Crohn’s Disease
How Do You Feed Your Microbiota?
Scientists know that the community of microbes that lives in your digestive tract is unique to you (your microbiota). They hypothesize that if you want to stay healthy, you have to keep the community …
Side Effects of TNF Blockers: Enbrel, Humira, Re…
Most drugs are double-edged swords. In other words, they have the potential both to help and to harm. But some medications have sharper blades than others. TNF blockers are great examples of this deal…
Coconut for Crohn’s Supported by Science
In 1998 we received an intriguing letter from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column. Donald Agar, from Pittsfield, MA, contacted us to say he had finally overcome a long-standing battle with inf…
TNF Blockers and Your Immune System: Beware IMID…
Your body is constantly seeking balance. Think of it as a finely tuned seesaw. This is especially true for your immune system and a key player called tumor necrosis factor or TNF. Some of the most luc…
Show 1341: Lessons Learned from Long Illness
You may not have thought much about long illness, but chances are you know someone who is suffering with one. The CDC estimates that some chronic condition afflicts as many as one in six American adul…
Are Your Children Getting High Doses of Food Dye…
Some parents are unwittingly feeding their children high doses of food dye. Pediatricians may worry about the effects on kids' behavior. In addition, a recent study suggests we should be looking at th…
Do Colon Bacteria Trigger Chronic Inflammatory D…
Could you use “we” in referring to yourself? Sure, Queen Elizabeth did that, and probably King Charles does, too. That's the Royal We. But the rest of us who are not royalty should get used to thi…
Show 1321: Rebalancing Our Microbiome Through Pe…
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we consider how to maintain a healthy balance in our gut microbiome. Each of us carries a vast collection of microbes in our digestive tracts. Althou…
Scary Side Effects of Immune-Modulating Drugs
Immune-modulating drugs have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and several other hard-to-treat conditions. Examples include: Actemra, Cimzia, …
Show 1270: How Your Microbiome Shapes Your Immun…
In the middle of a pandemic, you probably want to know how well your immune system is functioning. Even more important, what if anything can you do to support it? Scientists have found that the microb…
What Happened to Archway Coconut Cookies?
For years, readers used to tell us that they used Archway Coconut Macaroon Cookies as a remedy for diarrhea. Donald Agar was the first to discover this and share it with us. Many others agreed with hi…
FDA Boss Infuriates Patients with Drug Safety Tw…
Dr. Scott Gottlieb is the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. That means he is the top cop when it comes to all our medications. Dr. Gottlieb stirred up a lot of excitement on Valentine…
Coconut Macaroon Cookies Cured Child’s Dia…
Have you ever had acute diarrhea? Almost everyone has. You know how unpleasant the experience can be, even if it only lasts for a few hours. Millions of people suffer from chronic diarrhea. It can be …
How Could Cannabis Help Inflammatory Bowel Disea…
Inflammatory bowel disease is an autoimmune disease that can create chaos in the digestive tract. Inflammation leads to diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue. People with ulcerative…
Will a Sugar Substitute Harm Your Health?
The safety of artificial sweeteners has been fairly controversial. The FDA and the food industry maintains that these products are safe. On the other hand, epidemiological studies show that people who…
Humira Side Effects, Complications and Interacti…
Humira (adalimumab) is the best selling drug (in dollars) in the U.S. (and around the world). Sales were listed between $13 and $16 billion in 2016. That is an unbelievable amount of money for a singl…
How to Ease a Dog’s Colitis with Coconut
Usually we don't advocate letting dogs eat the foods their humans enjoy. Too many common people treats could do real damage to a dog. Did you know that grapes and raisins can damage canine kidneys (Th…
Home Remedies: Chance Favors the Prepared Mind
How do people discover home remedies? Who decided, for example, that nine is the correct number of gin-soaked raisins to eat each day to relieve the pain of arthritis? Who thought of daubing castor oi…
Thalidomide Redeemed for Hard-To-Treat CrohnR…
No drug in the world that has been more vilified than thalidomide. That is understandable, since it caused so much misery. In the 1950s thousands of babies were born with severely deformed limbs and o…
Does It Make Sense to Prescribe Parasites to Cal…
Some day, doctors may prescribe worms to help treat people with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. Humans and their parasites have co-evolved through…
Cookie Power for Devastating Diarrhea!
Q. Sorry to repeat a question I know you've answered, but at the time I didn't know someone with the problem. My niece has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's disease and in spite of medication is i…
Did Coconut Save Man’s Life?
Q. I heard that a man with Crohn's disease got relief from diarrhea by eating coconut. My husband had been having diarrhea almost every day since 2004. We never knew what caused it and the gastro doct…
Pig Parasites for Better Health
Modern medicine has struggled mightily over the last 100 years to help humans rid their bodies of parasites. Now some researchers believe we may have gone too far. Without parasites our immune systems…
Coconut Cookies Eased Crohn’s Symptoms
Q. My niece has Crohn's disease and has suffered from unremitting diarrhea for months. She started eating homemade macaroon cookies (1 per day, 12.5 grams of dried coconut per macaroon). As a result, …
Heavy Antibiotic Use May Predispose People to Bo…
Antibiotics have long been thought of as silver bullets against infection. There is no doubt that such drugs save many lives each year. But there is also a growing recognition that overuse may have un…
Intestinal Infection May Lead to Inflammatory Bo…
No one knows why some people develop inflammatory bowel disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks the intestines. This includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and causes signific…
Coconut and Pineapple for Crohn’s
Q. I read your coconut macaroon article and asked my doctor about using coconut instead of my Crohn's medicine. He said that he has seen it work for others and to give it a try. He said to add pineapp…