The Brain/Gut Axis of GI Evil

Every generation has a famous celebrity pair: Laurel and Hardy. Sonny and Cher. Beavis and Butt-head.

Butt-head? Turns out that’s not just a goofy TV character name or schoolyard insult. It’s a true mind/body connection.

Your brain and gut work together, in lock step, to run your GI tract. When you regularly eat nutrient-deficient processed foods—as most Americans do daily—you foul up your intestinal ecology, and promote growth of undesirable bacteria.

Meanwhile, neurotransmitters (electro-chemical signaling agents) in your brain start working overtime to handle the resulting GI symptoms, such as flatulence and bloating.

And eating poorly causes trouble beyond GI distress. It also strains your brain, as it works overtime in a vain effort to heal you.

This is one reason why emotionally unstable or over-reactive people (‘head cases’) tend to have digestive disorders such as ‘nervous stomach’, excessive gas, and diarrhea. Interesting connection, isn’t it?

Eat right (unprocessed organic foods, and high-quality supplements). Exercise a little every day. Find time to relax.

That’s the secret to training your brain/GI connection for health. In short order, you’ll know in your gut that you’re truly feeling great.

'Fartastic' Academic Study

The results of this recent university research are sure to produce an explosive outcome.

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Hanging Gas Problems Out to Dry

Here’s another product to de-gasify your world—and it’s machine-washable! Buck Weimer, a retired psychologist, invented gas-proof underwear for his wife Arlene.

She suffers from Crohn’s Disease, and all its uncomfortable symptoms, including intestinal inflammation, symptoms of diarrhea, and—most disturbing for Buck—foul-smelling gas.

His gas-control technology not only worked, but it went on to receive the IgNobel Prize for Biology. Better yet, the gas-eating undergarment was a smash among Arlene’s bowel disease support group. The happy couple now sell their ‘Under-ease’ anti-flatulence underwear online.

Gas-proof underwear might help reduce unpleasant odors, but it doesn’t eliminate the gas. What’s the one way to eases the gas attack? Everyone say this with me: “Proper nutrition.”

Anyone suffering from Crohn’s Disease needs to understand the Catch-22 the disease creates in your digestive tract. Common symptoms include diminished appetite and frequent diarrhea, both of which limit and prevent absorption of essential nutrients and fluids.

That means your body is not taking in the vitamins, minerals, and water it desperately needs to fuel its fight against the disease. To make matters worse, these nutrient deficiencies further damage your GI tract, and increase the severity of Crohn’s.

Forget about taking over-the-counter (OTC) medication to ease your symptoms. They don’t treat the condition, but rather, simply mask the symptoms—which can actually aggravate your system, and cause even greater discomfort.

A better approach: eat healthy, unprocessed foods from all the food groups to best manage the disorder, and restore the maximum digestive function possible. This means fruits, vegetables, fiber, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products.

Instead of popping OTC medications, add high-quality, organic probiotic supplements to your diet, and gradually build a little exercise into your routine.

Fart-proof underpants are a great way to neutralize the gas, but only proper nutrition and exercise treat the root causes—and allow you to wear your Superman or Elmo undies instead.

Sugar Alcohols: In One End, Out the Other

When it comes to passing gas, diabetics take the cake—which is exactly why they are so gassy in the first place.

Sugar alcohols—the secret sauce in sugar-free foods—are preferred by diabetics because they don’t cause a sudden increase in blood sugar level.

The CDC says the number of diabetics has more than doubled in the U.S. in the past 15 years. That, coupled with dieters trying to cut carbs, are two reasons sales of sugar-free foods sweetened by sugar alcohols are skyrocketing.

But sugar alcohols aren’t a silver bullet for dieters and diabetics. They can cause gastric distress and a laxative effect. And they can even increase blood sugar level when over-consumed.

Sugar alcohols pull water into the intestinal tissues, which promotes the laxative effect. For some people, that may just be loose stools. For others, it can cause a sudden urge to defecate—now. For still others, it can lead to gas.

The effect can be particularly strong for people who regularly abuse their GI tract with the over-processed, under-nourishing standard American diet. This diet inflames GI tissue. Inflammation attracts water. Add sugar alcohols to the diet, and you’re pulling even more water into the system, compounding the condition.

This is why so many diabetics and dieters are uncontrollably gassy. They rarely—if ever—have any idea that the sugar-free foods they depend on to maintain their blood sugar level or weight are actually the reason people keep sending them Gassy Greeting Cards.

The problems caused by sugar alcohols can affect everyone. Sugar alcohols naturally occur in fruits and vegetables. And they’re also in a large number of sugar-free foods that are not necessarily aimed a dieters or diabetics, including candies, gums, desserts, prepared foods, cough drops, and salad dressings.

My recommendation: Eat food packaged by nature, not by man. It will have more fiber, more water, more enzymes, more electrolytes, more vitamins, and more nutrients—stuff that helps rebuild the body.

We are made of food, air, water, and sunshine. The quality of our health directly reflects the quality of the resources we consume. Focus on consuming the highest quality food, air, water, and sunshine, and you’ll be on your way to restoring healthy digestive function.

And that’s not sugar coated.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's this Friday, you know. Here's a special celebratory event for all my Trafon friends.

Kill Two G's with One Stone

Say this ten times fast: “gastroesophageal reflux disease”.

I’ll cut you a break. Just say GERD.

GERD occurs when stomach acid or bile flows back into your body’s “food pipe”, causing irritation and inflammation of your esophagus lining.

As if this condition weren’t painful enough, other GI disorders often accompany it. The most common are (you guessed it) gas, flatulence, transit disorders, and abdominal distension.

Add irritable bowel syndrome and dyspepsia to the mix, and you’ve stirred up one unpleasant GI cocktail. Indeed, a recent French study reports GI disorders are three times more common in adult patients suffering with GERD, compared to the general population.

There is a ray of hope. About a third of the patients reported that treatment for GERD alleviated their other GI disorders, too—particularly dyspeptic-type symptoms.

The take away? If you suffer with GERD and other GI issues, ask your doctor about GERD treatment options. In the meantime, avoid self-prescribing over-the-counter medications, maintain a healthy diet, and increase your exercise levels to maximize your chances of feeling great.

Sport Drinks = Farts that Stink

Today I drove to the YMCA and swam 20 laps. Does this make me an accomplished athlete? I’d love to think so. But even though I’m not gearing up for a gold medal, I have some crucial advice for professional and recreational athletes alike.

A recent study compared the effects of athletes drinking a carbohydrate-based sports drink versus mineral water during an 18 kilometer run. In what will likely be a surprise to many Americans, the sports drinks led to higher incidences of GI complaints.

Specifically, the sports drinks led to significantly more incidences of flatulence (gas) and acid reflux. Adding GI insult to injury, there were no indications that sports drinks improved athletic performance (sorry, soft drink makers!).

There goes my dream of a carb-induced 30 laps. And while the simple carbs used in sports drinks promote GI tract problems, the sugar alcohols used in sugar-free drinks typically consumed by athletes on a diet can cause a far higher incidence of severe gas, bloating, and laxation.

More on the sugar alcohol connection in future posts.

Family Fun Time

Play this fart tutorial for anyone 10 and under, and you're guaranteed to get big laughs.

The Official Trafon T-shirt?

Wouldn't this be great for the official Trafon T-shirt?

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