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Volume 1, Issue 1 - September 25, 2001
C. Diff. Support Group Ezine
Copyright 2001 Clostridium Difficile Support Group/SJP Ent.
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Welcome to the very first issue of:

The Clostridium Difficile Support Group Ezine - an online magazine.

We are happy to announce our new Ezine and hope that you will gain valuable
insight into treatments, supplements and information surrounding clostridium
difficile colitis. Right now we are soliciting various authors to submit
articles to us. You will see a variety of them in the near future. We do
have a source of current articles relating to c. diff and will be offering
these in the interim.
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Featured article>>
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ANTIBODIES AND INTESTINAL HEALTH
The Digestive Tract

Alan Schwartz, M. D.
Riverside Community College, Riverside CA
Past, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
University of Kansas, Wichita, KS

The digestive tract has two major roles, and they're somewhat contradictory.
The "gut" must break down food substances and absorb them while at the same
time preventing the absorption of harmful substances or organisms
(''germs"). The digestive tract has an enormous surface area, equal to two
tennis courts, and living within its walls are more microorganisms than
there are cells in the human body. (There are over 1014 cells that comprise
the average human being, 90% of these are non-human, foreign microbes and
most of these reside in the intestinal tract). [Savage, D. Microbial Ecology
of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Ann Rev Microbial 1997; 31: 107-133].

These billions of intestinal flora, representing over 400 different species,
form a complex ecosystem that may be beneficial or harmful (or both), and
these organisms possess more metabolic activity than do we, their host! In
many ways the gut flora may be viewed as an organ of the body in its own
right. If the balance or proportion of these gut organisms is unfavorable
then, not surprisingly, disease or ill health may occur.

Most of the intestinal bacteria that live in our gut are beneficial. Some
may metabolize nutrients and make them more accessible or digestible, and
others are able to manufacture certain vitamins (like vitamin K). Some are
able to break down certain harmful chemicals and carcinogens; many can
synthesize certain short chain fatty acids which are essential for
intestinal health and which may inhibit colon cancers and most also inhibit
the growth of harmful organisms.

Not all organisms that find entry into our intestines are friendly. Those
that can infect the intestinal tract include certain bacteria, like
Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and certain strains of
E. Coli, as well as yeasts (like Monilia), parasites, and viruses. When
these disease-causing organisms predominate, then a variety of signs and
symptoms of disease may occur. These include poor digestion, diarrhea,
constipation, gassiness, bloating, fatigue and damage to the intestinal
wall, which, in turn, may allow microorganisms and potentially dangerous
substances to enter the blood stream. This latter condition is called "leaky
gut" and may underlie a good many other seemingly unrelated illness like
allergy, arthritis, lupus and autism.

The body tries (not always successfully) to control and manage the kinds of
bacteria, yeast, protozoa and other organisms that reside within the body.
This is done with several clever approaches, including the production of
germ killing acid in the stomach and the secretion of large amounts (almost
100 grams/day!) of protective, antibodies into the intestinal tract. To put
this amount into perspective, be aware that the average adult consumes about
75 grams of protein per day. Needless to say, these proteins and antibodies
are recycled.

The gut organisms can become such a potentially great threat to our well
being that, in recognition of this, most of our immune cells and glands are
located in and around the intestinal tract. These numerous lymph-node glands
and immune cells are there to prevent the invasion of intestinal bacteria
(and other organisms) into the body itself. However, there are times when
even the massive intestinal immune system is overwhelmed by the presence of
harmful intestinal germs. When this happens, disease or ill health results.
The key appears to be maintain and support intestinal health!

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Advertiser's & sponsor's section:
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Biochoice Immune Support
- Naturally produced antibodies and immune co-factors for healthy &
efficient immune system.
http://www.cdiffsupport.com/biochoice.htm

Clostridium Difficile Support Group Site
- Support for sufferers of clostridium difficile colitis
http://www.cdiffsupport.com

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Health Article>>
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Make Your Immune System Invincible
USA WEEKEND's health expert gives the 8 steps to peak health this winter --
and the rest of your life.

By Tedd Mitchell, M.D.

IF YOU'RE LIKE most people, you probably don't even think about your immune
system -- until you get sick. The human immune system is an elegant,
effective tool for protecting us from environmental marauders. When it's
functioning normally, it helps defend your body from things you're never
even aware of. When functioning abnormally, it can lead to annoying or even
deadly illnesses.

To truly stay well, it's important to understand how disease attacks your
body, and how your immune system defends itself. It's a finely calibrated
system. An overactive immune system can lead to allergies, because the
body's defenses overreact to environmental substances that are not actually
dangerous. Or it can cause arthritis, because it misidentifies the body's
own tissues, such as joints, as foreign and attacks them. (Medicines to
treat allergies and rheumatological conditions such as arthritis often are
designed to suppress the immune system.) An underactive immune system, which
can be caused by everything from excessive exercise to chemotherapy to
aging, makes you vulnerable to getting sick -- often.

Although some things that affect the immune system are out of your control,
you can focus on three basic areas to keep illness at bay. Stress, diet and
activity are the three pillars of the immune system.

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©USA Weekend Jan. 7-9, 2000

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Featured Sponsor:
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Synsorb Biotech
-clinical trials on treatments for clostridium difficile
www.cdiffsupport.com/synsorbtrials.html

End of Ezine Vol. 1, Issue 1.

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** Articles submitted in this ezine are from outside sources and do not
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this material can be construed as medical advice nor do we recommend any
particular treatment. Please consult your doctor for treatment exclusively.
We are not responsible and cannot be held liable for content that is
submitted to us by outside sources and do not endorse any particular
treatments or products.
** Copyright 2001, Clostridium Difficile Support Group Site/ SJP Ent.