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.
