Digestive Health

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for October 29, Part 1
October 31, 2016
Consumption of dark roast coffee protects DNA from strand breaks; Lycopene supplements reverse LDL oxidation; Do greens, seaweed and soy damage the thyroid? I'm going for a physical--what tests should I ask for? I did the Whole30 diet--now what? Martie Whittekin, author of "The Probiotic Cure"--weighs in on Halloween diet perils, repairing the microbiome. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Leyla Weighs In
October 21, 2016
Probiotics to help reduce kidney stones; Aloe vera helps reduce symptoms of GERD; the difference between aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2
October 19, 2016
What causes a severely irritated stomach? What are the negative effects of fructose vs. sucrose and other sugars? Do you encourage eating nuts and seeds for better health? I’ve had bloating and pale stools that went away when I took Flagyl, but now they're back—what gives? Click HERE for part 1.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2
October 5, 2016
What’s the best diet for IBS, FODMAPS or Specific Carbohydrate Diet? How can I lower my fasting glucose? I eat salmon or sardines four days a week, do I still need a fish oil supplement? How can I efficiently lower my LDL cholesterol? Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for September 24, Part 2
September 26, 2016
Will my vertebral compression fractures ever heal? Eczema-proof your kids with niacinamide; E-cigs deliver toxic residues of flavor additives; Presidential candidates' selective health revelations; Man succumbs to "Bagpipe Lung"; Smoking damage to DNA even more severe than thought; Gluten-intolerant individuals show markers of inflammation, intestinal damage; Scientists discover "microbiome fingerprint" of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Anxiety doubles men's risk of cancer death. Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2
August 31, 2016
I’m taking Nexium but get a belly ache if I don’t follow a low FODMAP diet…and I’m on Nexium too but my IBS acts up if I don’t follow a low FODMAP diet. At 84 years young, a competitive athlete who is not afraid of the salt shaker. What do you think of liver and gallbladder flushes---beneficial or a waste of time? Click HERE for part 1.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2
August 24, 2016
How can I tell if my blood is too thin from some of the supplements I’m taking like fish oil and garlic? Can medical marijuana help my father with his metastatic cancer and trigeminal neuralgia pain? I’m trying to get off Prilosec but I still have reflux…help! Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for July 9, Part 1
July 11, 2016
The average woman now weighs about as much as the average 1960s man; Americans now the world’s third heaviest people; Government subsidies underwrite the obesity epidemic; Study confirms success of low FODMAP diet for IBS; Melatonin reduces fat mass, increases lean mass in postmenopausal women; Google seeks to curtail cyberchondria when you search medical symptoms; Sorry: joint cartilage not likely to “regenerate.” Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Leyla Weighs In
July 8, 2016
The prevalence of SIBO; how to treat it and when to introduce probiotics and prebiotics.

Clinical Focus: GERD, Part 1
June 21, 2016
Gastro-esophageal reflux disease GERD affects tens of millions of Americans. Many are relegated to long-term dependency on proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), powerful acid-blockers that are prescribed for a lifetime. But they are very hard to discontinue due to acid-rebound; additionally they have lots of side effects including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, heart attacks, dementia, kidney disease, IBS, higher risk of stomach infections like C. difficile, pneumonia, and headaches, nausea and rashes. Elimination diets can help; gluten-free, low-carb, FODMAP, and Paleo diets have proven benefits. Certain medications can worsen GERD. So, too, can chronic esophageal Candida infections which are encouraged by long-term acid suppression and can be missed by gastroenterologists. We describe a tapering protocol that has been successfully used by many Hoffman Center patients to get off PPIs. We consider nutraceuticals that can support a successful weaning from PPIs: DGL, Endefen, melatonin, aloe, hydrochloric acid and/or digestive enzymes, probiotics and Iberogast. Read more in this week's article, "NEWSFLASH: Heartburn not caused by excess acidity!," on DrHoffman.com. Click HERE for part 2.