Tag digestive enzymes

What Is Silent Reflux?

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Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), sometimes called “silent reflux,” is a condition in which stomach acid or other contents flow backward into the larynx (voice box) and pharynx (throat). Unlike gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), LPR often doesn’t cause the classic symptom of heartburn. Instead, it presents with a variety of upper airway and throat symptoms that can be subtle, confusing, and sometimes frightening.

Common Symptoms of LPR:

  • Chronic throat clearing
    A frequent need to clear the throat due to irritation caused by acid or digestive enzymes.
  • Persistent cough
    Especially at night or after eating, the cough may not respond to traditional treatments.
  • Hoarseness or voice changes
    Vocal cords can become inflamed or irritated, leading to a raspy or weak voice, especially in the morning.
  • Globus sensation
    A feeling of a lump, tightness, or something stuck in the throat, even when nothing is there.
  • Postnasal drip or excess mucus
    The body produces mucus in response to irritation, which can feel like it’s collecting in the back of the throat.
  • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
    Swallowing may feel effortful or uncomfortable, and food may seem slow to move down the throat.
  • Sore throat or burning sensation in the throat
    Especially after eating or while lying down.
  • Ear pain or a sensation of fullness
    Acid can irritate the Eustachian tubes or nearby structures, leading to ear discomfort.

Feeling Like You’re Drowning in Your Own Saliva

One of the more distressing and lesser-known symptoms of LPR is excessive saliva production (also called water brash), along with difficulty swallowing and a sensation of choking. This can feel as though saliva is pooling in the throat, leading to:

  • A sensation of choking on saliva
    Because the throat and swallowing reflexes may be disrupted by inflammation, even normal amounts of saliva can feel overwhelming.
  • Difficulty managing secretions
    Some people feel they can’t swallow quickly or completely enough, leading to a constant awareness of saliva in the mouth or throat.
  • Fear of aspiration
    The fear that the saliva or refluxate could “go down the wrong pipe” and enter the lungs, especially when lying down.
  • Shortness of breath or throat tightness
    These may be reflexive responses from the larynx trying to protect the airway, which can exacerbate the sensation of “drowning.”

Why This Happens

Stomach contents, including acid, pepsin, or bile, are not meant to come in contact with the sensitive tissues of the throat and larynx. Even a small amount of reflux reaching these areas can cause inflammation and nerve hypersensitivity. When this happens:

  • The muscles that control swallowing may become uncoordinated.
  • The throat may feel constricted.
  • The body’s natural response is to produce more mucus and saliva to soothe the tissues, which paradoxically makes the feeling of “drowning” worse.

What to Do

If you suspect you have LPR, especially if you’re experiencing this “drowning” sensation, it’s important to:

  • Consult an ENT or gastroenterologist
    They may perform a laryngoscopy or pH monitoring to confirm LPR.
  • Modify diet and lifestyle
    Avoid acidic, spicy, or fatty foods, eat smaller meals, and don’t lie down after eating. However, I will say that even a clean diet which follows these recommendations might not even make a difference at all. This has been the case for me.
  • Elevate the head of the bed
    This reduces nighttime reflux for some people. However, it won’t make any difference for other sufferers (like me).
  • Use supplements if needed
    These may include alginate-based therapies or other substances which create a physical “raft” to block off the backflow. Some physicians may recommend proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H2 blockers or allergy medications, but these medications might not have any effect on the condition.

While it’s not dangerous in most cases, the sensation of drowning in your own saliva due to LPR can feel alarming. The good news is that with proper diagnosis and treatment, symptoms can usually be well-managed and greatly improved.

Do you have food intolerance?

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Image ID : 29041123 Copyright : guniita

What is food intolerance?

Have you ever noticed that when you eat a certain food, such as tuna, blueberries, avocado, asparagus or broccoli, that you get extremely bloated to the point that you are extremely uncomfortable? Since the foods I mentioned are celebrated for their many nutritional benefits, it might not occur to you that you most likely have an intolerance to that food. Up to 80% of the U.S. population has some form of food intolerance.

Most people are aware of food allergies, but food intolerance is a different phenomenon which can have a tremendous effect on a person’s quality of life. Food allergies appear quite suddenly, from seconds to minutes after ingestion of the offending food, and can be life-threatening, whereas food intolerance is a more gradual process (taking hours to a couple of days for symptoms to emerge), not life-threatening, and may only occur after a large amount of the food is eaten. Food allergies and food intolerance can both cause similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea, but food intolerance is notorious for causing bloating, heartburn, irritability, headaches and general malaise. The most common food allergy triggers are peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, soy, wheat, milk and eggs, while the foods most commonly associated with food intolerance are dairy products, gluten-containing grains, eggs, citrus, beans, cabbage, and broccoli.

People who are allergic to certain foods know that even a small amount of the food can trigger an allergic response, and the response occurs every single time the person is exposed. The immune system reacts to the food by causing a release of IgE antibodies, which then cause a release of histamines and cytokines designed to attack the offending agent. Sometimes the entire body is affected by this response, and symptoms such as shortness of breath, hives, rash, or a sudden drop in blood pressure can occur. Food intolerance, in contrast, is more insidious, and may only occur if a large amount of the triggering food is eaten or if it is consumed frequently. Trigger foods will cause a rise in IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies, causing the body to mount a delayed reaction which is characterized by mostly gastrointestinal symptoms, but which can cause other symptoms as well. Regardless of how the body reacts, the discomfort caused by poor digestion of the food can be enough to make the sufferer miserable.

Why does food intolerance occur? There are several explanations. One cause is enzyme deficiency. All enzymes are specific to one type of molecule, such as lipases which break down fats. Sometimes an individual can be deficient or completely lacking in a very specific enzyme which is required for digestion of a particular food. A common example is found in lactose intolerant individuals who do not have enough lactase to break down the milk sugars into their constituent parts for absorption in the intestine. The lactose cannot be broken down so it sits in the intestine, causing bloating, spasm and diarrhea when it sits in the digestive tract. Approximately 25% of the U.S. population suffers from lactose intolerance, which amounts to a lot of bloated bellies from the consumption of dairy products.

Another common type of food intolerance is to gluten. Gluten is highly resistant to digestion as it is, and in some individuals, the gluten cannot be broken down at all. The problem with gluten is that it is found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt and kamut, so avoiding gluten can be challenging to say the least. Approximately 1% of the U.S. population has celiac disease, while about 15% have gluten intolerance. Regardless of whether someone has celiac disease or gluten intolerance, ALL gluten must be avoided. However, if there are occasions in which completely avoiding gluten is impossible, digestive enzymes, specifically DPP-IV, can help individuals to digest meals containing gluten.

The list of substances which people may have an intolerance to doesn’t stop there. Some individuals cannot break down phenols, including salicylates, due to insufficient amounts of xylanase, and suffer from behavioral and learning disorders, including ADHD and autism. Some individuals are unable to break down disaccharides, an intolerance which is closely linked to irritable bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Candida overgrowth and autism. As if all that wasn’t enough to worry about, there are chemical substances in foods which can spark intolerance, such as caffeine, aflatoxins in undercooked beans, amines in cheeses, artificial colorings and flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, nitrates, MSG, sulfites and salicylates. Salicylate intolerance can cause a susceptible individual to react to large amounts of salicylate-containing foods, particularly citrus fruits, teas, mint flavoring, berries and processed foods with flavor additives.

The digestive tract regularly takes the brunt of foods, medications, hormones, and chemical additives which can interfere with repair of the gut lining, causing increased intestinal permeability which is more commonly known as leaky gut. Leaky gut is characterized by the loosening of tight junctions between the cells which line the gut, thus allowing food molecules to pass through. These free floating food molecules are viewed by the immune system as a threat and will mount an immune response which manifests as the signs and symptoms of food intolerance. Think of all that food sitting in the gut, undigested. Pretty unnerving, huh?

How to diagnose food intolerance

Diagnosing food intolerance can be extremely difficult since the signs and symptoms often mimic those of food allergy. One method of ferreting out which foods are involved in a food intolerance is keeping a food diary in which all foods eaten are recorded, along with symptoms and their time of onset. After suspected trigger foods have been determined, an exclusion diet can be implemented, in which those foods are removed from the diet for weeks to months. If the symptoms disappear during the exclusion phase, potential trigger foods can be re-introduced after this phase is completed in order to determine which substances are problematic. If the food intolerance is mild, a small amount of the food will not trigger symptoms, and in many cases may still be consumed, especially if enzymes are taken to aid in digestion. Essentially, many people can return to foods which they were mildly or even moderately intolerant of after avoiding it for a period of time.

Blood testing is considered the most reliable and comprehensive form of testing for food intolerance, but there are only a few laboratories which specialize in this type of test. ALCAT, Pinnertest.com and HEMOCODE Food Intolerance System are laboratories which offer food intolerance testing via serum analysis, with ALCAT considered the largest food intolerance testing group in the U.S. Some insurance plans will cover part or all of the expense of the testing, so it is always worth inquiring about insurance coverage. Some testing panels also provide a detailed rotation diet which patients can follow when they are ready to reintroduce the foods of which they are intolerant.

Leaky Gut

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food-allergy-leaky-gut-inflammation
If you suffer from sudden food sensitivities, aching joints, digestive upset, fatigue or weight gain, you may be suffering from leaky gut, which is also referred to as increased intestinal permeability. Leaky gut is characterized by the opening of pores in the small intestine, resulting in undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins traveling to the bloodstream. The presence of these substances in the bloodstream triggers an immune response, whereby the body builds antibodies to the foreign substances but also attacks itself, creating food allergies and autoimmune disorders.

You are probably wondering how something like this occurs and if you are at risk. Let’s look at the main causative factors leading to leaky gut syndrome:

1. Chronic constipation – If you are usually constipated, toxins will often build up in stool, irritating the intestinal lining and causing inflammation, which then causes the pores in the small intestine to expand. In severe cases, Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome,or colitis can occur.

2. Chronic stress – The immune system really takes a beating when subjected to chronic stress. If the immune response is compromised, pathogenic bacteria can cause widespread inflammation in the intestines, and leaky gut is a common result.

3. Dysbiosis – This is an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria which can result from antibiotics or poor diet. Inflammation develops, causing the pores to widen.

4. Toxins – We are exposed to many thousands of toxins, but the worst offenders are found in our water supply, pesticides, and in certain medications.

leaky-gut
What Is The Solution If You Have A Leaky Gut?

I have several dietary recommendations for treating a leaky gut.

1. Glutamine – I am already a big fan of glutamine in general, but especially for those who suffer from leaky gut. This amino acid has specific activity in the intestine, and restores healthy soft tissue in the region. Over time, regular supplementation with glutamine has a protective effect against intestinal disease. I tend to be fairly aggressive with glutamine and recommend 6 to 8 grams per day, or more if you engage in frequent exercise.

2. Fish oil – Try to find a formula which contains primarily omega-3 fatty acids. You can also increase your consumption of salmon.

3. Digestive enzymes – Digestive enzymes will aid in the breakdown of food substances, especially in older individuals and those suffering from leaky gut. Try taking them with every meal.

4. Betaine hydrochloric acid – Some people produce insufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid, which is needed to break down food in the stomach. If that is the case, betaine hydrochloric acid optimizes the process.

5. probiotics – Most individuals will benefit from adding probiotics into their daily regimen. Make sure to take at least 25 billion units per day for optimal gut health.

The Importance Of Digestive Enzymes

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Originally published on mensphysique.com on Wednesday, 06 February 2013

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-lab-supplement-school/7476-the-importance-of-digestive-enzymes.html
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive Enzymes are amazing protein molecules which speed up chemical reactions in the body involved in everything from digestion to breathing, cell growth and molecular transportation. The reason why digestive enzymes have been developed and marketed is that many people eat such horrible foods in their diets that they need assistance in processing those foods. In addition, enzyme production drops as we get older compromising our optimal body function. Processed foods are notorious for challenging the digestive tract because enzymes which are found naturally in foods are destroyed when they are processed. Even cooked foods rely on the body’s digestive enzymes, and since there is a shrinking pool of enzymes as we get older, digestive problems may arise.

The main digestive enzymes are protease (digests protein), lipase (digests fat) and amylase (digests carbohydrates). It is believed that if insufficient enzyme levels are available to digest foods, toxins and undigested substances can linger in the body and precipitate illness. Other enzymes are available to aid in processing milk products and beans and are widely marketed.

There is no conclusive evidence to support a beneficial effect per se when general digestive enzyme supplements are taken, but enough benefit from them seems to be present that they maintain their popularity. I can tell you from personal experience that I notice a pronounced difference in my ability to digest foods, particularly proteins, when I take a combination digestive enzyme supplement which has protease, lipase and amylase. Beware if you have diabetes and are taking medication for it, or if you take blood thinners, as digestive enzymes can interfere with such medications.

In conclusion, if you notice that you experience digestive upset, you might want to try digestive enzymes for a few weeks to see if your digestive issues improve or resolve. Take one tablet with three of your meals. One of my favorites is MRM Digest-All because it has a comprehensive formulation of digestive enzymes.

Leaky Gut

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

food-allergy-leaky-gut-inflammation
If you suffer from sudden food sensitivities, aching joints, digestive upset, fatigue or weight gain, you may be suffering from leaky gut, which is also referred to as increased intestinal permeability. Leaky gut is characterized by the opening of pores in the small intestine, resulting in undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins traveling to the bloodstream. The presence of these substances in the bloodstream triggers an immune response, whereby the body builds antibodies to the foreign substances but also attacks itself, creating food allergies and autoimmune disorders.

You are probably wondering how something like this occurs and if you are at risk. Let’s look at the main causative factors leading to leaky gut syndrome:

1. Chronic constipation – If you are usually constipated, toxins will often build up in stool, irritating the intestinal lining and causing inflammation, which then causes the pores in the small intestine to expand. In severe cases, Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome,or colitis can occur.

2. Chronic stress – The immune system really takes a beating when subjected to chronic stress. If the immune response is compromised, pathogenic bacteria can cause widespread inflammation in the intestines, and leaky gut is a common result.

3. Dysbiosis – This is an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria which can result from antibiotics or poor diet. Inflammation develops, causing the pores to widen.

4. Toxins – We are exposed to many thousands of toxins, but the worst offenders are found in our water supply, pesticides, and in certain medications.

leaky-gut
What Is The Solution If You Have A Leaky Gut?

I have several dietary recommendations for treating a leaky gut.

1. Glutamine – I am already a big fan of glutamine in general, but especially for those who suffer from leaky gut. This amino acid has specific activity in the intestine, and restores healthy soft tissue in the region. Over time, regular supplementation with glutamine has a protective effect against intestinal disease. I tend to be fairly aggressive with glutamine and recommend 6 to 8 grams per day, or more if you engage in frequent exercise.

2. Fish oil – Try to find a formula which contains primarily omega-3 fatty acids. You can also increase your consumption of salmon.

3. Digestive enzymes – Digestive enzymes will aid in the breakdown of food substances, especially in older individuals and those suffering from leaky gut. Try taking them with every meal.

4. Betaine hydrochloric acid – Some people produce insufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid, which is needed to break down food in the stomach. If that is the case, betaine hydrochloric acid optimizes the process.

5. probiotics – Most individuals will benefit from adding probiotics into their daily regimen. Make sure to take at least 25 billion units per day for optimal gut health.