Better health, take charge: Dietary fiber will help protect your digestive tract

What you should know

Almost everyone has occasional constipation, gas or abdominal cramping.

Your diet is extremely important in reducing abdominal discomfort and improving regularity. Dietary fiber -- sometimes called roughage -- is crucial in regulating your digestive tract.

Foods from plants are a primary source of dietary fiber. A daily variety of plant foods -- cereals and grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts -- can help to prevent future gastrointestinal problems in most people.

There are two basic forms of fiber: soluble (dissolves in water) and insoluble (moves through your gastrointestinal tract without dissolving in water). Both types of fiber are important to maintain your health.

Soluble fiber is good for lowering cholesterol and blood sugar (glucose levels). Soluble fiber picks up water and changes into a gel-like substance as it goes through your digestive tract. Examples of soluble fiber foods are beans, peas and lentils (legumes), oatmeal, broccoli, root vegetables (like carrots and potatoes) and many fruits -- bananas, pears, apples, prunes, plums and many berries.

Insoluble fiber is indigestible. It generally passes through your body unchanged. Insoluble fiber foods help to prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome. They can regularly push solids and liquids through your digestive system. Good sources of insoluble fiber foods include wheat bran, whole-wheat foods, nuts and seeds, and some vegetables, such as celery, green beans and zucchini, and the skin of some fruits and vegetables.

High-fiber foods may help people lose weight. People who eat high-fiber diets seem less likely to overeat. These foods often make you feel full longer. They may require more chewing. They frequently provide fewer calories per serving than many meats or high-fat foods such as chocolate cake or ice cream.

Food preferences start in early childhood. Bowel problems frequently start in childhood, and often stem from a lack of dietary fiber that leads to chronic constipation.

Most people take in only 12-18 grams of fiber each day. Many experts feel that the lack of dietary fiber intake is contributing to our obesity epidemic. Experts suggest that most adults eat 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day.

What you should do

Eat breakfast. Check labels to see which breakfast foods are high in fiber, such as cold cereals or hot oatmeal. Breakfast can also stimulate your metabolism and your digestive system so that regularity is maintained.

Drink water regularly. Water works with fiber to improve bowel habits and to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar.

Don't add too much fiber too quickly to your diet. A large sudden increase in fiber can cause gas and discomfort.

If your family resists the idea of more fiber, hide bran, nuts and seeds in the foods that you prepare. Good places to add fiber are muffins, meatloaf, casseroles, and even cookies and salads. Buy breads with extra fiber.

Aim for 38 grams of fiber or more if you are a man and 25 grams or more if you are a woman age 50 or younger.

Promote wholesome snacks that provide extra fiber in your household. Examples include baby carrots, celery sticks with hummus, or apples coated with peanut butter. Dried fruit and whole-grain crackers are also good choices.

Buy whole-grain products when possible. Whole-grain foods are a healthier choice than white flour for most people.

Don't add only one type of fiber to your diet. Be sure to include a variety of high-fiber foods in your daily diet.

Fiber supplements can help with occasional problems, but they should not be the only source of fiber in your diet.

Experiment with new recipes to add fiber to traditional foods. For example, add black beans to your nachos or add nuts, fruits or beans to a green salad.

Read labels to be sure you are buying something that is high in fiber, but is also low in fat, salt and sugar.

Help form your children's preferences for high-fiber foods by ensuring that they are part of their diets early on.

If you have had chronic constipation, check with your doctor first to see how much fiber should be in your diet. You may need to increase fiber intake gradually to achieve normal bowel movements.

This article is a reprint of http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/aug/17/dietary-fiber-will-help-protect-your-digestive/ The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. Aug 16, 2009‎

IBD possible Consequence of Salmonella, Campylobacter

Food poisoning can lead to other adverse health effects, some of which are long-term and serious. For instance, new studies have been revealing that Salmonella and campylobacter can lead to very long-term issues with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), says Reuters.

When someone contracts a diarrheal sickness as a result of Salmonella or campylobacter, their odds of developing IBD increase as does the risk for being ill with the disease for 15 or more years following the initial infections, said Reuters. The risk is significantly higher when the person has been hospitalized for the illness, according Dr. Henrik Nielsen from Aarhaus University Hospital in Aalborg, Denmark, said Reuters, which noted that Dr. Nielsen and his colleagues reported in the recent issue of the journal Gastroenterology.

In June we wrote that a study found that people who have suffered from Salmonella or Campylobacter infections are three times likelier to develop (IBD). The risk increased to five-fold if the patient was hospitalized close to the illness, noted Reuters. More than 600,000 Americans have some kind of IBD every year.

IBD encompasses a group of disorders, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which cause the intestines to become inflamed. IBD can cause abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and bleeding from the intestines. According to WebMD previously, genetics, environment, diet, abnormal blood vessels, infections, immune-system overreaction, and psychological factors all have been cited as possible causes of IBD.

The team looked at IBD risks in 13,148 patients with documented cases of gastroenteritis that was caused by Salmonella or Campylobacter compared with 26,216 healthy people over seven and a-half years, said Reuters. The team found that first-time IBD diagnosis was more prevalent in gastroenteritis patients—107 or 1.2 percent—versus the healthy control group (at 73, or 0.5 percent), especially during the first year, reported Reuters.

Salmonella and campylobacter are among the most common pathogens associated with food poisoning and, it seems, IBD can be listed as a possible long-term consequence of these food borne infections. Unfortunately, it is not the only one. Victims of both infections are at risk of developing a form of reactive arthritis called Reiter’s Syndrome. Reiter’s Syndrome typically affects large weight-bearing joints such as the knees and the lower back. Campylobacter infections are also associated with the development of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. This potentially paralyzing illness can leave victims with mild to severe neurological damage.

Other food borne illnesses can also have long-term consequences, as well. E. coli victims sometimes require kidney transplants and may also have scarred intestines that cause lasting digestive difficulty. Even E. coli patients who supposedly recovered can experience long-term health problems later on. For instance, it is estimated that 10 percent of E. coli sufferers develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, in which their kidneys and other organs fail.

Source: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/11957 The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. ‎Au1 25 , 2009‎

Colonoscopy in the a.m. may have best pre-cancer detection rate

Colonoscopy performed in the morning is more likely to detect pre-cancerous polyps than the same test done in the afternoon according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology .

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic analyzed results from over 3600 colonoscopies and found that not only were a higher percentage of polyps detected in these patients screened in the morning, but the detection rates dropped off as the day wore on. The authors speculated that fatigue of the GI doctors performing the procedure may have played a role in these results, but stated that the findings should be studied further.

In an accompanying editorial, Joseph Vicari, MD pointed out that the morning group of patients had a higher number of men who are more likely to have polyps than women. In addition, the morning group tended to be older and more of them had a history of polyps than the afternoon group, which could also have skewed the data. Nevertheless, he felt that if the findings could be validated in a prospective study, there might be a need to consider scheduling fewer colonoscopies in the afternoon to improve polyp detection rates.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the US. In 2008, about 149,000 Americans were diagnosed with the disease, and 50,000 died of it. Experts believe that adequate screening could have prevented perhaps 60 percent of those deaths.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force now recommends screening colonoscopy every ten years starting at the age of 50. If there is a family history of colon cancer or some other increased risk factor such as ulcerative colitis, screening should be done before age 50. Discuss how often is appropriate for you with your primary care physician.

Source http://www.examiner.com/x-9303-Miami-Health-Care-Examiner~y2009m8d16-Colonoscopy-in-the-am-may-have-best-precancer-detection-rate The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. ‎Au1 16 , 2009‎

Probiotics improve outcomes of gastric bypass surgery

A study published in the July 2009 issue of Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery found that probiotics improve the outcomes gastric bypass surgery for weight loss. In this study patients were given either probiotics or a placebo following gastric bypass surgery. The patients receiving probiotics lost significantly more weight than the placebo group.

Several other studies have examined the potential role of probiotics in obesity and weight loss as well. Studies have found that lean individuals have higher levels of probiotics than overweight individuals. It is unknown whether taking a probiotic supplement or food is effective for weight loss, but preliminary studies have shown promising results. More studies are needed to confirm whether they can help with weight loss.

Even though we don't know for sure if probiotic foods and supplements can enhance weight loss, there are plenty of other known health benefits (colon health, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis etc.) of prebiotics and probiotics , so consider including good sources of probiotics and prebiotics as part of your daily diet.

To download and read the study, visit the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery website.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammation of the digestive tract is common to both, but aside from that, they are distinct illnesses.

Crohn's can attack any part of the digestive tract from the esophagus to the colon. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, is limited to the colon - the large intestine. The inflammation in Crohn's disease affects all layers of the digestive tract. With ulcerative colitis, the inflammation remains on the most superficial layer of the tract.

One of Crohn's major symptoms is crampy stomach pain. The pain worsens after eating. Diarrhea is a prominent feature, and the diarrhea often is at its worst during the night. Rectal bleeding, night sweats, fever and weight loss are some of its other calling cards.

Medical science is still ignorant of its cause, but the immune system appears to be involved, and that bit of information comes into play in devising medicines for it.

FDA: Arthritis drugs pose cancer risk to children

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Tuesday added stronger warnings to a group of best-selling drugs used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, saying they can increase the risk of cancer in children and adolescents.

After more than a year of review, Food and Drug Administration scientists said the drugs appear to increase the risk of cancer after they are used beyond 2 1/2 years. The agency studied several dozen reports of cancer in children taking the drugs, some of which were fatal. Half of the cases were lymphomas, a cancer that attacks the immune system.

The drugs are known as tumor necrosis factor blockers and work by neutralizing a protein that, when overproduced, causes inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and other tissue. The drugs are prescribed to children with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorder and Crohn's disease.

The FDA will bolster the "black box" warning on the five drugs sold in the U.S., including Abbott Laboratories' Humira, Johnson & Johnson's Remicade and Simponi, and Enbrel which is co-marketed by Amgen Inc. and Wyeth. All the products are multibillion-dollar sellers. Enbrel was the biggest moneymaker of the group with sales of $3.4 billion last year.

The action also affects Belgian drugmaker UCB's Cimzia, which launched in May.

Shares of North Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories and New Brunswick, N.J.-based J&J fell after the FDA announcement.

Along with updating the drugs' labels, the FDA is requiring companies to add information about cancer risks to the medication guides given to patients. The FDA said it is also working with the manufacturers to further define the scope of the cancer risk.

J&J said in a statement it "will coordinate closely with the FDA to ensure that health care providers, patients and caregivers are properly informed."

Amgen and Wyeth said they will continue working with regulators to evaluate "the potential risks and benefits" of their drug.

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP)
Source: htttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gwU2Cj_4MEY0NDkE6OUtYyKHrBOQD99SBSSO1 The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. Aug 4, 2009‎

Toward An Explanation For Crohn's Disease?

Twenty-five per cent of Crohn's disease patients have a mutation in what is called the NOD2 gene, but it is not precisely known how this mutation influences the disease. The latest study by Dr. Marcel Behr, of the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill University, has provided new insight into how this might occur.

When the NOD2 gene functions normally, it codes for a receptor that will recognize invading bacteria and then trigger the immune response. This study demonstrates that the NOD2 receptor preferentially recognizes a peptide called N-glycolyl-MDP, which is only found in a specific family of bacteria called mycobacteria. When mycobacteria invade the human body, they cause an immediate and very strong immune response via the NOD2 receptor.

"Now that we have a better understanding of the normal role of NOD2, we think that a mutation in this gene prevents mycobacteria from being properly recognized by the immune system," explained Dr. Behr. "If mycobacteria are not recognized, the body cannot effectively fight them off and then becomes persistently infected."

Researchers were already aware of the relationship between mycobacteria and Crohn's disease, but they did not know whether the presence of bacteria was a cause or a consequence of the disease. This new discovery associates the predisposition for Crohn's disease with both the NOD2 mutation and the presence of mycobacteria, but researchers must still determine the precise combination of these factors to understand how the disease develops.

More research is required to establish a complete explanation. From this, it is expected that new therapeutic approaches that fight the cause of Crohn's disease may be developed.

This study was funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The salaries of some researchers were provided by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec.

This article was co-authored by François Coulombe, Maziar Divanghi, Frédéric Veyrier, Louis de Léséleuc, Dr. Michael B. Reed and Dr Marcel Behr from the Research Institute of the MUHC; James L. Gleason of McGill University; and Yibin Yang, Michelle A. Kelliher, Amit K. Pandey, and Christopher M. Sassetti of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

This article is a reprint of http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709095429.htm/ The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. ‎Jul 20, 2009‎