A Case of An Accessory Pancreas & IBS

Last week and a half was very rough. Joel was down with diarrhoea and excruciating abdominal pain. He would wake up at 1 am, 4 am, 5 am and fly to the bathroom. He would be moaning in pain. He lost a lot of weight as a result.

I took him to see the pediatrician gastroenterologist which he saw a few months back due to the same problem. But this time, it had gotten worse.

So Joel was admitted and had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done. His colon looked good but they found a lump in his stomach.

They took samples of it and we would get the results by next week. But the doctor said that it is most probably an accessory pancreas and that he was born with this. But they want to be positively sure that it isn't cancerous.

So the conclusion of his bowel attacks would be most likely to be IBS. Which means there is no clear cut answer to what had happened to him. The doctor strongly believes that Joel is unable to process fructose and glucose based on the history of his attacks and diet.

Joel does not eat sugar as I do not cook with sugar. We've even been cutting down rice and have no-rice meals a few times a week. The culprit for all these attacks would be FRUITS! Citrus fruits, to be exact. Joel LOVES citrus fruits. I think that life can be a bitch many times. If the cause of the IBS were to be junk food, or highly processed food, I could accept it. But FRUITS?! Damn.......

Since I have IBS and gastro-esophageal reflux which triggered an episode of esophagitis, it is a 99.999999% probability that Joel has my genes. Double damn.......

So it's food experimenting all over again. When I have the IBS attacks, papaya soothes my stomach. But for Joel, even at normal times, papaya causes him to have diarrhoea......

With the renovation and packing and dismantling of our wardrobes and cabinets going on, it was really a stressful time.

FODMAPs and GAPs diet is a good thing to have right now. I will blog on that when time permits. Can't wait to finally move to our new place and settle down.

The Journey in Healing the Gut (3)

It's been a an uphill battle to heal the digestive system. Reflux is a stubborn goat who does not let up and is like a spoilt-child who insists on having her way.

I am still in the ring with reflux and I have currently lost round 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and very soon will head to being knocked out.

I did try to add on a new probiotics (in order to strengthen the gut) on top of the existing one which I have been consuming for 6 1/2 years now (LACTO GG). I did not react to it (such good news).

But I woke up the next morning, with such excruciating, crippling and debilitating pain in my shoulders and neck. I know that whenever I consume sugar, I will pay HELL for it. I kept going through my food list to check whether I had sugar. I did not eat sugar at all. Not even a grain of it. I was afraid that I could have accidentally ingested it but no, I did not.

Day two came and it got worse.

Day three came and I was literally in the bowels of Hades.

And then it struck me. The NEW PROBIOTICS!

I checked the ingredients and there wasn't any sugar.

And then I saw it.

Fructooligosaccharide. It had this as a pre-biotic.

I stopped this new probiotics immediately and the pain went away in two days. I got my shoulders and neck back. The relieve was heaven-sent.

So back to square one. How shall we tackle this reflux monster?

(...to be continued...)

The Gut (Part 5) - SIBO

Our gut is filled with bacteria. It needs bacteria to function its normal duties. Without them, we would be in deep trouble! But yet if you have an OVER abundance of them, it will lead to trouble too.

SIBO

SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth. This happens when the bacteria in the small intestines over populate.

It is a known fact that our colon is rich with bacteria. *The large bowel or colon has at least 1,000,000,000 organisms per milliliter. However the small intestines only have fewer than  ten to the power of four organisms per milliliter. Once the bacteria grows to ten to the power of five per milliliter, it would be an overgrowth.

*taken from HERE

Signs & Symptoms

It is very challenging to properly diagnose SIBO as the symptoms are also found in other conditions. Some of the symptoms of SIBO are nausea, excessive gas, bloating, abdominal pain or discomfort, constipation OR diarrhoea (constipation less common), food intolerances, vitamins and mineral deficiency, fatigue and weakness.

*Causes of SIBO

1. Damage to nerves/muscles in the gut can cause a leftover of bacteria in the small intestines. This is seen in people with diabetes and scleroderma.

2. Scarring from surgeries or Crohn's disease.

3. Disorders of the immune system such as chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

4. Medication such as antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptive pills and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs).

5. A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol.

*taken from HERE and HERE.

** SIBO can cause the leaky gut syndrome as the damaged cell linings of the small bowel allow large protein molecules to escape into the bloodstream. This can cause immune reactions which lead to food allergies or sensitivities, generalized inflammation and autoimmune diseases. (**taken from HERE)

How to Diagnose SIBO

1. Breath Test

Individuals need to fast for 12 hours. They will then breathe into a small balloon and then consume an exact amount of sugar and repeat the breath test every 15 minutes for 3 or more hours.

2. Organix Dysbiosis Test

This tests the urine for the by-products of yeast or bacteria which are in the small intestine.

3. Comprehensive Stool Test

This tests your stool of the flora that inhibits your intestines. If the levels are elevated, SIBO is suspected.

Treatment for SIBO

Usually rifaximin (Xifaxan) an antibiotic is used as a standard treatment to treat SIBO. Xifafan is a perfect treatment for SIBO because it stays in the gut and is not absorbed throughout the whole body. Thus, it would not work for a throat infection.

Another treatment would be probiotics. The lactobacillus casei strain has been found to be effective in dealing with SIBO. Other strains such as lactobacillus plantarum and lactobacillus acidophilus have also been found to treat SIBO.

A restrictive diet (low or complete void of trigger foods) would also be a good way in alleviating the symptoms of SIBO.

Click on SIBO - what causes it and why its so hard to treat to understand more on SIBO.

The Journey in Healing the Gut (2)

I've eliminated sugar and gluten from my diet since November last year due to the crippling IBS attacks. The IBS has settled unless I accidentally ingest the trigger-foods. Otherwise it's peaceful and quiet. No more living on Freddy Kruger's Nightmare on IBS Street.

There have been some people who have dropped by this blog and stated that I've seem to have gone down the path of the orthorexia nervosa. Believe me when I say that I am not afraid of eating. Even my doctors are afraid for me when I say that I experiment eating new foods! They caution me to go slow and not to overdo it.

So this journey in healing the gut has brought on a very positive turn. 

I am able to tolerate more foods on the high-end of salicylates. 

I can now eat toasted sesame seed oil, organic potato chips (YES, I almost fainted from ecstasy after consuming that! I think I even heard the heavens open up with HALLELUJAHs beaming down!!), broccoli, strawberry, and goji berry. So my list of foods that I can now eat is getting longer and that is VERY good news to me.

So to those who say that I am heading to a path of self-destruction by eliminating sugar and gluten, put yourself in my shoes. Would you rather live in excruciating pain everyday and be on an exceedingly limited diet or eliminate sugar and gluten and be pain-free and start to be able to eat a wider list of foods?

I can't wait to be able to eat ginger, curry, spices, watermelon, oranges, kiwi, and loads and loads of other healthy food out there.

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 4): PHYTIC ACID

Your grains, seeds and nuts have to be soaked in order for our bodies to get the best of it! To find out why, continue reading.

What Is Phytic Acid

Phytic acid (inositol hexakisphosphate - IP6) was first discovered by Palladin in 1895. (To read more on the history on phytin and physic acid, click on LINK.) It is a saturated cyclic acid which is the principal storage from of phosphorus in many plant tissues especially in bran, seeds, nuts and grains. This functions as the energy store for the plant.

How Is Phytic Acid Stored?

Phytic acid is mainly stored in the seeds of the plants. It can also be found in roots and tubers but in lower amounts. It is most concentrated in whole grains and beans. It is usually concentrated in the aleurone layer in majority of the grains which makes it concentrated in the bran. For legumes, it is found in the cotyledon layer of the seed.

When Is Phytic Acid A Problem?

Actually phytic acid has some good. But it poses problems for some people. Phytic acid tend to bind minerals in the gut before they are absorbed and also influence the digestive enzymes. It also reduces the digestibility of starches, proteins and fats. In long term, consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran can trigger the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

People with sensitive digestion too will have problems when they consume food with large amounts of phytic acid.

People with problems of building up iron stores in their body and also have an iron-defiecency anemia will have problems when consuming phytic acid.

Who Benefits From Phytic Acid?

When physic acid binds minerals in the gut, apparently it prevents the formation of free radicals, this making it an antioxidant (taken from HERE). It also binds heavy metals, thus preventing them from accumulating in our body.

Phytic acid also reduces the chances of our arteries from hardening.

Phytic acid's iron-binding properties can protect against an iron overload (hemochromatosis) in our body.

*What Are The Methods of Reducing Phytic Acid?

1. Heat

Heating foods with phytic acid can reduce some amount.

2. Processing

Milling grains and removing the bran reduces the amount of physic acid. The bad part of milling is, it also removes much of the minerals.

3. Soaking

Soaking beans and grains can reduce phytic acid.

It is recommended to soak in either warm water or in an acidulated water (such as plain yoghurt, whey, kefir, buttermilk, vinegar or lemon juice).

It is best to soak overnight or more than 7 hours. The water that has been used to soak the beans and grains MUST be thrown away!

To read more about soaking your grains, click on LINK.

4. Fermentation

Fermentation breaks down phytic acid by activating the phytase enzymes which reduces the number of phosphate.

5. Sprouting

Sprouting enhances the phytase activity and thus decreases the phytic acid (this is used up as it sprouts).

*taken from HERE. There are some extra points on how to balance up and reduce phytic acid which are stated in the link. Do click it and read.

Also click on PHYTIC ACID to read more about it.

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 3): The Destroyed Gut (Part 4)

9. Additives & Preservatives

An example of a preservative is benzoic acid. This is used in the food industry as it prevents molds, yeast and some bacteria. It is usually used in acidic food and beverages like fruit juice, sparkling drinks, soft drinks, and pickles.

An experiment was conducted on piglets who were fed with diet that contained benzoic acid. The end result was that the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract were reduced. Click HERE to read about it.

Colouring which is a food additive can cause digestive disorders. Click on LINK to read more about this.

10. Pesticides, Herbicides & Fertilizers

Glyphosphate a herbicide wrecks the digestive system by killing the beneficial bacterias. Glyphosphate is used in GMOs. Click on LINK to read.

11. Stress

The dreaded 'S' word! STRESS! It is known as the number one killer today.

*The American Medical Association has stated that stress is the basic cause of more than 60% of all human illness and disease. (*taken from HERE)

Stress can also cause digestive disorders, upset stomach, abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. *Exposure to stress leads to changes in the composition, diversity and number of gut microorganisms. (*taken from HERE). Stress changes the balance of our beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Do click on LINK and read on how stress wreaks havoc on the microflora in our gut.

That was what my gastroenterologist told me. Stress triggers IBS.

The Journey in Healing the Gut (1)

It has been two months now since I stopped eating sugar and gluten. I even reduced the intake of oil. In the beginning it was so difficult. I was going crazy with all the smells of food that were around me. I was having cravings so bad I could kill. I was on the verge of clawing up the wall. I wanted to eat everything that I saw and smelt. It was THAT bad.

Today, I have become accustomed to this diet.

I cook, make drinks and bake without sugar.

I don't eat gluten. There are times where I accidentally ingested gluten (as I had forgotten), I end up in severe pain.

The gut has somewhat settled down. And the severe excruciating pain which I had everyday in my shoulder, neck and arms is gone!

But if I eat the 'trigger food', all hell will break loose again.

My trigger list is butter, oil, sugar, gluten, and sometimes beans.

If the IBS returns, then porridge and chicken noodle soup will be the food for the gut until it overcomes the attack.

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 3): The Destroyed Gut (Part 3)

5. COFFEE

I'm sure the coffee lovers are about to stone me for writing this! Yes, there has been studies which say coffee is indeed good for us humans. But yet, it has some negative effects on the gut.

INCREASED ACIDITY

*The stomach produces large amounts of hydrochloric acid when you drink coffee.
(Clink on LINK)

Hydrochloric acid is one of your gastric juice which is released after a meal to break down your food. Imagine drinking coffee on an empty stomach everyday!

HEARTBURN

The caffeine relaxes the esophageal sphincter muscle. This causes acid reflux which is heartburn.

IBS (IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME)

Coffee is known as an intestinal irritant. It causes stomach-ulcers-sufferers to be in even more agony.

Die-hard coffee fans still get IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) even after switching to decaf. Apparently it's the enzyme in the beans which irritates the gut.

LAXATIVE EFFECTS

Coffee has laxative effects which actually stimulates gastric emptying which causes the intestines to empty itself before the food is even digested.

Instead of absorbing nutrients from digesting food, the acidic stomach contents are being sent into the small intestines too soon causing injury and inflammation.

DEHYDRATION

Caffeine in coffee is a strong diuretic.

*(A diuretic is a substance that promotes the production of urine in the body.) All diuretics increase the excretion of urine in the body. (taken from HERE) This means you will have frequent urination and and if you do not consume enough water, you will end up in dehydration.

STRESS LEVELS ELEVATED

Coffee actually elevates the stress hormones cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. This will cause the heart rate to increase, blood pressure to increase and also activate the 'fight or flight' switch. These are not meant to be 'switched on' all the time. It's only supposed to be switched on when you are in danger. Just imagine drinking coffee everyday which triggers your adrenaline everyday when there isn't danger.

GABA METABOLISM INTERFERED

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter. This is produced in the brain and the GI tract. The role of GABA in the GI tract is to produce a calming effect. GABA also plays an important role in mood and stress management. Caffeine has been found to interfere with the GABA neurotransmitter.

Click on LINK to read more on the effects of coffee on our gut.

6. SUGAR

The bad guys in the gut THRIVE on sugar. They become super-powerful when you feed them sugar. Sugar is kryptonite to the good guys in your gut.

Therefore, if your diet is mainly high in starches, carbohydrates, sweets, cakes and cookies and all which spells S.U.G.A.R, then your gut bacteria would be overloaded with the bad guys and not the good ones.

And that is definitely trouble for the gut!

7. ASCORBIC ACID

The good new is, the synthetic version of Vitamin C, which is ascorbic acid is a bacteria killer! The bad news is, it does not know how to differentiate the good guys and the bad. Thus, it wipes out all form of bacteria it comes across.

Last but not least, *ascorbic acid is synthesized from corn dextrose fermentation. Most of the synthesized Vitamin C is sourced from GMO corn. (taken from HERE)

8. VITAMIN S

This is not some vitamin that you can take as a supplement. This vitamin is called Vitamin Sleep. Not only does our brain produces melatonin, even our gut does too!

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the brain that helps regulate our sleep and maintains our body's natural clock (AKA the 'circadian rhythm'). The melatonin that is produced in the gut helps regulate and promote healthy digestion.

Melatonin in the gut helps regulate the internal clock of our bowel movements, regulates peristalsis and reduces spasms and aids motility through the GI tract.

As melatonin corresponds according to the circadian rhythm, nighttime light exposure suppress melatonin. People who work at night makes less melatonin than those who work in the day. And those who produce less melatonin have a higher incidence of gastrointestinal disorders.
(click HERE to read more on melatonin and sleep)

(to be continued...)

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 3): The Destroyed Gut (Part 2)

2. STEROIDAL & NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory) DRUGS

Oral steroids such as prednisolone and NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen reduces inflammation. But it also reduces the protective anti-inflammatory hormones in the GI tract that protect the gut from inflammation.

Long-term usage of steroids and NSAIDs cause gastric ulcers.

Click on LINK to read more about the steroids, NSAIDs and the leaky gut.

3. CHLORINE

Apparently chlorine can mess up your health big time. Chlorine is used to treat our tap water. It is used to disinfect the water from harmful bacterias. There is no escaping from chlorine.

*According to a study which was conducted by Belgians in 2003, chlorine which is used in swimming pools can trigger asthma in children. When chlorine mixes with human organic matter (sweat, urine), a gas called trichloramine is produced. This gas causes the body to elevate certain proteins which in return attack the lining of the lungs. This causes the person to be more prone to asthma and allergies.
(*taken from HERE)

You do not need to drink chlorinated water to get it into your system. Showering with hot or even warm chlorinated water will cause the inhalation of chlorine through steam or vapours. Warm water opens up the pores and thus allowing it to be absorbed into your system. In one of my 'Did You Know Series', I wrote about how fast it took our skin to absorb anything we come in contact with. 26 seconds. That is how fast anything we come in contact gets absorbed into our system.

Click HERE to read more about chlorine and our life.

There isn't any solid-rock proof that chlorine destroys the good guys in the gut. *But a 1987 Toxicology report stated that fairly low levels of monochloramine (a type of chloramine - this lasts longer in the water as it travels through the pipes) disrupted the immune system in rats. And our immune system is in the gut.
(*taken from HERE)

Click on LINK to read about a research conducted by WHO on chlorinated water.

4. FLUORIDE

Apparently fluoride is used as an insecticide and a roach killer. I never knew this! You can click on this LINK to read the scary side-effects of what fluoride can do to you! According to this article, fluoride is more poisonous than lead and slightly less than arsenic.

Drinking water which has had fluoride added to it will cause damage to the enzymes in the muscle and organs. It also weakens the immune system that may lead to allergies.

*High levels of fluoride can cause 'skeletal fluorosis' which is a condition where the bones harden and looses their elasticity. People with 'skeletal fluorosis' have nausea and ruptures of the stomach lining.
(taken from HERE). Do click on the link to read more.

Adding fluoride to tap water has been stopped in certain countries. Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Japan are some of them.

Click on LINK to read about what fluoride does to our system.

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 3): The Destroyed Gut (Part 1)

Since the immune system lies in the gut, many people in the world today with so many health problems have malfunctioning guts. (Me included!)

I've been reading so much on the gut (and how screwed up mine is) that I feel totally gutted.

So we know that our gut thrives on bacteria (the good guys, that is). And yet this ecosystem can be easily upset or even destroyed by many things. Here is a list of them:

1. ANTIBIOTICS

This is the biggest threat to the microflora in our gut. The word antibiotic comes from the Greek word where anti means 'against' and bios means 'life'. As bacteria are life forms, antibiotics wipe them out. Of course antibiotics are good when bad bacteria overcomes our system to the point that we become so sick that we cannot overcome it. Antibiotics can save lives when used properly. But at the same time, it also wipe out the good guys, which are the ones in your gut keeping your immune system in check.

Diarrhoea is the most common side-effects when antibiotics are consumed. This happens as there is a rise in sugars in the gut after a course of antibiotics. Thus, the harmful bacterias (the bad guys) will take a foothold and cause another round of infection. Antibiotics not only wipe out bacteria, it also wipe out fungi and parasites. In my previous post on 'The Gut Series', fungi is also a part of our gut microflora which helps keep our gut in tip-top condition.

Another common side effect after a course of antibiotics is thrush. That's why vaginal infection is very common after a course of antibiotics.

Probiotics is a very good remedy for after-effects of antibiotics. It replenishes your gut with the good guys. The very well known strain of probiotic bacteria is the Lactobacillus. There are many probiotic supplements which are sold.

Probiotic Foods

a. Yoghurt

If you are buying yoghurt from the store, make sure that it has no sugar, artificial flavours or preservatives in it. The better option would be to make your own home-made yoghurt.

b. Milk Kefir

This is a fermented milk drink made with kefir which is inoculated with cow, goat or sheep milk. Not only does milk kefir contains several strains of probiotics, it is also packed with nutrition.

Kefir also contains strains of yeast that can metabolize lactose. It is a powerful drink indeed for the gut.

c. Water Kefir (Tibicos)

This drink is for people who do not wish to make their kefir with milk (dairy) of any kind. The kefir is added to a sugary liquid and is allowed to ferment for 24 to 48 hours. The bacteria would feed off the sugar to produce lactic acid, alcohol and CO2. The probiotics that are produced are endless. The end product would be a carbonated beverage.

Water kefir is popularly known as 'healthy soda'.

d. Kombucha

This is a fermented tea drink which is made from SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria & Yeast). The bacteria and yeast feeds on the sugar and caffeine in the tea.

Interestingly, the kombucha culture is also used to make artificial leather!

e. Fermented Vegetables

Sauerkraut and kimchi are two very famous probiotic powerhouse. The only ingredient that is used to ferment these two is SALT!

Naturally fermented sauerkraut contains 15 lactic acid producing strains! And kimchi is not only a probiotic powerhouse, it has the ability to lower cholesterol.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics ARE NOT probiotics. Prebiotics are specialized plant fibres that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria that live in the gut. The plant fibres act as fertilisers which promote the growth of the good bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics nourishes the good bacteria in our gut!

The role of prebiotics is as important as probiotics.

Two particular prebiotics which are beneficial to the gut are trans-galactooligosaccharide and inulin.

There are natural dietary sources of prebiotics. *Below is a list of the top 12 foods which contain prebiotics:

1. Acacia Gum
2. Raw Chicory Root
3. Raw Jerusalem Artichoke
4. Raw Dandelion Greens
5. Raw Garlic
6. Raw Leek
7. Raw Onion
8. Cooked Onion
9. Raw Asparagus
10. Raw Wheat Bran
11. Cooked Whole Wheat Flour
12. Raw Banana

*taken from HERE

Bone Broth

I don't know how true this is but after reading numerous web sites (which I am sure all quoted from just ONE source), bone broth apparently can raise Lazarus from the dead! (Ok, that was me being sarcastic.)

Bone broth can apparently heal the leaky gut, overcome food intolerance and allergies, improve joint health, reduce cellulite and boost the immune system. Now why did none of my doctors tell me to go home and boil TONS of bone broth and be healed????

All bones (beef, chicken, fish, lamb) can be used to boil the bone broth. The bones, marrow, skin, feet, tendons and ligaments are all used to boil the bone broth. Apparently, it is to be boiled and simmered over a period of days! The simmering is the one that causes the bones and ligaments to release collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine which can heal us of lots of ailments.

Bone broth also contains gelatin which is also an anti-inflammatory food.

Click on LINK to read more on this miraculous bone broth.

(to be continued...)

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 2) : The Fungi-ed Gut

Did you know that we humans have a small amount of candida in our mouth and intestines?

And it has a function and a job!

It actually aids in the area of digestion and nutrient absorption.

The four known fungi in the gut flora are candid, saccharomyces, aspergillus and penicillium.

Candida

Though an overgrowth of candida will cause digestive problems, healthy levels of it are needed to maintain a proper nutrient absorption. It also protects the intestinal tract from infections.


Saccharomyces Boulardii (S. Boulardii)

This fungi functions like a probiotic in the body. It isn't a bacteria. This fungi is prescribed by doctors to patients to help their gut recover after a bout of diarrhoea. It actually helps regulate the intestines. It also protects the intestines from pathogens that can harm the lining of the intestines. Not only does it protect the intestines, it also regulate various functions of the immune system. It also keeps the intestinal barrier function in tip-top condition.

To find out more about this fungi, click on LINK.

An Overgrowth

Even though these fungi help with the digestion and the gut, an overgrowth of them will cause problems.

There are several reasons to how fungi can overgrow in the gut. They are:

1. A diet which is high in refined carbohydrates and sugar.

2. A high consumption of alcohol.

3. A very high-stressed lifestyle.

4. An intake(s) of antibiotics which killed too many of the good guys (good bacteria).

The Gut - The Root of All Health (Part 1)

AN INTRODUCTION

The human body is not an isolated island at all. It does not live and function on its own. Rather, it is a complex ecosystem with billions and trillions of microorganisms.

It is amazing that most of the human cells are not human at all! Bacterial cells outnumber the human body cells at a ratio of 10 to 1!!!

Our Gut

Did you know that we have over 100,00,000,000 of bacteria of more than 400 species living in our gut? The food that we eat influences the way the bacteria functions in our body. These bacteria harvest energy from our food, provides us nutrients, prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and is the defense AND offense army of our body.

Science is still not advanced enough to decipher each individual bacteria's job and potential. But what scientists do know is that these bacteria harvest, break down and ferment complex molecules from the food that we take. Some bacteria produce vitamins and fatty acids that our body lack. Some bacteria also help convert unusual chemicals into useful substances. For more information, click on LINK.

The gut is truly the root of our health!