Tag Archives: gut health

Questions & Answers

Regaining Your Gut Health After a Colonoscopy

How do you restore your gut function, especially your colonic function, after having a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopies have come a long way. They’re nothing like there were back in the ’70s and ’80s. They’ve become a lot less invasive, much more technologically advanced, and they use much smaller equipment.

Still, I recommend that you take it nice and easy after a colonoscopy. Try not to have a lot of food. Have smaller portions and don’t eat high fiber fruits or vegetables that could irritate the gut. An essential step is to completely avoid alcohol for at least two weeks after the colonoscopy.

Light soups like chicken broth and steamed vegetables would be good options after a colonoscopy. Nice, soft, white fish filets are also suitable. Steamed fish and chicken breast are quite tender and easy on your gut. Some fruit is okay but not too much and avoid fruit that is particularly high in sugar.

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I’m not keen on the fruit juices and gelatin desserts that some medical websites recommend. I don’t think that amount of sugar is what your gut needs. I suggest keeping sugar to minimal levels when trying to get your gut back to a good state after a colonoscopy.

I’ve read that eating brown rice after a colonoscopy is not recommended. I tend to disagree. If you cook the rice and make it very soft, it’s a perfectly good food to eat after a colonoscopy. I also recommended having a bit of sour Greek yogurt daily, and kefir might be helpful as well.
Probiotics after a colonoscopy can help with your recovery.

In general, rest up and take it easy for a bit after you’ve had the procedure. If you want to know what shape the gut is in after the colonoscopy, wait a month and get a comprehensive stool analysis. That will let you know the levels of your gut bacteria and where you’ve got the right species in the right amounts.

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Questions & Answers

Start Young: Childhood Habits Make A Difference To Your Gut Flora

I read a fascinating study out of Montreal that followed 22 children over eight years. The study looked at the impact of childhood habits on gut flora.

This study was conducted at the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, in Montreal, Quebec. The 22 children had multiple stool samples done over the eight years. What the researchers found was that children who were fit, sleeping well, and who had a generally healthy lifestyle, tended to have a much more diverse microbiome when they got older.

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In other words, childhood habits have a significant impact on the biodiversity of the microbiome. If you extrapolate those findings to adulthood, we can expect better mental, physical, and emotional health in those with a healthy lifestyle during childhood.

Encouraging your child to be fit, active, eat healthy foods, and put down the Xbox once in a while can make a big difference to their health in the long run.

Remember that the work I do is evidence-based. It’s not hocus pocus sort of fairy dust. It’s science-based information I like to present to people here because that’s what it’s all about. It combines the best of what science offers and the best of what nature offers. I like that sweet spot right in the middle there. I’ve always worked on that premise.

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Questions & Answers

The Connection Between Skin Health And Gut Health

I’ve always believe that if you get the gut in order, you’re going to get a person’s skin in better shape. Now finally, science is validating this.

A very interesting study was it was conducted by the Louis Pasteur Institute in Paris and the Bernard Institute in Leon. The researchers took a cohort of mice and genetically modified their DNA, so they no longer had the MAVS gene. The MAVS gene codes for an antiviral protein.

The mice without the MAVS gene experienced an alteration to their microbiota as the MAV antiviral protein no longer protected them. As a result, their skin was more vulnerable, and they developed eczema.

In this study, removing the MAV gene was also associated with a leaky gut. As the microbiota changed and viruses better able to attack, the small intestine became much more permeable. Remember, that a leaky gut allows food proteins to leak through the intestinal wall and affect the spleen and the lymph.

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Next, the researchers took the gut flora from the mice lacking MAV and put it into the normal mice. The normal mice went on to develop severe eczema and significant allergies.

The authors of the study concluded that when the gut flora is disturbed, reactions can occur throughout the body – not just in the gut. Hence, the emergence of eczema in these mice.

Another study was conducted at Otago University in New Zealand. In this case, the researchers were focused on infants. When infants received probiotics, their eczema cleared up much more rapidly than when any other treatment was used.

I’m well known in my industry for successfully treating challenging skin conditions. I’ve always started from the premise that you need to alter the diet, feed the beneficial bacteria, and get the gut in excellent health to conquer skin problems. I’ve been talking about this for 20 years.
Unfortunately, many people with eczema end up being prescribed steroid creams or pills. I think the focus should be on getting the diet in line with the needs of the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Then, the body’s health will take care of itself.

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Questions & Answers

What You Need To Know About Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)

Medium-chain fatty acids are derived from natural substances. Caprylic acid and capric acid are the two main MCTs and are found in coconut fat.

MCTs are easily absorbed by the body because these types of fats don’t require bile for digestion. I believe MCTs get absorbed straight into the portal vein, where it is shunted to the liver for processing. For that reason, MCTs don’t seem to cause the same weight gain as other fats that go through typical digestive processes.

You also need a lot less MCT or coconut oil to achieve satiety compared to fats like olive oil.
A meta-analysis that included 13 different studies found that regular ingestion of MCTs was associated with a ½ pound weight loss and a small decrease in waist circumference.

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MCTs can help you lose a small amount of weight. Still, they are not the be-all and end-all. You shouldn’t take MCT supplements and expect to transform your body.

If you’re serious about weight loss, I suggest focusing on increasing your protein intake while reducing your caloric consumption. Avoid crappy food and exercise more.

Still, having a small amount of MCTs in your diet has some value. MCTs are antifungal and can help control yeast levels in your gut.

My preference is to consume whole coconut rather than a fractionated product made from coconut oil. However, it’s your decision. You may prefer to take the supplement.

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Questions & Answers

Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea: Words of Caution

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is very common.

I’ve seen many people over the years who’ve developed diarrhea after using antibiotics. Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

An interesting study by Dr. Lisa Dawson and colleagues reported that C. diff produces a compound called Para-cresol. This chemical inhibits a wide range of microorganisms. By dispersing surrounding bacteria, Para-cresol opens the door for C. diff to colonize readily.

There aren’t many species of gut bacteria that produce Para-cresol, but C. diff is one of them. As a result, C. diff has a competitive edge in the gut.

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Candida does something similar. It creates various toxins, including gliotoxin. These toxins are almost like shards of glass – no matter how much you try and clean them up, there’s still some left behind.

Gliotoxin can travel through the bloodstream and cause a lot of problems.
It’s defense mechanisms like gliotoxin and Para-cresol that have allowed yeast and bacteria to survive for thousands, if not millions, of years.

To my mind, the best solution is not to take antibiotics in the first place unless absolutely necessary. I think that over time, scientists and the medical field will come to see that the collateral damage caused by antibiotics is intolerable. There has to be a better way.

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