Get Your Goat

Soon after Manny arrived at the Clinic it became clear that he was to become one of my more entertaining patients. As we sat down in the consulting room and began to talk about his diet and chief complaints, he launched into a story about the goat he recently acquired, and kept in his backyard in Bridgeport, so that he and his family could have fresh goat’s milk every day. Manny is a well-dressed, successful businessman who is originally from the Dominican Republic. He has close-cropped grey hair and a definite twinkle in his eye. “I got this goat as part of my get-healthy plan, but he’s taking over my life. All I do is milk him, and I can’t convince my kids to help,” he chuckled. He went on to educate me on the diet and general habits of the urban goat. As we shifted off the topic of the goat, it he told me that he was seeking treatment for chronic cough and shortness of breath. He was also concerned having gained over 50 pounds over the last couple of years. He was now obese at 271 pounds. He had no significant history of illness, rode his bike every day and lifted weights.

Lab tests revealed a couple of things. First, his cholesterol was high at 223 (HDL of 38 and LDL of 165). His hemoglobin A1C—which is a blood test that essentially measures blood glucose over a period of time—was slightly elevated, indicating a pre-diabetic state. It’s important to understand a little bit how diabetes works so you can understand how we treated Manny.

Type II diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, is quite common in overweight people over the age of 40. With this disease, the body is no longer sensitive to insulin, which is a hormone produced in the pancreas and allows your body to use food as energy. Properly functioning insulin senses blood sugar in your system and transports it to cells for fuel. When your body doesn’t use insulin correctly, it can’t metabolize foods properly. Your pancreas squirts out more and more insulin, but the body still can’t use it. The sugar from food hangs around in the blood because the insulin isn’t there to take it to the cells. This is why diabetics have high blood glucose; the whole process is called insulin resistance. The more fat you have and the less active you are, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. This may all sound fairly innocuous but the complications of diabetes are not: cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, eye damage, circulatory problems, and kidney damage are just a few.

Manny’s diet didn’t fit the pre-diabetic picture. He reported breakfast as oatmeal or eggs; fish or some other protein and salad for lunch and the same for dinner; snacks were oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts or a smoothie. He talked about how much he loved cheese. I probed him a little further: just how much oatmeal is he eating each day? He sheepishly admitted that he ate two, maybe three giant bowls each day. For a Type 0, who poorly tolerate carbohydrates, this is the equivalent of blood sugar suicide. With something as seemingly innocuous as oatmeal, Manny was basically driving himself into a state of not only obesity, but also full-blown diabetes. Type O’s, whose metabolisms cannot tolerate carbohydrates, tend to crave them and become addicted. Manny reported that his best friend was able to lose weight on a diet of oatmeal and cottage cheese. Perhaps, I told him, this friend had blood Type A, which can metabolize such foods. The key here is that not all foods are good for each body type or blood type and this is where the naturopathic doctor comes in to guide the patient toward the proper choices.

For his treatment plan, we sent Manny away with a list of Type O foods that he should adhere to as closely as possible. The list focused on proteins, appropriate fats such as olive oil and avocado and limited fruits. He was not allowed any oatmeal. As exercise is imperative in blood sugar regulation, he was to stay on his workout regimen. We also gave him two D’Adamo products: Deflect and Glycosia.

Deflect is among the most integral products from D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition and for Manny, it’s an important medicine. First, let’s look at how Deflect for Type O works. As we’ve talked about in previous blogs, lectins (proteins found in food) bind with carbohydrate antigens in the gut and immune system. If you’re eating the wrong kinds of foods for your blood type, the lectins will bind to certain cells and cause a multitude of nasty effects such as intestinal dysbiosis, immune dysfunction, leaky gut, metabolic syndrome, and weight gain. For example, in Type O’s the lectins in wheat germ will bind to insulin receptors and create the same effect as insulin on fat tissue, which is to store calories as more fat. This is, in part, why Type O’s on high carbohydrate diets have a hard time losing weight. Deflect does as its name suggests: it prevents lectins from binding to cells and, therefore, prevents them from doing damage. Particularly for Manny, taking Deflect is essential because not only does it prevent lectins from binding to insulin receptors, it removes lectins that are already bound there. Remember: insulin in excess translates to fat storage and less fat burning. The less insulin being released, the better—especially in individuals with insulin resistance and obesity.

For the specs on Deflect, click on: http://www.scribd.com/doc/45153220/Glycoscia-SpecSheet

Many people ask about the flavanoid resveratrol, which is one of the latest darlings of the supplement industry. Flavanoids are the pigments that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, and is where all of the nutritional power is in these foods. It’s been touted for a range of miseries including high cholesterol, cancer and obesity. Recent studies have shown that even in low doses, resveratrol lends cells increased insulin sensitivity, which means that cells need less insulin and respond better to it, which means better fat mobilization. This is great news for diabetics and pre-diabetics. Resveratrol is one of the primary ingredients in Glycosia, which is the second product Manny will be taking to control his blood sugar. Quercetin is another component of Glycosia—like resveratrol, a flavanoid that is especially effective in heading off the complications by protecting blood vessels and, again, regulating insulin. Glycosia also contains herbs that control blood sugar and improve insulin resistance: salvia, salacia and maitake mushroom.

For more information on Glycosia click on: http://www.scribd.com/doc/45153220/Glycoscia-SpecSheet.

A month later Manny returned for a follow-up. He was very assiduous: I’ve never seen a patient keep more voluminous and precise records of his diet and exercise. Aside from Thanksgiving, he stuck to the plan and dropped 10 pounds in a month. His blood sugar, which he monitors daily, is at the high end of normal but starting to drop. With weight loss and blood sugar control (and perhaps all things in life), it’s progress not perfection. As far as I’m concerned, that he gave up oatmeal is a minor miracle. As for the goat, at his last visit, Manny claimed he’d been too busy and hadn’t milked them in a week. I don’t know much about goats, but this didn’t seem like a great idea and, then, goat’s milk is not on the Type O list of acceptable foods. The relationship between the goat and Manny may not be long for this world.

Mom Versus The Flu

When I was growing up, my two brothers and I rarely got sick with the flu. Sure, we had the occasional nasty cold and strep throat but we never battled much with the flu that tended to wipe out large swaths of our classmates once the winter months set in. My mom would always credit the strong family immune system so it was with great surprise that I started receiving phone calls from her over the last couple of winters reporting that she’d was sidelined with flu symptoms. My mom, it should be said, works as an administrator in an all-boys’ high school in Manhattan and among kids, germs fly around like swarms of invisible clouds of disease just waiting to infect unsuspecting, weakened immune systems.

This year, I am determined to help Mom head off the bi-monthly battle she wages with the average set of flu complaints: headache, aches, chills, fever, runny nose, cough, and deep fatigue—all of which come on quite quickly. Even though my mom is something of the family doctor and inspired me to start thinking along the lines of preventive medicine, she’s not a great one for taking pills. But when I mentioned that one of the products is a delicious berry syrup that literally magically bolsters the immune system and pounces on the flu, she acquiesced. I bundled up a care package of the three things—all proven D’Adamo products—she should take and shuttled over to her house to outline her regimen.

My mom is a non-stop individual. She looks after the lives of a couple hundred teenage boys and maintains the most active social life of anyone I know, so while no one likes being sick, my mom—and her social life—can’t really afford to be sidelined. This is Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s time-tested approach and I strongly (and as lovingly as a daughter can) urged my mom to follow suit and start the extra work of building her immune system for the winter slog. The following is what I told her, and I recommend it as the best preventive protocol to be taken during flu season; this same course can also help you fight an active flu virus.

First, I have Mom taking two teaspoons a day of Proberry 3 Liquid. This is the miraculous elixir I mentioned earlier, which contains the juice concentrates of elderberry, blueberry, cherry and raspberry, as well as pear. I told her to mix it in with her tea in the evening or just take a spoonful of it in the morning with yogurt or on its own. The key ingredient is elderberry, which, studies have shown, actually inhibits replication of the flu virus in the human body. Research has shown that in people taking elderberry, their immune systems actually recognized flu strains earlier and were able to perform more quickly and effectively to rid their systems of the virus. In fact, the recently released drug Zanamivir, which cost millions of dollars to develop, acts in much the same way as elderberry to disable the flu virus, but without the natural immune-enhancing effects. See Proberry’s full specs at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/41484521/ProberryLiquid-SpecSheet.

The strength of the immune system largely depends on the health of the gut. Why is this? The lining of the intestines is called the gut mucosa. It is constantly doing battle with pathogens that enter our system through the food we eat, as well as the billions of normal flora present in our gut at any given time. Because the gut has to constantly respond to this microbial onslaught, two-thirds of the immune system is found there. So if we suffer from any weakness in the lining of the gut—due to malabsorption, improper balance of flora, or chronic gastrointestinal issues—we have subsequently weakened immune systems. That’s why it is so important, particularly in flu season, to keep the gut strengthened and healthy. ARA 6 is an interesting product, comprised of larch arabinogalactan and quercetin. Larch is important for immune health due to several of its properties. First, it is a prime source fiber and of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s), which are integral to gut health; actually, SCFA’s have been found to improve colon cells’ resistance to disease. Also, larch is an excellent probiotic, meaning that it serves as good food for the healthy bacteria in the gut, allowing them to proliferate. Good bacteria, such as lactobacillus and bifidobacter are essential for gut and immune health. Larch has also been found in studies to bolster the activity of some of the main components of the immune system: macrophages and natural killer cells. Quercetin is included here for its anti-inflammatory and antiviral qualities. As a prophylactic, ARA 6 is an excellent adjunct to Proberry 3. For more information go to http://www.scribd.com/doc/41484109.

The last in the series of three products I have Mom taking through flu season is Genoma Security, which is a combination of five of the best immune-supporting botanicals. First, Andrographis paniculata is an Ayurvedic herb that has a number of functions. Here, it is included for its profound immunostimulating qualities; in a recent study it was found to be so immune-stimulating, it retards the progression of HIV. It also has antibiotic properties and protects the liver, among other things. Schisandra chinensis is an herb used in Chinese medicine and belongs to the adaptogenic family of herbs, which means that it helps the body respond to stress. In this case, the stress is on a body fighting off illness. It works at the level of the liver and adrenals to bolster the body’s fight against invading pathogens. Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae is another herb used in Chinese medicine to tonify the stomach and spleen qi, which means it increases the body’s use of nutrition and increases energy. It also helps with digestion and supports the liver. Scuttelaria baicalensis—from the mint family—is often used to help digestion but it also shrinks the body’s inflammatory response, particularly that of the mast cells, which are the immune system’s havoc-wreaking components. Scutellaria also help the body expel cells that are no longer useful to the body or have become dysfunctional. Lastly, eleutherococcus senticosus, or Siberian ginseng, is another adaptogenic herb that has immune-stimulating effects, as well as helps the body to respond to physical stress. For more complete details on Security, check out: http://www.scribd.com/doc/41484524/Genoma-Security-SpecSheet

That’s it for supplements. As mentioned earlier, because immunity begins in the gut, I advised my mom, who has Type O blood, to increase her beneficial foods and remove her avoids as much as possible, particularly anything with refined sugar. We also added Polyflora O, just to be safe. Because stress also lowers immunity, I pleaded with my mom (who is known to go out every night of the week), to spend a night at home every now and then and allow her body to chill out. Mom is an avid city walker, so I encouraged her to keep up her daily jaunts, as exercise is essential for helping the body fend off sickness. Will my sweet mother win the battle with this year’s fearsome flu virus? Check back in December’s blog to find out. Later this month we’ll look at one overweight man’s fight to lose weight and stave off diabetes.

For information on where to purchase these and other D’Adamo products, go to www.4yourtype.com.

Lyme Aid

Doctors—naturopathic or otherwise—practicing in the Northeast will tell you that Lyme disease is an epidemic illness affecting large parts of their practices. Fewer than fifty percent of people who acquire Lyme disease don’t remember being bit by a tick and won’t actually manifest the bulls-eye rash commonly associated with Lyme. These patients won’t realize that they’ve been infected by the spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burdorferi until they start manifesting other clinical signs and symptoms of Lyme that include fatigue, visions changes, memory changes, mood swings, nervous system abnormalities and joint inflammation. In fact, the first outbreak of Lyme in 1975 in Lyme, CT was actually diagnosed based on what, at that time, was considered a bizarre outbreak of arthritis.

When 11-year old Samantha’s mother Anne checked her in at Dr. Ginger Nash’s office, she had telltale signs of Lyme such as joint pain, headache and stomach upset after eating. But she had also been manifesting some of the less-common neurological symptoms that include anger, rage and malaise or what Samantha described as “just wanting to watch TV all day.” She never had a rash.

Her symptoms began three years ago when she was taken to a medical doctor who diagnosed her using the Western blot method. She showed four strong positive bands and was put on five months of antibiotic treatment with Amoxicillin (the traditional treatment of doxycycline is not given to children). The doctors then continued her antibiotic treatment with Zithromycin and Cefdinar, which she stayed on for months and months. After several years of antibiotics, Anne reported that Samantha’s joint pain—which had localized to her right shoulder, knees and feet—receded. Her stomach pain, which spread through her whole belly, was no better and she continued to have mood swings, deep fatigue and anger. Samantha is tall for her age is also very thin; she sat with her shoulders rolled forward, her long hair forming a curtain around her face. Her skin was translucently pale and she seemed emotionally empty.

After speaking extensively with Samantha and Anne, Dr. Nash had Samantha hop up on the examination table. Samantha’s tonsils were swollen, as were the chains of lymph nodes on either side of her neck. Thinking briefly, Dr. Nash told Samantha and Anne that her treatment would focus on supporting the immune system and interfering with the bacteria’s ability to communicate and create resistance to antibiotic.

The treatment plan was as follows:

· Type O+ diet guidelines: particularly no milk.

· Polyflora O, a NAP product

· Security, a NAP product

· Lyme nosode

· For inflammation: Ananese (sublingual bromelain), homeopathic biotherapeutic drainage, fish oils

I’d like to focus here on Security, which is a product recently formulated by Dr. Peter D’Adamo for the purposes of treating chronic, stubborn infections. The characteristic of Lyme that makes it so tricky to treat is the biofilm, also known as cysts, it forms when it penetrates deeply into tissues. As this biofilm accumulates, it becomes more and more resistant to antibiotic treatment. And even more amazingly, the biofilm has the ability to signal to the receptors on other bacteria so that all of them change their genetic makeup to adhere to the biofilm, then signaling their own followers. This is how the biofilm builds up and becomes increasingly impervious to the efforts of the antibiotic.

Biomedicine has focused on trying to interfere with biofilm communication. Herbal medicine, though, has a leg up on biomedicine because naturally occurring substances have existed for centuries that interrupt this kind of cellular signaling. D’Adamo has compounded five such substances in one formulation and the results, thus far, with Lyme have been extraordinary.

The first herb, Andrographis paniculata, has been used for thousands of years in the medical traditions of India. A recent study found that it directly interrupts the signaling between biofilm. Scuttelaria baicalensis, or Chinese skullcap, encourages the body to dispel faulty cells as well as regulates the body’s inflammatory response. It has, interestingly, been shown to increase the efficacy of antibiotics by decreasing the bacteria’s ability to flush them out of their systems. Schisandra chinensis helps the body to rebuilt adrenal gland cells, which regulate the body’s stress response. This herb bolsters the body’s ability to handle an strong immune response; further, biofilm seems to thrive in states of high stress so decreasing the about of adrenaline in the body is crucial. Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae is a Chinese herb that influences the energy of the spleen and stomach, which means it supports detoxification pathways: an essential when ridding the body of a heavy bacterial burden. Finally, Eleutherococcus senticosus is the final herb in the formulation. It’s also known as Siberian ginseng and many people in the West are familiar with is for its energy-producing and stress-reducing effects. But in the case of Security, it’s most useful as a modulator of the immune response; healthy tissue repair and renewal is incredibly important to prevent recurrence of bacterial infection.

Samantha continued her treatment protocol for three months. At that point, her joint pain and headaches had decreased significantly, and she had fewer mood swings and showed more interest in hanging out with her friends and life away from the television. Five months after treatment, Samantha is reporting no joint pain and her mother says her personality has returned to what it was pre-Lyme. She is no longer on Security or the homeopathics, but continues the Polyflora O to continue to support proper gut flora and fish oils to keep inflammation in check. Anne makes sure Samantha follows the Type O diet as much as it is possible kid who loves pizza and ice cream. But trading those in so that she can live a joyful, pain-free life that an 11-year old deserves? You’ll find no debate from me.

For more information on Security, click here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/36435042/Genoma-Security-SpecSheet

The Big Sleep

Darcy—a tall, sleepy-looking blonde 20-something in sweats—walked in the front door of naturopathic physician Ginger Nash’s New Haven office, trailing behind her mom. Darcy’s mom, Janet, a rather jolly woman with a shock of dark hair and dark-framed glasses, made herself at home on the couch in the waiting area as Darcy plopped down beside her. “Hasn’t slept in days,” Janet said, extending her thumb toward her daughter, a college student in New York City. “We don’t know what to do.” Darcy had the look that is all-to-familiar to naturopathic doctors: the bleary eyes and drawn complexion of sleep deprivation. In an age when 60 million Americans have insomnia, it’s a difficult not to encounter this diagnosis on a regular basis. As a medical student, it’s something with which I’ve had far more first-hand experience than I care to dwell on. When Dr. Nash brought Darcy back to her office for her intake, it appeared that Darcy’s insomnia had its origins in anxiety and depression over a significant trauma she’d experienced in the last year, as well as over her sister’s hospitalization due to mental health problems. As homeopathic scholars describe it, psychological illness can be passed down as miasms—a sort-of transfer of energy—from generation to generation within families; Darcy and her sister were suffering from the same subset of a disease pattern, though Darcy’s were of a less severe nature.

Darcy sat up attentively in her chair and described her symptoms quietly but articulately. She couldn’t fall asleep due to hyper ideation and when she did, she’d awake every two hours, having had disruptive, disturbing dreams. After almost every meal, she’d have cramping and bloating and had taken to eating as a way of coping with the stresses of schoolwork. Occasionally, she’d be doubled over in pain after a meal due to a “spasm-like” feeling on her sides. Despite the insomnia, she described her energy levels as “pretty good” and said that her exercise was walking around the city all day. Her menses are normal and she experiences bad cramping during the first day and a half of her period. She has migraines not infrequently and is quite worried about the acne that seems to be stress-induced. She stores stress in her upper back and neck where painful knots accumulate. A psychiatrist that Darcy had seen a month prior had put her on Ativan for the anxiety, but she wanted to discontinue it, fearing a dependence on the medication and because she was experiencing the annoying side effect of dry mouth; more significantly, it had stopped working for her, particularly at night.

Dr. Nash took all of this in, nodding her head and murmuring sympathetic, understanding comments as she wrote an occasional note on her clipboard. Naturopathic doctors are trained the same as their conventional medicine counterparts when it comes to basic and clinical sciences, but they also get extensive training in counseling. Often, patients will come to naturopathic doctors not only for medical prescriptions but also for a well-trained, sympathetic ear. Dr. Nash is no exception and she provided Darcy with some excellent feedback in that regard. To calm down Darcy’s sympathetic nervous system, Dr. Nash prescribed two NAP products: Cortiguard and Tranquility Base, both of which address concerns related to nervous system upset.

Cortiguard is an excellent product for anyone with mental and physical burnout. When we are chronically stressed out, the adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys, continually pump out cortisol (the stress hormone) and at much higher levels than is normal. High levels of cortisol have been linked to insomnia, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, infertility, and lowered immune function, among other things. Cortiguard is effective because it contains adaptogenic herbs that provide support directly to the adrenals to fend off exhaustion and return them to as much of a baseline as possible in terms of cortisol production. The herbs contained in Cortiguard are: bacopa leaf, boerhavia root extract, panax ginseng root, and eleuthero root. Cortiguard also contains Vitamins C, B1, B5 and B6, and alpha-lipoic acid, which are essential for a healthy stress response.

Read more about Cortiguard at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/34243296/Cortiguard-SpecSheet

Tranquility Base aims to relax the body at both the physical and mental level. It contains GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which means it has a sedative effect. L-theanine is the ingredient in green tea that keeps you from getting jittery after consuming that caffeinated beverage; it is a major amino acid that augments alpha waves in the brain, facilitating a calming effect minus drowsiness. Tranquility Base also contains two heavy hitters of calming herbs: lemon balm and chamomile.

For more information on Tranquility Base, click on:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34534005 /Tranquility-Base-SpecSheet

As for Darcy’s gastrointestinal issues, Dr. Nash associated them with her anxiety; the gut has the same number of neurotransmitters as the brain and originates from the same fetal material. So, resolving her anxiety and sleep issues would significantly reduce her bloating and cramping. Dr. Nash also gave Darcy some guidelines for eating according to her AB blood type that might help resolve some food reactivity: consume smaller amounts of meat, avoiding pork, chicken and beef; focus on lamb, turkey and seafood with some eggs, dairy and grains such as spelt, but not wheat. Dr. Nash also put her on some homeopathic remedies to further support Darcy’s nervous system.

How is Darcy doing now? By all reports she’s sleeping better and has had a significant decline in anxiety and hyper ideation, which weekly therapy has also helped. She will continue on the both the Cortiguard and Tranquility Base until her symptoms resolve more completely. Adrenal repair is not a quick fix and continuing to support adrenal function, especially in students and the otherwise chronically stressed, is an ongoing process. It is important to note that a patient who suffers from this particular symptomatology will always have some an occasional bout of insomnia and anxiety; it is never completely eradicated. The worst part about this is the feeling of powerlessness patients feel. Therefore, the goal is to provide the patient with a set of tools for dealing with the occasional flare-up—whether adding Cortiguard for a month or practicing meditation— as means for coping. The key is keeping anxiety its accompanying set of terrors to occasional visit, not a permanent stay.

Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs: Finding a GI Cure

And we’re back. You asked for more patient cases, and so that’s what we’re giving you. For the next few months, I will be posting patient stories — along with, most importantly, treatment protocols — based on actual patients I saw while precepting in the New Haven office of top-notch naturopathic physician Ginger Nash who is a practitioner with Dr. D’Adamo at The Center for Personalized Medicine in Wilton, CT. She has graciously allowed me to share some of her patient cases, though any identifying details have been changed to protect the anonymity of her patients. Please, read on, and your feedback, as always, is welcomed and appreciated.

This month, we’re going to discuss everyone’s favorite system: the gastrointestinal tract. Bonnie, aged 28, entered the office and, right off the bat, her digestive issues were apparent on her face: she had the bloated, pasty-looking face of someone who isn’t processing her food well. As Dr. Nash started her intake, Bonnie munched on a turkey sandwich as she slowly told the story of her GI problems. She cannot tolerate fats at all, which leads to pain, foul-smelling gas and constipation. After doing some research on the Internet, she’s worried that she might have a fistula. She can’t remember a time she isn’t bloated. Dr. Nash had previously used the hydrogen breath test to determine the level of bacterial overgrowth in her gut. The breath hydrogen machine is a small apparatus that the patient blows slowly into after consuming a small amount of lactulose. The machine calculates the amount of hydrogen in the breath; only small bacteria living in the gut are able to produce hydrogen. A normal amount of hydrogen production after a meal is normal, but when the patient is suffering from malabsorbtion, undigested food backs into the small intestine and bad bacteria (like H. pylori) have a field day and overproduce hydrogen, as well as gas and a host of other problems. A number over 20 usually indicates absorption problems.

The turkey sandwich Bonnie brought in illustrates part of her problem: Bonnie is an A+ Secretor and Type A’s, as we know, do best on vegetarian diets. Type A people who eat meat will store it as fat, and will likely have a large number of digestive toxins. The bottom line is that Type A’s will have a difficult time absorbing protein because of low stomach acid and low levels of proper flora in the gut, which will result in bloating and constipation.

So, what does Bonnie need? First, she’ll require a product that will kill the bad bacteria. Once the bugs are killed, Bonnie will have a lot less gas. She’ll then need to repopulate her gut with good bugs and keep them proliferating. Of course, she needs to change her diet, as well: more fish, less meat and limit dairy while focusing on whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Dr. Nash prescribed her ARA 6, Gastro-D and Polyflora A, which are products of D’Adamo that have proven highly effective at treating GI disturbances. Read on for brief synopses of the three supplements Dr. Nash prescribed and the rationale for each.

Gastro D: This is our bug killer. There are seven ingredients in this product. First, Safflower tops and bladderwrack help dispel the proliferation of H. pylori. Bentonite clay absorbs environmental toxins in the gut. Slippery elm absorbs excess stomach acid. Mastic gum and bismuth protect the stomach lining and mucosa. And, finally, cranesbill is a traditional herb used to address duodenal or gastric ulceration.

For full information on Gastro-D, go to: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33098484

Polyflora A: After we kill the bad bacteria, we want to replace the good flora. Polyflora is a probiotic. We all know we should be taking probiotics from time to time, since the stresses of everyday living and eating deplete our stores of good bacteria. But what’s unique about Polyflora is that it’s specific to blood type, which is important because blood group specificity has been found to be a marker of intestinal bacteria. That means that Type B’s will have different friendly bacteria than Type B’s than Type O’s. And if you take the wrong strain of probiotic for your blood type, it can actually cause unwanted inflammation in your GI tract. The proper probiotic will ensure that your body is producing proper digestive enzymes, decreasing food sensitivities and decreasing the intestinal permeability that will lead to malabsorption. Polyflora A contains the following ingredients: probiotic blend specific to Type A (Bifidobacterium bifidus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri), Burdock root, Chicory root extract, and Jerusalem Artichoke.

Check out the complete product description at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33098518

ARA6: With this product, we’re feeding the good bacteria; this is also known as a prebiotic. ARA 6 makes sure the good bacteria proliferate! The main ingredient in ARA 6 is larch arabainogalactan. In effect, larch acts to increase good bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, while decreasing bad bacteria. As a dietary fiber, it also increases short-chain fatty acids, which are essential for colon and gall bladder health.

Find all of ARA6's details at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33098081/ARA-6-SpecSheet

Magnesium: For Bonnie’s constipation, Dr. Nash gave her this trusty standby.

Bonnie returned a month later and reported that her GI symptoms were essentially diminished. She had diligently taken her supplements and improved her diet about 60%. Dr. Nash took her off the Gastro-D and ARA 6, but kept her on the Polyflora A to continue to repopulate the gut and magnesium for any occasional continued constipation. I call this a triumph of good over evil…bugs, that is.