Gastroenterology
Board certified in Pediatrics and Gastroenterology through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), as well as Medical Nutrition through the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. Dr. Kahana is now the Medical Director at The Center for Digestive Health & Nutritional Excellence.
You may be shocked to hear this, but some of the so-called health foods that you've been eating for years may actually be bad for your digestive system. In fact, they could be causing painful gas and inconsistent bowel movements, or even affecting your sleep, stress level, and mood. If you're experiencing bloating, gassiness, lack of energy and frequent bad mood, you may be suffering from a compromised digestive system. Sadly, you're not alone. Millions of Americans are dealing with digestive discomfort right now.
Over the long term, these issues could lead to more serious health conditions, so if you're experiencing any of them, I urge you to grab a pen and paper and take notes. In this short video, I'm going to expose 3 common foods that you probably think are healthy, but may actually be the cause of your digestive and general health issues. The first is probably the most surprising for my patients.
I'll also explain the secret that will allow you to continue enjoying the foods you love, at least in moderation. I discovered it years ago and have been using it successfully to help offset a lot of digestive problems for my patients, from heartburn and abdominal pain, to bloating, gassiness, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, and even colitis.
What I'm about to share with you is the future of medicine. I've already helped thousands of patients using this secret, and later will be sharing some case studies with you from those patients.
Go back to videoFirst, as I said before, this isn't your fault. In fact, new research has begun telling us that the food we thought was perfectly good for us actually isn't. This food is probably in your weekly or even daily diet right now, and it can cause incredible damage to more than just your digestive health. I'll get to the top culprits in a minute, but first, I'd like to tell you a little about myself.My name is Dr. David Kahana. I'm a board-certified gastroenterologist who has treated thousands of patients from all over the world.
I am board certified in Pediatrics and Gastroenterology through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and have an additional Board certification in Medical Nutrition through the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. I'm a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, the American Society of Nutrition, among others, and currently sit on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Pediatric Society.
I trained in Chicago, Israel, Minnesota, and completed my specialty fellowship at UCLA, where I was also faculty for several years before opening my Center for Digestive Health & Nutritional Excellence in 2011.
I've been published in peer-reviewed journals and have written for multiple medical textbooks. I also serve on national committees for nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease and run a colon cancer prevention program for the Los Angeles County.
Go back to videoSurprisingly, doctors aren't required to have nutritional training, but I believe strongly in the power of proper nutrition to treat most medical conditions. I want to be able to provide my patients with a comprehensive insight of how their bodies work and how they are fueled. After all, it's true that you are what you eat, so we need to understand that what we put in our bodies affects how we feel every day.
I was initially inspired to pursue a career in medicine as a child. When I was 12 years old, my older brother got extremely sick with a nasty gastrointestinal disease called ulcerative colitis or UC. My attempt to understand my brother's illness inspired my interest in the digestive field, and since then, I've dedicated my life to researching and treating these disorders, mostly through medical nutrition.
Too many of my patients come in and tell me about how they carefully choose everything they eat with the paranoia of a soldier navigating through a minefield. They know that if they take a bite of the wrong thing, no matter how good it tastes, the rest of their day will be a nightmare of gas, bloating, cramps and constant indigestion.
I've had patients come in and tell me that they've tried everything, from fiber to fish oil, special blends of tea, prescription medications, herbal remedies, and probiotics. They've even tried extremely strict diets that only work for a short while before the symptoms creep back in.The problem is, most people don't know the major causes, or triggers, of these symptoms. But the truth is, these triggers hide in plain sight, and today I'm going to share them with you.Surprisingly, it's not just about your genetics, or how much you exercise, or even about how many vitamins you're taking.
Go back to videoIt's much simpler than that, and easy to fix. In the next few minutes, I'll be explaining:Why common health foods that you probably eat on a regular basis may actually be bad for you.
How stress can be both the cause and the result of many conditions that are tied to your digestive health.
Why the antibiotics found in your medicine cabinet and hidden in your food may actually be hurting you. When you take advantage of this solution, you'll finally be able to eat the foods you enjoy, without having to worry about paying the price later.
In fact, many of my patients have been able to say goodbye to almost every digestive problem they've had. During this video, I'll explain how fixing these issues can also solve dozens of other health concerns.
Go back to videoTo put it simply - your body will work better, because it will finally get the right balance of what it needs. This isn't just my opinion, hundreds of clinical studies already support this finding.Clinical studies aside, I've seen the effects with my own eyes. My patients are able to mitigate and resolve their IBS, heartburn, gas, bloating and cramps, not just manage them. Many of my colitis patients also report positive results with the same method.
Many of my patients have also told me that their mood improved, that they are happier, that they sleep better, feel more energetic, and are more satisfied with life in general. Many will report that the extra weight around their belly is starting to come off more easily.
We've had thousands of people already discover the secret to solving their digestive issues, many contact us after watching this video, and I want you to be next.This is your chance to stop the unnecessary suffering, and revolutionize your health today.I'll show you the secret to avoiding the negative effects of these unavoidable health destroyers, and it will only take you a few seconds a day. In the next few weeks, you will begin to feel better than you have in years.But before all that, I want to tell you about the first “health” food that's actually terrible for your digestion. It's likely to be in your refrigerator right now, and for many people, it's one of the most surprising.
I'm talking about fruit juice, especially orange and apple juice. They are not only major culprits of digestive upset, but their unhealthy sugars and additives can lead to serious health conditions.
Go back to videoThe truth is, you get a lot more nutrients from whole fruit that isn't juiced down and stripped of fiber, made from concentrate, and stored long-term, not to mention the additives, preservatives, buffers, and artificial coloring.
You can probably imagine how bad fruit juice must taste after it sits around for a year. To remedy this, juice manufacturers add artificial and so-called “natural” flavoring, packed full of sugar and chemicals, to help bring back the taste. This cannot be good for you.
According to a report in the journal Nutrition, Minute Maid's 100% apple juice contains more sugar than Pepsi or Coke.14
If you were to drink just one glass of orange juice every day, you would consume an extra 70 cups of sugar in a year, or about 53,000 extra calories.
Go back to videoEven freshly squeezed juice isn't safe. It takes three to four medium-sized oranges just to make one regular 8-ounce cup of orange juice, and mashing up those oranges gets rid of all the helpful fiber and much of the calcium they originally contained.
Worse, you ingest a huge amount of sugar in a short amount of time. That does a number on your liver, where the fructose is processed and converted into triglycerides and fat.31 It will also send your cholesterol through the roof, and eventually lead to inconsistent energy levels, headaches, even weight gain, insulin resistance and diabetes. In fact, studies have shown that the huge amounts of sugar found in fruit juice can raise blood pressure and even lead to heart disease.32
Research shows that a diet high in sugar even influences how you think. A study from the University of Oregon found that a high fat, high sugar diet caused impairments in short and long term memory, along with a decreased ability to adapt to new situations and learn.15
Similar to our brain, our gut is a very complex chemical factory. While our brain focuses on mental and motor function, our gut specializes in breaking down food, absorbing energy from nutrients, and filtering out toxins. It also utilizes neurons that send signals directly to your brain, so that it will know what your body needs.
Go back to videoAnother interesting thing about sugar is that it feeds the wrong bacteria in your body – it makes the bad bugs grow out of control. Those bacteria then interact with the neurons in your gut, which send a signal to your brain, and all of sudden you have a huge craving for those chocolate chip cookies. Trigger the wrong neurons and you may be more sensitive to abdominal cramps, gas pain, and bloating. In fact, it's your body's way of telling you that something is wrong, that you have too much bad bacteria and too little good bacteria. I will explain more about that and the role of bacteria in your body later.
But my point is that you don't have to completely eliminate all sugar and fruit juice from your diet, but limit your exposure and you will see significant results. I recommend that you replace fruit juice with whole fruit, which is the best way to both control your sugar intake and still get fresh vitamins, calcium, and important fiber. And not all fruit juices are the same. For those who ask, I commonly recommend a small amount of diluted pineapple juice, which can actually help improve digestion.26
Beyond elimination of fruit juices and other food products, the best method to improve digestion is the one I'm about to share with you. It will help slowly weed out that bad, sugar-loving bacteria, and foster a healthier, more balanced microecology. It's easy and takes only a few seconds a day to do. Plus, you'll get to enjoy an occasional treat without suffering serious repercussions.Before I go further into this, I want to get to the next unhealthy “health” food that everyone eats for breakfast at one time or another, and you may be surprised to learn what it is. I'm talking about flavored yogurt.
Most people think that eating yogurt is a great way to help regulate digestion, but it only contains a few million friendly bacteria, mostly starter strains, so you would have to eat a whole lot of it to see any benefits, if at all. What's worse, most of the popular brands you find in your local supermarket go through extensive processing that take away many of the benefits.
Go back to videoMost commercial yogurt is pasteurized, a process in which the yogurt is exposed to heat and pressure to kill dangerous microbes. Although it's a necessary and important process, it unfortunately kills also the good microbes in the yogurt. Additionally, yogurts almost always contain added sugar or, worse yet, corn syrup. The packaged yogurts that include, for example, “berry filling” are actually packed with more corn syrup than real fruit. Many yogurts may also contain antibiotics, unhealthy hormones and additives that negate any of the potential positive health effects, although the dairy industry itself would like you to think otherwise.
Despite the claims that manufacturers make, yogurt just doesn't contain enough good bacteria to maintain your digestive health by itself. You may need to eat 25 servings a day of high quality, naturally fermented yogurt, to see any results. With all that extra dairy, a positive probiotic effect will likely be overshadowed by bloating, gas, and indigestion, especially if you're lactose intolerant.25Eating a yogurt every day simply isn't enough and may actually be a source of problems and not a solution.
If you still don't want to give up on yogurt, I understand, but try sticking to unsweetened Greek varieties that list antibiotic-free on their labels, or try an all-natural kefir, which is a more potent probiotic drink.
But don't worry if you're not a fan of yogurt. There is a way to make sure you're getting the right bacteria into your gut on a daily basis without having to eat a ton of yogurt. I'll get to that in a moment, but before that, I want to tell you about the next “health” food that can harm your digestion.You're probably going to be shocked to hear that vegetable oil is on my list of harmful health foods. That's right –– your seemingly healthy alternative to margarine or butter is actually just as bad for you, if not worse. Vegetable oils are genetically modified and pro-inflammatory, wreaking havoc on your cardiovascular and neurological systems, not to mention your digestion. And the sad reality is that most restaurants use vegetable oil for their cooking, like it or not, because it's cheap and shelf-steady. Restaurants just don't give you an option.
Go back to videoMany of these oils are partially hydrogenated, which means that they contain trans fats. This has been show to raise your LDL –– or “bad” –– cholesterol. Worse, it lowers your “good” cholesterol, otherwise known as HDL.3
Trans fats are also toxic to our cells, which become leaky and distorted when they contain these fats in excess. This can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies that lead to dozens of other serious issues.
In fact, in addition to increasing bad cholesterol, studies have shown that trans fats can cause cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, birth defects, and liver problems, just to name a few.Studies also show that trans fat has an effect on our gut bacteria. Researchers studying both animal models and humans have found that consuming certain types of oil, which include trans fat, can influence the amount of good and bad bacteria in our intestines. One study on premature infants found that their consumption of trans fat in breast milk can alter their bacterial makeup so much that they become more susceptible to dangerous pathogens and diseases.5Despite the overwhelming evidence against trans fat, most of us aren't aware of its sneaky inclusion in vegetable oil. That's because food labels can legally list it as a partially hydrogenated fat and not trans. Unless you know what to look for, you'll never guess that you're consuming one of the most unhealthy food ingredients on the planet.
This is the reason why, despite growing awareness, trans fats still account for about 7.5 percent of the fat calories consumed in the United States. The average American eats nearly five pounds of trans fats each year, much of which comes from the vegetable oils that we thought were safe.4
Go back to videoTo avoid becoming one of these statistics and keep your good bacteria healthy, I recommend sticking to extra virgin olive oil, certain seed oils like grapeseed, and coconut oil, although you may find that the best approach is to avoid fried food in general. Don't worry, though, if you absolutely love your fries. The solution I'm about to share with you will help offset some of the negative effects of bad oil.Before we get to that, I want to bring up another major cause of digestive issues, especially in North America. Everyone suffers from it at one time or another, if not regularly. We deal with it on the road, at work, and even at home. If you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about stress.
You've probably already experienced the connection between stress and digestion for yourself –– when you get nervous or anxious and start feeling those “butterflies” in your stomach, your gut usually tells you.
That connection is more profound than you may realize. Like I mentioned a minute ago, recent studies have revealed an extremely close relationship between the gut and brain. The bidirectional communication forms a pathway termed the brain-gut axis. This axis is responsible for just about all the cliches about trusting your gut to make decisions, as in your “gut instinct” or “gut reaction”. It is a huge neurological highway which flows to and from the brain, but guess what, you are not alone in driving that highway. Your microbiota, yes, the bacteria, use that same highway to communicate with your brain as well.
Bacteria play a crucial role in the brain-gut axis. When your digestive system communicates with your brain, it can react through nerve signals, hormones, and your immune system. Essentially, your gut microbiome is regulating itself by telling your brain and central nervous system what to do.
Go back to videoStudies found that gastrointestinal abnormalities can lead to behavioral disorders like anxiety and depression.33 Researchers have even used certain strains of healthy gut bacteria to treat these conditions, and they were found to be effective.
Conversely, stress and anxiety can cause heavy damage to your intestinal microbiome. A recent study found that stress kills good bacteria, which can result in a severe imbalance.
This means that stress can cause a microbial imbalance in your gut, and vice versa. You can see how these conditions are set for an endless cycle of both anxiety and digestive issues, sort of like a vicious cycle.
That's why controlling your stress is crucial to your overall health. Thankfully, because the brain-gut axis is bidirectional, we may be able to control our stress levels by balancing our gut microbiome.
Go back to videoI had a patient recently –– a young lady in her twenties who for some reason was very anxious, especially about driving and leaving the house in general. She didn't want to go out with friends or see her boyfriend, who lived out of town, and she felt like she could never get enough sleep. Her family was starting to get very worried. In addition to the anxiety, depression, and fatigue, she also told me she had some blood in her stool. Everyone told her it was related to hemorrhoids, and we did some testing just to make sure it wasn't anything else. But it was hemorrhoids and likely related to her stress. I then put her on my quick and easy regimen that I'm about to tell you about and her life got better.
I just saw her again after a few months and was so glad to hear how well she's doing. The blood in her stool is gone. Her anxiety has decreased. She's much more functional and even felt comfortable enough driving out of town to meet with her boyfriend.
She's just one of dozens of patients that come into my office complaining of neurological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and cloudy mentation. Since they also report symptoms like bloating, gassiness, and irregular bowel habits, I treat them for these and watch as their neurological state improves. Sometimes the trick to improving your whole-body health is simply improving your gut balance. How do you do it? I'll show you soon, but to fully appreciate how it works, first you need to know about another major cause of an imbalance of good and bad bacteria.I'm talking about antibiotics, and the frivolous over-prescribing of them. It's very difficult for doctors to tell patients “no”. For many years we over-prescribed antibiotics, and that has had a tremendous effect on our gut balance.
I'm not saying that you should stay away from antibiotics forever. In fact, when used properly, antibiotics save lives. They kill bacteria and they are very good at it.
Go back to videoThe bad news is that they are very good at killing all bacteria. Antibiotics kill too much variety of bacteria, good and bad. They are indiscriminate and will decimate a large portion of your gastrointestinal ecosystem. The results, as you can imagine, can set you back. While the antibiotics get their guy, you, the host, are the collateral damage.
The answer seems obvious: avoid all antibiotics. Unfortunately, if you're a meat-eater, that might not be an easy thing to do. Our food industry uses antibiotics regularly to keep their animals healthy, and this, of course, translates into what we find on our dinner plate.
Would you believe that 70-80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are sold to ranchers? A recent USDA audit found that most commercial meat contains antibiotic residue.17 Fast food is a major source of antibiotics in our food supply because cheap food manufacturers want their animals to grow fast and stay healthy. Cue the antibiotics.
For years, we thought that those antibiotic traces were harmless, but researchers are now studying how these antibiotics react with gut bacteria, and their findings are worrisome at best. They discovered that the bad bacteria gradually gain immunity to the antibiotics, which eventually stop working as the bacteria mutate.
Go back to videoCan the general overuse of antibiotics actually translate into real-world effects on humans? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance was the cause of over 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths in the US in 2013 alone. The majority of these deaths were recorded by doctors who couldn't help their patients because the medications no longer worked on them.18 A report released last year predicted that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant infections could kill more people annually than cancer.19,24
Does this mean that you have to give up meat? Thankfully, the answer is no. You can find antibiotic-free meat in many grocery stores, but you have to ask. And it's not a bad idea to try to eat meat in greater moderation.
Again, I'm not saying that you should never take antibiotics. In fact, I'm going to tell you about a way to both continue enjoying your food and avoid illness without living in fear.
Go back to videoPart 6: The Unexpected System that Controls Your Body (2,000).
The method I'm about to share with you will drastically enhance the microbial system that directly affects your whole-body health. This system, called the microbiome, is the sum collection of all the microbes that live within your body.
That's right, you're not simply an individual. You're a conglomerate of entities –– those entities aren't human cells. In fact, bacterial cells outnumber our own human cells by a ratio of almost 10 to 1.
These microbes use us as a vehicle. We are, in a sense, gardeners, and we foster this microbiome for good and for bad. Our lifestyle, diet, travel pattern, medications and vaccinations all affect our microbiome. We are responsible for them. They eat what we eat and there's no fooling them. Whatever we do to ourselves, we also do to the microbiome, and that microbiome acts as an independent organ system, directly affecting our entire body.
Go back to videoIn fact, issues like fatigue, eczema, allergies, and anxiety can all be traced back to our digestive system. As I mentioned before, even our brain takes directions from our gut, which is why so many mental health conditions stem from an unbalanced digestive microbiome.
Research has shown that our digestive health sparks whole-body effects stretching well beyond a simple stomach ache. It can affect everything from our ability to absorb the right nutrients, to our daily habits and behavior.
In fact, there are key health concerns that our microbiome is directly affecting right now.The first is immunity. Seventy percent of our immune system resides in our gut. An unbalanced digestive system can weaken our immunity and make us vulnerable to pathogenic attacks. So the next time you get the flu or a common cold, you may want to ask if your microbiome is to blame.
Gut flora also play a crucial role in the health of your nervous system. As I told you earlier, when your microbiome communicates with your brain, it can react through nerve signals, hormones, and your immune system. Essentially, your gut microbiome is regulating itself by telling your brain and central nervous system what to do.
Go back to videoThere's one other important way your digestive microbiome affects your overall health. For those of you struggling with your weight, listen up: If all the crash diets and long hours at the gym aren't giving you the results you want, you may need to consider tending to your microbiome. Decades of research has shown that not only do your healthy gut microbes help you absorb the nutrients you need, but they also help regulate fat storage.
This is a huge revelation that tends to be underrated, especially considering almost one third of the US population is suffering from obesity and two-thirds are overweight. Although there are many other causes, recent research has revealed that our gut microbes plays a much bigger role in instructing our body to store excess fat. One study found that overweight individuals were low on –– and even missing –– certain strains of bacteria that are common in healthy microbiomes. They also had a higher number of harmful strains like Actinobacteria.20
Another study on obese adolescents found that certain microbes are directly related to body weight changes. The participants were put on a restricted diet and exercise regimen to lose weight and researchers analyzed their bacterial composition both before and after the study. What they found is that certain strains of bacteria had either increased or decreased. Their results indicate that there is a profound connection between our weight and the microbiome.1
As you can see, decades of research is pointing toward the strong relationship between our gut microbiome and the rest of our body, but I also have a personal story about one of my first patients, and how his condition directly stemmed from an unbalanced gut microbiome.
Go back to videoHe's a young athlete who came to my office with an initial diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as a teenager. As you can imagine, the news of his condition was devastating for him and his family. To make matters worse, he was being treated for his joint pain with a very strong drug called methotrexate, which can cause some pretty uncomfortable side effects.
But something didn't seem right about his diagnosis, so I ran a few tests. We learned that he actually had ulcerative colitis and that his joint pain was caused by inflammation in his gut. We started him on the method that I'm about to recommend to you and pretty quickly we were able wean off the methotrexate. Today, several years later, his disease is largely controlled with my method alone. His joint pain is completely resolved and he is back to competing in his sport on an elite level.
It's been inspiring to watch him come out of the hardships of having such a debilitating, chronic disease, and now be symptom-free and excelling in both sports and school.
Most people don't realize that everything we do affects our microbiome. In addition to our diet, our microbiome is affected by our lifestyle, including sleep pattern, stress, and exercise. As I mentioned before, antibiotics are another huge culprit. Even the air we breathe can contain toxins that alter our microbial balance.
Many of us have tried mitigating these conditions by eating better and improving our daily habits, but the truth is, you'd have to completely avoid all the foods that contribute to bacterial imbalance, such as meat, cheese, grain, sugar, and dairy. You'd also have to get a perfect night's sleep and keep your stress levels consistently low. Additionally, you'd have to avoid all antibiotics, even when you're sick, and move away from cities and towns to avoid airborne pollutants.
Realistically, I know my patients can't completely cut these foods from their diets. I also know it's not always possible to cut out stress. And even if you did, stress could creep back into your life at any time. I don't want my patients to constantly worry about what they're eating. And I don't want you to stop enjoying the foods you love.
Luckily for them, and for you, it doesn't actually have to be that way. There is a solution. You can still eat the occasional sweet, enjoy barbeque, have a busy day at work without spending the rest of your day clenching your stomach.
Go back to videoSo what I'm about to tell you will probably make a lot of sense. What we are learning is that the best way to fight bad bacteria is to use good bacteria. So the best way to fix a gut imbalance is with a constant infusion of a large variety of good bacteria.
This is known as probiotics, and you've probably already heard about them in the news and seen them on store shelves. You may have tried them before. But while you think you may know everything you need to about this popular supplement, there's a little-known secret about them that I'm about to reveal to you, one that will revolutionize your health forever. First, though, let me give you a crash course on what probiotics do.
Probiotics play an essential role in our digestive, metabolic, and immune functions. They produce and stimulate the creation of enzymes that break down food, synthesize vitamins, enhance nutrient absorption, and convert food into.
In fact, probiotics are often the first line of defense against illness and disease, assisting our immune system by blocking toxins, breaking down allergy-causing proteins, and crowding out harmful bacteria, yeasts, and fungus.
The word itself comes from "pro" and "biota," meaning "for life." They're a relatively new field of study, and only since the 1990s have scientists begun researching what they do and how they affect our health.
We now know that they play a major role in counteracting the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners, sugars, meats, dairy, and even antibiotics. They help us maintain the right balance of good and bad bacteria. Probiotics can be found in a variety of fermented foods, such as kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut.
Our new knowledge of probiotics and its benefits has inspired a flood of supplements that claim to revolutionize your health. Unfortunately, many of these products actually contain ineffective strains and potentially harmful additives. I'll get into this a bit more later, but for now, I just want to make sure you know that not all probiotic supplements are the same.
Go back to videoThat said, in my professional opinion, a healthy balanced diet and a strong infusion of the right probiotics will change the health of your gut bacteria, and ultimately, create a ripple effect on your physical and mental well-being.
But it's not just my opinion. Hundreds, if not thousands, of studies have confirmed just how profoundly probiotics affect our health. And some doctors are finally stepping forward to speak about the important role probiotics plays in our health.
For example, a recent article published by the Medical School at Harvard reports:"Clinical studies suggest that probiotic therapy can help treat several gastrointestinal ills, delay the development of allergies in children, and treat and prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections in women." 21
An article in Advanced Experimental Medicine and Biology notes that there is "unequivocal evidence" that probiotics boost the immune system, and can prevent and treat many common gastrointestinal diseases like intestinal inflammation and diarrhea.22
Go back to videoIf that's not enough to convince you that this isn't just a new "hot" health trend or fad, Nobel prize-winning researcher, Dr. Michael McCann, says:
"Probiotics will be to medicine in the 21st century as antibiotics and microbiology were in the 20th century."
Experts aside, I've had dozens of patients over the years who have seen major benefits from taking a daily probiotic.
Sally is one of my favorite examples. She's a 77-year-old who complained of watery diarrhea and cramping abdominal pain. She had a long history with these issues, and I suggested trying laboratory grade probiotics. In her most recent check up she reported a “miraculous” recovery with the help of the prescribed probiotics.
You might be asking yourself, what exactly is a laboratory grade probiotic and how is it different from a bottle I can buy at my local grocery store? That's a great question that leads me to a few guidelines for finding the right probiotics, so that you can really enjoy their full benefits.
You need to make sure any probiotics you take fulfills the following 4 conditions.
It contains a large variety of bacteria. There are many different bacterial strains already present in your gut. Each strain fulfills a different function, and helps your body in different ways. Many over-the-counter probiotic supplements will only support a few strains, giving you an uneven bunch of good bacteria. You want to get multiple well-researched strains of probiotics to get the maximum effect.
Go back to videoIt provides quality substrains. The substrain should be listed on the ingredients next to each strain. Substrains are specific strains that have been tested in clinical trials. Many probiotic formulations do not list their specific substrains, which can be a big red flag. This means that they could just be using a generic form of a bacteria (which is often cheaper) or one that has not been clinically studied or proven to be effective.
It has adequate potency. There are trillions of bacteria in your digestive system. So whatever probiotics you take, it needs to contain enough colony-forming units (CFUs) to make an impact. Large meta-analyses show a direct correlation between CFU count and probiotics efficacy. Experts who work with probiotics recommend at least 40 to 50 billion live cultures per serving to be effective.
It provides a protective delivery system. Although there is a systemic effect, probiotics are not absorbed into the bloodstream but rather exert their influence by stimulating cells and bacteria in your gut. That's why it's important that the probiotics strains remain viable and survive a highly acidic, bilious, and corrosive gut environment. For this reason, you need to find a reliable acid- and bile-resistant probiotic supplement. The capsule should be test-proven to deliver viable colonies into your intestines.
I want to highlight a few specific strains. One strain that packs a huge punch is Bacillus Coagulans, a lactic acid producing powerhouse that possesses a natural protective shield against stomach acid and other harmful digestive elements.9 It is also a spore-forming organism, which means it can transform itself into a cluster of dormant spores that are neither alive nor dead (sort of like a “zombie” strain). It waits in hibernation until conditions improve and then comes alive again, making it one of the hardiest probiotic strains out there.
Go back to videoNot only that, but B. coagulans is proven to help break down food, lower the pH in the gut lumen, promote a healthy microbial balance, and boost the immune system.13
Clinical research has found that supplementation with B. coagulans helps reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with chronic gas problems and IBS.8,11 It has even been shown to help support healthy cholesterol levels and improve blood circulation.12 7,8,9,10,11,12,13
Another excellent strain is Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, which has been shown to not only aid digestion, but also prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, reduce the risk for C. diff infection, and even help fight off respiratory infections.27,28,29 Other studies suggest that L. Rhamnosus can lower anxiety, treat constipation, and even help prevent cancer.30 This strain shows serious promise for maintaining your whole-body health.With this in mind, I needed to find a probiotic supplement that included these critical strains.As I began my own research on probiotics for my patients, I went through dozens of brands and found that most of ones available over-the-counter just weren't good enough. They simply didn't have the right potency or strain diversity to make a difference.During my search for the best probiotic, I kept the four criteria I just mentioned at the forefront of my mind, and I wasn't going to settle for anything less.
Part 7: Introduce the Solution: 1MD Nutrition™ Will Change Your Life (2,000)
While probiotics are critical for stimulating your gut and enhancing your microbiome, it's important what you take is both effective and safe. There are too many supplements on the market that are subpar and fail to provide meaningful benefit. Most probiotics supplements don't even contain what's listed on their label.
During my research, I began to wonder: If you could fit 10 or 20 billion live cultures into a capsule, why not fit more? Why not 30, 40 or 50 billion? Instead of 2-3 strains, why not 5, 8, or more?
I didn't want my patients to have to take 3 or 4 different capsules a day and mix probiotic supplements to reach their ultimate goal. I wanted them to take one probiotics capsule and be done with it.
Go back to videoIt was this line of thinking that led me through years of research and dozens of probiotic brands. Many probiotics didn't contain the right, clinically tested strains, or weren't diversified enough. Worse, most probiotic capsules were made with gelatin and other unhealthy ingredients.
That's why I was thrilled to find what is truly a needle-in-a-haystack probiotic supplement. It contains the perfect combination of lab-tested, clinically proven, high-grade substrains of the best species of probiotics, a huge CFU count, and only all-natural and non-toxic ingredients, including the capsule.
It's called Complete Probiotics Platinum, and it's a unique, high-potency probiotic supplement that boosts your digestive system with powerful healing benefits. It was formulated by 1MD Nutrition™, a platform for compelling health content and innovative products developed by a team of exceptional doctors and researchers, which I joined as their lead medical advisor. Our goal is to help educate the public about their digestive and overall health and provide solutions beyond medications.
As I mentioned earlier, the highest quality probiotics offer multiple diverse strains, high CFUs of bacteria, and prebiotics to help feed your new microbes. 1MD Nutrition™'s Complete Probiotics Platinum contains all of this and more. This all-natural formula is clinically proven to help balance your microbiome not only for optimal digestive health, but for long-term, whole-body health.
Go back to videoOut of all the probiotics I've seen over the years, this supplement stands out from the crowd with its carefully selected blend of 11 strains and substrains of bacteria. The strains and substrains have been scientifically researched and proven to improve gut health. It contains a high CFU count and a prebiotic substrate to help sustain viability of the bacteria. The capsule is all-natural and there are no harmful chemical fillers. It offers acid and bile-resistant microbes that have been extensively studied for both their efficacy and safety.
Due to the fragile microorganisms involved, creating a viable probiotic blend is very different from making a simple supplement. It requires a highly complicated process, carried out in sterilized laboratories, that allows formulators to put billions of live cultures into a single capsule.Keeping these cultures viable while they travel through your body can be tricky, but 1MD Nutrition™ uses a time-release capsule that delivers the probiotics to the right place in your gut. It also doesn't contain common allergens like lactose, soy, gluten, or preservatives.
I'll share more about that in a moment, but first, I want to tell you about how Complete Probiotics Platinum came to be.
1MD Nutrition™ wanted to create an all-in-one probiotic that fits every need. They saw that, for most people to get the full effects of a probiotic regimen, they'd usually need to take multiple probiotics every day. That's because most capsules only contain a few strains of helpful bacteria that provide specialized improvement in certain areas of your health, but not in others.
Go back to videoTo solve this common problem, 1MD Nutrition™ worked with the top laboratories in the field to design something that serves as an all-in-one solution for your digestive problems. That's why, while a typical probiotic capsule might contain 2-3 different strains of probiotics, Complete Probiotics Platinum contains 11 potent, robust strains.
But 1MD Nutrition™ didn't randomly pack as many strains as possible into a capsule. They carefully selected the best, clinically proven strains to maximize the benefit. Certain strains boost immune function and help you fight off infection. Others help prevent common digestive problems like diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome. Some will strengthen the lining of your gut and control the growth of bad bacteria. And some will improve metabolism and help fight against obesity.
Essentially, these capsules contain nearly every major strain to make your gut healthier. You can think of it as a kind of multivitamin for your digestive and immune health.
But all the microbial diversity in the world won't help if you don't get enough of them. So 1MD Nutrition™ set out to create one of the most potent probiotics blends on the market with 50 billion CFU per capsule. That level of potency means that you'll start seeing results in a week or two. It means that you'll be able to affect your gut enough to see real change and repair damage after just one bottle.
And again, all of these strains are contained in a vegan, gelatin-free capsule with enteric coating. This is a special coat of armor that is designed to repel stomach acid and deliver the probiotics to your intestines, where they are most effective.
There's one other thing that sets Complete Probiotics Platinum apart and makes it, I believe, one of the best probiotics supplements you can buy. I mentioned before that probiotic bacteria are viable, meaning that they're alive, but did you know that they need food to grow and thrive?That's where NutraFlora Fiber comes in. It's a special substance designed to keep the probiotics alive and, once they're in your gut, help them grow and multiply. This is what is called prebiotics, and it's included in every capsule of 1MD Nutrition™'s Complete Probiotics Platinum.
Go back to videoThe final result is one of the most potent probiotic supplements ever created. Thousands have used it already and achieved great benefit. I've seen this for myself.
Cassandra's story is one of my favorites. She is a 43-year-old with a long history of chronic constipation, gassiness, bloating and recurrent abdominal pain. She had been plagued with these issues for 20 years and had tried everything by the time she came to see me.
She'd even tried probiotics, but she had used an off-the-shelf formula with only one strain and low potency. She was at her wits' end and was ready to give up hope.
Thankfully, I'd just discovered 1MD Nutrition™'s Complete Probiotics Platinum, so I prescribed the brand, plus a bowel cleanout and simple dietary modifications. That was just a few months ago, and she now reports regular, healthy bowel movements and a complete resolution of all her symptoms.
Cassandra's story is just one of many. Here are a few more of the hundreds of messages I've received from people who have revolutionized their health with probiotics:
James from Texas says, “I can finally eat cheese and ice cream without having to plan ahead to spend the night in the bathroom. I've had lactose intolerance for awhile now and probiotics have helped so much.”
Earl from Oregon notes, "My wife kept telling me to try probiotics and I normally don't buy into the natural hype but these have honestly changed my life. I even eat better now and overall feel so much better."
Go back to videoWith all of these success stories, you may be wondering how long it will take to feel the effects of quality probiotics. While everyone's body is different, we recommend that you give Complete Probiotics Platinum at least three weeks to feel an effect. For full transformation of your digestive system, 2-3 months of daily use is recommended.
Some folks really start feeling better after just one or two weeks. You'll first notice better digestion, fewer food cravings, and more energy. Long term effects after a few months include better secretions, clearer skin, strengthened immunity, better sleep, and decreased anxiety. Patients also notice better management of eczema, sinus congestion, Crohn's disease, high cholesterol, and even gum disease. That's not to mention all the preventative benefits, such as protection from conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.But the benefits of choosing Complete Probiotics Platinum do not stop with the product itself. 1MD Nutrition™ is more than a product company and has a robust platform built by a team of doctors and content contributors that helps individuals better understand their health. After your order, 1MD Nutrition™ stays with you throughout your journey to better digestive and overall wellbeing. We publish articles and clinical studies, provide our customers with exclusive health recipes, and even free ebooks. In fact, your purchase of Complete Probiotics Platinum comes with a free ebook that illustrates exactly how your gut health affects the rest of your body, and how to harness the power of probiotics to revolutionize your overall wellbeing. We do all of this because we believe in providing you with the information you need to make a positive impact on your health.
To help you save money and cut out the middleman, 1MD Nutrition™ decided to offer Complete Probiotics Platinum exclusively online, through the website's secure order page. But demand has gone up so much that we will begin offering Complete Probiotics Platinum at doctors' clinics soon, where they will charge $69.95 for a 30-day supply.
They're available on the website for $49, but for a limited time, those of you watching this video will get an additional 10% off, at $44.95. And since 86% of people who take Complete Probiotics Platinum want to continue taking it, we're offering discount packages for as little as $33.16 per bottle. That way, you can choose to enjoy all the benefits of probiotics for longer, or share the health with your friends and family.
Go back to videoThink about it. That's only a dollar a day to get one of the most potent and effective probiotics on the market!
How much have you spent a day on sweets, soda, or any of a number of other things destroying your body? How about the latest diet books or other supplements?
You can barely buy anything for a dollar these days, but you can buy the single best investment in your health right now. It's a no-brainer.
And to make the deal even better, 1MD Nutrition™ will make an iron-clad guarantee to you. Try the product for 90 days. Simply take one capsule every day with a meal and listen to what I've told you during this video. If, in those 90 days, you find that you haven't made a significant advancement in your health, or that the painful cramps, bloating and gas that you've suffered from are not greatly reduced. If you aren't satisfied with what you've received for any reason, simply contact 1MD Nutrition™, and they will refund every cent of every dollar you paid.
That's how confident we are that you'll see the most extraordinary improvement simply by cutting down on a few dangerous foods and taking these probiotics.
Click the link below now to secure a bottle of Complete Probiotics Platinum before they run out, as production of a new batch may take time and the current supply will not last long. Once you order, you'll receive a confirmation e-mail and the product delivered straight to you within a few days.
And remember, you have a full 90-day money-back guarantee to try it out and see the amazing results with absolutely no risk. If you click on the link now, you'll make your first step toward better digestion, improved immunity, and better general well-being.
Update: We've had thousands of orders in the days since we first released Complete Probiotics Platinum to the market. We've sold out several times already! While I'm glad that my secret to optimal health has spread nationally, as of this update, 1MD Nutrition™ is sold out of its current batch. I checked with them, and they're working as fast as they can to have another batch ready, but they don't have a set date.
Go back to videoRemember, these are laboratory-grade probiotics. They're live organisms grown in a special, patented process. Quality is key with every batch. It may take some time –– up to 8 weeks ––for them to be back in stock.
That said, try clicking the link below to see if Complete Probiotics Platinum is now available. If you can see the order form to the right of the image, you're in luck! You can order straight from the website and enjoy the life-changing effects of a quality probiotic supplement. If it's sold out, however, I suggest signing up for the 1MD Nutrition™ Health Club at the bottom of the page, which will give you an exclusive update when Complete Probiotics Platinum is available again.
If Complete Probiotics Platinum is available to purchase, I highly encourage you to stock up. These probiotics will remain viable for at least several months since they're hardy and don't require refrigeration as long as the container remains sealed. It's crucial to make sure that you never run out and that you're getting the best price possible, so click on the link below now to order as many as you can while supplies last.
1MD Nutrition™ doesn't sell Complete Probiotics Platinum in big retail stores, so make sure to tell your friends and family about about this exclusive online offer.
As a practicing doctor, I know how important it is to formulate supplements in safe, laboratory-grade conditions. Complete Probiotics Platinum is made right here in the U.S. and is third-party tested for purity and potency in an FDA-approved laboratory. You can feel safe knowing that your probiotic is free of GMOs, preservatives, gluten, dairy, soy and other unhealthy additives. It's also 100% Vegan.
Go back to videoAnd you can make your purchase with peace of mind, knowing that if you don't see results within 90 days, you'll receive a 100%, no-questions-asked refund. If at any time within the first 90 days that you don't feel improved digestion, more energy and better overall well-being, simply send it back. Our friendly customer service department is happy to help you with any questions or concerns you might have. That said, I fully expect you to start seeing positive changes within the first few weeks.
The strains in Complete Probiotics Platinum have been clinically proven to improve digestion and overall wellbeing, so I believe that you will see results, too. However, because studies show that probiotics have an even more dramatic effect on your microbiome as time goes on, I encourage you to keep taking them until the bottle is empty. If you're still unsatisfied, please send the empty bottle back for a full refund.
This is your chance to change your health, and your life, today. Click the link below to order, or if you prefer, call the number here to be directly connected to one of our friendly and knowledgeable sales reps.
All orders ship within 2 business days. When it arrives, simply take one capsule every day. That's it! You can take it any time, and you can even open the capsule and pour it into yogurt, a glass of almond milk, or even a cup of water.
This quick and simple routine can yield life-changing results. Remember, 90% of you is actually made up of bacteria, so you need to make sure that the good kind flourish. When that happens, they can take care of you, which results in better digestion, improved mood, and more energy to do the things you love.
Even better, with the right bacterial balance, you won't have those powerful sugar cravings anymore. You'll eat the right foods and have energy to exercise, which helps encourage healthier living.
Go back to videoSo click on the link below right now to start your journey to better health. Your trillions of good bacteria will thank you for it!
PS: You probably have some questions about how probiotics work and why they're right for you. Many of my patients have wanted to know more about probiotics, so I compiled the top questions I've heard over the years to help you better understand what they do and why you need them.
The first is the most important:
What are probiotics and how do they help our bodies in general?
The word is derived from the Greek words “pro” and “biotic”, meaning “for life.” The definition has evolved over the years and currents stands as live microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient amounts, confer health benefits to the host. Probiotics are to a large majority bacteria and yeasts, although the definition may evolve to include other microorganisms, such as parasites or even viruses. Yes, parasites and viruses also briefly reside in our digestive tract during our lifetime, although much more commonly in the developing world. And bacteria can get sick too and catch their own virus, sort of like your microbiome “catching a cold”. Probiotics work not be recolonizing your gut permanently, but by stimulating receptors on your cells that turn on certain physiological responses, such as making more lactase and other enzymes, sealing the gap between cells, something known as leaky gut, and providing valuable instructions to your immune system, helping them tell friend from foe. As you can understand, stimulating a physiologic response isn't quick, it takes time. Probiotics are not absorbed by the gut into the bloodstream (at least as far as we know) but rather exert their influence as they travel through the lumen, where they stimulate the cells on a genetic level. Therefore, the response is systemic and global, not just local to the gut.
Go back to videoWhy do we need probiotics? Who needs them the most?
First of all, I should say that probiotics is a great way to offset a lot of the damage that's been done by being exposed to a standard American diet. As you're trying to kickstart your way to a better diet or to offset some of the harmful effects of travel or illness, probiotics are a great way to give your body massive amounts of good bacteria in a way that will help stimulate good production of enzymes, tight junction proteins, mucopolysaccharides (which improves the viscosity of mucous), and do things that will help reestablish balance within the gut. Giving yourself a good probiotic supplement is a great way to speed up recovery from injury as well as prevent future injury.
Really, probiotics are for almost everyone. And while I don't like treating everyone the same way, having a good probiotic onboard, along with small changes in your diet, is something that most patients can do right away and reap the results.
While looking for the right probiotic, what should you try to stay away from?
I would stay away from probiotics that just don't have the right potency, that have very low CFU counts, and especially those that aren't third-party tested. I would stay away from probiotic supplements that only list the first name, like Bifidobacteria, or the general species name, like Lactobacillus acidophilus. That really doesn't tell you enough and it means that the manufacturer is either unknowledgeable or cannot guarantee purity in the product. I recommend that you know the substrain, which oftentimes has a numerical designation (yes, it gets that specific). There are specific substrains that have shown the greatest benefit and safest profile. You also want to know that the company that manufactured the supplement is informed about probiotics and can stand behind its product. Everyone is jumping on the probiotics freight train, but they're not all the same. I would definitely say that you want to avoid the ones with fillers and preservatives, like magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide, to name just a couple. Some of them will put maltodextrin, which won't help your diarrhea, or have gluten-derived fillers, which can irritate your gut lining. Look for one that has less and all-natural fillers, the right potency, the right strains, multiple strains, and comes from a company that you can trust, one that will stand behind its product and ensure its purity, and guarantee that their product will work. There is no doubt that 1MD Nutrition™ Complete Probiotics Platinum is such a product.
Another common question I get is: "Do all probiotics need to be refrigerated?"
No. That's the short answer. It really depends on the potency, the strains and how the product was manufactured. The viability of the strains is important, but you may not need to refrigerate them for short-term storage (up to a few weeks). An unopened container stored in a cool, dark cabinet, away from direct sunlight, can maintain excellent viability for several months. One specific yeast probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii should probably not be refrigerated at all, as it is sensitive to moisture. Make sure to read the label and follow the instructions listed. You need to ask the right questions regarding the specific product that you're getting. If it's all bacteria, lactobacilli or bifidobacteria, you're probably better off keeping it refrigerated if the seal is broken since it will last longer and the cells will be more viable. But again, at least for 1MD Nutrition™ Complete Probiotics Platinum, short-term travel for a week or two is fine, as long as you keep it out of direct sunlight and maintain the capsules in a tightly sealed container.
Go back to videoWhat is NutraFlora and why do I need it?
NutraFlora is a form of prebiotic. Prebiotics are different from probiotics, and I know it can get a little confusing, but prebiotics help feed probiotics, and prebiotics are really kind of a fancy word for fiber. And although not all fiber is prebiotic, prebiotics, by definition, are fiber, in that they avoid digestion by our cells and are fermented and utilized by bacteria, promoting good bacteria. By definition, prebiotics are bifidogenic, meaning that they are defined by their ability to promote bifidobacterial strains. And to be even a bit more technical, prebiotics need to be butyrogenic, meaning that their fermentation results in the production of butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that lowers the pH of your intestinal lumen and promotes overall gut balance. NutraFlora does all of that.
Think of prebiotics as fertilizer that's very specific for the grass without feeding the weeds. If you want to selectively feed grass and avoid weeds, that's what NutraFlora does.
Can I take probiotics with my multivitamins and vitamin D?
Yeah, for sure. There are actually no medications or supplements that will offset or interact with probiotics as far as I have seen clinically, and the literature also supports that they are very safe to take alongside all medications, supplements, vitamins, and even antibiotics. In fact, hospitals now commonly prescribe probiotics to patients receiving antibiotics as a way to prevent C. diff infection and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This may sound counter-intuitive, but remember, probiotics work in the lumen, by stimulating cells and turning on genetic pathway, not by permanently recolonizing your gut. Antibiotics work as pharmaceuticals agents and most are absorbed into the bloodstream until they reach a therapeutic level that exerts an effect. One does not offset the other. This is a common misperception that exists even among my colleagues, so a very good question to ask.
What time should I take the probiotics? Is it okay to eat before?
I like to recommend for my patients to take it whenever is the easiest time of the day for them. For most people, it's in the morning, because you probably already have a routine in the morning. You wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face, go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee or tea, drink some water, and take your probiotics. A small breakfast, like toast with avocado, healthy whole grain cereal with almond milk, or a natural, unprocessed yogurt is recommended, although you can certainly take it with some diluted pineapple juice, coffee, tea, or just water. You can then eat a larger breakfast, like eggs or oatmeal, fruit, or whole grain coconut pancakes, for that matter. The interesting thing about probiotics is that it's not a pharmaceutical agent, it doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream and achieve a therapeutic level, so it isn't subject to the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. It works on contact within your digestive tract, to stimulate a physiologic response. So truthfully, you can skip a day or two and still reap most of the benefits, as long as you continue supplementing with probiotics regularly (e.g. a few times a week). You can even pause taking them and then restart, something called pulse administration, which has been shown to be at least as effective, if not more.
Go back to videoWhy do you recommend 1MD Nutrition™'s probiotic supplement, Complete Probiotics Platinum?
For the exact reasons that I've already delineated. It has the right combination of strains. It has great potency. It's got NutraFlora, so it's got some fuel, the sustenance for the good bacteria. It's an excellent brand that rigorously tests their product to make sure that it's effective and will stand behind it with a money-back guarantee. There are no synthetic or toxic fillers, so it's well tolerated and safe. Honestly, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Try 1MD Nutrition™ Complete Probiotics Platinum risk-free today by clicking on the link below to begin your journey to better health.
