Candida Overgrowth – Herbal Medicine to the Rescue!
A Naturopathic Doctor’s Approach Most integrative medicine physicians who have been in clinical practice for a number of years will inevitably encounter a multitude of patients who have had their health negatively impacted by some form of Candida spp. infection. Fungal infections are estimated to occur in several million people each year, and recent…
Probiotic Benefits of Saccharomyces boulardii
Natural support for gut health from a probiotic yeast Probiotics are “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”[1] You may be familiar with probiotic supplements that contain lactobacilli and/or bifidobacteria, which are families of beneficial bacteria.[2] However, there is also a yeast species that qualifies as…
Mending the Leaky Gut
Natural strategies to support intestinal integrity My neighbor’s fence is beyond beautiful, but serves little to no practical purpose. With its widely spaced slats, the fence affords any passerby an only slightly fettered view of the yard and its goings-on. A cat, rat, or even small dog could easily pass back and forth across…
How Gut Health Keeps Kids Healthy
A blend of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli supports pediatric respiratory and skin health Achoo! Sniffle, snort! Scratch, scratch, scratch. Is allergy season here again? Or are we stuck in the dregs of cold and flu season? Wait, is there a season where kiddos aren’t dealing with some kind of infection or allergy? Could probiotics help?…
Leaky Gut = Fatty Liver
How poor digestive integrity can cause liver disease The concept of the “gut-liver axis” is not a new one: it was first described in 1987 when a group of researchers found that patients with cirrhosis had high rates of antibodies in their blood against foods like egg, whey, and casein.[1] Since that time, the…
Fighting Fatty Liver, Part 2 of 2
Clinically studied botanicals and nutrients for the treatment of fatty liver disease As discussed in Fighting Fatty Liver, Part 1 of 2, the progression of NAFLD is influenced by insulin resistance, fat accumulation in the liver, intestinal imbalance, and inflammation/oxidative stress. Strategies to prevent and resolve NAFLD must therefore not only target the liver,…
Fighting Fatty Liver, Part 1 of 2
How the gut, microbes, inflammation, and diet affect the liver, and what to do about it The fatty liver epidemic Sedentary lifestyles, nutrient-poor diets, chemical exposures, and an excess of sugar and refined foods are wreaking havoc on and in our bodies more than ever before. And the effects aren’t just cosmetic – beyond…
The Probiotic-Cholesterol Connection
How a specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri, NCIMB 30242, supports cardiovascular health The relationship between increasing levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) has long been established.[1] With CAD on the rise – not to mention the chest pain and heart attacks it can lead to – the importance…
Probiotics and the Human Microbiome: Beyond the Gut
Dr. Don Brown, ND, discusses cutting edge research on the use of probiotics Biography: Naturopathic physician Dr. Donald Brown is one of the leading authorities in the U.S. on evidence-based herbal medicine and the safety and efficacy of nutritional supplements and probiotics. He currently serves as the Director of Natural Product Research Consultants in…
Building a Better Gut Microbiota
Prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic strategies for success “Happiness for me is largely a matter of digestion.” ― Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living[1] As Chinese scholar Lin Yutang observed, a healthy gut is a core component of a happy life. Each person’s gut contains approximately 38 trillion microbes, comprising hundreds of different species (collectively,…
Constipation: Solutions to Make All Systems “Go”!
Supporting the nervous system, microbiome, and nutritional status for healthy, easy elimination Balancing the nervous system Running from tigers in the jungle, our ancestors were well acquainted with the sympathetic stress response, also known as the “fight-or-flight” response. By expanding the lungs and increasing the heart rate to send more oxygen and blood to…
Fatty Liver Disease: Thyroid Function and Gut Health as Disease Risk Factors
Factors beyond diabetes and obesity which may contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Perhaps you had a recent screening physical for work, or you hit that magic age of 50 when your doctor suddenly wanted to test “everything” to assess your overall health and disease risk factors. Either way, one of…
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