Natural Treatments for Children’s Ear Infections

Dear Dr. Ben,

QUESTION: Since becoming pregnant I have stopped nursing my 3 year old daughter. I just couldn’t do it anymore. That was about a month ago. She now has an ear infection. The first she’s ever had, which I am suspicious is a result of weaning.

I feel extremely guilty over having to wean her and this infection only makes it worse. I don’t want to put her on antibiotics as she’s never had those either. So, I need help figuring out how to get rid of this once and for all.

Thanks so much for your help. Read more

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How’s Your Digestion?

By Dr. Jody Stanislaw Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life. But how often do you actually think about the fact that the nutrients contained in the food you eat are what become your skin, your lungs, even your heart, and every other part of your body?! (You’ll think again the next time you reach for some chemical ridden processed food, won’t you?) And how can you make sure you’re absorbing the valuable nutrients contained in your food? By having great digestion! This means you have an easy and complete bowel movement first thing in the morning (and ideally after lunch and dinner as well…but if you at least have one every morning, you’re doing well), your belly feels comfortable after you eat without any bloating or pressure, and gas is a rare occurrence. So how do you rate? Digestive complaints (also referred to as GI complaints, which stands for gastrointestinal) are among the most common reasons Americans go to the doctor. Read more

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Natural Medicine for Traveler’s Diarrhea

What can I do to prevent traveler’s diarrhea?

If you are traveling, the yeast Sacchromyces boulardii is the supplement that you should always carry along with you. Trust me, anyone that is sick with bacterial food poisoning or a bad viral case of gastroenteritis will think you are the absolute greatest if you have this natural medicine on hand. You can take it as a preventative, as well as use it to treat a case of travelers diarrhea.

Watch out for a severe case of traveler’s diarrhea though! Most should resolve within 24-48 hours. If you are not getting better, or experiencing extreme symptoms be sure to visit a doctor to prevent complications such as dehydration.

S. boulardii is not only great as a preventative for travelers diarrhea, it is also an important healthy flora researched to fight super infections in the gut such as C. difficile that typically result from the overuse of antibiotics.

Think of bowel flora as a war of good guys against bad guys. The more good guys on board such as sacchromyces yeast, and other probiotics such as various acidophilus or bifididus strands; the less likely that bad bacteria and viruses will be able to take over and make us sick.

Be sure to use a high quality product. My recent review of the literature at Consumer Labs, an independent laboratory tester of supplements, revealed Florastor to be the best brand choice.

Always purchase your supplements from a reputable health food store.

All health care providers in need of quality information about supplements should register for information with www.ConsumerLabs.com to stay on top of the latest research and recalls for natural remedies.

~ Dr. Nicole Sundene

Naturopathic Physician
www.KitchenTableMedicine.com

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The Five Best Brands of Acidophilus

Q. What brand of acidophilus do you recommend?

A. Recently independent laboratory testing on acidophilus products revealed some alarming issues with quality control.

The problem with finding a good quality acidophilus product is all in the packing and refrigeration.

Delivering actual live cultures in capsule form appears to be more difficult then one might think, according to independent laboratory evaluation of popular products at www.ConsumerLabs.com.

The following are my top picks for acidophilus and bifidus, known collectively as “probiotics” or “the good bacteria” that help digest our food, metabolize hormones, and make vitamins.

Most of these are available at a high quality health food store, or through your local Naturopathic Physician. Be sure they come refrigerated, and that you keep them refrigerated.

• Jarrow… My fav over the counter vitamin brand.
• Enzymatic Therapy Pearls.
• Pharmax (usually only available by prescription).
• Kyodophilus.
• Culturelle by Allergy Research Group.

Until more research supports the safety and efficacy of other brands, I will be sticking with these five for my main recommendations. Always make sure you buy probiotics that are refrigerated. Non-refrigerated products are the first red flag for poor quality. Keep your probiotics in the refrigerator after opening.

When to use acidophilus: After a course of antibiotics. Or as preventative to developing a yeast infection while on antibiotics. If you are doing both simultaneously take at a two hour separate window. Broad spectrum antibiotics kill off the friendly flora growing in our bowel.

Contraindications for acidophilus: Acidophilus should not be used by those with compromised immune systems or digestive functioning. Always consult with your doctor before making changes in your healthcare.

To read more about probiotics and understand their very important role in human digestion you can read “Acidophilus: What is it?”

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen table to ask the question!

~ Dr. Nicole Sundene

Naturopathic Physician
www.KitchenTableMedicine.com

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Lactobacillus Acidophilus/Bifidus

Commonly known as “friendly flora” or “probiotics”, Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus species are microorganisms that live in the human intestinal tract. These “good” bacteria assist with digestion of food and produce natural antibiotic substances. They also play a role in normal immune function, cholesterol metabolism, digestion and absorption, and cancer prevention. Interestingly, when adequate fiber is present in the intestines, these bacteria synthesize short chain fatty acids such as butyrate, etc. that inhibit the key enzyme (HMG CoA Reductase) involved in the liver’s synthesis of cholesterol. This is the mechanism by which they help to modify blood cholesterol levels. Normally these bacteria coexist in balance with other organisms such as E. coli and yeast. However, antibiotic drugs may kill some of the good bacteria along with the harmful ones, resulting in an imbalance in the bacterial species in the intestines. This, in turn, can lead to overgrowth of one or more types of disease-causing organisms. This process is known as intestinal dysbiosis.

In any form of supplementation, in order to be effective, the bacteria must be alive, so it is important to find good quality sources. “Acidophilus” means “acid-loving”, indicating that these bacteria thrive in acidic conditions and require a food source to survive such as lactose or fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Acidophilus may be found in food sources such as fresh, unpasteurized yogurt (pasteurization kills all bacteria) or in acidophilus milk. Check the label to make sure the yogurt or milk was cultured with acidophilus after pasteurization. Acidophilus and bifidus are also available in capsule or powder forms.

Quality products will be refrigerated at the store and should be kept refrigerated at home as well. Good packaging of these products also utilizes dark glass or plastic bottles and is dated. The label should also indicate the number of total organisms present (which should be >3 billion acidophilus organisms per cfu or colony-forming unit, plus >1 billion bifidus organisms per cfu). Some brands are more reliable than others in regards to content of specific bacterial species. This point is especially important for immune compromised individuals.

Acidophilus and bifidus supplementation is used to restore a normal, healthy population of intestinal organisms in various situations or conditions including intestinal dysbiosis following antibiotic treatment or following various intestinal infections/infestations, vaginitis and urinary tract infections. Supplementation may be taken by mouth or in the form of a douche or vaginal suppository depending on the specific condition. Sometimes a combination of treatments is used.

Acidophilus and bifidus are killed by alcohol and antibiotics. Avoid alcohol while taking these probiotics in any form for therapeutic purposes. If you are taking antibiotics, wait until you have finished the course of treatment before starting acidophilus/bifidus. Although fresh yogurt containing live microorganisms may be more digestible than pasteurized yogurt, opt for capsules if you have an allergy or intolerance to milk products.

Resources
1. Pizzorno, JE, Murray, Michael. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone, 1999.
2. Hentges, DJ, ed. Health and Disease. New York: Academic Press, 1983.
3. Shahni, KM, Friend BA. Nutritional and therapeutic aspects of lactobacilli. J Appl Nutr 1984; 36:125-52.

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Friendly Bacteria

Lactobacillus bifidus is first introduced into the sterile intestines of the infant as a result of breastfeeding. Large numbers can soon be observed in the feces, of the baby. L. bulgarious is commonly used as a yogurt culture, but it is incapable of proliferating in the human gut. Other friendly bacteria may thrive unless broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs attack them. Additional beneficial lactobacillus strains include L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. casea, L. salivores, L. brevis and L. plantarum.

In addition to their usefulness in anti-yeast therapy, Lacto-bacilli strains have advantageous nutritional effects on vitamin and nutrient synthesis, cholesterol lowering effects, blood fat lowering benefits, and anti-viral activity. Lactobacillus supplementation or yogurt intake should always follow the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to replace the friendly bacteria killed by the non-specific action of the drugs.

For infant thrush – treat the mother (especially if she is breast-feeding with oral supplements of L. bifidus. “Paint” the nipples before each infant feeding with a concentrated culture of L. bifidus.

For vaginitis – use implants of fresh (sugar free) yogurt in the vagina. (Be sure the diagnosis is yeast infection and not bacterial vaginitis)

For intestinal infections – eat one or more cups of yogurt three or four times daily or take L. acidophilus concentrates.

For milk – intolerant patient or those with outright milk allergies – an acceptable way to avoid adverse reactions is to introduce potent amounts of the L. acidophilus organisms in small increments, beginning with one-quarter teaspoonful of powder or liquid – or one acidophilus capsule – two or three times daily, or as directed by physician, into the gastrointestinal system.

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Help!! I Have the Stomach Flu

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

There is not much worse than being cursed with the diarrhea and vomiting of the stomach flu.

The stomach flu is typically a gastroenteritis caused by a virus or bacteria spread from person to person, or infected water or food.

The unfortunate symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea should resolve within 72 hours of onset.

If symptoms persist, if they are accompanied by abdominal pain, bleeding, high fever, or extreme symptoms a doctor’s visit would be necessary.

Otherwise there is not much your doctor can do for you other than make sure that you are not dehydrated. It is best if you just stay home to prevent infecting the rest of the world with the stomach flu.

• Simply stay on clear fluids such as chicken broth, diluted juices or electrolyte solutions such as recharge or Emergen C.

• If you vomit up even small amounts of fluids try drinking a teaspoon of liquid and then doubling that every 15 minutes until you are up to speed again. They say it is better to vomit up the fluid then to simply not drink it at all. Children can be given Pedialyte popsicles or fluid and Jell-O to ensure their fluid intake is optimal. A high fever causes dehydration so even if vomiting and diarrhea are no longer present be sure to provide adequate amounts of clear liquids.

• Once food is able to be reintroduced the BRAT diet is commonly recommended by most doctors. BRAT stands for “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast” Be sure the rice is white as is the toast. Yes this is the rare occurrence that I am recommending white foods so enjoy! Also helpful for slowing down diarrhea are blueberries, cinnamon, plain yogurt (to replenish the good bacteria) and a tea made from a tablespoon of brown rice in a cup of water. This is a popular diarrhea remedy for those suffering from HIV induced diarrhea, you can then eat the rice after drinking the “tea”.

If you are experiencing diarrhea in this 72 hour period, you are best off not to suppress the diarrhea with some over the counter medicines (unless of course it is your wedding or there is some VERY special event going on). The body is simply trying to flush out the “bad guys”.

So as long as you are not getting dehydrated or experiencing any blood in your stools allowing the diarrhea to run (no pun intended) it’s course while supporting your body is the fastest way to recover from the stomach flu.

Remember you can do a spring cleaning or just wait for nature to give you one in the form of diarrhea!

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