Digestive Health

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Bloating
January 12, 2022
My husband takes blood pressure meds and Eliquis. Can he take N-acetyl-cysteine?; Any ideas on slowing or reversing spinal stenosis via nutrition and supplements?; I took Fosamax for osteoporosis and got scleritis!; I have a problem with bloating. What should I do or take?; Some comments about covid in the setting of full vaccination and booster - are these true? Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: A Breakthrough for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Part 1
December 28, 2021
A new breakthrough botanical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Kenneth Brown is developer of Atrantil, a natural treatment for IBS. He explains how small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) contributes to gas, bloating, cramps, urgency and constipation. Conventional treatment of SIBO involves use of the antibiotic Xifaxin, which is expensive and doesn’t usually deliver lasting relief. Years of research led Dr. Brown to discovery of an herbal combo which offers a more economical, thorough solution. Clinical testing has shown Atrantil to be effective. What ingredients make Atrantil unique among GI supplements? How should Atrantil be taken? Can it result in “die-off” symptoms? How is SIBO diagnosed? What role for probiotics? For diet? For agents that promote GI motility? Does SIBO cause mood symptoms like anxiety, depression, or “brain fog”? Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: A Breakthrough for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Kenneth Brown, developer of Atrantil, a natural treatment for IBS. Click HERE for part 1.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Low Dose Lithium
December 15, 2021
Study: SARS-CoV-2 spike impairs DNA damage repair and inhibits recombination in vitro; Can low dose lithium be beneficial for mood enhancement for those taking thyroid replacement? Or is it contraindicated?; I recently had a bout of diverticulitis. What can I do to avoid another flare-up?; Is calcium citrate helpful for acid reflux?; What are your thoughts on silicon dioxide added to supplements?; Could you talk about restless legs syndrome? Click HERE for part 1.

How to Keep Our Digestion Optimal During the Often Richly-Decadent Holiday Eating, Part 1
December 14, 2021
Each year as we enter the holiday season, we go to our "Digestion-Guru" Martie Whittekin for some sound advice about how to keep our digestion optimal during all the delicious yet often richly-decadent holiday eating. Martie is the author of numerous books. She knows that the natural approach to digestive health is far better (and in the long-term more successful) than simply popping an over-the-counter antacid for relief. She details the benefits of Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics to maintain digestive health and immunity this holiday season. Click HERE for part 2.

How to Keep Our Digestion Optimal During the Often Richly-Decadent Holiday Eating, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Martie Whittekin, Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist and the author of the best-selling book, "Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec, & Other Acid Blockers." Her latest book is entitled, "The Probiotic Cure." Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for December 11, Part 2
December 13, 2021
Three new books chronicle pandemic missteps; Study reveals Covid targets fat cells; Does physical activity protect against severe Covid? Yogurt vs. hypertension; Why doesn’t DGL licorice raise blood pressure? Curcumin and boswellin vs. diverticulitis; An amino acid that can rescue patients with Covid pneumonia; Pushback begins against proposed NAC ban; Our bodies need exercise to age well; A ten-minute run can aid mental performance; How do you know if you’re taking too much thyroid medication? Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

ENCORE: Curing Reflux Through Food, Part 1
October 19, 2021
Dr. Jamie Koufman is a pioneering ear, nose & throat specialist who coined the terms “silent reflux” and “layngopharyngeal reflux” (LPR). She specializes in diagnosing and treating voice disorders and reflux. She is the author of “Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure.” She contends that medicine’s obsession with acid-blocking drugs for throat complaints is misguided: “The gastroenterologists are like dinosaurs, but unlike dinosaurs, they deserve to die out.” She points out the many drawbacks of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): They mostly don’t work, and they bring with them a host of side effects. Paradoxically, they may actually increase the risk of esophageal cancer, which they are intended to protect against. Dr. Koufman has demonstrated that complaints like hoarseness, chronic cough, throat-clearing, and bothersome throat sensations can be cured with simple lifestyle and diet changes. Asthma, too, is frequently misdiagnosed and responds to low-acid regimens when inhaled asthma drugs fail. She is an advocate of “alkaline water”, and has authored a research paper demonstrating its efficacy for reflux. Dr. Koufman is an outspoken critic of medicine’s trend toward specialization, which she calls out as profit-driven. Instead she says we need more incentives for primary care doctors to issue simple, lifestyle-oriented advice to patients, and shield them from excess procedures and medications. Her new book is entitled “Acid Reflux in Children: How Healthy Eating Can Fix Your Child's Asthma, Allergies, Obesity, Nasal Congestion, Cough & Croup.” Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Curing Reflux Through Food, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Jamie Koufman, pioneering ear, nose & throat specialist and author of “Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure.” Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: Debunking Myths about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Part 1
September 14, 2021
One of the world’s most authoritative experts on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), author of "The Digestive Health Solution," dispels myths about this poorly understood condition. In an article entitled “Does Irritable Bowel Syndrome Exist?,” Dr. Benjamin Brown challenges the notion that it’s one overarching disease; rather there are many subtypes, amenable to solutions other than routine antispasmodics, antidepressants, and fiber supplements that deliver relief to a mere 25% of sufferers. And it’s not just a psychological disorder. He discusses the role of diet, probiotics, and herbs. What about the low-FODMAP diet? Gluten-avoidance? Food allergies? Histamine intolerance? Pancreatic enzymes? Cognitive-behavioral therapy and stress reduction? Is there a relationship between IBS and fibromyalgia? Click HERE for part 2.