Healing Arts Press, a division of Inner Traditions International, recently released the updated version of Radical Medicine by Louisa Williams, MS, DC, ND. The book, which aims to help treat the root causes of health concerns through natural therapies, has sold well copies since its original publication in 2007. Dr. Williams recommends using NESS™ Gastric Comfort (formula 601) to help the body address gastrointestinal problems and address food allergies.

“I have been using Gastric Comfort for almost two decades now,” Dr. Williams said during a phone interview.  “During that span, no other enzyme and herbal plant blend has tested better in my ulcer, gastritis or GERD patients. It’s amazing how large a percentage of patients need this aid even though they may not have been diagnosed. In fact, I would estimate that approximately 60 to 70 percent of my new patients need Gastric Comfort.”

Dr. Williams says patches of inflamed and irritated gut mucosa are pandemic in many individuals. Those who have a history of taking Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS), such as Ibuprofen, may not have any history of stomach or gut pain, but sooner or later these drugs often cause inflammation and erosion in the gut mucosa.

“After five days or so the ‘honeymoon’ period of less bloating and more energy ends,” she says.  “They can start to experience pain, nausea and general malaise after that.”

Even protease can be too harsh on an inflamed intestinal lining for some patients, she says. Gastric Comfort is ideal since it’s protease-free and contains many other enzymes that don’t cause irritation.

Radical Medicine has received praise from many facets of the healthcare community, including chiropractors, acupuncturists, gastroenterologists, medical doctors, holistic physicians and physical therapists, among others:

Your book has set the standard in holistic medicine. Every important issue has been identified. What a magnificent book–I’m proud to know you.

Harvey Bigelsen, MD

Holistic Physician and Author

 This is the Bible (for achieving) true health. I have had so much joy reading it. Every dentist should be working with someone like you.

Sandor Hites, DDS

Biological Dentist

 You are the Eckhart Tolle of the alternative community – no one says it better than you. Radical Medicine should be in everyone’s library.

Kevin Moreland, DC
Chiropractic Physician

 To view the Radical Medicine website—including other testimonials and an order form—click here. To order Gastric Comfort, click here.

Suggested reading:

Williams, Louisa L. (2007, 2011). Radical Medicine: Cutting-edge natural therapies that treat the root causes of disease. Rochester, Va. Healing Arts Press.

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that daily intake of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei may help protect against the flu.

More than 200 healthy study subjects at the Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy were split into four groups. Two groups received a daily dose of the probiotic strains BB-12 and L. casei. The other two groups were given a placebo pill. After two weeks, all four groups were given a seasonal influenza vaccine. Plasma and saliva were taken before the test began and at six weeks to compare the number of flu antibodies.

The results showed that while all groups received the vaccine, the L. casei group showed a 46% increase in the number of antibodies produced, compared to just a 2% increase in the corresponding placebo group.

Sam Lingo, director of operations for Enzymes, Inc., says studies like this will open the public’s eyes to the power that a balanced digestive system possesses.

“Many consumers don’t understand that the digestive system is at the very core of overall health,” Lingo says. “It really goes back to the foundations of enzyme therapy. If your body isn’t busy fighting a war in the gut, it has the biochemical resources it needs to focus elsewhere, including strengthening the immune system, responding to inflammation and helping to improve other vital systemic (organ and tissue) function.”

Probiotics have sparked a proverbial firestorm within the consumer food and health industry in recent years. From traditional probiotic-rich foods to new drinks, supplements and even “gummy” products, consumers are bombarded with the message that probiotics are nature’s answer to indigestion– eliminating “bad” bacteria and boosting “good” bacteria, all with little risk of side effects. However, probiotic manufacturers are going to great lengths to one-up their competitors, claiming that more strains of probiotics are more beneficial. Are they correct? Not necessarily. Click here to read more.

Enzymes, Inc. offers potent probiotic supplements comprised of the most effective types and quantities to produce the best results. ProSol[[$trademark]] Probiotic and Advanced Formula[[$trademark]] FlorEnz[[$trademark]] are also available through your healthcare practitioner.

Enzyme supplements work with probiotics in the digestive process. They help break down food, absorb nutrients and help decrease the symptoms of indigestion. WellZymes[[$trademark]] Digestive Health is a broad-spectrum enzyme supplement that includes specific digestive enzymes used to break down specific types of foods, including protein, fats, dairy and carbohydrates.

Don’t know what an enzyme is? Click here to view a brief educational video.

With increased awareness regarding gluten and its potential effects on the body and brain function, Enzymes, Inc. (EI) is proud to announce that gluten has been eliminated from 12 products containing diastase.

Diastase is responsible for breaking down food starches into maltose, a disaccharide. In the past, diastase was derived from barley malt (Hordeum vulgare). Over the past few years, National Enzyme Company (NEC), EI’s enzyme manufacturer, pursued Kosher certification and discovered that malt diastase does not meet Kosher standards. NEC executives decided to switch to a fungal source of diastase called Aspergillus oryzae, which still maintains the important diastatic digestive capacity of malt diastase.

Danielle Harrison, scientific and regulatory affairs manager at NEC, says while well under FALPCA levels, malt diastase did show extremely small amounts of gluten when tested.  In contrast, diastase from Aspergillus oryzae has shown no traces of gluten when tested, she says.

Sam, Lingo, EI Operations Manager, says the change in source organisms is of definite benefit to current and future customers.

“Some customers have sensitivities to malt or barley,” he says. “Now that gluten has been eliminated completely from diastase, customers and potential customers can move forward and use our products with an even greater confidence that they’re one step closer to optimal health.”

Products that used to contain malt diastase but now include the fungal source diastase are:

-Advanced Formula™ DigestEnz™

-Advanced Formula GastrEnz™

-Ness™ #21 Sugar digest

-ProSol™ Digestion

-ProSol Sugar/Starch Digestion™

-ProSol Gastro Calm™

-ProSol Fiber Digestion™

-WellZymes™ Protein/Fat Digestion

-WellZymes Gastric Ease™

-Nutri-Essence™ Digestion

-Nutri-Essence Digest Chewables

-Nutri-Essence Gas Ease

Lingo says the conversion process for all EI products containing malt diastase is likely to be complete by mid 2012.

Gluten is the primary protein found in wheat. Despite it being a component of natural foods, it has been under great scrutiny in the past decade, with many scientists and experts blaming gluten for a wide variety of digestive and organ problems.  Some have theorized that gluten sensitivity is a contributing factor in auto-immune disorders and autism.

If you or your patients experience sensitivities to gluten, ProSol Gluten Digestion™ can help. Click here to learn more.

by Nicholas Dupont

Each week millions of Americans purchase probiotic-rich foods and supplements in an attempt to attain digestive regularity and balance. Business is booming—an April 2010 Mintel report showed that in the Natural Channel Sales for Digestive Health category, probiotics posted a 28 percent increase in sales from 2009 to 2010.

Dr. Chuck Olds, DC, of Olds Chiropractic clinics in Sparta and Cookville, Tenn., says the rising cost of healthcare and overuse of antibiotics are primary reasons why demand for natural digestive aids has increased.

“People are starting to learn,” Dr. Olds says. “It’s just getting too expensive to keep covering up the problem. Diet accounts for 90 percent of the solution, no matter what the problem is. But it does little if you don’t address the other 10 percent of the problem with probiotics.”

While consumers are sold on wanting to look and feel like the happy-go-lucky celebrities that tout probiotic food products, they know little about what they’re taking in. A recent report from the Natural Marketing Institute shows that approximately 70 percent of consumers say they aren’t knowledgeable about the health benefits of probiotics.

With an overwhelming response to probiotic advertising campaigns, consumers are desperate for education on what probiotics are, the symbiotic relationship they have with the gut and how many probiotic strains are enough (or too much). Here are some basics to help you choose a probiotic product that’s right for you.

Conflict in the gut: Probiotics help win the war

Inside the gut, there’s a quiet territorial war raging between several different types of beneficial and non-beneficial micro-organisms. On one side, beneficial bacteria engage in a symbiotic relationship with the body: It helps you break down food and absorb essential vitamins and nutrients. In return, it feeds off of a portion of the food you take in and is allowed to survive and multiply.

On the other side, non-beneficial bacteria, particularly yeast (candida albicans), feed, survive and multiply off of the sugars, starches, yeast breads (this type of yeast is called saccharomyces) and alcoholic beverages we consume.

All of the micro-organisms compete with each other to colonize in the gut and multiply. If non-beneficial bacteria colonize the colon and outnumber the beneficial bacteria, the results can include ulcers, weakened immune system, irritable bowel syndrome, vaginal infection and diarrhea.

Taking a probiotic supplement helps keep yeast, viruses and other harmful microbes at bay and creates a healthy and neutral environment in the gut, increases the efficiency of digestion, promotes better gut-related immune response, helps lower incidence of allergic responses and improves repair of damaged intestinal cell membranes.

Antibiotics: They don’t just kill bad bacteria

Just as its name suggests, antibiotics do not discriminate when it comes to destroying micro-organisms, both beneficial and non-beneficial. It’s akin to a nuclear bomb, wiping out everything in its path. While antibiotics can help the body level the playing field, it also opens up the door for harmful bacteria to gain the upper hand in next round of the micro-war.

“I heard it said once that if you’ve had just one round of antibiotics in your lifetime, you have a yeast problem,” Dr. Olds says. In order to keep pace with the growth of bad bacteria, supplementing your diet with a probiotic is crucial to sustaining intestinal balance.

What to look for

Lawrence Bronstein DC, CNS, DACBN, a 26-year veteran of Mahaiwe Chiropractic, Health & Nutrition Services in Great Barrington, Mass., says effective probiotic therapy is based on the particular needs of the individual and involves more than just picking up some yogurt at the local grocery store. If you want to tap into the full potential probiotics have to offer, Dr. Bronstein encourages consumers to take a close look at these factors:

Potency and types of strains: More isn’t always better
There are hundreds of different types of probiotic flora (aka “strains”). So it goes without saying that the potency and types varies from person to person depending on what is lacking. Dr. Bronstein says you should stick with a product that contains at least four of the six strains most likely to be needed, including bifidobacterium longum and five in the lactobacillus family, including acidophilus, plantarum rhamnosus, salivarius, and casei. Lactobacillus is a lactic acid bacteria that competes with other bacteria—working in an increasing acidic environment that it creates. Doing so allows it to reduce other harmful bacteria from growing and flourishing.

Many probiotic manufactures use the “more is better” approach, offering products containing up to 16 strains. However, Dr. Bronstein says taking too many strains can end up doing more harm than good.

“There is such a thing as taking in too much flora,” he says. “It takes you right back where you started by making you feel bloated, experience indigestion and cause changes in stool.”

Dr. Olds recommends Advanced Formula™ FlorEnz™, which is available through healthcare practitioners.
“I’ve had great success with it for 14 years,” he says. “None of my patients have ever had an adverse reaction to it.”

Additives: What some food companies don’t tell you
What is more enticing than taking in your daily dose of probiotics in the form of a delicious cup of strawberry, vanilla or peach yogurt? Ah, but there’s a likely catch if the product contains certain food additives, according to Dr. Bronstein.

“It’s a problem consuming probiotics or nutraceuticals in presence of food additives such as sugar and food colorings in typical yogurt produced commercially,” he says.  And yeast (candida albicans) thrives on processed sugar making the commercially produced yogurt flavored with sugar counterproductive.”

Expiration date
Probiotics lose approximately 10 percent of their viability when they expire. Micro-organisms continue to die off after that, until they’re rendered virtually ineffective. Make sure the product you choose has an expiration date of at least one year or less from the current month.

Enzyme supplements complement probiotics
Intestinal health is the cornerstone and predictor of overall health. In addition to probiotics, digestive enzyme supplements are also a key player in the pursuit of intestinal harmony. The human body naturally secretes digestive enzymes in the pancreas and sends them to the small intestine to help break down food components. Raw foods contain their own enzymes and initiate the digestive process in the mouth as you chew. With these foods aiding in the process and completing two-thirds of the digestive process before it reaches the acid portion of the stomach, they keep the demand for digestive enzymes low and allow the body’s enzyme supply to concentrate on other areas (such as immune function and response to inflammation).

However, cooked and processed foods don’t have these enzymes present, and as a result, place considerable strain on the body to make up for the difference. Indigestion and other intestinal-related problems are very likely to follow. Fortunately, adding a digestive enzyme supplement to your diet can supply you with the necessary enzymes to handle the foods you eat. To learn more about probiotics and how digestive enzyme supplements complement probiotic therapy, visit www.enzymesinc.com.

Nick Dupont is the marketing coordinator and copy editor for Enzymes, Inc. in Kansas City, Mo.

Suggested reading

“Gastrointestinal Remedies: Digestive and Immunity Health.” Mintel International Group Ltd. 1 April 2010. Chicago, Ill. 3 March 2011
<http://oxygen.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen/display/id=482514>

“The Emerging Probiotics Market: Consumer Trends & Market Opportunities.” The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI).  1 November 2009. Harleysville, Penn. 3 March 2011
<http://www.nmisolutions.com/r_probiotics_toc.html>

For a limited time and while supplies last!

Practitioners eligible to purchase ProSol™ line products can take advantage of a 50% discount on bottles of ProSol Protease if ordered online in the month of February (product expiration date is 5/31/11). Go to www.buyenzymes.com to take advantage of this limited-time offer!

Protease, which acts on protein in food, acts differently in the tissues of the body than it does in the digestive tract. Research shows that proteolytic enzymes taken on an empty stomach can help ease inflammation, help strengthen immunity and help enhance tissue repair. Proteases can also help detoxify the blood and help regulate the effect of hormones, which promotes healthy functioning of all systems throughout the body.

Protease also includes calcium to help prevent the depletion of intracellular calcium that may result from the presence of this highly active blend of proteases in the blood.

With late December holidays just around the corner–your mouth is already watering in anticipation of savoring your favorite candies, pastries, dishes and snacks.

While treats and comfort foods can be bliss for a time–they have a way of giving you amnesia after the fact. When it comes time to munch again, you’ve forgotten that eating goodies from morning till night will comes with a price. You’ll be extremely gassy, bloated and laying on the couch with an urge to unbutton your pants and give your insides some room to breathe. You may spend more time looking at bathroom wallpaper than enjoying your family or holiday entertainment.

You know it’s going to happen every year, but you do it anyway. You try to fight back against indigestion by taking scores of antacids and “the pink stuff.” But those remedies only cover up the underlying issue—the lack of complete food component breakdown.

To aid in the digestive process and help the body ease the discomfort that holiday foods carry,  include a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement with every meal. By adding to the digestive enzymes your body uses to break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, you’ll also help decrease the amount of gas and fatigue you may experience afterward. And if you love the relish tray, there are also digestive enzyme supplements derived from plant sources to help maximize the digestion of legumes (beans), cruciferous vegetables and high fiber foods.

Digestive enzyme supplements may be the best gift you’ll receive this holiday season–one that allows you to have your fruitcake—and not pay the price for eating it, too.

While the term “organic” may carry with it a certain perception that anything labeled as such is pure and flawless, cooked and processed organic foods can’t be digested any easier than their non-organic counterparts.

Organic food advocates claim that organically grown foods are healthier because they are not raised with non-organic methods such as pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones. However, during cooking and processing, organic foods lose vitamins and food enzymes, just as non-organic foods do.

Food enzymes, which are natural enzymes that both organic and non-organic raw foods possess, begin the process of breaking down food when you start chewing. When the food reaches the stomach and small intestine, half of the work has already been done, allowing food nutrients to be more easily and completely absorbed. But when food enzymes are cooked and processed out, the body must use more of its own enzyme resources to compensate. Improperly broken down food often leads to indigestion, gas, and bloating. And with the body working overtime, you may also feel fatigued after you finish eating.

To maximize the nutritional value of organic food, supplement your diet with a daily vitamin, probiotics, and a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement, which helps break down any type of food and replace lost food enzymes.

“Mom! Mom! Dad! Dad! Look! I see the golden arches! Can we stop there? Please? Pleeeeaaassee? I wanna play on the slide and get the new toy! Oh please-please-please-please-pleeaassseee?”

If you have kids, you’re undoubtedly bombarded with this request every time you take to the highway for a long road trip. If you’re trying to make good time and haven’t planned ahead, succumbing to the allure of the fast food kingdom is easy and convenient. You think, “The kids will be thrilled, the food is cheap, and it’s ready in less than 90 seconds. Why not?”

Of course, the “why not” comes later, when the kids are crabby, sweating from dehydration, and too groggy to play, “I spy with my little eye.” The “why not” finds you, too—out of it and with acid indigestion and gas. Your family is pleading with you, “Roll down the window, for the love of Pete.”

We all know that greasy and fatty fast food is at the forefront of turning the United States into one of the most unhealthy and obese countries in the world. But what can you do on the road to avoid the fast food trap, promote a healthy lifestyle for the kids and get to your destination in a timely manner?

Let’s rewind all the way back to before you left for the trip. WebMD suggests you take a cooler and stock it with these healthy, convenient, and easy to serve alternatives:

· Water, low-fat milk, or 100% juice. Take cooled milk and douse it over whole-grain cereals that come in single-serve cups.
· Low-fat cheese sticks
· Tubes or cartons of yogurt
· Cut veggies or washed baby carrots and cherry tomatoes. Compliment with a container of low-fat dip.
· Sliced bananas, apples, grapes and pears.

Other healthy and portable items:
· Peanut butter in a tube or a small tub to go with crackers or bread sticks
· Single-serve cans of tuna with easy-open tops and crackers
· Cans or cups of fruit packed in their own juice
· Dehydrated bean soups (get hot water at a roadside rest stop)
· Trail mix made from dried fruits, nuts, seeds, pretzels, or cereal with a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure.

Get the most out of what you’re feeding them

Even healthier food choices can still pose digestive problems, including incomplete nutrient absorption and indigestion. Many moms and dads supplement their kids’ meals with digestive enzyme supplements. These all-natural products help break down all types of foods, helping the body to absorb food nutrients. On the road, this helps make for kids that are more awake, chipper, and less likely to say, “Pull over, I think I’m gonna be sick.” There’s nothing more beautiful than upholstery that retains its original color.

As far as the slide and playtime, be sure to pack a Frisbee and your baseball gloves. Stop at a rest area with a park and have a catch with your kids. After all, it’s what happens on the journey that childhood memories are made of.

What type of food do you crave? Do your favorite snacks or meals consist of fruits, fried foods, vegetables, sugar, nuts, meats, dairy or all of the above? How do you typically feel after you eat? Are you energized, relaxed, focused, sleeping on the couch or in the bathroom?

Regardless of what you love to eat, here’s four ways to get the most out of your food and not pay the price afterward.

1. Use time to your advantage. We’ve all heard the term portion control, but how easy is it to sit down on the couch after a hard day and eat just 10 potato chips or a tiny helping of spaghetti with meat sauce? Difficult, to say the least.

To avoid overeating—and the indigestion that can come with it—next time eat the small portion and then set an egg timer for 20 minutes. Research shows that it takes food approximately 20 minutes to reach your stomach and turn off the hunger signal to your brain. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to say ‘no’ to another helping when you’re body says you’re full. If you don’t think this approach will work, promise yourself another helping when you set the egg timer, then wait and see. Chances are, you’ll change your mind.

2. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. When you eat foods high in sugar or sodium, you increase the amount of water the body needs to carry out the digestion and keep food moving through the intestines. If the food doesn’t contain enough natural water, constipation and slower digestion can be the result. If the food is so loaded with sodium or sugar that it has to draw water from the body, diarrhea and dehydration can be the result. Be sure to drink at least 64 fluid ounces of pure water per day.

3. Chew your food—no, really. The stomach doesn’t act like a high-powered blender. It takes a while for it to turn food into the creamy substance it needs before it can absorb nutrients and complete digestion. So it follows that the more broken down your food is when it reaches the stomach, the less effort the body has to put out to convert it into energy. Chewing each mouthful at least 20 to 30 times will also allow the enzymes in your saliva to start breaking down fats and carbohydrates right from the get go. If food sits in the stomach too long, a build up of gas can occur and cause reflux.

4. Take a digestive enzyme supplement. Because most of the foods we eat today are cooked or processed, they contain little or no natural enzymes that aid digestion. Ever wonder why you feel tired after eating? Your body is exhausted from trying to make up for the lack of enzymes, which do all the work.

Raw foods have increased in popularity because of their enzyme content. Supplemental enzymes can ease digestive stress on the body and help it better absorb nutrients from food. Enzyme blends that offer broad-spectrum digestive support, also include enzymes for problems that can stem from eating beans and vegetables or dairy.

Enzymes, Inc., has produced a new piece of patient literature. It’s a primer on digestive and systemic enzyme therapy that health care practitioners can download and provide to their patients.

The document, “Enzymes and Health,” provides a space in the bottom right corner for practitioners to attach their business cards. Simply print out the free download, attach your business card and make copies for your patients.