A lot of you suffer with disturbing problems such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, belching, bloating, nausea, reflux, esophagitis, stomach ulcers and fatigue related to anemia. These symptoms might be tied to H. pylori, the ulcer bug. Complications of untreated Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) lead to severe reflux, dysphagia, peptic ulcer disease, stomach cancer and gastric lymphoma.

Without a pill to fix you, this leaves little hope for relief, even if you're restricting yourself to chicken soup and a glass of water! It's clear to me we need something other than conventional treatments and pharmaceuticals which have limited effectiveness and adverse reactions.

H. pylori can easily survive stomach acid, in fact it thrives in it. People often look surprised when I tell them that H. pylori can infect you all over, and plays a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), Hashimoto's thyroiditis and iron deficiency anemia.

Treating H. pylori is tough. Today, the standard of treatment is dubbed "triple therapy" and includes two antibiotics (usually amoxicillin and clarithromycin) along with a PPI (proton pump inhibitor like omeprazole). Unfortunately, there's a high rate of relapse. You can improve your odds of beating this infection if you take probiotics. More on that soon, but first, I want you to really wrap your head around this destructive pathogen.

H. pylori causes mineral malabsorption and vitamin B12 deficiency which contributes to dementia, irritability, memory loss, arrhythmias and hypothyroidism. The mere presence of H. pylori activates your immune system causing it to stay on guard 24/7 and that pours a cytokine waterfall of inflammatory compounds all over your body. Then you become flooded with antibodies. The immune system activation appears to stir up bad superantigens and molecular mimicry which confuses your body. It will cause you to lose "tolerance of self" so you attack yourself. You develop an autoimmune disorder which can be different for everyone. Lupus for you, rheumatoid for her, Crohn's for him, and so forth. Infections combined with genetic SNPs are often the root cause of an autoimmune disorder.

Recently, researchers evaluated 33 different trials that involved 4,459 participants with H. pylori. They wanted to know whether probiotics had any beneficial effect. They compiled statistics on 3 groups: People who took a dud pill (placebo), people who took antibiotics (triple therapy), and people who took probiotics with their antibiotics.

Individuals who had took probiotics with the triple therapy had a much higher success rate in treating the H. pylori overgrowth and experienced fewer adverse events. In fact, it helped people who had already done the antibiotic course unsuccessfully! Four probiotic strains stood out: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Bifidobacterium infantis. This is so awesome and it's simple! Taking a probiotic supplement with these strains (about 4 to 6 hours after your antibiotic) may ultimately beat this infection. I've posted a longer version of this article at my website if you'd like to learn more about soothing symptoms while treating the infection.

Have you noticed that you haven't been feeling your normal energetic self lately? Perhaps you have been experiencing symptoms which include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, sensitivity to the cold, pale skin color, brittle nails, dry hair, cracks on the sides of your mouth, swelling or soreness of the tongue and mouth, or shortness of breath.

These symptoms could be a sign that you are iron deficient. You may be surprised to learn that iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional deficiency in the world. It is estimated that two billion people are anemic, many due to iron deficiency.

Who is at Risk?
Why is iron deficiency such a worldwide problem? As it turns out many health conditions can seriously deplete iron levels. Iron deficiency is especially prevalent amongst menstruating women or women who have excessive blood loss from heavy periods, pregnant and postpartum women, people with conditions that cause internal bleeding, vegans and vegetarians, children, athletes, and the elderly.

In addition, anyone having intestinal health issues such as leaky gut, ulcerative colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac disease or ulcers are especially vulnerable to low iron levels because of a compromised ability to absorb adequate iron from their diet.

Rheumatoid arthritis and anemia are connected. RA can be associated with different types of anemia, including anemia of chronic inflammation and iron deficiency anemia. When you have an RA flare-up, the immune response causes inflammation in the joints and other tissues. Chronic inflammation can lower the production of red blood cells in your bone marrow. This can lead to the release of certain proteins that affect how the body uses iron.

What Causes Iron Deficiency?
Deficiency occurs when the body doesn't have enough of these vital minerals. Iron is essential in order to make hemoglobin, which is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body's organs and tissues and transports carbon dioxide from your organs and tissues back to your lungs.

When iron intake is chronically low, stores can become depleted, decreasing hemoglobin levels and leading to abnormally low levels of red blood cells. If your body doesn't have enough hemoglobin, your tissues and muscles become starved of oxygen and are unable to function effectively.

There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is the type of iron that comes from animal proteins such as red meat, pork, poultry and seafood. Non-heme iron, by contrast, is found in plant-based foods like grains, beans, dark green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 7-35 percent, while non-heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 2-20 percent. You can see that even though there is better overall absorption of heme iron, there is also a fairly large range of absorption regardless of the type of iron involved.

If the body requires the ability to make more blood or if there is an excessive loss of blood, then there is a greater demand for iron. In the case of intestinal disorders, there is an impaired ability to efficiently absorb nutrients, including iron from food as well as increased risk from gastrointestinal blood loss. Iron deficiency is always a concern for vegan and vegetarians because of their limited dietary choices and lack of heme-producing protein sources.

The Problem with Iron Supplements
If you are diagnosed with iron deficiency, it is usually recommended to take an iron supplement. Beware of taking the inorganic form of iron know as ferrous sulfate. Ferrous sulfate is also found in many multivitamins, including children's multivitamins. It is a relatively toxic, inorganic metal that is difficult to absorb. In addition, it can lead to significant side effects which may include constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, dizziness and fainting, fast heartbeat, and temporary staining of the teeth.

A New Approach to Safely and Efficiently Increase Iron Levels Naturally

IronCatch, an all-natural supplement from Italy, is an exciting new product that has recently arrived on the scene. Instead of relying on an inorganic iron product to increase iron levels or trying to increase iron levels with other forms of iron supplementation, IronCatch, provides a novel and effective way to significantly increase iron levels naturally, safely and quickly.

IronCatch is the first iron-free solution for iron deficiency. It has been proven to rapidly produce significant results within as little as 30 days.¹ In fact, in as little as just one week, patients have improved their energy and vitality. This is great news especially for athletes taking part in endurance sport as well as vegetarians, who are known to be at risk from low iron levels.

IronCatch is a food supplement with a patented formulation that elevates the iron levels by increasing the absorption of dietary iron by an amazing 3-5 times. Instead of supplementing with an iron pill, IronCatch's unique formula is an iron-free alternative that can profoundly increase iron absorption from everyday food consumption with no adverse reactions.

Unlike inorganic iron supplements, IronCatch has no side effects and is safe for people of all ages. There is no risk of toxic iron overload, which can occur from taking many other kinds of iron supplements. Studies have shown impressive results in people who have iron deficiency and chronic anemia due to Inflammatory Bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.²

IronCatch is the world's first to solve the iron-deficiency problem by enhancing the absorption of iron from our heme and non-heme dietary choices.

This patented formula is made from oligosaccharides of specific hydrolyzed fish cartilage, which enhances rapid iron absorption. The formula also includes additional nutrients to support efficient iron absorption demonstrated by in-vitro studies on Caco-2 cells². They include vitamin C, zinc, copper, vitamin E, and folic acid.

It is recommended to take one tablet on an empty stomach before a main meal. For more rapid results, take two tablets on an empty stomach before a main meal daily for the first month and then one tablet daily for at least another two months before a main meal.

In a world where there are so many health issues that can lead to a serious loss of life-enhancing iron, it is exciting to know that there is an all-natural food supplement that offers a proven solution. The best news of all is that IronCatch restores healthy levels of iron, rapidly, effectively, and safely.

IronCatch truly earns its reputation as the first iron-free solution for iron deficiency!

References

1. Minerva Med. 2006 Oct;97(5):385-90. Rondanelli M, Opizzi A, Andreoni L, Trotti R. Effect of treatment with a food supplement (containing selected sea fish cartilage, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, zinc, copper) in women with iron deficiency: double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
2. World J Gastroenterol 2007 March 14:13(10): 1575-1578 Andrea Belluzzi, Giulia Roda, Francesca Tonon, Antonio Soleti, Alessandra Caponi, Anna Tuci, Aldo Roda, Enrico Roda. (A new iron free treatment with oral fish cartilage polysaccharide for iron deficiency chronic anemia in inflammatory bowel disease: A pilot study

For more information or to purchase IronCatch visit their website

Licorice is an herbal anti-inflammatory agent often used to achieve the same effects as corticosteroid medications. Pets with a variety of allergic problems may benefit from therapy using licorice.

Therapeutic Uses
Licorice is a fast acting anti-inflammatory agent. It is also known for its antimicrobial and immune-stimulating properties. Many herbalists regard it as "nature's cortisone" due to it glycyrrhizin content, and it is often recommended for pets with arthritis, allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory disorders. Licorice root inhibit inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes (similar in activity to corticosteroids).

Because licorice also exhibits mineralocorticoid as well as glucocorticoid activity, it has been suggested for use in Addison's disease.

The use of licorice may allow pet owners to use decreased doses of more potent corticosteroids.

Licorice is beneficial for the treatment of liver diseases due to its ability to prevent free radical damage and inhibit formation of free radicals. Licorice also has a protectant effect and enhances interferon and T-cell production to boost the immune system.

Licorice reduces inflammation in pets with bronchitis and may act as an expectorant. Licorice has also shown antibacterial activity.

In the intestinal tract, licorice helps heal ulcers and may decrease hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is a special extract made by removing the glycyrrhizin molecule, leaving the flavonoid components. In people, DGL is used for treating ulcers of the mouth and small intestine and in inflammatory bowel disease. The anti-ulcer effects in people have been shown to be as effective as antacid medications such as Tagamet. DGL is also recommended as an herbal ulcer-preventive (similar to drugs such as misoprostol) for people taking nonsteroidal medications and corticosteroids. However, it is not clear that DGL provides all the same benefits as whole licorice for other problems.

Scientific Evidence
Several double-blind studies in people show benefit to patients with HIV infection and AIDS; similar results might occur in cats with leukemia or immunodeficiency infections.

Dosages
Tinctures appear to be the preferred form in pets.

Safety Issues
When used in large doses and for extended periods of time, licorice can produce similar cortisone-like effects as steroid medications, including high blood pressure and increased serum potassium. Do not use in pregnant animals.

If used for more than two weeks at a time, side effects can include decreased potassium (supplementing with potassium is recommended), fluid retention, high blood pressure, and increased sodium; increased sodium excretion may be needed. These effects can be especially dangerous if you take digitalis, or if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. Licorice may also increase both the positive and negative effects of treatment with corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Dandelion leaf can be added to the regimen to help increase potassium and decrease sodium. In people, side effects occur commonly at levels above 400 mg per day.

DGL is believed to be safe, although extensive safety studies have not been preformed. Side effects are rare.

Safety for either form of licorice in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established. Similar precautions are probably warranted in pets. If the pet is taking: digitalis, long-term use of licorice can be dangerous; thiazide or loop diuretics, use of licorice might lead to excessive potassium loss; corticosteroid treatment, licorice could increase both its effects and its side effects.

Do not use in animals with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or kidney disease; in pets taking digitalis medications; or in pets with diabetes. Licorice could increase blood-clotting time.

Licorice induces cytochrome P-450 enzymes in the liver; this may alter the metabolism of other drugs, decreasing their serum levels.

If licorice root is used for more than two weeks at a time, the diet should be supplemented with potassium and the sodium should be decreased. Caution should be used in animals with heart disease or hypertension. In large amounts, steroid over dosage (Cushing's disease) could theoretically occur. It should not be used in pregnant animals and care must be exercised in diabetic pets.