Survey Results: Biosimilars The Gastrointestinal Society represents inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients on a variety of health care fronts, including access to medications. During the first part of 2015, we hosted a survey on our English (www.badgut.org) & French (www.mauxdeventre.org) websites to help understand IBD patients’ opinions and outlooks regarding biosimilars (subsequent entry biologics/SEBs). To [...]
Four Myths About Food and Nutrition If you have a gastrointestinal (GI) disease or disorder, something as simple as eating can become complicated, which can cause nutritional deficiencies or questions about which foods are safe to consume. There are diseases such as Crohn’s and celiac that hinder the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients adequately [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Ulcerative Colitis Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consisting of fine ulcerations in the inner mucosal lining of the large intestine. Inflammation starts at the lower end of the colon, just above the anus, and extends upward in a continuous manner, to variable [...]
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 [...]
Dying from Diarrhea The Cause Might Surprise You Celiac disease is an autoimmune gastrointestinal condition that affects about 1% of the North American population.1 The worldwide prevalence is unknown, due to lack of awareness and testing in developing countries and insufficient research. A group of international researchers recently completed a study that they hope will [...]
Lyme Disease the spread of ticks in Canada and what you should know When you hear the term Lyme disease, the first thing that likely comes to mind is the image of a blacklegged, blood-sucking tick. Ticks themselves do not cause Lyme disease, but rather can carry certain species of bacteria that do. The primary [...]
Canada’s Food Guide - 2018 Updates We have looked to Canada’s Food Guide for tips on eating right since Health Canada published the first version – then called Canada’s Official Food Rules – in 1942. From managing war resources in the 1940s, to working toward preventing obesity and related diseases (such as heart disease and [...]
Patient Perspective on the Challenges and Responsibilities of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Living with a chronic inflammatory disease often involves coping with a variety of difficulties. There isn’t a lot of research that specifically asks patients for their perspectives on these issues, but when they do get published, they can tell us a lot about the [...]
Breaking the Link – IBS and Bacterial Overgrowth Attributing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to bacterial overgrowth may be a mistake. According to Swedish researchers in a 2007 report published in the medical journal, Gut, the misguided assumption could be due to ineffective testing methods used in previous studies. IBS is a common digestive disorder characterized [...]
Western Herbal Medicines and IBS For decades, we’ve written about complementary and alternative therapies, such as herbal products and Traditional Chinese Medicine, for management of digestive ailments. There are still questions surrounding their safety and efficacy, but a recent meta-analysis on Western herbal medicines,1 found that peppermint essential oil, aloe vera, and asafoetida – a [...]
Should I See a Psychologist for a Digestive Problem? In this article, I will explain what a psychologist is, what types of things a psychologist can and cannot do, and how they differ from other health professionals. A person with a disease or disorder of the gastrointestinal system is vulnerable to the effects of anxiety. [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Dysphagia Dysphagia is the medical term used to describe difficulty swallowing. Dysphagia can make eating, drinking, and swallowing medications uncomfortable and/or unsafe, and can affect quality of life since eating is often tied to culture, family, work, pleasure, and many other important areas of life. Swallowing [...]
How to Choose the Right Probiotics Are you wondering how to use probiotics for your digestive health? Look no further, as a trusted group of experts has created an evidence-based guide on probiotic products available in Canada that can support you in your care. Probiotics are specific strains and quantities of bacteria that research shows [...]
Ostomy Resources Question: I just had surgery that resulted in an ostomy. I wasn’t given very much information in the hospital. Do you know of any resources that may be helpful? Answer: There is a wide range of resources available in a variety of media formats. Information may be specific to the care and management [...]
What You Need to Know about Immunizations Unlike medications and treatments that help reduce symptoms or cure diseases after we contract them, immunizations (or vaccinations) prepare our bodies for defense against certain microorganisms before we ever encounter them. When foreign substances or toxins (antigens) invade our bodies and makes us sick, we respond by producing [...]
Relaxing Makes Me Nervous We all want relaxation and peace, but the fact is we can’t stand it! Stillness and silence, which are the means of finding inner peace, are often far too scary. The thought of not talking, sitting still, and listening to the silence feels unnerving and seems purposeless to many. Our craving [...]
Is Your Gut Microbiota Balanced or Not? The gut microbiota is a vast and diverse reservoir of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which live in relative balance in healthy individuals. Scientists have identified at least 1,000 different species of bacteria living within our digestive tract, primarily the colon. However, studying how these species individually [...]
Jennifer Ouellette Rollercoaster of a Ride Called Gastroparesis My name is Jennifer Ouellette, I am 30 years old, living in Riverview, NB. I have lived through this rollercoaster of a ride called gastroparesis for the past 12 years. I was 18 at the time I was diagnosed and had gone through absolute hell to finally [...]
Hunger and Appetite The complex systems that encourage us to eat Every action in the body – whether it is the heart beating, leg muscles contracting when a person walks, the brain processing the contents of a conversation, or an arm moving to scratch a nose – requires energy. We get this energy from the [...]
Chronic Disease Management Checklist Do you need a refresher on the management of a chronic disease? Download a printable PDF version of this Chronic Disease Management Checklist Individuals faced with a new diagnosis, or those in the midst of a flare-up, may find these points from our support groups useful. Medically Speaking □ consult appropriate medical [...]
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