PROBIOTIC THERAPY FOR IBD, IBS and Crohn's

PROBIOTIC THERAPY FOR IBD, IBS and Crohn’s

People with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), like Crohn’s, Ulcerative

Colitis and Diverticulitis are very sensitive to many foods, herbs and

therapeutic protocols that work well for people with normal digestive

systems. Many substances like MSM, standard aloe vera and vitamin C

(ascorbic acid form) that are healing for most people can actually

aggravate the digestive systems of people with IBD. When you get into

the arena of probiotics, whose action is almost exclusively in the gut,

reactions are quite pronounced.

When trying to work out why and how probiotics work, the field of

misinformation is vast. I consulted well-known naturopathic physicians,

professors of microbiology, gastroenterologists, and read extensively,

but received conflicting information at every turn. I experimented with

different brands of probiotics off and on for seven years and each time

I tried supplementing, my symptoms (gas, bloating, bleeding) worsened.

Although the science behind probiotics and why they should benefit me

seemed sound, my experience proved contrary. Finally, when I was nearly

ready to give up, a naturopathic physician convinced me to try Natren

probiotics. He insisted they were the best brand and I would see good

results from them. I started with Natren’s Bifido Factor powder and for

the first time, experienced an improvement as a result.

Thus, when I first began recommending Natren probiotics to my readers, I

did so for one reason only; they worked. At that time I knew very little

about the different strains of probiotics. For example, I had no idea

that Lactobacillus Bulgaricus DDS-14 (DDS-14 is the strain) is a potent

strain capable of antibiotic action against numerous harmful bacteria

including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whilst Lactobacillus

Bulgaricus DDS-13 is a weak, ineffectual strain with none of the above

capabilities. As you know, most probiotic manufacturers do not even list

the strain on the bottle so you have no idea as to the effectiveness of

the bacteria you’re consuming. I was also not aware of how the different

probiotic manufacturing and extraction processes greatly affect the

potency, safety, and bioavailability (how much of the substance ingested

the body can actually utilise) of the finished product. Basically, I

knew very little about the technical and scientific reasons why Natren’s

products were so superior. All I knew, from extensive trial and error,

was that Natren’s probiotics worked and other brands of probiotics were

likely to have either no effect, or produce a worsening of symptoms.

A gastroenterologist I know in Toronto has seen some patients with

Colitis achieve remission with acidophilus and others whose Colitis

flared because of it. Unfortunately, she didn’t track which brand or

strain of acidophilus her patients were taking. Dr. Michael McCann, an

MD in Cleveland, Ohio, has found that once his IBD patients have

achieved remission, every one of them who’s continued to take Natren

probiotics, has remained in remission to date. Whether they’ll still be

in remission in 15-20 years remains to be seen, but the evidence is

certainly encouraging. One of my readers was passing a ¼ cup of mucous

with every bowel movement and after only 12 days on Natren probiotics,

the mucous was completely gone. Her story is only one of dozens I’ve

received from readers. I tell my readers they have to use Natren

probiotics in their healing regimen, otherwise their results will vary.

For myself, prior to taking Natren’s B. bifidum, the only thing that had

worked to stem my chronic diarrhea was L-Glutamine (on an empty stomach

only). However, within 3 doses of Natren’s bifidobacteria, my stools

began to firm up and excess water was reabsorbed. I tried Natren’s Mega

Dophilus (lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1) next but did not tolerate

that as well as the bifidus. In searching for reasons why, I came across

this bit of research that showed that in states of inflammation the

overall tolerance to bacterial flora is greatly reduced:

“It is possible that the products of the commensal flora promote

inflammation in the presence of an impaired mucosal barrier or injury to

the mucosa… These results indicate that, in health, there is tolerance

to autologous [your own] but not allogeneic [foreign source] intestinal

flora, and tolerance is lost during inflammation. Evidence also exists

that animals are tolerant to their own flora in health but not after

colitis develops.” (Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Etiology and

Pathogenesis by Claudio Fiocchi, Gastroenterology 1998, Vol.115, page

185)

Unfortunately, this bit of research doesn’t stipulate which species of

bacteria the body loses tolerance for, and which strains of which

species. Nevertheless, it provided me with a clue by which to proceed,

and as my own program of supplementation was successful, I then

recommended the same conservative course of action to my readers. I know

many people have experienced good results from more aggressive

supplementation and also from beginning supplementation immediately

(with inflammation and bleeding still present). However, I favor the

kinder, gentler approach to healthcare that’s likely to work for the

greatest number of people and not risk triggering adverse reactions.

Feedback from hundreds of readers since has confirmed the effectiveness

of this approach.

My recommendation is this: First, get your inflammation and ulceration,

bleeding, etc. healed. For more information on natural ways to

accomplish this, see either of my books, Listen To Your Gut, or The IBD

Remission Diet. However, I do recommend you try supplementing with

Natren’s Bifido Factor (B. bifidum Malyoth) right away because if you

can tolerate it, it will help speed your healing. Once you’ve

successfully used Natren’s bifidobacteria for a few weeks, next try

adding Mega Dophilus (L. acidophilus DDS-1), if you tolerate that well,

then finally add their Digesta Lac product (L. bulgaricus LB-51) to your

regimen. You ultimately need to ingest the complete spectrum of

probiotics as each is particularly active and healing for different

parts of your intestine: Acidophilus for the esophageal tube, stomach

and small intestine, bifidus for the large intestine, and bulgaricus is

a transient species that travels throughout the intestinal tract and

also assists the action of acidophilus and bifidus. If you suffer from

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) you can start immediately with all three

(acidophilus, bifidum, bulgaricus) in powder form. Whether you tend

toward diarrhea or constipation or some mixture of both, the Natren

probiotics will normalize your bowel function and you should see

positive results within a month or so.

I recommend people with IBD take the probiotics in powder form so that

(a) you can reap the benefits in your mouth (mouth ulcers), esophagus

and stomach (acidophilus reduces or eliminates heartburn – even while

pregnant) and (b) to ensure effective utilisation as people with IBD

often have very fast transit times through their gastrointestinal tract,

so capsules are not always broken down/absorbed properly.

For an infant with bowel problems, supplement with Natren’s Life Start

(B. infantis bacteria) only – do not give the other probiotic species

directly to an infant (although a nursing mother can and should ingest

other species including B. infantis).

If you’ve already tried probiotics with mixed results, I encourage you

to give them one more try. For full dosage instructions for both adults,

children and infants, see either of my books:

LISTEN TO YOUR IBS

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT (for Crohn’s, colitis, diverticulitis)

HOW CAN PROBIOTICS HELP MY CROHN’S / ULCERATIVE COLITIS / DIVERTICULITIS

OR IBS?

Probiotic therapy benefits people with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) in many ways. If you get too many

‘bad’ bacteria in your gut and not enough ‘good’ bacteria, the bad

bacteria (and other pathogenic microorganisms like yeast, fungi,

parasites, etc.) will degrade the mucosal lining of your intestine and

even penetrate through the intestinal wall. Aside from resulting in an

increase of mucous, inflammation, ulceration and bleeding, this will

also result in undigested particles of food passing directly into your

bloodstream – where they are perceived as allergens and trigger an

immune response. Repopulating your bacterial flora to contain

predominantly good bacteria (via probiotic supplementation), will result

in a drastic reduction – if not elimination – of many harmful pathogens

like yeast, fungus, mold, parasites, viruses and bad bacteria from your

gut environment. The good bacteria will also form a protective coating

of your mucosal cell lining and produce B vitamins and digestive

enzymes. As a result, proper digestion and absorption of nutrients will

gradually be restored. Top quality probiotic supplementation is an

integral part of healing the root cause of IBS or IBD and then

maintaining ongoing health. Symptoms that can be automatically resolved

as a result of this healing include: heartburn, gas, bloating,

constipation, diarrhea, excess mucous, intestinal spasms or cramping,

ulceration, inflammation, and bleeding.

There is MUCH more information about probiotics, how they work, how to

choose the best one for your body, and detailed dosage instructions for

both adults, children and infants, in either of my books:

LISTEN TO YOUR IBS

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT (for Crohn’s, colitis, diverticulitis)

© 2003 Jini Patel Thompson
www.listen2yourgut.com

Jini Patel Thompson was diagnosed with widespread Crohn’s Disease in

1986. For the next three years she adhered to medical treatment

protocols until it became clear they were not helping her. She spent the

next seven years researching and experimenting with alternative healing

methods and therapies as she lived and worked in Canada, Japan and

England. Jini has since remained drug and surgery-free for over 19

years. Her natural healing and treatment methods are described in

“Listen To Your Gut” and “The IBD Remission Diet”.

Her books, products, etc. are available at: www.listen2yourgut.com

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