down to the bottom of the stomach. Near
the bottom of the stomach, in the antrum, the peristaltic waves
then increase in strength and serve to mix up the contents of the
bottom of the stomach.
Through muscular and enzymatic action the food in the stomach is
reduced to chyme, a semiliquid substance in which all food
substances are in a emulsified state. Chyme is distinctly acid.
Chyme begins to leave the stomach a few minutes after ingestion,
The time required for gastric digestion of an average meal is three
to five hours. Water leaves the stomach almost immediately after
it has been swallowed. The first of the organic foods to leave are
carbohydrates, they are followed by the proteins and their
derivatives and finally by the fats.
Absorption in the stomach is extremely limited. There is some
evidence that water, some salts and glucose may be absorbed in
small amounts but the quantity absorbed is minor.
Small Intestine
The small intestine measures approximately twenty four feet in
length and contains the duodenum, jejunum and the ileum. It is a
coiled tube that extends from the stomach to the large intestine.
The greatest amount of absorption of nutrients occurs in the small
intestine. The four layers of lining are folded to allow for a
greater surface area for secretion of glandular juices and
absorption of nutritional food substances. The folds are covered
in villi, a velvety fingerlike lining of the intestinal tract
through which essential nutrients into the circulatory fluids. The
total surface of the inside of the intestine is approximately 100
times greater than the surface of the body. If the entire surface
of the small intestine were layed out end to end, including the
villi and microvilli, it would cover an area the size of a tennis
court.
Both digestion and absorption are accelerated by a continual mixing
and moving of the intestinal contents. Two movements occur in the
small intestine, rhythmic segmentation and diastalsis
(peristalsis). Rhythmic segmentation is a contraction of the
circular intestinal musculature which produces a churning motion
that thoroughly mixes the chyme with glandular secretions and
facilitates absorption by bringing the intestinal contents into
contact with the villi. It also stimulates the flow of blood and
lymph in the intestinal wall.
Peristaltic waves come when the small intestine is stimulated by
the presence of a mass of food. These peristaltic waves are slow,
but in addition there are peristaltic rushes that travel much
faster. Peristaltic waves propel food forward through the small
intestine. It takes two to four hours for chyme to traverse the
first portion of the small intestine.
Villi of the small intestine are almost constantly in motion,
constricting, shortening, elongating, and swaying from side to
side. Such movements are due to the contractions of smooth muscle
fibers with each villus. The intestinal contents that bathe the
villi are stirred and the chyme is forced against the lining of the
intestinal wall to produce maximum absorption through the villi and
the larger lymph vessels.
Three glandular secretions are important to small intestine
digestion. Bile from the liver, pancreatic juice from the pancreas
and intestinal juice from the intestine.
There are two types of intestinal glands, the crypts of Lieberkuhn
and the duodenal (Brunner's) glands.
The crypts of Lieberkuhn produce intestinal enzymes and also serve
as a source of cells for the continual renewal of the intestinal
epithelium lining. Every three to four days the entire lining of
the small intestine is replaced. Discharged cells disintegrate
into the intestine releasing important intestinal enzymes.
Duodenal glands secrete a mucus with a high bicarbonate content.
Secretion is induced by mechanical stimulation of the intestinal
mucosa. A chemical substance secretin, produced by the intestinal
mucosa also induces secretion of water and bicarbonate. Intestinal
juice varies in composition and consistency. It is usually cloudy
due the presence of cells and mucus. Its reaction is alkaline (pH
7.0-8.5) due to the presence of sodium bicarbonate. It contains
the following enzymes, erepsin, (an enzyme complex consisting of
many peptidases), maltase, sucrase, lactase and a weak lipase.
Liver and Gallbladder
The liver is the largest gland of the body. The principal
functions of the liver are the secretion of bile, formation of
blood constituents, metabolic functions like carbohydrate, fat
protein, mineral, vitamin, hormone, and drug metabolism, and other
miscellaneous functions. The duct system of the liver transports
bile from the liver cells to the duodenum or the gallbladder.
The gallbladder is a reservoir for concentrating and storing bile.
It is pear shaped and lies in the inferior surface of the right
lobe of the liver.
Bile is secreted continuously by the liver throughout the day. It
is golden brown in color and alkaline in reaction. Bile passes
from the liver through the hepatic ducts into the common bile duct
which enters the duodenum. When the duodenum is empty the bile
duct does not secrete bile. This causes the bile to back up into
the gallbladder where it is stored and concentrated. The organic
constituents of bile are five to ten times more concentrated in
gallbladder bile. The principal components of bile are bile salts,
bile pigments, cholesterol and lecithin.
Bile reduces the acidity of chyme in the upper portion of the small
intestine. It emulsifies fats, ensuring more complete digestion
and absorption. It acts as a vehicle for excretion of waste
substances like those resulting from destruction of hemoglobin in
the liver. Bile lessens fermentation and putrefecation in the
intestine by aiding in more complete utilization of proteins and
carbohydrates. It also favors the absorption of vitamins,
especially the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, and K and bile
stimulates intestinal motility.
Pancreas
The pancreas is a finely lobed compound gland lying below the liver
and the stomach. The pancreas consists of two types of secreting
tissue. An exocrine portion which secretes pancreatic juice
containing enzymes and sodium bicarbonate which is discharged
through the pancreatic ducts into the duodenum. There is also an
endocrine portion which secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon
which are absorbed into the bloodstream.
The secretion of pancreatic juice is brought about by two hormones,
secretin and pancreozymin which are secreted by the duodenal
mucosa. Pancreatic juice is produced by the cells of acini. The
secretion of pancreatic juice involves three phases. The
intestinal phase begins when the acid chyme passes out of the
stomach and pancreatic juice passes through the pancreatic ducts
into the duodenum. It is a clear viscid alkaline fluid (pH 8.4-8.9)
resembling saliva in consistency. It neutralizes the acidity of the
acidic chyme from the stomach. It contains water, protein,
inorganic salts and enzymes. Among the enzymes secreted are
trypsinogen, which is converted to trypsin, chymotrypsin, and
carboxypeptidase which act on proteins. The lipase, steapsin acts
on fats and amylopsin (pancreatic amylase) and a maltase which act
on starches.
Starches and sugars are reduced to monosaccharides by the enzymes
provided by the pancreatic and intestinal juices. Fats are
emulsified by the bile from the liver and then hydrolyzed by the
action of the lipase (steapsin) in the pancreatic juice. The
digestion of proteins, begun in the stomach by pepsin, is carried
on by trypsin in pancreatic juice and by erepsin (a mixture of
enzymes) found in the intestinal juice. The result is a semifluid
mixture of food and secretions, stained with bile.
The products of the chemical actions are actively absorbed during
the churning process. The small intestine is the organ in which
major absorption of nutrients takes place. Absorption is
facilitated by the villi which greatly increase the absorptive
surface.
Large Intestine
The large intestine extends from the ileum to the anus. It is
about five feet in length. It consists of the cecum, colon, rectum
and anal canal.
The mucous membranes lining the large intestine is not thrown into
folds like the small intestine except in the rectum. The mucosa is
relatively smooth and villi are lacking. The epithelium contains
many goblet cells that secrete mucus.
In the large intestine segmentation and weak peristaltic movements
serve principally to mix the intestinal contents. The main
propulsive movement is a strong wave of contraction that sweeps
along the colon a considerable distance moving the bowel contents
ahead of it into the rectum. The wave is frequently initiated by
the entrance of food into the stomach or small intestine which
provides the stimulus for this gastrocolic reflex. This accounts
for the desire for defecation often experienced after a meal,
especially breakfast. Mass movements occur three or four times a
day. If defecation does not occur the intestinal contents, now
called feces, are withdrawn back into the sigmoid colon to await
the next wave.
The fluid secreted by the large intestine is thick and alkaline
(pH 8.4) and contains much mucus but no enzymes. A large amount of
water is absorbed by the large intestine. Fluid chyme that arrives
in the cecum from the small intestine is about the same consistency
as the chyme that leaves the stomach to enter the small intestine.
A considerable amount of water, with substances in solution, is
absorbed by the small intestine but an equivalent amount is added
into the chyme by secretions from mucosa and various digestive
glands.
The principal processes that take place in the large intestine are
the absorption of water, the elimination of waste products, and the
synthetic activities of the formation of vitamins accomplished
through the action of symbiotic organisms, principally friendly
bacteria that inhabit the large intestine.
Because most of the food has been digested and absorbed before
reaching the large intestine the principle task remaining is the
absorption of water. Water, some amino acids, vitamins, especially
those synthesized by flora, minerals and some phosphates and
carbonates are absorbed by the colon. The large intestine receives
the fluid by products of digestion from the ileum and slowly
converts them through the absorption of water into the more solid
feces preparing them for elimination. In the process the large
intestine serves as the avenue of excretion for certain minerals
(iron, calcium, potassium) It also serves as a breeding place for
bacteria which through their ability to synthesize vitamins
contribute to the well being of the entire human body. Bacterial
action also results in the production of intestinal gases. Foreign
substances like mercury are also eliminated by the large intestine.
The large intestine receives all the waste and residue from the
digestive process, plus foods that have putrefied, fermented or are
not completely digested. If this waste is not eliminated quickly
it can stagnate and autointoxicate the colon chamber. if this
happens, harmful disease causing bacteria can feed on toxic waste
material and multiply in huge numbers, overtaking the health giving
activities of friendly bacteria.
Probiotics: Friendly Bacteria
Large numbers of bacteria are usually consumed along with food.
Most of theses are destroyed by the acid contents of the stomach
though some acid resistant bacteria may pass through unaffected.
The contents of the first part of the small intestine are nearly
sterile. Bile has a mild antiseptic effect. Further down the
intestinal tract the flora content increases both in number and in
species. Inside each of us live several thousand billion bacteria
without which we could not remain in good health, nor could life
exist without bacteria. There are many bacteria that cause disease
but there is an equal amount that balance and prevent disease.
These are necessary for maintaining vitality, health and longevity.
Friendly bacteria are not parasitic but live in symbiosis in our
intestinal tract. They are essential for the care and maintenance
of the intestinal wall and chamber atmosphere. They are required
for proper digestion, assimilation and elimination of the foods we
eat. All together they weigh three to four pounds and about a
third of fecal matter consists of dead or viable bacteria.
Intestinal bacteria or flora synthesis or manufacture some of the
B vitamins from the food we eat, this includes niacin (b-3), folic
acid, biotin, pyridoxine (b-6). Because probiotics can transform
one B vitamin to another nearly all the B vitamins can be
synthesized from the food we eat when probiotics are present. They
also encourage production of Vitamin K, necessary for blood
clotting.
Probiotics manufacture the milk digesting enzyme lactase. They
produce lactic acid, acidophilus and antibiotics which sterilize
and prevent overgrowths of most negative organisms. They maintain
proper acid-alkaline balance in the intestines which is absolutely
essential for chemical assimilation of nutrients and mechanical
absorption of food substances.
They actively produce antibacterial substances which kill or
deactivate harmful disease causing bacteria. They create a slight
acid condition for their own survival which causes local levels of
acidity to increase in the intestine, and this acts as a natural
antiseptic. By depriving pathogenic bacteria of nutrients and by
producing their own antibiotic substances they kill invading
bacteria, viruses and yeasts.
Some bacteria have powerful anticarcinogenic characteristics which
are active against certain tumors. They improve the efficiency of
the digestive tract, when they are weakened, bowel function is
reduced. They effectively help to reduce high cholesterol levels.
They help protect against radiation damage and deactivate many
toxic pollutants. They help to recycle estrogen (a female hormone)
which reduces the likelihood of menopausal symptoms and
osteoporosis. Therapeutically they have been shown to be useful in
treatment of acne, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, migraine, gout (by
reducing uric acid levels), rheumatic and arthritic conditions,
cystitis, candidiasis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and some
forms of cancer.
They play an important part in the development of a baby's
digestive function and immune system. Bifidobacteria infantis is
acquired from breast milk. When it is in poor supply allergies and
malabsorption problems are more common.
Of the friendly bacteria which help the human body most are
residents while others are transient visitors staying your
digestive tract for a few weeks before passing on. These bacteria
are a primary defense preventing negative bacteria, yeasts,
parasites and viruses from entering our bloodstream through the
digestive tract.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
This is the main inhabitant of the small intestine in humans and in
animals. It is also found in the mouth and vagina. Acidophilus
manufactures lactase to digest milk sugar and produces lactic acid
which suppresses undesirable bacteria and yeasts. Some strains
produce natural antibiotics. They also lower cholesterol levels
and kill candida yeasts. Probiotics are easily damaged by poor
diet, stressful conditions, pollution and antibiotics like
penicillin.
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
This is a transient but friendly bacteria. Together with
Streptococcus thermophilus it makes yogurt. Some strains of
bulgaricus and thermophilus also produce antibiotics which kill
harmful bacteria. By manufacturing lactic acid these bacteria
encourage a good environment for the resident bacteria such as
acidophilus and the bifidobacteria.
Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacteriumlongum
These are the main inhabitants of the large intestine.
Bifidobacterium bifidum is also found in the vagina and the lower
part of the small intestine. In breastfed infants and adolescents
these make up ninety nine percent of the entire flora of the bowel.
There is strong evidence that the numbers and efficient working of
these bacteria decline as a person ages and with any decline in
general health. The bacteria produce a number of special acids and
use these to prevent colonization of the large intestine by
invading bacteria, yeasts and some viruses. They also prevent
potential toxicity from nitrates in food and manufacture B vitamins
as well. They also detoxify bile from which they recycle estrogen
in women. FOS (frutooligosaccharides) nourish and promote the
growth of healthy Bifidobacterium.
Damages to Friendly Bacteria
Many factors influence just how prolific intestinal flora are.
The level of local acidity has a major influence on the function of
intestinal flora and this is influenced by diet, digestive function
and stress. Another important influence is the speed of
peristalsis which moves food along the digestive tract. If it is
too rapid, as with diarrhea, this severely reduces the efficiency
of flora. If it is too slow, as with constipation, this too alters
their ability to function effectively.
The type of diet consumed has a major influence on probiotic
health. The bacteria are healthier on a diet rich in complex
carbohydrates, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and some fruits.
and a diet low in animal fats, fatty meat, sugars and cultured
dairy products.
Intestinal flora are also influenced by infection, yeast and
negative bacteria to which the bowel is routinely subjected.
Certain drugs, especially wide spectrum antibiotics and
corticosteroids can severely disrupt the delicate balance
probiotics maintain in the intestine. Penicillin kills friendly
bacteria along with disease causing bacteria. Steroids, hormonal
drugs like cortisone, ACTH, prednisone, and birth control pills
also cause great damage to intestinal flora and upset proper
digestive function. Foods containing antibiotic and steroid
residue, as well chlorinated drinking water, significantly reduce
the quantity of friendly bacteria.
Intestinal flora can regain health and potency by correcting and
balancing diet, lowering stress levels and reducing drug intake.
A good way to help probiotics recover is through a diet high in
complex carbohydrates, free of additives and antibiotics and by
implanting supplemental friendly bacteria.
Acidophilus has been proven effective in the treatment and control
of herpes, vaginal yeast, monilia vaginitis, trichomonas vaginitis,
salmonella, shigella infections. The acidophilin antibiotic
produced by Lactobacillus acisophilus will kill fifty percent of
twenty-seven different disease causing bacteria. Bifidobacterium
bifidum effectively kills or controls, E.coli, Staphylococcus
aureus , (causes toxic shock syndrome) and shigella.
A Digestion Digest
Digestion is a complicated process over which we seemingly have
little control. We can see how proper digestion is essential to
our health, and we already know how distressing and debilitating a
digestive disorder can be. Restoring digestive balance and
function is a major building block on the road to optimal health.
Proper digestive system functioning is the foundation on which all
bodily organs and systems depend. The digestive system requires
the food we take in be composed of usable components, nutrients
that can be used to rebuild body tissue. It requires a certain
atmosphere or environment be maintained in appropriate places in
order to ensure complete digestion and assimilation of essential
nutrients. The stomach acidic, the intestine alkaline with acid
producing bacteria. And it requires the proper digestive enzymes
in order to completely break down foods into usable components.
The input and control we have is simple but critically important.
Ultimately, we are what we eat, our diet is the essential element
we have control over that will support our digestive system in
creating and maintaining metabolic harmony and vital health.
[Upcoming Issues: Digestive Enzymes and Digestive System Disorders]
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NEWS FROM THE NET
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News From the Net is a compilation of public domain news articles
and quotes from our clipping service.
Bethesda MD - A SWEET DEAL: The American Academy of Pediatrics has
accepted a joint $120,00.00 grant from the National Livestock and
Meat Board and the Sugar Association to produce a
nutrition video
aimed at children aged 8 to 12. [Can glazed, deep-fried doughnut
burgers be far behind?]
Albany, NY - LEGAL CHALLENGE: The Foundation for the Advancement of
Innovative Medicine (FAIM) is attempting to use the 1994 New York
State Alternative Medicine Practice Act to force insurance carriers
to reimburse clients for alternative medical treatments. Insurance
spokesmen claim that patients will use both traditional and
alternative therapies and drive up the cost to insurers by over 14
billion dollars. The insurance company challenge to the
legislation is still in arbitration. In related news, the American
Bar Association reported that physicians who haven't offered
alternative solutions to patients undergoing drug therapy
complications "are starting to be sued for negligence".
Framingham, MA - B-12 ALERT: University researchers report that the
vast majority of B12 deficiency and the resultant fatigue syndrome
is due to digestive disorders. Over 50% of the individuals with
B12 deficiency tested were unable to digest the food-bound vitamin.
Vegetarian diets were also cited as being "virtually devoid of
B12". The study suggests that B12 levels in blood serum should not
fall below 350 pg/ml and that patients with digestive disorders
like IBD should have their serum levels checked at least one each
year.
New York, NY - DRUG PRICE SURVEY: According to the "Citizens for
Health Newsletter", the top prices paid for prescription drugs in
the United States has risen 127% in two years and drugs represent
64% of out-of-pocket expenses from Medicare.
Washington, DC - WHOLE GRAIN VS WHOLE WHEAT: The FDA in response
to complaints against Roman Meal Whole Grain Bread, which is made
from mostly bleached white flour, has ruled that all flour in bread
labeled "whole wheat" must be 100% whole wheat, however, bread
products labeled "whole grain" have no such requirement. [Our tax
dollars at work, thanks FDA for clearing that one up for us.]
Memphis, TN - HUNK O' BURNIN' LOVE: After a long public access
battle, the Knight Newswire has released excerpts from the autopsy
and medical records of Elvis Presley. According to medical
records, Presley had been hospitalized on August 30, 1977 for over
a month with an "impacted colon." Less than one year later on
August 28, 1978 the autopsy investigation revealed that "The
subject [Presley] was found dead at 2:30 PM 08/28/78, green pajama
bottoms around his ankles, face down on the red shag rug in front
of the toilet." The report goes on to say that Presley had
apparently died "straining at the stool", which is the contributing
cause of death in 1 of 20 heart attack victims. [Gives a new
perspective on the King being "dethroned"]
Boston, MA - SMOKING AND CROHNS: Harvard Medical School Researchers
have reconfirmed that smoking increases symptomology of Crohns
Disease patients while no direct link between smoking and
Ulcerative Colitis has been established. A second study from
Harvard also notes that coffee and drinks with caffeine heighten
the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
San Diego, CA - MICROBIAL INFECTION AND IBD: Papers from the AGA
(American Gastroenterology Association) point to growing research
that certain microorganisms are directly related to bowel
disorders. H. Pylori and M. Paratuberculosis have been identified
as potential culprits. Results of broad spectrum antibiotic therapy
have been mixed.
London, England - A QUESTION OF BALANCE: The British Journal of
Sports Medicine reports that too much exercise in any 48 hour
period results in an impaired immune system, altered hormone levels
and fatigue. The weakened immune system can persist beyond a five
day recovery period. On the other hand, lack of regular activity is
responsible for 250,000 deaths each year in the United States.
Boston, MA - APPLES AND DIVERTICULOSIS: The Harvard School of
Public Health reports that low fiber diets along with large amounts
of red meat are directly responsible for diverticular disease. Men
who ate low fiber/high meat diets were 3x as likely to develop
colon pouches. The study also noted that grain fibers were
inferior to fruit and vegetable fiber and that "cereal type grain
fiber [processed fiber]" had no perceivable benefit. The study
noted that commencing and adhering to a high fiber diet will remove
the colon pouches over a period of time. [But Wilfred Brimley
wouldn't lie to us, would he?]
[ If you find any noteworthy news (or newsworthy notes), send us an
email clipping and put NEWS in the subject header. Be sure to
quote your source and publication date. ]
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<<<<<<< THE ORACLE >>>>>>>
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[ The Oracle is intended to be a source of alternative thought,
philosophy, and perspective on health and healing. As always, the
disclaimer about this not being a source of medical advice is in
effect. We hope that you will find the following information
thought provoking and a stimulus to further discussion and
research. - ED ]
This issue's Oracle is a verbatim article written by Annette
Thornhill about the unusual relationship that U.S. patients have
with insurance companies and was published in the December 1994 ECO
Report.
Each Oracle article represents the opinion of the author and, while
we do not endorse in any way the opinion of the author, The Olde
Crohn welcomes your comment, agreement or rebuttal. To those
offering a contrasting view, we will make available space for well
written and researched responses.
I. INSURANCE COMPANIES - OUR DECISION MAKERS
by Annette Thornhill
There are over a hundred prominent insurance companies in the
U.S. which are presently making decisions about who will live and
who will die, by deciding who will get treatments that the patient
cannot afford to pay for out of pocket. We don't even know the
qualifications of the individuals who decide: No they won't cover
this treatment: it is "experimental" - meaning too costly. Yes
they will cover that one, but they don't give any clue to why one
answer was yes and the other no.
In a recent study that involved 533 women diagnosed with
breast cancer, 121 were denied coverage for treatment. The therapy
was to be bone marrow transplants, and the insurance companies that
covered these women insisted that form of treatment was
"experimental". The cost of the treatment was $121,000.00.
Thirty nine of the 121 women who had been denied coverage
decided to consult an attorney. Suddenly they found that their
therapy was acceptable for coverage after all. A recent decision
of the courts awarded a patient $77,000.00 in punitive damages and
12 million dollars in compensatory damages in a similar situation.
The decisions being made for coverage or noncoverage, or a
more insidious practice -- that of delaying again and again the
settlement of accounts, in hopes that patients will die or their
families will finally tire of pursuing the matter -- are being made
by insurance company employees who never see any of the individuals
over whom they are making rulings that will effect their lives and
the lives of their families. [The insurance company employee] might
recognize the medical issues involved, even have read up on the
subject, and yet is not necessarily well enough informed to claim
a medical background. And yet, each and every one of these
decision makers claims to be totally unbiased at making these
decisions.
How can they be unbiased when their job is dependent on
protecting the bottom line of their employer?
Rejecting claims because of technicalities in whole or in part
because of supposedly unnecessary or dubious procedures, or making
decisions on the basis of increasingly complex reporting
requirements has driven more and more patients into the courts. It
is the insurance companies that are pushing for legislation which
would hamper malpractice suits and put caps on awards. They
[insurance companies] have much to gain, but the losers are the
individuals who will suffer, some of them for their entire
lifetimes, under the burden of immense debts they had thought that
they had covered themselves for when they had chosen to purchase
insurance.
Investigation by Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) and his staff
uncovered misconduct by four BLue Cross - Blue Shield plans, where
they hid reports of huge profits and flat, outright embezzlement,
and awarded themselves large perquisites. In addition, public
relations departments in the offending insurance carrier had been
ordered to divert the attention of state inspectors to prevent
inquiry or probing.
In addition to resistance to paying claims, insurance
companies have developed techniques for weeding out individuals who
might cost them money, even if those people have been paying their
premiums for years. In other cost saving plans, they have been
excluding whole groups of workers, industries and occupations. In
addition, extended waiting periods have been required of people
applying for insurance, as well as the practice of writing policies
anew each year so that waiting periods must be met over and over
again. Many people have complained that there have been a
continual rise in deductibles, increased co-payments and the
redesigning of insurance packets whose language does not reveal
that coverages have been reduced. You pay your money, but get less
and less in return year after year.
It is assumed that these practices will stop with "managed
care" programs or with insurance reform. What a blast! These
people we are trusting with our lives and the lives of our loved
ones are the very ones who have been lying, cheating, embezzling,
refusing to live up to their contracts, denying payments, pulling
the plug on people at a time when they are most vulnerable. There
doesn't appear to be any accountability, any need to explain any of
this blatant deceit to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
What is the function of the insurance company in health care?
The U.S. is the only industrialized country in which there is a
massive intrusion between healthcare and the people who are paying
the premiums. In more than 20 years questions have gone unanswered
as reporters, companies and individuals have probed to find
justification for [insurance companies] continuing to intrude
[between patient and treatment]. On the surface, and until we can
dig deeper, [insurance companies] sole function seems to be to
collect as much money as they can bilk the public out of, and to
pay as little as possible back again to those of us who have
trusted them to mean what they said in their ads and their
statements. The scandal in the case of Prudential Insurance
Company, which is accused of defrauding several hundred million
dollars from funds that their trusting insureds have deposited with
them, does not inspire confidence in their ability to manage
healthcare programs for the benefit of people whose money they are
more than glad to collect.
Immense funds have been expended by insurance companies to
protect themselves from investigation or alteration of their
predatory practices, both at the federal and state levels. It is
becoming evident that only an awakened citizenry will be able to
get this situation in hand- one state at a time, by demanding
access to the statistics that reveal which medical therapies work
and which do not. The data is available but not to us common
folk. It would cut into profits.
In principle, insurance companies aren't needed at all,
between the individual in need of care, and the medical therapies
he or his family needs. Decisions about what medical needs are
covered and which are not entitled coverage should be made on a
more rational and equitable basis, and should be subject to public
probing and questioning. Other countries in Europe and in Canada
are covering the health costs of their citizens at a fraction of
the cost we, here in the U.S. are paying. There is no
justification for the continuing fraud that we are amply taken care
of by the present system, or by any of the proposed systems that
plan to continue the presence of insurance companies.
The people of each state should take the initiative and
establish some kind of monitoring system, responsible to the people
- not the too easily corrupted legislatures - that will deal with
the mounting problems of health care.
=====================================================
**********************************************
----} BOOK REVIEWS {----
**********************************************
Books, books, books, so many books so little time. The
solution is to read ones that someone recommends and save the rest
for when you are supposed to be working.
"A New Model of Health and Disease" George Vitoulkas, M.D.
North Atlantic Books, 2800 Woosley Street, Berekely, CA 94705
There has been a lot of talk lately that a primary cause of
inflammatory bowel disease may be attributed to microbes in the gut
lining. There has also been a lot of news reports and activity in
the medical community about delayed hypersensitivity caused by
popularly prescribed antibiotics like tetracycline. Add to the mix
reports of mutant and resistive microbes and the resultant swing to
broad spectrum antibiotic therapy as a treatment for Crohns has
caused some of us at The Olde Crohn to pause and take stock of
where this is heading.
As a result we have read numerous reports, articles and books
concerning the problems with generalized antibiotic use. Quite
frankly we have found many authors to be quite shrill about their
anti-antibiotic stance and in their believe of some great "drug
conspiracy". However, "A New Model of Health" is written in a
clear and concise style free from that sort of excessive hyperbole.
The following is a quote from the book:
"In my opinion, antibiotics that could have been life saving and a
blessing in really dangerous cases are prescribed in such a way as
that they will prove to be one of the greatest curses of our modern
civilization. ... Only during the past decade have we begun to
recognize the magnitude, severity and complexity of the problem.
Dr. Vithoulkas goes on to show that we should not be shocked
by the onslaught of new plagues and the resurgence of previously
vanquished microbe enemies. As far back as the late sixties,
medical researchers have predicted quite accurately these
resurgences and how the misuse and overprescribing of antibiotics
have been the primary factor.
So the next time you think about heading to the doctor's
office for some antibiotics for your sniffles, and definitely
before you submit to a broad spectrum antibiotic therapy for IBD,
read this book. An informed patient is an empowered patient.
--------------------------------------------
"The Power of the Mind to Heal" Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.
Hay House Books, 1994
"Rituals of Healing: Using Imagery for Health and Wellness"
- Jeane Achterberb, Ph.D, Barabara Dossey, R.N., Leslie Kolkmeier
R.N., M.Ed. - Bantam Books 1994
A large part of these books' strength comes from making clear
that the weight of scientific evidence is leaning heavily in favor
of the mind's power to do uncanny things. The books moved us past
the dry science into stories of healing, imagination, and group
support. It is clear to these authors that even surgery and drugs
have a more positive effect when taken with trust instead of fear.
In addition to the anecdotes, both books devoted significant
space to exercises in meditation and imagery which those of us who
tried them found to be settling and relaxing at very least.
The nice thing about using your mind to heal is the cost, your
time. The benefit is that there is significant data that says it
can and does work. It can only add a positive effect to your
current outlook and your current medical regime.
----------------------------------------------------/
"Take Charge of Your Hospital Stay" - Karen Keating McCann
Insight Books/ Plenum Press 1994
A stay in the hospital can often require medical, technical,
and ethical decisions beyond most of our experiences to make. To
keep from having unnecessary and unwelcome treatments thrust on us
requires that we ask many questions. But knowing what to ask and
then how to interpret the answers that are often cloaked in medical
jargon is extremely frustrating. That was until we read "Take
Charge". Written by a health expert, editor and founder of a
company that provides communications services for hospitals
nationwide, Ms. McCann walks us through gaining access to and
understanding the resources of the medical community. Her tips on
asserting personal needs, posing questions, and venting fears
should help you to cultivate a more proactive role in your
treatment. Don't leave home without it.
[ If you've read a good book about a health related issue that
would be of interest to those of us with bowel disease, write it up
and send it by email to rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put BOOKS in
the subject header. Be sure to list the publisher or ISBN number
in your report. ]
-------------------------------------------------
LETTERS - LETTERS - LETTERS - LETTERS - LETTERS
-------------------------------------------------
These are unedited excerpts from letters sent to us. OK, we did
snip out or ignore some negative comments, but hey, it's our
ejournal.
.................................................................
Congratulations on your maiden issue, a report like The Olde
Crohn was long overdue. This is the best journal on the topic.
Keep up the good work. -- M.M. Connecticut
[ Thanks Mom, and I'll see you for dinner Sunday. -ED ]
.............................................................
I want to comment on your magazine and tell you how much I
enjoyed reading it. It is difficult to find a source of
information that is not radically one side or the other and I liked
the balanced approach...-- C.R. New South Wales AU
..............................................................
...Your contention that candida is the primary cause of crohns
and colitis is without sound medical basis and it is a disservice
to your readers to make such claims. -- W.L., M.D. Ottawa Canada
[ Thanks for your opinion. We spent over six months researching
articles and interviewing traditional medical doctors and
alternative medical sources about candida albicans. They all
agreed. The results were overwhelming that c. albicans does play a
"major" role in inflammatory bowel disease. We were also clear that
IBD is multifactorial in cause and no single culprit can be
identified. If you have information to the contrary we would
invite you to submit an article for publication. - ED]
............................................................
The Olde Crohn was a welcome breath of fresh air in the stale
debates that have been raging around here lately. I hope you will
keep up your commitment to keep publishing. -- I.H. Pittsburgh PA
...............................................................
[ If you want to comment to the editor send email to
rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put LETTERS in the subject header]
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
-:] DOCTOR QUACK'S BLACK BAG [:-
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
In the never ending struggle to separate fact from fiction,
cure from fraud, and sound from stupid, The Olde Crohn would like
to bring to the attention of our readers some potential areas of
concern. [Our liability attorney made us say that]. Those of us
who suffer from chronic illness or life threatening disease are
often targets of snake oil salesman and baseless claims made not
only by the alternative medical community, but also by traditional
medicine. Stories of doctored [pardon the pun] clinical results
from major drug and pharmaceutical companies abound, as do claims
of electro-stimulators, copper bracelets, solar cell necklaces, and
herbal miracle cures. It may all boil down to who is calling who
a fraud. We suggest that you keep that in mind when you consider
the following stories that have come to us from readers, news
articles, and clipping services. [Yep, he made us say that also]
Consider also that even the FDA can make mistakes when it
comes to calling a fraud a fraud as the first two stories relate.
1. The FDA has removed boxes of Sleepytime Tea(tm) from health food
stores in Texas. FDA officials in a press release about the
seizure said that the product's name was an "unsubstantiated and
fraudulent health claim."
2. In other actions, FDA agents along with SWAT officers raided the
home of Kenneth Scott M.D. because the doctor had given copies of
an "Omni Magazine" article that claimed that B vitamins had
potential beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease. The
reprints were seized as evidence of "unsubstantiated claims."
3. Several AIDS activist groups have placed Dr. Deepak Chopra's
name on their list of "TOP TEN FRAUDS of 1995". Deepak Chopra,
M.D. is the Director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and
Mind-Body Medicine. Chopra's meditation techniques and tapes have
been touted as a cure for numerous ailments including AIDS, Cancer,
and Intestinal Disease. [And tiger urine has been touted by others
as an aphrodisiac, but we can't decide if you drink it or rub it
on.]
4. Applied Kinesiology is becoming popular in the alternative
medical world again. It appears that some individuals with only
some self-styled book learning are setting up shop and advertising
in ecology and health related publications. The following warning
was published in "Alternative Medicine, a Definitive Guide":
"Applied kinesiology is a highly specialized technique and should
only be performed by a licensed health professional trained in
differential diagnosis."
As of this writing, The Olde Crohn has not been able to ascertain
what constitutes a "license" to practice applied kinesiology.
[ Know of a baseless claim, scurrilous service, or just some really
great gossip about Michael Jackson. Send it on by email and put
QUACK in the subject header. Identify the source, date and place
published or indicate that it is a "personal expereince" ]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
COMING NEXT ISSUE !!!!!!!!!! NEW COLUMNS !!!!!!!
THE DIETARY OBSERVER: A day in the life of a particular diet
philosophy. Each issue we will publish recipes complied by experts
from various traditional and alternative diets and discuss the
salient points of the diet type and their potential effects on IBD,
Crohns and Colitis.
THE HERBAL INFORMANT: The real scoop on herbs. Current mainstream
and alternative thought, theraphy, research, and discussion from
herbal researchers.
===============================================================
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ADVERTISING - ADVERTISING - ADVERTISING
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Okay, here's the dilema. We need to sell advertising to
support The Olde Crohn. And you use your precious bandwidth to
download a copy. Should the Olde Crohn be filling that bandwidth
with pages of advertising?
Some of us say these electronic pages should be filled with
information, not advertising. Some of us have to go to the bossman
each month and explain the online service time and the phone bill
that has been donated to help produce the first few issues. Some
of us think that commercial enterprise is what has made this
country great. Some of us think that the rich proletariat
commercialist pigs need to be impaled on the pitchforks of the
noble worker class as they rise triumphant from the factories and
the fields.
So we have an impass. We will therefore delegate the task of
tie breaker to you, our gentle readers. Send us your comments and
official vote (Yea or Nay) on advertising in the Olde Crohn by
email to rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put VOTE in the subject
header. To help you decide, we have put an ad at the end of this
discertation so you can get a sense of what an ad page is all about
( and support the advertiser who placed it there ).
Those of you who have www access to our home page need not
worry about getting your fix of ad copy. Our www site contains
mucho advertising and links to products, service and advertising
and it then becomes an individual decision to read or not to read.
Which brings up the next point. If you have a product or
service that you would like to present to our readership, contact
Kathy Kasper at the following address. She can assist in reaching
our readers and can help in setting up your own www site with a
link to The Olde Crohn home page. Oh yeah, and disregard that
stuff about pitchforks.
Kathy L. Casper
Infoquest Business Services
PO Box 1488
Tellevast, Florida 34270
(V) 941-358-0416
email: kathy@netline.net
http://www.netline.net/~kathy/index.html
***************************************************************
ADVERTISEMENT
***************************************************************
FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF RADIANT HEALTH
DIGESTION - Proper breakdown of food
ASSIMILATION - Absorption of nutrients (food) ingested
NUTRITION - Diet, Superfoods, Supplements
ELIMINATION - Balancing the digestive tract
Enzymes and L. Salivarius are key supplements for establishing a
healthy Body Ecology and supporting the Four Foundations for
Radiant Health
Enzymes are involved in every metabolic process in the body
Specific digestive enzymes are essential to the proper digestion of
food and assimilation of nutrients as well as the elimination of
wastes and toxins from the body. Unfortunately, the body's
digestive enzymes are depleted over time and the metabolic enzymes
that should be supporting functions such as the endocrine and
immune systems or cellular functions instead are used for
digestion.
Quadra-Zyme Plus is a plant enzyme product designed to aid in the
digestion and assimilation of food. It is a multiple enzyme
formula that works at a full range of 2-12PH throughout the entire
digestive process. All food enzymes are destroyed by cooking or
processing thus putting the entire burden of digestion on the
body's production of enzymes. Supplementing enzymes aids the body
in digestion, assimilation, and frees the body's metabolic enzymes
to do their specific jobs.
The stress level of the modern world promotes, as well as the poor
quality of air, food, and water have all contributed to the
imbalances and toxic conditions of our colons. Antibiotics,
chlorinated water, preservatives, radiation, chemotherapy, and
alcohol use and abuse all kill the body's natural "healthy"
bacteria and allow for the overgrowth of non-desirable bacteria.
Probiotics, "friendly intestinal flora", are extremely effective in
the quest for proper elimination of undigested putrefied food.
Probiotics help to normalize bowel movements and increase vitamin
and hormone production. The establishment of healthy intestinal
flora is an essential step in creating a healthy body ecology and
regaining our health.
Lactobacillus Salivarius is a strain of bacteria that flourishes in
the small intestine and offers many benefits. It is the "Mother"
probiotic as it lays the foundation for other "healthy bacteria" to
work in the intestine. It produces a natural antibiotic called
acidophin, which helps to protect our bodies against several
harmful strains of bacteria. It makes the bowel acidic which in
turn destroys certain types of disease causing bacteria in the
bowel. In addition, it can assist in removing toxins, be
instrumental in reducing cholesterol, and assist in eliminating
problems with gas.
TESTIMONIAL FOR L-SALIVARIUS WITH CHRONIC DIARRHEA
"I have suffered from a cramping stomach along with nausea followed
by diarrhea for the past 13 years lasting for weeks at a time.
I received a sample of L.Salivarius form my friend Leann Coxey. I
tried out one capsule and had relief from my diarrhea and cramping
within a few hours. I continue to take the L.Salivarius and find
that when I take the L.Salivarius I do not have any diarrhea. With
results like that I will continue to take this fantastic product
regularly."
Lynn Porter, Snohomish Washington
Staff of Life Newsletter December, 1994
The Staff of life takes pride in offering the best of nutritional
products. All formulations undergo rigorous testing and quality
control. You can order wholesale, direct from the company for a
one-time fee of $5.00 or for a $25.00 fee you will receive 2 books
on enzymes and other educational material.
For order forms or to request educational materials our Email
address is candace@roadrunner.com or write to 1704B Llano, Suite
109, Santa Fe, NM 87505. BE WELL!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
============================================================
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<FOR YOUR INFORMATION>>>>>>>>>>>>
============================================================
1. Candida Research and Information Foundation
Box 2719
Castro Valley, CA 94546
(415) 582-2179
2. The Body Ecology Diet
Information Update List
1266 West Paces Ferry Road
Suite 505
Atlanta, GA 30327
(404) 352-8048
3. Dr. David A. Kessler
Director, Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20852
4. National Institute of Health BBS
800-644-2271
5. Black Bag BBS
(Medical Topics and many lists of related BBS #
610-454-7396 or ed&blackbag.com
6. Alternative Medicine Newsgroup
misc.health.alternative
7. Virtual Hospital
WWW > URL:http://vh.radiology.uiowa.edu/
8. Virtual Medical Library
WWW > URL:http://golgi.harvard.edu/biopages/medicine.html
9. Good Medicine Magazine
WWW > URL:http://none.coolware.com/health/good_med/
10. Nutritional Healing
WWW > ftp://werple.apana.org.au/sumeria/health/50tips.txt
11. Herbal Caution (Cautions on specific herbs)
Gopher: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Address: gopher.ext.vt.edu
Choose: VCE Subject Matter
Horticulture|Consumer Horticulture
Question Box & Press Releases
Vegetable and Herb Growing
Use Caution with Medicinal Herbs
[This site is a MUST if you are going to experiment with herbal
remedies for any reason]
12. Candida Wellness Center
4365 North Bedford Drive
Provo, Utah 84604
800-869-1613
Gary Carlsen will answer Candida questions at CWC at
800-644-1612
If You have any addresses, phone numbers or locations that might be
of interest to our readers, please send them with a brief
description by Email to rmalloy@squeaky.free.org and put YOUR INFO
in the subject header.
=================================================================
-] THE OLDE CROHN [-
=================================================================
The Olde Crohn is published six times per year on the even numbered
months by volunteers and through the donation of computer and
online access time from Novus Research.
The Olde Crohn is dedicated to providing information and discussion
on the topic of inflammatory bowel disorders.
Opinions expressed are solely the opinions of the authors. The Olde
Crohn makes no endorsement or recommendation of any product or
service offered for sale by advertisers in this magazine.
The Olde Crohn does not provide medical advice in any form. Data
and articles provided in this publication are for information and
discussion purposes only.
Unsolicited articles for submission become the property of The Olde
Crohn. Articles accepted for publication are edited for content,
grammar, and length. Articles should not exceed 2,000 words unless
approved in advance by query to the Editor. Submission shall be
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DO NOT SEND SUBMISSIONS BY EMAIL
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DO NOT SEND SUBMISSIONS BY EMAIL
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The Olde Crohn welcomes comments, discussion, letters, and
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are limited to our response time and size.
For an annual (6 issues), hard copy subscription to The Olde Crohn
for those without electronic access send $25.00 (US) for domestic
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Online access to copies of THE OLDE CROHN is available by FTP
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The Olde Crohn (c) 1995
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