Eggplant Parmesan - Gluten Free Friday Recipe!

This recipe thanks to JulesGlutenFree.com!
Have a great weekend everybody!

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 pounds)

1 1⁄2+ cup dry bread crumbs, finely ground*

1⁄2 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

Milk Allergies and Lactose Intolerance

Milk allergy or dairy allergy are the most common food allergies seen in my practice and cause a multitude of health problems. 


Dairy may be the most misunderstood food of our culture. It is often assumed to be of high nutritional value and even mandatory for good health, although it can create serious health problems. 



Lactose intolerance is frequently confused with milk allergy, but the two conditions are not the same. We'll discuss these two dairy food disorders below. 


Headaches, Migraines and Allergies

Many people with chronic headaches suffer from them for years with no permanent relief.

Whether or not you have migraine headaches, tension headaches, sinus headaches, or an undetermined form of headache, it is very possible that you are suffering from food allergy-induced inflammation. Recent research on migraines indicates that food allergies mediated by IgG-type antibodies are specifically to blame. (click HERE for research)

A headache is really a symptom of something else. It is obviously pain in the head, but the common factor is that headaches of all types usually involve inflammation. If the immune system reacts to one or more of the foods that you eat, then an inflammatory reaction is taking place that can potentially affect your head. Such reactions are far more common than many people realize.

Feeding the Family: What You (And Your Caregiver) Need to Know

A recent article in the New York Times discussed the difficulty in feeding children. In particular, the article was about the dietary restrictions that parents often give a child’s caregiver.

Caregivers can easily become frustrated or overwhelmed by these seemingly random instructions. And a lack of understanding can breed resentment or mistrust.

Parents want their kids to be healthy. And being a parent and particular about my child’s diet, I can relate. Difficulties in communicating dietary needs can crop up with other family members (spouse, grandparents, and relatives) as well as nannies, teachers, and daycare workers. With a little help (and maybe even having them read this article) you will be able to prevent some stress and provide your child a healthy diet.

Testing for IBS Triggers - Comprehensive GI Functional Panel

The Comprehensive GI (gastrointestinal) Function Panel includes everything in the DNA Microbial Profile as well as several other tests that evaluate the overall function of the digestive tract.

These tests include inflammatory markers, digestive markers, measurement of absorption, pH, occult blood, and several other tests. Each is described below.

Inflammatory Markers

Beneficial Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA)


Beneficial SCFA come from dietary carbohydrates that have escaped digestion or absorption in the small intestine. They are also produced by bacteria in the large intestine via the fermentation of fiber. The production of SCFA in the intestine plays an important role in maintaining the intestinal lining. Beneficial SCFA include acetate, propionate, and butyrate. They affect the bacteria of the colon as well as the health of the colon and the entire body.

Charity Suggests 60% of Celiacs Were Previously Misdiagnosed with IBS

The United Kingdom charity Coeliac UK (spelled celiac in the U.S.) says that there is widespread misdiagnosis of the condition.

The organization carried out a survey of more than 1,600 of its members and found that nearly 60% of them had previously been incorrectly diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) instead of being tested and diagnosed with celiac disease.

From WebMD.com:

The charity says 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, an auto-immune condition caused by gluten intolerance. Left untreated by the diet it can lead to osteoporosis, infertility and bowel cancer.

Good Bacteria Deficiencies: What Does That Mean??

Healthy people live in harmony with their "good" bacteria, or normal intestinal flora.

This is called symbiosis.

We provide the bacteria with a home and food, and in return they do some great things for us. These bacteria are called "probiotics."

Although there are thousands of different bacteria, the best-known friendly bacteria are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium.

Lactobacilli are also the bacteria that change milk into yogurt, and they are present in acidophilus milk.

New Study Reveals Link Between the Brain and IBS

A new study has found a possible connection between IBS and the brain.

While this may be of no great surprise to many of us, it does help to confirm the realities of IBS and those living with it.

From the LATimes.com:

Researchers at McGill University and UCLA used MRI scans to reveal changes in the brains of women with the disorder.

The researchers took MRI scans of 55 IBS patients and 48 healthy women for comparison. The women with IBS tended to have different amounts of brain gray matter in certain areas; for example, decreases in gray matter in parts of the brain that govern attention and areas that suppress pain.

5 Challenges to Detecting Your Own Food Allergy

1. One major obstacle to figuring out which foods are problematic is that, even on an elimination diet, you may not have truly eliminated all of your allergenic foods.

Assumptions are often made about which foods are allergenic and which foods are not. These assumptions are often wrong.

Even on an elimination diet you may still be eating something that will trigger your IBS, even if you are eating foods that you normally don't eat.

In order to solve your IBS you may need to stay away from entire food groups, not just one or two foods.

But food groups are much more difficult to avoid than you might think...

Chicago Tribune: How To Handle a Special Diet on a Tight Budget

This article is a great great reminder as to how we can make food from basic ingredients, like vegetables, meat, and grains that haven't been processed.

And in turn, these foods can provide excellent nutrition without spending a lot of money.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Six years ago, when doctors told Amy Twomey of Dallas that she had celiac disease, she was overwhelmed.

The only treatment is to stop eating all products that contain gluten, including wheat, rye and barley. That meant she had to give up many of her favorite foods or buy gluten-free mixes and prepared foods.

Like many people who find themselves on restricted diets, Twomey found that eating carefully can be expensive.

Friday's Gluten Free Recipe - Peanut Butter Pie!!

Gluten Free Recipes thanks to JulesGlutenFree.com

Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust Ingredients:

2 1⁄4 cups gluten-free chocolate chip cookie crumbs (approximately 10 cookies)*

2 Tbs. melted butter or Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks (non-dairy)

Pie Crust Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).

Be sure your cookies are crispy before trying to crush them into crumbs. If fresh baked, take several cookies at a time and place them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (unwrapped). This will harden and dry them, making them easier to crush into crumbs.

The Connection Between Elevated IgG and Crohn's Disease

Here's another recent study from PubMed.gov. Although they only looked at cheese and yeast, they still found a connection between elevated IgG antibodies and Crohn's Disease.

AND the patient's health improved. Amazing!

From PubMed.gov:

BACKGROUND

Environmental factors are thought to play an important role in the development of Crohn's disease (CD). Immune responses against auto-antigens or food antigens may be a reason for the perpetuation of inflammation.

Intestinal Bacteria, Yeast/Candida, and Parasites

Your body is not yours alone.

You are sharing it with over 100 trillion bacteria. This fact makes many people uncomfortable.

"I have germs living inside me?!" you say.

"Yes, indeed!"...comes the reply...:)

Yes, inside the orifices of your body, and primarily in your digestive tract, live an enormous number of bacteria - single-celled organisms that have colonized areas of your body and exist happily there.

This may alarm you, because we have been trained to view bacteria as the enemy. However, we are not sterile beings. Our internal bacteria are actually critical to our health - so critical, in fact, that we cannot survive without them.

Gluten Sensitivity in Multiple Sclerosis: experimental myth or clinical truth?

A patient recently asked if there was a connection between Multiple Sclerosis and food allergies.

This study showed up in our search and we thought it worth sharing. Please feel free to share your thoughts/comments.

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From PubMed.gov:

Patients with neurological disease of unknown etiology sometimes present with antigliadin and antitissue transglutaminase antibodies.

The association between these antibodies and multiple sclerosis has been previously suggested.

Gluten Free Foods for the Summer

We found some great recommendations for Gluten Free products from our friends over at Gluten Free Life with Jen and wanted to pass them along to you!

So please take a look and let us know if you try anything that you like.

Jen's Favorite Gluten Free Products for Summer 2010.

1. Ancient Harvest Quinoa (I make quinoa salad almost every week. Make the entire box and allow it to cool. Once cooled, place the rest in a freezer bag and save for the next time you need quinoa.)

2. King Arthur Flour Chocolate Cake Mix - free of the top eight allergens and super moist and yummy!

3. Pamela's Products Baking and Pancake Mix - waffles and pancakes every Sunday!

4. Betty Crocker Ready to Serve Frosting - makes birthday parties so much easier...

5. Whole Foods Market frozen gluten free pie crust - perfect for summer pies

How Growing Practices Enable Gluten To Enter Our Food System

The following article from Reuters highlights how oats and other grains that don't naturally contain the gluten that causes problems for celiacs often get contaminated with gluten due to our food system and growing practices.

It is worth noting that this issue goes well beyond processed foods. Our good friend Tom Malterre (of Whole Life Nutrition) has done spot sampling from a variety of grocery stores bulk products and even from packaged products. As a result of these studies, Malterre found that there is occasionally some cross contamination in products like lentils, beans, and non-gluten grains.

Reflux and Allergies (Part II)

Other Types of Food Allergy

As noted in this morning's article, an allergy is any reaction that involves the immune system. And IgE antibody reactions are only one type of immune response to food. A majority of immune responses to food involve IgG reactions.

For example, let’s consider a gluten intolerance. Just to confuse you, the standard of practice in medicine is to call this an intolerance. However, it is an immune reaction... And it definitely involves an immune reaction against gluten, which is a protein in wheat and many other grains.

Reflux and Food Allergies (Part I)

Possibly one of the most important and most overlooked causes of reflux is food allergy.

Whether in infants or older children, studies indicate the importance of food allergies as a causal factor for reflux. Physicians who focus on food allergies and intolerances frequently see the successful resolution of reflux in their patients. Unfortunately, this has had little impact on the standard of practice for treating reflux.

Food allergies and intolerances are still widely misunderstood by both the public and physicians. This is especially true when it comes to determining whether or not your child is suffering from such a reaction. This article will explore this fascinating topic and help you gain a fuller appreciation for the complexities involved.

Reuters: Popular food additive can cause stomach ache

The artificial foods saga continues with this piece from Reuters...

From Reuters:

"Stealth fiber" increasingly added to processed foods, while not a problem for most, can cause gastrointestinal discomfort for some who may not know they're consuming too much of it, Minnesota researchers warn. The fiber is called "inulin."

"Normal fiber foods like wheat bran and legumes are self-limiting, it's hard to over eat them," Joanne Slavin, a registered dietitian in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota at St. Paul, told Reuters Health.

Inulin, she explained, may be in chocolate bars, drinks, and snacks around the house, and "before you know it, you may eat more than you can tolerate and have gastrointestinal issues you wouldn't necessarily associate" with those foods.

What is Good Digestion?

Digestion should be the natural process of an exquisitely complex system that converts food into the materials needed for life: vitamins, minerals, fats, amino acids (proteins), and sugars (carbohydrates). From the average person's point of view, it is a relatively easy, even unremarkable process, something you take for granted. But from a medical viewpoint it is truly fascinating.

A lot happens between the time you eat a piece of food and the time the waste products leave your body. Most people are concerned only with the two parts of the digestive system that require some active participation on their part - the food going in and the waste coming out. The steps between these two poles are involuntary, and you probably don't pay a lot of attention to them, or need to, as long as things are working well.

Friday's Gluten-Free Recipe - Raspberry Rhubarb Pie!

This recipe is thanks to Jules Gluten Free:

Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

Crust Ingredients (makes 2 crusts):

• 2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup shortening, butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks/Shortening)
• 4 - 6 tablespoons cold water
• 1 egg, beaten (or milk of choice)

Lactase Powder Once Again Available

We (IBS Treatment Center) used to provide Liquid Lactase on our website but the manufacturer discontinued the product.

Now they have come out with a replacement - Lactase Powder. And given how popular the last product was, we wanted to let you all know that we've begun to carry the new version that is now available from the same company. This powder is pretty much a direct replacement for the aforementioned.

However, instead of 5 drops, you just use one scoop of powder per pint of milk. You can also dissolve it in water or juice and consume it prior to consuming dairy products.

This product does not help with dairy allergies, only with lactose intolerance caused by a deficiency in lactase enzymes.

The powder is the perfect solution at home and on the go because it is a stable powder. Perfect for alleviating digestive problems associated with lactose intolerance.

Lactase is an enzyme that hydrolyses (breaks down) the lactose in milk and milk products into glucose and galactose, two forms of simple sugars that can be digested and tolerated by lactose intolerant individuals.

Please click HERE if you would like more information.

The Gallbladder and IBS

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea or abdominal pain often wonder if they have a problem with their gallbladder.

Problems with the gallbladder can indeed cause these symptoms. However, many people find that having their gallbladder removed did little or nothing to help their IBS, or even made it worse.

What Does the Gallbladder Do?

The gallbladder does exactly what its name describes; it is a small bladder that stores gall. Gall is more commonly known as bile. Bile is produced by the liver and piped over to the gallbladder via the bile duct.

What is Bile?

Bile is a highly concentrated yellow-green fluid that contains bile acids.

Bile acids are important for digesting fats. When you eat, your gallbladder contracts and secretes bile into the small intestine to help you digest your food. If your gallbladder has been removed then it will be more difficult for you to digest fats. In such cases, eating too much fat may cause loose stools.

What is an Allergy?

What is a Food Allergy?

Food allergies may be one of the most prevalent health problems in our country. But if you're like most people, you're probably pretty sure you don't have one. The most common understanding of food allergies is that they cause obvious skin reactions like hives, a rash, or dangerous anaphylaxis. In fact, food allergies can be the cause of many chronic health problems.

What is an Allergy?

An allergy is what results when your immune system is inappropriately activated. Your immune system is designed to attack bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is not intended to attack the food you eat. But this is exactly what happens with some people. This is called a "food allergy".

When your immune system is activated, antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) are produced. Antibodies in turn trigger an inflammatory response. Inflammation causes pain and tissue damage, leading to further symptoms. Increased mucous production is another aspect of an immune response.

Digestion Basics in Review - Understanding the Dreaded Diarrhea

The word diarrhea is derived from the Greek word diarrhein, meaning 'to flow through.' Basically, diarrhea is characterized by frequent, watery bowel movements. As you might suspect, diarrhea indicates that too much water is being retained (and therefore is not being absorbed) in the digestive tract.

There are several possible causes for this. For example, food may be moving through the tube too quickly for water to be absorbed, creating stools that are watery instead of formed. This can happen if your muscular tube starts contracting faster than normal as a defense against something bad that you've eaten. The immune system signals to the tube that it should get the bad stuff out quickly. It can go up or down, whichever is faster. If it goes up, you vomit. If it goes down, you have diarrhea.

The Food Allergy Card - What is it?

Often, it feels as if one of the most awkward and embarrassing aspects of having food allergies is going to a restaurant and communicating which ingredients are problematic.

Even after doing this, it's not uncommon for your order to still be incorrect once it arrives.

Enter the Food Allergy Card.

Whether you're traveling abroad or dining in the neighborhood, it can be very helpful to carry a wallet-sized card that explains your allergy (or allergies).

Such a card can be used to show to the manager or chef at every restaurant you visit.

Food allergy cards are also very helpful when traveling in other countries where they do not speak your primary language.

Here is sample copy (in English) that you could use as a guideline:

Attention Chef and Restaurant Manager:

Reviewing the Causes of IBS - Understanding Medications

At least 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with IBS.

The drug companies are beginning to tap into this hefty target market by offering medicines aimed at relieving the symptoms of IBS. These drugs alter the physiology and ultimately the action of the digestive tract, but they do not address the underlying causes of IBS, or even claim to cure IBS. These drugs also come with an alarming variety of warnings and side effects.

Six types of drugs are used to treat the different symptoms of IBS. They include the following:

1. IBS-specific drugs to control the speed with which the bowels move (Zelnorm, Lotronex, and Calmactin),
2. Laxatives to treat constipation (such as Milk of Magnesia, Ex-Lax, Perdiem, and MiraLax),
3. Antidiarrheal agents to treat diarrhea (such as Imodium and Lomotil),
4. Antispasmodics to relive the pain from abdominal cramps (such as Donnatal, Levsin, Levbid, NuLev, Bentyl, and Pro-Banthine),
5. Antidepressants to relieve pain (such as Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, and Elavil), and
6. Narcotic analgesics to relieve pain (such as Vicodin, Demerol, and Xanax).

Note that these drugs are categorized by the type of symptom that they treat. None of them cure IBS. These drugs change how you experience IBS by forcing changes in the biochemistry of your body. None is capable of curing IBS, because IBS is not caused by a drug deficiency.

Treatment with these drugs does not address the cause of your IBS, and once you stop using the drugs the symptoms will return. The use of these drugs often results in serious side effects and/or negative long-term consequences. More information about these medications can be found in the book, The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution.

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This article originally posted on the IBS Treatment Center's website. Click HERE to check it out.
Image used with permission from Getty Images.

Causes of IBS - The Importance of Fiber

Increasing fiber intake is one of the most popular treatments for IBS. Although your fiber intake might not be ideal, it's unlikely that it's causing your irritated bowel. By now you've probably already figured that out.

However, there are many good reasons to get fiber in your diet, so it's worth discussing. Below you will find some good information about fiber that will increase your understanding about this important component of food.

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber

Fiber can be soluble, meaning that it partially dissolves in water, or insoluble, meaning that it doesn't.

Although neither type typically cures IBS, soluble fiber (which is also called viscous fiber, and is found in foods such as oatmeal, okra, or legumes, such as garbanzo beans) can be helpful in treating IBS symptoms, especially constipation and diarrhea.

Insoluble fiber is more of a "scratchy" fiber; it adds bulk to the stool. A good example of insoluble fiber is celery.

Fructose and metabolic diseases: New findings, new questions.

To continue with our ongoing discussion regarding high fructose corn syrup, let's take a look at a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (National Institutes of Health).

The main point that we are trying to emphasize is the importance of consuming a healthy diet. One that is high in whole foods and low in processed foods and sugar.

From National Center for Biotechnology Information:

There has been much concern regarding the role of dietary fructose in the development of metabolic diseases. This concern arises from the continuous increase in fructose (and total added caloric sweeteners consumption) in recent decades, and from the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener.

Inaccurate Medical Reporting

We came across Amber J. Tresca's recent posting for About.com on the many inaccuracies often found in online "medical" articles.

As you are well aware, there are many, many articles online that are simply incorrect.

Often, there are alternate motivations for writing such articles. Perhaps it is to get the reader (you) to follow a link and purchase a "miracle" drug.

Or perhaps it is simply to write an article about a subject that is often searched for online. By writing articles about this subject matter, the author may be hoping to increase their web traffic and as a result, increase the advertising revenue that they generate for their site.

Regardless, these types of articles are not going to help you. Except perhaps in helping you to identify and avoid such articles in the future and how to identify the credible sources that are out there.

From About.com:

An article on MentalHealthNews.org makes several inaccurate statements regarding IBS and IBD that I'd like to point out.

"...the more than one million people suffering from inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS)": There is no such condition as "inflammatory bowel syndrome" and while about 1 million people in the US have IBD, it's estimated that about 15% of people have IBS.

"IBS is a disease that causes intestinal inflammation...": No. IBS is not a disease, it is a syndrome and inflammation is not present in all cases. IBD, however, does cause inflammation in all cases.

Friday's Gluten-Free Recipe - Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust!

Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
From JulesGlutenFree.com
_____________________________________

Graham Cracker Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham crackers, gluten-free, chopped until finely crumbled*
• 2⁄3 cup almonds, chopped finely (nut-free option: use additional 2⁄3 cup graham crackers)
• 1⁄4 cup granulated cane sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners®)
• 4-5 tablespoons butter or nondairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks), melted

* Bake out Jules Gluten Free™ Graham Cracker/Gingersnap Mix or use this great homemade recipe for plenty of delicious graham crackers to make this crust and have lots left over for munching!

Celiac Question and Answer with Dr. Stephen Wangen

Question:

I am in the process of being checked for Celiac Disease and I have the bone pain and joint pain. I just wondered if you have ever had anyone state that the same bone pain they have felt in the arms and legs they have also had in their head.

I have been having this pain in my arms and legs for about 25 years and twice in those 25 years I have had the pain on the right side of my head in the same spot. I have not hit my head and the pain is a fast stabbing pain that hurt for a few minutes then went away.

Thank you for your time!

Reviewing IgE and IgG Allergies

Now let's go back and review two specific types of allergies.

Remember that the immune system functions like a sentinel standing guard against foreign invaders. In the case of an allergy, the invaders are called allergens. The primary weapon that it uses against invaders is the production of antibodies.

The antibodies cause reactions that result in the offending allergens being removed from the body. In many people, foods act as allergens rather than nutrition. This can result in the symptoms of IBS.

The immune system produces numerous kinds of antibodies, called immunoglobulins. IgE and IgG are acronyms for the two different kinds of antibodies produced by the immune system in allergic reactions to food. You might be asking why you need to know this...

High Fructose Corn Syrup - What is It?

After yesterday's article on food dyes generated some heated discussions with friends and colleagues (click HERE to read), we thought we would continue this discussion by focusing a bit on the ever-controversial high fructose corn syrup.

Do you consume or avoid high fructose corn syrup? And what about food dyes? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Q. What is it?
A. Artificial Sweetener: Used in soft drinks, other processed foods.

From Wisegeek.com:

There was a time when manufacturers of processed foods used common table sugar, or sucrose, as their default sweetener. In the 1970s, however, Japanese scientists discovered a process which could convert cornstarch into an alternative sweetener called high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose, which makes it virtually as sweet as sucrose or natural honey.

The Link Between IBS & Stress Reduction

So you think that you carry your stress in your abdomen?

It's a common belief...:)

If you have been diagnosed with IBS, it is likely that you have been advised to reduce your stress level. You may have been told to get regular exercise and adequate sleep, and to practice stress reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, deep breathing, journal writing, relaxation therapy, biofeedback, hypnotherapy, or psychotherapy.

All of these practices can indeed improve physical, mental, and emotional health. They provide a host of benefits, from improved personal relationships to enhanced productivity to increased energy and mental clarity, and they just might help with your IBS symptoms.

But chances are they won't cure your IBS.

CBS News: Food Dyes Linked to Allergies, ADHD and Cancer

A recent article from CBS News points to the colossal risks associated with the food dyes that are put in our foods.

Without even looking at all the research that this article is referencing, one question comes to mind:

Why not just stop using artificial dyes in food altogether?

Artificial dyes are not food. They are used to make food more attractive, especially for foods we probably don't need to eat at all anyway - like candies, processed snacks, and other high-calorie, low-nutritional value foods.

There are plenty of natural food colorings, most of which are already present in the foods we should be eating. Broccoli is green, carrots orange, and (wild) salmon pink without any dyes at all. It is only the processed, factory foods that need dyes to look appetizing. Farmed salmon is fed dyes because they lack the normal diet of a salmon in the wild, which naturally includes organisms that make its flesh pink. There are natural food dyes that can be used for most purposes like blue/purple from blue berries, etc.

FDA Report Shows Much Airline Food Poses Health Concerns

From USAToday.com:

Many meals served to passengers on major airlines are prepared in unsanitary and unsafe conditions that could lead to illness, government documents examined by USA TODAY show.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors have cited numerous catering facilities that prepare airline food for suspected health and sanitation violations following inspections of their kitchens this year and last, according to inspection reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

The inspections were at U.S. facilities of two of the world's biggest airline caterers, LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet, and another large caterer, Flying Food Group.

Gluten-Free Beer - Happy Fourth!

Okay, so this isn't exactly a recipe. But in honor of the 4th of July weekend, we thought we would highlight another great gluten-free beer!

From the Denver Post:

There's been a surge in awareness of celiac disease in the U.S. over the past decade or so, and the once-obscure affliction has spawned many a product for people who are unable to digest gluten.

As many sufferers were forced to give up beer altogether, a few enterprising brewers set to work on developing beers that eliminated malted barley from the recipe. A proud entrant in this space is New Planet of Boulder with its drinkable blond refresher. TLA uses sorghum, corn extract and orange peel along with hops, yeast and water to achieve a gluten-free brew that tastes like beer.

What Are Probiotics?

Excerpt from Cathy Wong on AltMedicine.About.com:

Probiotics are live microbial organisms that are naturally present in the digestive tract and vagina.

Probiotics are considered beneficial and are sometimes referred to as "friendly" bacteria. Some of the ways they are thought to promote health include suppressing the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, improving immune function, enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive tract, and helping to produce vitamin K.

There are over 400 species of microorganisms in the human digestive tract, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

Understanding Medications and IBS

At least 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with IBS. The drug companies are beginning to tap into this hefty target market by offering medicines aimed at relieving the symptoms of IBS.

These drugs alter the physiology and ultimately the action of the digestive tract, but they do not address the underlying causes of IBS, or even claim to cure IBS. These drugs also come with an alarming variety of warnings and side effects.

IBS "Treatment" Expected to Be Big Business

Below is an interesting excerpt on IBS drug treatment, from a business perspective.

Symptom treatment drugs are extremely profitable. These drugs are not meant to treat the underlying condition that causes a person to have IBS symptoms. Rather, they are designed to do things like stop inflammation (without treating the cause of the inflammation) and etc.

Often, treatment drugs are hugely profitable because patients will have to take them on a long-term basis. The IBS Treatment Center addresses the causes of IBS symptoms and enables patients to live free of IBS without the long-term use of pharmaceuticals.