Probiotic Help Protect Intestine From Radiation Damage

probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., have found that one probiotic appears to protect the small intestine from radiation damage.




The lining of the small intestine is very sensitive to radiation and it often gets injured when patients receive radiation therapy to treat abdominal cancers like, prostate, cervical and bladder cancer.  Along with the bone marrow, the lining of the small intestine is one of the most radiation sensivtive organs in the body because that is where cells proliferate most actively according to William F. Stenson, MD.

Stenson says, "It's very important to protect the intestine because the lining of the intestine is one cell thick and they separate the rest of your body from all of the bacteria that are in your GI track.  If that epitheliam breaks down, one of the consequences is that the bacteria that normally resides inside your intestine would have the opportunity to travel through your body and cause sepsis."

Dr. William Stenson with co-investigator Matthew A. Ciorba, MD, and their team gave mice a probiotic called Lactobacillus rhamnosus and they found that it protected the intestine from radiation damage, but the key is to give the probiotic before the radiation injury.

Dr. Stenson goes on to say, "The bacteria that we used is very similar to the bacteria thats in yogurt and the numbers of bacteria that we used are consistent with whats found in commercially available probiotics."

The researchers reported their findings in the journal Gut.

Audio -Probiotics and Radiation Injury

Source: EurekAlert

Shared with: the healthy home economist

A Healthy Digestive System

One of the most common age related causes of impaired digestive function is the reduction of Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) produced by the stomach. Correct acidity level (pH from 1 to 3) in your stomach will:
1. Sanitize food before it enters the colon
2. Initiate enzyme production
3. Prepare protein for digestion
4. Help make Vitamin B12 available
5. Help your digestive system to stop constipation, gas, bloating, heartburn and other digestive discomforts.

The solution to this is to take nutrients that address your entire digestive system and tackle the source of the imbalance.

Did you know that 60-80% of the body's energy is used on digestion. The remaining systems in your body (immune, respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, nervous, and muscular) share only 20-40% of your total energy. So what do you think happens when one or more of these systems are challenged? Your body "steals" energy from the digestive system.

Indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, gas, food cravings, bloating and other digestive problems can indicate that there may be a problem in another system.

Also, when the body "steals" energy from the digestive system, it can't balance the stomach acid or produce enough enzymes for a smooth operation.

Supporting the digestive system has two main purposes:

1. To improve digestion
2. To free up energy to be used elsewhere in the body

By supporting your digestive system, you are in fact allowing your body to spend sufficient energy on all the other systems in your body.


1. The esophagus is a long muscular tube, which moves food from the mouth to the stomach.
2. The abdomen contains all of the digestive organs.
3. The stomach, situated at the top of the abdomen, normally holds just over 3 pints of food from a single meal. Here the food is mixed with an acid that is produced to assist in digestion. In the stomach, acid and other digestive juices are added to the ingested food to facilitate breakdown of complex proteins, fats and carbohydrates into small, more absorbable units.
4. A valve at the entrance of the stomach from the esophagus allows the food to enter while keeping the acid-laden food from "refluxing" back into the esophagus, causing damage and pain.
5. The pylorus is a small round muscle located at the outlet of the stomach and the entrance to the duodenum ( the first section of the small intestine). It closes the stomach outlet while food is being digested into a smaller, more easily absorbed form. When food is properly digested, the pylorus opens and allows the contents of the stomach into the duodenum.
6. The small intestine is about 15 to 20 feet long and is where the majority of the absorption of the nutrients from food takes place. The small intestine is made up of three sections: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.
7. The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine and is where the food is mixed with bile produced by the liver and with other juices from the pancreas. This is where much of the iron and calcium is absorbed.
8. the jejunum is the middle part of the small intestine extending from the duodenum to the ileum; it is responsible for digestion.
9. The last segment of the intestine, the ileum, is where the absorption of fat-solutble vitamins A, D, E, and K and other nutrients are absorbed.
10. Another valve separates the small and large intestins to keep bacteria-laden colon contents from coming back into the small intestines.
11. In the large intestines, excess fluids are absorbed and firm stool is formed. The colon may absorb protein, when necessary. source

Smart Choices for Digestive System Health

1. Drink water
2. Exercise (if unable to get outside and walk, consider the Original Chi Machine for indoor use)
3. Exercise good oral hygiene
4. Supplement with probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes & dietary fiber (check out: http://www.procapslabs.com/ and/or http://www.drclarkstore.com/ )
5. Avoid toxins (view the video for toxins in your shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, dish soap, toothpaste, etc.)
6. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup
7. Control Inflammation - consider taking an immune supplement, http://www.bakersyeastbetaglucan.com/