Programs & Services How We Help The GI (Gastrointestinal) Society was formed in 2008 on the foundation of its partner organization, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR), founded in 1976. The staff of the GI Society run CSIR, but both organizations have a separate board of directors. Funds from both organizations support our core [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Intestinal Gas Many healthy individuals are concerned that they have too much intestinal gas, thinking that their digestive tract could be malfunctioning. While gas in itself is not dangerous, our inability to control its passage might have social implications. Studies have shown that the average person [...]
Intestinal Microbes & Prebiotics at a Glance What are microbes? Microbes, short for microorganisms, are microscopic, living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and yeast. There are more than 400 species of microbes in the digestive tract. What do microbes do in the colon? There are two basic bacterial cell types in the digestive tract: beneficial [...]
Top 10 Nutrition and Lifestyle Recommendations for Constipation High fibre: Increase your fibre intake gradually and aim for a high fibre diet of at least 25 g per day for women and 38 g per day for men. High fibre foods include whole vegetables and fruits with the skin, nuts and seeds, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, [...]
Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Tips From Our Support Groups The underlying cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not known at present. While food choice doesn’t induce IBD, it can affect some disease symptoms, so it does matter what you eat. If you’re affected by IBD, aim to become knowledgeable and ‘nutritionally’ fit. Since [...]
Intestinal Gas Leaks Imagine this scenario. You’re sitting in a meeting, all is quiet, only one person is speaking softly but clearly. Suddenly, it arrives. Gas. You can feel it squirming through your guts. The time is near. A bead of sweat rolls down your forehead as the tension rises. There is no time to [...]
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diet: The Foods You Can Eat Individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can use nutrition and lifestyle strategies to help control and manage gut symptoms, improve quality of life, and optimize digestive health. It is common for people with IBS to experience gut symptoms after eating certain kinds of foods, and [...]
Drug Therapy and the Compromised Bowel Background Physiology Several factors can alter the absorption of drugs taken orally in patients with a compromised digestive system. The most important determinations are the length of bowel available for drug absorption, and which section of the bowel has been removed. The small bowel, with its large surface area [...]
Finding the Science in Herbs and Roots After a questionable encounter several years back, I have come to regard herbal remedies, naturopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine with a great deal of skepticism. My mother had brought me to see a well-known herbalist in Vancouver’s Chinatown for a persistent cough that I couldn’t quite get rid [...]
Functional Foods: Dietitian Q&A Over the past few years, I’ve heard more and more about functional foods and noticed products on the grocery store shelf making claims about improving health. I have read some information on the topic, but I find it confusing and a bit overwhelming. Can you tell me what a functional food [...]
Goodness of Milk & Lactose Intolerance This article discusses the benefits of milk as well as its challenges such as lactose intolerance. There is nothing like our mother’s milk to sustain us for the first year of life and beyond. Rich in vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients, milk is the perfect food [...]
Relief of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Symptoms with a Low FODMAP Diet Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition worldwide, affecting an estimated 13-20% of Canadians. This often-debilitating functional disorder presents with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation and/or diarrhea. Patients’ symptoms can vary widely and there is no one-size-fits-all management [...]
Printable Patient Information About the GI Society Download PDF. View our webpage on this topic. Order pamphlets. Aging Digestive Tract Download PDF. View our webpage on this topic. Order pamphlets. Celiac Disease Download PDF. View our webpage on this topic. Order pamphlets. [...]
Berries: Bursting With Health Benefits The health benefits of berries are plentiful. These small, versatile fruits come in many varieties and forms, making it easy to incorporate them into your diet year round. Did you know that Canada is the second largest producer and exporter of blueberries in the world, after [...]
Artificial Sweeteners Could Harm Gut Microbiota Previously, we have mentioned the possibility that sucralose disrupts the gut mucosa, which could be a factor in the development of Crohn’s disease in susceptible individuals. Now, artificial sweeteners are once again under fire. This time, researchers believe that artificial sweeteners could be altering our gut microbiota, resulting in [...]
April is IBS Awareness Month Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is so common that it's likely you know at least one person with this functional disorder. In 2003, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research advocated to mayors across Canada and succeeded in having April declared as IBS Awareness Month. Read all about IBS here or [...]
7 Irritable Bowel Syndrome Myths Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is so common that it is likely you know at least one person with this functional disorder. In 2003, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research advocated to mayors across Canada and succeeded in having April declared as IBS Awareness Month, yet the myths and misinformation surrounding [...]
Is Your Gut Friend or Foe? “All disease begins in the gut.” Hippocrates made this statement more than 2,000 years ago. Since then, much has changed in medicine. However, this theory remains of great interest in the medical community, especially when considering the terrain of the individual, how robust their immune system may or may [...]
Hepatic Encephalopathy Encephalopathy is a term that refers to brain dysfunction, for which there are many causes. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) occurs when the liver stops working properly or when blood from the gut bypasses the liver in what is known as portosystemic shunting. HE can manifest as a spectrum of neurological and psychiatric abnormalities. The [...]
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