Saturated Fats Influence Our Intestinal Bacteria

Illnesses and inflammation could very well be linked to the types of fats we consume.

The types of saturated fats we consume in our modern diet has an influence on the types and counts of bacteria in our intestinal system and may also trigger inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly in people genetically predisposed to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. 

Working with mice with characteristics of human inflammatory bowel disease, the University of Chicago researchers found that concentrated milk fats (but not polyunsaturated fats, which are found in plant-based foods and oils) change the composition of bacteria in the intestines.

These changes found can alter the fragile interaction between the immune system and the complex but largely beneficial mix of bacteria in the intestines.

Harmful bacteria can trigger a tissue-damaging immune-system response that can be difficult to turn off.

The use of probiotic supplements can help partially or fully to help restore the balance of good bacteria in the intestines and perhaps be of some benefit in those with IBD. - Nature Journal, June 13, 2012

For more information about probiotics, visit:  www.raysahelian.com/probiotics.html

Also available for help with stomach and digestive issues is a product called JC Tonic.  JC Tonic consists of 18 super herbs, a liquid supplement designed to aid the whole body.  For more information on JC Tonic, visit:  www.healthisinreach.com/Jurak-JCTonic.htm

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CLA for Inflammatory Bowel Disease-IBD

The Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory (NIMML) research team at Virginia Tech has discovered important new information on the efficacy of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in treating Crohn's disease, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).  Researchers found that in 50% of the Crohn's patients who took supplementary CLA, a marked improvement in disease activity and quality of life was noted.

CLA is a naturally occurring polyunsaturated fatty acid found in meat and dairy products, 2 or more times higher in grass-fed animals than in the grain-fed animals raised by conventional beef operations.  CLA is also found in mushrooms and in supplement form as well.

Statistics from the CDC show that IBD, which includes Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, is one of the five most prevalent gastrointestinal disease burdens in the U.S., causing more than 700,000 physician visits, 100,000 hospitalizations, and disability in 119,000 patients per year.  Over the long term, up to 75% of patients with Crohn's Disease and 35% of those with Ulcerative Colitis will require surgery.

In those with IBD, approximately 1.4 million in the U.S., the immune system mistakes food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign substances and it attacks the cells of the intestines.  The body then sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines where they produce chronic inflammation.

Symptoms of IBD include progressive loosening of the stool and/or persistent diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, rectal bleeding, fatigue, loss of appetite, skin lesions, joint pain, eye inflammation, and liver disorders.

Other Research on CLA

In 2003, a study led by researcher B.Q. Chen and published in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" investigated the effects of CLA infusions on gastric cancer cells to determine ways to prevent the spread of cancer cells.  In this study, CLA prevented cancer cells from adhering to proteins in cell membranes which prevented the spread of cancer.

In 2001, a study led by researcher V. Mousgios and published in the "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry" assessed the effect of CLA supplementation on cholesterol levels after eight weeks of supplementation. Cholesterol levels decreased significantly. The first four weeks consisted of doses of 0.7 g/day and the next four weeks a dose of 1.4 g/day of supplemental CLA was given.

In 2000, a study led by researcher Henrietta Blankson and published in the "Journal of Nutrition" examined the effects of CLA supplementation of various doses in overweight and obese humans over the course of 12 weeks.  Body fat mass decreased in people who took doses of 3.4 g/day or less.

Source:
CDC
Livestrong-CLA Health Benefits
Science Daily

Note:  The best sources of CLA are found in grass-fed animal products and mushrooms. 
Following are three links to available supplementation of CLA:
Swanson Vitamins
Lucky Vitamin
Nature's Sunshine (if purchasing through Nature's Sunshine, mention Member ID# 2902211)

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Vitamin B12 Awareness, Prevention and Action

Sally M. Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N. and Jeffrey J. Stuart, D.O.,
authors of Could It Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for the production of red blood cells, aids in the maintenance of a healthy nervous system and is a crucial element in the construction of DNA.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can mimic dementia, multiple sclerosis, early Parkinson's disease, diabetic neuropathy or even chronic fatigue syndrome.  It can cause depression and mental illness, infertility in men and women, or developmental disabilities in children.  Other groups at risk for B12 deficiency include vegans, vegetarians, alcoholics, and people with celiac disease, Crohn's disease, gastric bypass, autoimmune diseases, and AIDS.

B12 deficiency is common and reported to affect 25% of the U.S. poplulation.  It strikes up to 15% (5.9 million) adults 64 and over.  The CDC reports that one out of every 31 Americans over the age of 50 are B12 deficient.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal foods including meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs. 

Could It Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses, uncovers how standard medical practice has for decades misdiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency.  Even though it's a common disorder that can be easily diagnosed and inexpensively treated, few patients are tested for B12 deficiency.  In 1985,  Sally Pacholok diagnosed herself with vitamin B12 deficiency, after her doctors failed to identify her condition.  As a result, she is passionate about the need to educate the public about the dangerous consequences of this hidden and all-too-common disease.

Source:  B12Awareness.org

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Chicken Nuggets Are Made How?

In Jordan Rubin's latest book, Live Beyond Organic, he writes of how chicken nuggets are made on pages 35 & 36.  Live Beyond Organic is Jordan Rubin's 24th book on health, he started writing soon after recovering from his diagnosed Crohn's disease, plus he exhibited symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, diabetes, extreme anemia, heart problems, urinary tract and prostate infections, yeast (Candida) overgrowth, parasites, and multiple viral infections.

Jordan writes, "After chicken meat has been removed from the carcasses on the assembly line, there's still a little meat left on the bone, plus some tendons and tissue.  Back in the day, millions of these carcasses were buried in a landfill or burned in an incinerator, but machines were invented to mechanically separate those scraps of meat and muscle fiber."

Jordan goes on to say, "The mechanically separated poultry, or MSP, is run through a grinding machine that turns the meat remnants into a pink goop that resembles strawberry frozen yogurt being dispensed at your local mini-mall.  Nobody wants to bite into pink chicken nuggets, so food colorings and artificial flavorings are added to bring back the whitish color and deliver the taste that we've always associated with cooked chicken breast."

Jordan's biggest problem with conventional meat is that cattle, chicken, and fish are raised and fattened on feed containing hormones, nitrates, and pesticides.  On top of that, livestock and chickens are penned up on "factory farms" that confine thousands of animals in impossibly cramped conditions with zero access to sunlight, fresh air, or natural movement.

Did you know that according to the Grace Factory Farm Project, an estimated 70 percent of all antibiotics in the United States are fed to cattle, poultry, and pigs to promote growth and compensate for the unsanitary and deplorable living conditions on factory farms.

To purchase Live Beyond Organic by Jordan S. Rubin (free book offer, see banner above)

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