Did you know that digestive ailments affect 40% of the US population and account for more hospitalizations than any other health problem?

Until recently it was thought that unless a medical problem and symptoms existed that the digestive system was functioning normally.
We now know that this complex process can be affected by many internal and external factors and that digestive changes are the starting point for a host of serious conditions and diseases – including Colon Cancer, the third most frequent Cancer in the US. Often the beginning stages of these ailments go unnoticed.

In our Digestive System section and throughout this site learn how the process works, what to look for and how to maintain digestive health and prevent disease.

It makes sense to understand this process, essential to our nutrition, our immune function and our overall health.

1 in 5 Americans is thought to meet the clinical criteria for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Millions more continuously or occasionally experience IBS symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation. It is only recently that this syndrome has received the attention it deserves and that effective programs have been formulated to both work on the sources of the problem and manage the symptoms.

In the IBS Section of this site learn:
• What are the diagnostic criteria for IBS and do I have it?
• How can I separate IBS from inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s Disease and Colitis?
• What roles do stress, diet, food allergies, bacteria and enzymes play?
• How can I manage stress and design an overall plan to manage IBS symptoms?

To learn more about IBS and take control of your IBS symptoms click here to visit our IBS Section.

Probiotics (from the Greek “pro” or “for” and “biotic” or “health, “for health”) are the beneficial bacteria billions of which are normally found in the intestinal tract. They perform vital functions in

the digestive process and without them not only is healthy digestion and assimilation of nutrients impossible but without them we are extremely vulnerable to infection.

Environmental factors including antibiotic treatment, diet, alcohol, stress, infection, and the aging process itself can decrease the levels of these essential bacteria and lead to digestive upsets, impaired immune function, major infections and serious disease. The good news is that an effective program of probiotic supplementation can bring these levels up and insure these vital elements of digestion and immune function are maintained.