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How gut bacteria ensure a healthy brain 10 y
How gut bacteria ensure a healthy brain – and could play a role in treating depression
By Clio Korn , University of Oxford
One of medicine’s greatest innovations in the 20th century was the development of antibiotics. It transformed our ability to combat disease. But medicine in the 21st century is rethinking its relationship with bacteria and concluding that, far from being uniformly bad for us, many of these organisms are actually essential for our health.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the human gut, where the microbiome – the collection of bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract – plays a complex and critical role in the health of its host. ... read more Gut microbiome and gut health 10 y
I have a very strong interest in gut health, and try to keep on top of some of the amazing research into the gut microbiome.
CSIRO provides a good basic introductory overview on the importance of resistant starch for general health and wellbeing, at “The Hungry Microbiome”: http://www.csiro.au/hungrymicrobiome/.
The Conversation provides more on the topic at: http://theconversation.com/au/topics/gut-microbiome, http://theconversation.com/au/topics/microbiome and http://theconversation.com/au/topics/microbiology.
Large scale research is being performed by Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHIT): http://www.metahit.eu/ and the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/in ... read more Parasite Transmission and tips on preventing reinfection 10 y
Please see the information below, to try to make sure you don't get sick with these parasites again.
TRANSMISSION - Blastocystis hominis
Once a person or animal has been infected with Blastocystis hominis, the parasite lives in the intestine and is passed in faeces. Because the parasite is protected by an outer shell, it can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods in some cases.
Blastocystis ‘hominis’ can be spread by:
-Accidentally swallowing Blastocystis ‘hominis’ picked up from surfaces (such as bathroom fixtures, changing tables, diaper pails, or toys) contaminated with faeces from an infected person or animal.
-Drinking water or using ice made from ... read more Treatment protocols 10 y
Drugs which work against Dientamoeba fragilis and Blastocystis hominis
I am repeating below the first post from this blog, which outlines the medications which eventually worked for me. These are the drugs which work currently, but you will need to confirm with the Centre for Digestive Diseases, for the specific treatments best for your condition(s).
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Multi-Drug Resistant Dientamoeba Fragilis and Blasto Hominis Infection - Cure Information.
Over one year of suffering 2011-2012. I am providing this information to help other sufferers of these parasites and to let them know just how hard the ... read more An update - three years on 10 y
An update on how your life can be changed by these bugs, and how I cope.
I thought I would write an update on my progress, three years on from being cured of parasites.
First I want to apologise to all those people who have tried to contact me over the last 11 months, needing advice and assistance.
I am sorry, but I kind of wanted to move on for a while.
I also thought that this blog would alert me to messages through my personal email, but it didn’t. I will reply to you, although I apologise in advance for the lateness of my replies.
I have met some great people via this blog who have been through the same personal hell I went through, and you my f ... read more Amitriptyline improves symptoms of Dyspepsia 10 y
Amitriptyline has greatly alleviated my dyspeptic symptoms of upper gastric pain and belching
I have found that taking 20 mg of Amitriptyline at night before bed alleviates my functional dyspepsia symptoms – the fallout from a year long multi-drug resistant parasite infection in 2011.
I have been taking it for three months and my symptoms have greatly improved.
In conjunction with specific neutraceutical supplementation (Vitamin B multivitamin, Folate, and vitamin D), it is assisting to reduce the incidence of migraines as well. I am considering adding a low dose of Melatonin (maybe 1.5mg) as well (see older post).
RESEARCH:
”Functional Dyspepsia Treatment Trial (FDTT): ... read more Melatonin can help prevent Migraines 11 y
I also suffer from migraines, and have found that supplementation with melatonin to prevent symptoms of functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia has also reduced my migraines somewhat.
At the American Academy of Neurology 65th Annual Meeting, sleep researchers from the São Paulo Headache Center presented results from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the ability of melatonin to prevent migraine headaches.
A total of 178 men and women met the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria for migraine with and without aura and had 2-8 migraine attacks per month.
Participants were randomly assigned to 3 mg of melatonin, 25 mg of amitriptyline, or placebo for 3 months. Medications were taken between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM d ... read more Melatonin and functional disorders of the upper gut 11 y
Melatonin secretion has been shown to be reduced in certain categories of patients with IBS, GERD and Upper Gastrointestinal disorders such as Functional (Non-ulcer) Dyspepsia. Supplementation with Melatonin has a positive effect in alleviating the symptoms of the above conditions. This piece focusses on Melatonin supplementation and its positive impact on symptoms of motility disorders of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract.
For many organisms (including humans), Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. This means that it is essential for human life, cannot be synthesized by the organism, and therefore must be part of our diet. Tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for Serotonin (a neurotransmitter), synthesized via Tryptophan hydroxylase. Serotonin, in turn, can be converted to Melatonin (a neurohormone), via N-acetyltransferase and 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activities.
The main extra-Pineal source of Melatonin is the gastrointestinal tract, where it is produced by Enterochromaffin cells. ... read more Fructose Intolerance 11 y
Ongoing fructose malabsorbtion, and occasional re-ocurrence of functional dyspepsia.
Unfortunately I do still have mild fructose intolerance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption.
This means I have to avoid certain foods, but all in all I am in a much better state, and off the drugs.
I have been informed I may still expect to have episodes of functional dyspepsia, but now I know how to manage these episodes if they re-occur.
(They did re-occur recently but that was my fault - two beers and vodka shots via syringe at a party - there was an ambulance officer at the party who kindly supplied the syringes)!
Of course then I was off my tree because ... read more General Information: Functional (Non-ulcer) Dyspepsia 11 y
Useful overview article on functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia
”Causes and Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia”
Jan Tack, MD, PhD, Raf Bisschops, MD, and Brunello DeMarchi, MD
Copyright © 2001 by Current Science Inc.
Web-link: http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/437/art%253A10.1007%252Fs11894-001-0071-y.pdf?auth66=1381033313_96e2e63e557a443fad34280bebe7252f&ext=.pdf
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