Imagining IBD This is a summary of the talk given by Dr. David Israel at the April CSIR/CCFC meeting, an evening shared with Dr. Steven Arvidson (naturopathic physician). It draws a comparison between the inflammation process of IBD and active law enforcement within a community. Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic conditions with no known cause [...]
Acupuncture and Digestion Before the thought of needles makes you run away in fear, or simply skip this article, think about this: an acupuncture needle is only about the diameter of a thick hair, so acupuncture is not painful. My favourite way to describe acupuncture is to de-emphasize the ‘puncture’ part of the word and [...]
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Hypnosis Hypnosis therapy appears to be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to information from the UK reported in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. A collection of functional symptoms including bouts of abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea characterize IBS. It affects more women than men and [...]
Thinking Outside the Pillbox Increasing Pharmaceutical Spending can Decrease Health Care Costs It’s a common cry – the increasing cost of prescription drugs is bankrupting the health care system. But is that actually the case? Advancements in technology have dramatically changed the face of medical care, and pharmaceuticals have been in the forefront. In this [...]
BC Government's Healthcare Silo Approach to Drug Policy Cost $43.5 million Vancouver, BC - January 22, 2009 - A new study published in the journal, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics,1 reveals that a BC Government PharmaCare policy introduced in July 2003, which was intended to reduce costs by $42 million with minimal impact on patient health, [...]
Validated and Experimental Treatments for C. difficile When the standard treatment for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) – which includes an antibiotic course of either metronidazole or vancomycin – fails to eradicate the offending bacterium, physicians currently have few options for treating their patients. Sadly, standard treatment fails to resolve CDI for 15-26% of patients.1 When [...]
Product Review Bio-K+® Help for Your Microbiome Bio-K+® is a probiotic formulation available in a variety of fermented substrates, including dairy, soy, and brown rice, making it ideal for people with celiac disease, specific allergies (e.g., milk proteins, soy), or intolerances (e.g., gluten or lactose). The liquid products are not yogurts, as you might expect, [...]
Product Review MS+™ a Natural Health Product for Digestive Symptoms Photo: © MS+™ Health Canada recently approved Mandarin Skin Plus (MS+™) as a Natural Health Product to improve digestive symptoms.1 MS+™ is a capsule containing an extract of dry-aged mandarin orange peel (chenpi). Chenpi has been in use for more than one [...]
How Cystic Fibrosis and Fabry Disease Affect the Gut Cystic Fibrosis When you think of cystic fibrosis (CF) and the parts of the body it affects, the lungs and respiratory system will likely come to mind. However, it also affects other parts of the body. CF is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease caused by mutations [...]
Autoimmune Hepatitis The immune system’s job is to protect the body against harmful substances or diseases but, on occasion, it malfunctions and starts to attack some of its own tissues and organs. Examples of the more common autoimmune diseases include insulin-dependent diabetes (pancreas is under attack), Grave’s disease (thyroid is affected), rheumatoid arthritis (joints are [...]
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Say What? Let’s say that you are a female around 35 years of age. Over the past several months, you have experienced unexplained fatigue and general body itching (pruritus). Finally, you go to see your family doctor, who tells you that you need to have some blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound. [...]
Medical Cannabis Cannabis is a genus of plant that contains three varieties: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa, and Cannabis ruderalis. It is a flowering herb with a long, rich history of medicinal, recreational, nutritional, and industrial use throughout the world. With some countries, including Canada, having legalized cannabis, there has been a recent surge [...]
End of Life Care As an increasing percentage of our population ages, Canadians are starting to think more about the role of hospice palliative care. Currently, more than 260,000 Canadians die each year, and by 2036, there will be an estimated 3.3 million Canadians older than 80 years of age.1 With these staggering statistics, it is [...]
Celiac Disease and Canadian Income Tax As of 2003, incremental (additional) costs of Gluten-Free (GF) products are an eligible medical expense on T1 individual tax return. Individuals who suffer from celiac disease (gluten intolerance) are entitled to claim the incremental costs of purchasing gluten-free (GF) products as a medical expense for the 2003 and subsequent [...]
Diabetes and the Gut The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which helps regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body by signaling cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when cells in the body do not respond to insulin the way they [...]
Product Review Preparing for Colonoscopy with Pico-Salax® Knowing what to expect can help eliminate fears and ease discomfort. Preparation for a colonoscopy means having a clean colon. A doctor’s ability to see inside your colon depends on how thoroughly it is cleared of stool (feces). If your bowel is not completely clean, test results may [...]
Public Service Announcements The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) announced its members have chosen the GI (Gastrointestinal) Society and its associated registered charity, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, as this year’s Humanitarian Award recipient. With this award, BCAB will provide the GI Society with advertisements on television and radio stations across British Columbia. The [...]
COVID-19 and GI Symptoms COVID-19 was initially considered a respiratory disease, but the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can lead to serious systemic consequences affecting major organs including the digestive system.1,2 Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, or nausea are common and can have many causes, so experiencing any of these [...]
Toxic Relationships Between Your Liver and Herbs Herbal medicines continue to be increasingly popular therapies for many illnesses and conditions. More than two decades ago, we published one of our first articles on herbal medicine in the Inside Tract® newsletter.1 Since then, we have written about herbal supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and other herbal remedies, [...]
Pastes Question: I have an ostomy and have been using tube paste for years. Recently someone told me about strip paste. Is this paste better than what I am currently using? Answer: Pastes for ostomy care come under the general category of accessories, which are products that you may or may not need for routine [...]
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