What Is Increased Intestinal Permeability? Increased intestinal permeability is characterized by dysfunctional intestinal permeability (leakiness) allowing for the penetration of harmful entities from the gut into the bloodstream such as undigested proteins and microbes. The popular name is “leaky gut.” ...
Read More »Inflammation
What Is Inflammation? Inflammation is our body’s necessary self-defense response and repair mechanism for these assaults: 1) injuries such as cuts, scrapes, sprains, broken bones, burns, insect bites, toxins; 2) invading organisms such as bacteria; and 3) allergens and food sensitivities such as ...
Read More »Candida Albicans Infection
What Is Candida Albicans Infection? Candida albicans infection, called candidosis or candidiasis, is an opportunistic invasion of mucous membrane or skin by candida albicans, an endogenous yeast found in 40 to 80% of normal human beings. A former name for ...
Read More »Low Stomach Acid Production
What Is Low Stomach Acid Production? Low stomach acid production is a common disorder in celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis that is characterized by lack of sufficient hydrochloric acid needed 1) to properly digest food, which results in malnutrition and ...
Read More »Dysbiosis (Intestinal)
What Is Intestinal Dysbiosis? Intestinal dysbiosis is an imbalance of the composition and quantity of microbe populations (called the microbiota), that naturally inhabit our human gut. Dysbiosis causes altered gut immunity, abnormal fermentation of undigested foodstuffs, and impaired production within the ...
Read More »Colitis, Lymphocytic
What Is Lymphocytic Colitis? Lymphocytic colitis is a microscopic inflammation of the large intestinal mucosa with infiltration of lymphocytes (IELs) that is characterized by non-bloody secretory diarrhea. Secretory diarrhea describes bowel movements that consist of a large volume of liquid ...
Read More »Colitis, Collagenous
What Is Collagenous Colitis? Collagenous colitis is a disease of the large intestine (colon) that is characterized by microscopic inflammation of the surface mucosal lining and an abnormally thickened collagen band of tissue that develops wthin the lining of the colon. ...
Read More »Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a motility disorder without anatomic cause involving the entire gastrointestinal tract that is characterized by these four features: 1) Abdominal pain usually relieved by defecation or passing of gas; 2) ...
Read More »Sucrose Intolerance and Sucrosemia
What Is Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia? Sucrose intolerance is the inability to digest sucrose, a widely available sugar, while sucrosemia is the abnormal presence of sucrose in the bloodstream. Q: Why cannot the body digest sucrose? A: Sucrose, such as cane ...
Read More »Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis)
What Is Scleroderma? Scleroderma is a chronic skin manifestation of progressive systemic sclerosis characterized by generalized thickened, edematous skin firmly bound to subcutaneous tissue which causes limited movement. Systemic sclerosis a connective tissue disease that involves destructive changes in the ...
Read More »PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
What Is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)? Premenstrual syndrome is a menstrual disorder that occurs regularly during the last week of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and starts to subside a few days before menstruation begins and is absent the ...
Read More »Ulceration And Stenosis, Postbulbar Duodenal
What Is Postbulbar Duodenal Ulceration/Stenosis? Postbulbar duodenal ulceration is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by thickening of the intestinal lining with excoriation penetrating the muscularis mucosae (muscle layer of the intestine) associated with villous atrophy. The ulcer is well-defined. Stenosis ...
Read More »Maltose Intolerance
What Is Maltose Intolerance? Maltose intolerance is an enzymopathy (enzyme failure) characterized by inability of the gut to properly break down maltose sugar molecules in food due to low maltase enzyme activity of the small intestinal lining. Q: What is ...
Read More »Lactose Intolerance
What Is Lactose Intolerance? Lactose intolerance is a well known symptom of carbohydrate malabsorption characterized by inability to properly digest lactose, the sugar in milk, due to low lactase digesting activity in the small intestine. Lactase is an enzyme produced ...
Read More »Carbohydrate Malabsorption
What Is Carbohydrate Malabsorption? Carbohydrate malabsorption is a digestive disorder characterized by the inability to properly digest and absorb carbohydrates within the small intestine to supply needed energy to the body. Q: What carbohydrates should be normally digested and absorbed? A: In normal ...
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