[eric]

Look at the dates of these studies. Also some weren't controlled and in others a lot of information is missing. If these patients were diagnosed with IBS is wasn't under the Rome criteria as they did not have that then and used a different criteria. Also on any food studies I would like to see a follow up after a couple years. That would be interesting to me.Also the active top IBS investigators aren't real scientists, last time I check there were three top immunology scientists studying the exact mechanisms were talking about. Not to mention the top scientist on the ENS or gut brain and others in all fields."At least science is far enough along now to know that all (3) are ionvolved!! This is a big step." Your right about this, but it is believed from the most cuurent research from top IBS researchers that the Brain-Immune reaction is one of the most important players in D symptoms via this reaction.As Flux said perhaps for a very few food maybe in part the culprit for this."Thankfully the investigation into the key role of proinflammtory activation in IBS is not being conducted solely by one group and from one perspective." This has never been the case. Studying IBD, IBS and other conditions gives input into the real science behind these conditions and there are many active IBS researchers from all fields and in different parts of the world, working in conjunction on the problem and there is a internationally known and respected immunologist working on IBS among others.We post this and Mike just seems to ignore it. I think in part because it does not help the focus on food but many other mechanisms in immunology and IBS.The scientist also know there is a really high percentage of food phobia in IBS. I don't think I have ever heard Mike say that? Or that IBS is cyclic and can disappear for years and come back regardless of a persons change in diet. Or that there is a very high placebo rate in IBS which also plays into some of this.If in part all this was the case when you isolated and removed the foods, should the person not be "cured". Or is there more to IBS? They can give Rats a kind of IBS and about 30 percent of IBSers have IBS from gastroenterists or some other shock to the digestive system. If you don't eat an offending food at all and were to inflate a ballon rectally and inflate it you would have pain from a different mechanism and certain parts of your brain lite up.You have to read the science abstracts very carefully for wording as well, such as the ones above. they are very careful what they say most times."Later they went on to study cromolyn sodium instead as an imunomdulator and got results in up to 95% of the subjects stduied depending upon dose and selection criterion." This study had flaws in it.You would think these studies presented here would be interrgrated it into the current IBS research and information since there from the 70 and 80's, and I am sure they are in some ways. They also understand way more now about serotonin and its crucial role in IBS and that its being dysregulated. Perhaps one of the most important chemicals in IBS, athough there are other players, serotonin is responcible for Peristaltic Reflex and others mechanisms and symptoms. You don't here him talk about this much if at all and all of this is connected to IBS and the importantance of other cells like the enterochromaffin cells, are crucial in symptoms. Soon as the bowel expands before food hits the gut serotonin is being released dysregulated and causing symptoms.As for the immunology aspect. If you are stressed or have an attack, caused by anything, hot weather, a food, stress etc.. And you have d, the sensations of having to go, are registered and processed in the brain and this starts an alter immunological responce via the brain which releases a chemical that trips the whole HPA access and releases histamine that gives you d.What I am posting here is a couple years old and they have studied this in much more depth now and have a much better understanding of its is a major player in IBS.IBS is a prolonged stressor. http://www.med.ucla.edu/ndp/Newsletters/Wi...teredStress.htm Food is a trigger and we all now that. I personally have nothing against Mike or leap,maybe some of the information he posts sometimes, but if people want to try that route, so be it and hopefully they feel better.

 

[eric]

Look at the dates of these studies. Also some weren't controlled and in others a lot of information is missing. If these patients were diagnosed with IBS is wasn't under the Rome criteria as they did not have that then and used a different criteria. Also on any food studies I would like to see a follow up after a couple years. That would be interesting to me.Also the active top IBS investigators aren't real scientists, last time I check there were three top immunology scientists studying the exact mechanisms were talking about. Not to mention the top scientist on the ENS or gut brain and others in all fields."At least science is far enough along now to know that all (3) are ionvolved!! This is a big step." Your right about this, but it is believed from the most cuurent research from top IBS researchers that the Brain-Immune reaction is one of the most important players in D symptoms via this reaction.As Flux said perhaps for a very few food maybe in part the culprit for this."Thankfully the investigation into the key role of proinflammtory activation in IBS is not being conducted solely by one group and from one perspective." This has never been the case. Studying IBD, IBS and other conditions gives input into the real science behind these conditions and there are many active IBS researchers from all fields and in different parts of the world, working in conjunction on the problem and there is a internationally known and respected immunologist working on IBS among others.We post this and Mike just seems to ignore it. I think in part because it does not help the focus on food but many other mechanisms in immunology and IBS.The scientist also know there is a really high percentage of food phobia in IBS. I don't think I have ever heard Mike say that? Or that IBS is cyclic and can disappear for years and come back regardless of a persons change in diet. Or that there is a very high placebo rate in IBS which also plays into some of this.If in part all this was the case when you isolated and removed the foods, should the person not be "cured". Or is there more to IBS? They can give Rats a kind of IBS and about 30 percent of IBSers have IBS from gastroenterists or some other shock to the digestive system. If you don't eat an offending food at all and were to inflate a ballon rectally and inflate it you would have pain from a different mechanism and certain parts of your brain lite up.You have to read the science abstracts very carefully for wording as well, such as the ones above. they are very careful what they say most times."Later they went on to study cromolyn sodium instead as an imunomdulator and got results in up to 95% of the subjects stduied depending upon dose and selection criterion." This study had flaws in it.You would think these studies presented here would be interrgrated it into the current IBS research and information since there from the 70 and 80's, and I am sure they are in some ways. They also understand way more now about serotonin and its crucial role in IBS and that its being dysregulated. Perhaps one of the most important chemicals in IBS, athough there are other players, serotonin is responcible for Peristaltic Reflex and others mechanisms and symptoms. You don't here him talk about this much if at all and all of this is connected to IBS and the importantance of other cells like the enterochromaffin cells, are crucial in symptoms. Soon as the bowel expands before food hits the gut serotonin is being released dysregulated and causing symptoms.As for the immunology aspect. If you are stressed or have an attack, caused by anything, hot weather, a food, stress etc.. And you have d, the sensations of having to go, are registered and processed in the brain and this starts an alter immunological responce via the brain which releases a chemical that trips the whole HPA access and releases histamine that gives you d.What I am posting here is a couple years old and they have studied this in much more depth now and have a much better understanding of its is a major player in IBS.IBS is a prolonged stressor. http://www.med.ucla.edu/ndp/Newsletters/Wi...teredStress.htm Food is a trigger and we all now that. I personally have nothing against Mike or leap,maybe some of the information he posts sometimes, but if people want to try that route, so be it and hopefully they feel better.

 

[eric]

I want to add something and that is some people really have food allergies and intolerences. Also some studies are still being looked at in regards to food senstitivitiesHere are somethings newer then what Mike has posted. Am J Gastroenterol 1998 Nov;93(11):2184-90 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut Are adverse food reactions linked to irritable bowel syndrome? Niec AM, Frankum B, Talley NJ. Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, NSW, Australia. OBJECTIVE: We undertook to determine whether adverse food reactions play a role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: A systematic review of the literature using Medline (1980-1996), targeting IBS and adverse food reactions, was performed. All clinical trials whereby dietary exclusion was followed by food challenge were selected. Each study was reviewed using a structured format to examine methodological issues and study outcomes. RESULTS: Of the seven studies included, the positive response to an elimination diet ranged from 15% to 71%; double-blind placebo-controlled challenges identified problem foods in 6% to 58% of cases. Milk, wheat, and eggs were most frequently identified to cause symptom exacerbation; of the foods identified the most common trait was a high salicylate content. Foods high in amines were also identified. Studies of diarrhea-predominant IBS identified a higher percentage of adverse food reactions. However, all studies had major limitations in their trial designs, including inadequate patient selection, appropriateness of--and duration of--exclusion diets, and methods of food challenge. CONCLUSION: Whether adverse reactions to foods are a key factor in exacerbating IBS symptoms or whether dietary manipulation is a valid treatment option is unclear. Carefully designed controlled clinical trials are now needed to specifically test the potential role of adverse food reactions in diarrhea-predominant IBS. Publication Types: Meta-Analysis PMID: 9820394 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Notice they say exassberation of symptoms.

 

[eric]

I want to add something and that is some people really have food allergies and intolerences. Also some studies are still being looked at in regards to food senstitivitiesHere are somethings newer then what Mike has posted. Am J Gastroenterol 1998 Nov;93(11):2184-90 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut Are adverse food reactions linked to irritable bowel syndrome? Niec AM, Frankum B, Talley NJ. Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, NSW, Australia. OBJECTIVE: We undertook to determine whether adverse food reactions play a role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: A systematic review of the literature using Medline (1980-1996), targeting IBS and adverse food reactions, was performed. All clinical trials whereby dietary exclusion was followed by food challenge were selected. Each study was reviewed using a structured format to examine methodological issues and study outcomes. RESULTS: Of the seven studies included, the positive response to an elimination diet ranged from 15% to 71%; double-blind placebo-controlled challenges identified problem foods in 6% to 58% of cases. Milk, wheat, and eggs were most frequently identified to cause symptom exacerbation; of the foods identified the most common trait was a high salicylate content. Foods high in amines were also identified. Studies of diarrhea-predominant IBS identified a higher percentage of adverse food reactions. However, all studies had major limitations in their trial designs, including inadequate patient selection, appropriateness of--and duration of--exclusion diets, and methods of food challenge. CONCLUSION: Whether adverse reactions to foods are a key factor in exacerbating IBS symptoms or whether dietary manipulation is a valid treatment option is unclear. Carefully designed controlled clinical trials are now needed to specifically test the potential role of adverse food reactions in diarrhea-predominant IBS. Publication Types: Meta-Analysis PMID: 9820394 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Notice they say exassberation of symptoms.

 

[eric]

Just FYI and I actually have some things to add to this thread that I feel are important, but am at work at the moment and don't have the time and resourses.This is the 2001 Report on the 4th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. http://www.iffgd.org/symposium2001.html In May there will be another one with new information on IBS and functional Gastro disorders as they research and learn more.

 

[eric]

Just FYI and I actually have some things to add to this thread that I feel are important, but am at work at the moment and don't have the time and resourses.This is the 2001 Report on the 4th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. http://www.iffgd.org/symposium2001.html In May there will be another one with new information on IBS and functional Gastro disorders as they research and learn more.

 

[eric]

I know I read it right, but am still trying to grasp Mike's comment in that IBS is not a functional disorder. Say's Mike!!!!!You can still have a functional disorder with a pathophysiology, they just have not nailed it down all the way yet. "During the last decade the concept of unique bi-directional interactions between the gut and the brain as an important factor in coordinated gut function in health has become widely accepted." http://www.iffgd.org/symposium2001.html Okay, first part of the dicussion between Mike and I has to do with the inflammation of certain cells in the gi tract. That was a big part of this dicussion and hence why it is so technical.Neither of us believe one treatment is a cure all or all it takes I believe and both of us believe in an intergrated approach if necessary.However, we differ greatly on IBS mechanisms.The ENS and brain communication in not my theory, its from the top IBS doctors researching IBS from a lot of different fields and professions and it has PASSED THE THEORY STAGE. Now they are trying to figure out why this is all happening.Julia, is absolutely correct here in that there is an underlying disorder and it can be triggered by a bunch of different stimuli stress, diet, the weather, etc.."Technically, the definition of IBS is that it is a dysfunction of the nervous system that controls digestion, and this nerve dysfunction causes the symptoms regardless of what has been eaten.""Symptoms similar to IBS as well as migraines, congestion, joint pain, irritability, aggression, and autism can be caused by food intolerance/allergy. The difference between intolerance and allergy is splitting hairs, and I know you won't be interested in it. The important thing to understand is that when a person with i/a eats the offending food it triggers the immune system, and that's what causes the symptoms, which can be diagnosed as IBS."I am not so sure about allergy and intolernce as splitting hairs as they are different mechanisms. These would be seperate conditons of food allergy and intolerence, just like lactose intolerence is not considered IBS. However, you can have IBS and either of the other two."Since most doctors, researchers and patients have never heard of food intolerance/allergy, people with this condition are frequently diagnosed as having the nerve-dysfunction IBS that is Eric's specialty. The anti-spasmodics, etc. that are prescribed help the symptoms but do nothing for a cure. The only way for a person with food i/a to relieve symptoms is by avoiding the offending foods, or in some cases it's additives and chemicals." I am not sure you can accurately say most doctors don't know about food allergies or intolerences, because I would think they have some basic's down, however, they may not be experts. Misdiagnoses in IBS is low in the 5 % range, although it happens. There are however some top researchers on IBS studying this who are experts in immunology and other fields like neuroscience and combine what they learn with other experts studying IBS to intergrate all this knowledge. They have been doing this for quite sometime now. They also combine what they learn from other conditions like IBD and othe organic diseases and fucntional disorders and how that science might apply to IBS, so its not just IBS.But yes you would have to avoid the offending food. However, Julie, you seem to state here you have more then just a food problem. So perhaps you have mild underlying IBS and soy is your main trigger. Just a thought. If it was a food and you eliminated it all the symptoms would go away?Also, some of the symptoms in IBS differentiate from food allergy or intolerence.This statement is accurate!!!"It is true that most people who are diagnosed with IBS are female and often it is related to miscommunication between the mind and the gut."Here are the pictures once again and this is only in IBS patients.www.webpotential.com/uploadpicNow this they know."For example, the gut is loaded with neurotransmitter serotonin. When pressure receptors in the gut's lining are stimulated, serotonin is released and starts the reflexive motion of peristalsis. Dr. Gershon said. This is one of the first mechanisms out of whack in IBS between the gut brain and the brain and back. Serotonin is dysregulating. The chemical and electrical signals from the gut to the brain and back are dysregulating and this is a big part of IBS and as Tom said they have someway to go in understanding a hugely complex system of nerves and neurotransmitter. However, serotonin is a very important one in IBS.Then there is an alter fight or flight responce and anticipatory anxiety from the memory of a previous attack that triggers the immune system and that releases serotonin and other neurotransmitters and histimine that upset the gi tract. Then there is,"Inflammation Moderator: Robin Spiller MD; Panel: Jackie Wood PhD, Mary Perdue MD, Robin Spiller MD The last few years have led to a greater understanding of the role of inflammation in influencing intestinal hypersensitivity in the functional GI disorders. For example, a well-defined subgroup (up to 25% of IBS patients) appear to develop their IBS after an infectious illness. Jackie Wood from Ohio State University, discussed how inflammation alters the neurophysiology of the enteric nervous system (ENS) by activating nerves within the ENS. There are a variety of ENS neurons that can direct responses within the body leading to altered motility, sensation and secretion, and ultimately, symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, and pain. Mary Perdue from McMaster University, Ontario discussed the importance of the epithelial intestinal barrier to maintain immune tolerance to potentially harmful matter, such as bacteria, ingested when we eat or drink. (Everything that enters the human body must pass through an epithelial layer. Various types of epithelial tissues line not only the body cavities, blood vessels, and most organs, but also our outer surface-our skin. Within the intestines, epithelial tissue forms an intestinal barrier involved with absorption, secretion, sensation, contractility, and protection.) Studies in animal models show that psychological stress can disrupt this barrier, leading to the penetration of bacteria into the gut, inflammation, an immune system response (inflammatory cytokines), and ultimately sensitization of neural signals from the gut to the brain that can heighten the perception of pain. Robin Spiller from the University of Notingham, UK brought this basic information to the human model of post-infectious IBS. The predictors of post-infectious IBS include increased life events and psychological distress, female sex, and longer duration of diarrhea episode. In response to bacterial infection, there is an increase in certain gut (enterochromaffin) secretory cells (5HT producing) and inflammatory cells (cytokine producing) leading to prolongation of pain and diarrheal symptoms, and this may be aggravated by the presence of psychological stressors. These findings suggest ways in which infection-induced inflammation might interact with chronic stress to produce long lasting bowel dysfunction. They also suggest possible treatments that need study. "Then there are food issues and chemical reasons for these other then immune issues to add to all this.The nerves in the gut wall are hypersensitve to stimuli. So many things can effect IBS.Julie, you like the book Mike recommends which I am sure is good.I highy recommend you read this one for more of the whole picture. http://www.esthersternberg.com/ and her lecture on line(which is technical) and these other two if you want to learn more. Esther Sternberg, MD - National Institute of Health Title: Neuro Pathways in Inflammatory Disease: Brain-immune Connection and these Nigel Bunnett, PhD - University of California School of Medicine Title: Inflammation: Role of Sensory Nerves and Mast Cell Mediators Jack Wood, PhD - The Ohio State University College of Medicine Title: Neurophysiology of Brain-Gut Interactions During Stress http://www.conference-cast.com/ibs/Lecture...dRegLecture.cfm

 

[eric]

I know I read it right, but am still trying to grasp Mike's comment in that IBS is not a functional disorder. Say's Mike!!!!!You can still have a functional disorder with a pathophysiology, they just have not nailed it down all the way yet. "During the last decade the concept of unique bi-directional interactions between the gut and the brain as an important factor in coordinated gut function in health has become widely accepted." http://www.iffgd.org/symposium2001.html Okay, first part of the dicussion between Mike and I has to do with the inflammation of certain cells in the gi tract. That was a big part of this dicussion and hence why it is so technical.Neither of us believe one treatment is a cure all or all it takes I believe and both of us believe in an intergrated approach if necessary.However, we differ greatly on IBS mechanisms.The ENS and brain communication in not my theory, its from the top IBS doctors researching IBS from a lot of different fields and professions and it has PASSED THE THEORY STAGE. Now they are trying to figure out why this is all happening.Julia, is absolutely correct here in that there is an underlying disorder and it can be triggered by a bunch of different stimuli stress, diet, the weather, etc.."Technically, the definition of IBS is that it is a dysfunction of the nervous system that controls digestion, and this nerve dysfunction causes the symptoms regardless of what has been eaten.""Symptoms similar to IBS as well as migraines, congestion, joint pain, irritability, aggression, and autism can be caused by food intolerance/allergy. The difference between intolerance and allergy is splitting hairs, and I know you won't be interested in it. The important thing to understand is that when a person with i/a eats the offending food it triggers the immune system, and that's what causes the symptoms, which can be diagnosed as IBS."I am not so sure about allergy and intolernce as splitting hairs as they are different mechanisms. These would be seperate conditons of food allergy and intolerence, just like lactose intolerence is not considered IBS. However, you can have IBS and either of the other two."Since most doctors, researchers and patients have never heard of food intolerance/allergy, people with this condition are frequently diagnosed as having the nerve-dysfunction IBS that is Eric's specialty. The anti-spasmodics, etc. that are prescribed help the symptoms but do nothing for a cure. The only way for a person with food i/a to relieve symptoms is by avoiding the offending foods, or in some cases it's additives and chemicals." I am not sure you can accurately say most doctors don't know about food allergies or intolerences, because I would think they have some basic's down, however, they may not be experts. Misdiagnoses in IBS is low in the 5 % range, although it happens. There are however some top researchers on IBS studying this who are experts in immunology and other fields like neuroscience and combine what they learn with other experts studying IBS to intergrate all this knowledge. They have been doing this for quite sometime now. They also combine what they learn from other conditions like IBD and othe organic diseases and fucntional disorders and how that science might apply to IBS, so its not just IBS.But yes you would have to avoid the offending food. However, Julie, you seem to state here you have more then just a food problem. So perhaps you have mild underlying IBS and soy is your main trigger. Just a thought. If it was a food and you eliminated it all the symptoms would go away?Also, some of the symptoms in IBS differentiate from food allergy or intolerence.This statement is accurate!!!"It is true that most people who are diagnosed with IBS are female and often it is related to miscommunication between the mind and the gut."Here are the pictures once again and this is only in IBS patients.www.webpotential.com/uploadpicNow this they know."For example, the gut is loaded with neurotransmitter serotonin. When pressure receptors in the gut's lining are stimulated, serotonin is released and starts the reflexive motion of peristalsis. Dr. Gershon said. This is one of the first mechanisms out of whack in IBS between the gut brain and the brain and back. Serotonin is dysregulating. The chemical and electrical signals from the gut to the brain and back are dysregulating and this is a big part of IBS and as Tom said they have someway to go in understanding a hugely complex system of nerves and neurotransmitter. However, serotonin is a very important one in IBS.Then there is an alter fight or flight responce and anticipatory anxiety from the memory of a previous attack that triggers the immune system and that releases serotonin and other neurotransmitters and histimine that upset the gi tract. Then there is,"Inflammation Moderator: Robin Spiller MD; Panel: Jackie Wood PhD, Mary Perdue MD, Robin Spiller MD The last few years have led to a greater understanding of the role of inflammation in influencing intestinal hypersensitivity in the functional GI disorders. For example, a well-defined subgroup (up to 25% of IBS patients) appear to develop their IBS after an infectious illness. Jackie Wood from Ohio State University, discussed how inflammation alters the neurophysiology of the enteric nervous system (ENS) by activating nerves within the ENS. There are a variety of ENS neurons that can direct responses within the body leading to altered motility, sensation and secretion, and ultimately, symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, and pain. Mary Perdue from McMaster University, Ontario discussed the importance of the epithelial intestinal barrier to maintain immune tolerance to potentially harmful matter, such as bacteria, ingested when we eat or drink. (Everything that enters the human body must pass through an epithelial layer. Various types of epithelial tissues line not only the body cavities, blood vessels, and most organs, but also our outer surface-our skin. Within the intestines, epithelial tissue forms an intestinal barrier involved with absorption, secretion, sensation, contractility, and protection.) Studies in animal models show that psychological stress can disrupt this barrier, leading to the penetration of bacteria into the gut, inflammation, an immune system response (inflammatory cytokines), and ultimately sensitization of neural signals from the gut to the brain that can heighten the perception of pain. Robin Spiller from the University of Notingham, UK brought this basic information to the human model of post-infectious IBS. The predictors of post-infectious IBS include increased life events and psychological distress, female sex, and longer duration of diarrhea episode. In response to bacterial infection, there is an increase in certain gut (enterochromaffin) secretory cells (5HT producing) and inflammatory cells (cytokine producing) leading to prolongation of pain and diarrheal symptoms, and this may be aggravated by the presence of psychological stressors. These findings suggest ways in which infection-induced inflammation might interact with chronic stress to produce long lasting bowel dysfunction. They also suggest possible treatments that need study. "Then there are food issues and chemical reasons for these other then immune issues to add to all this.The nerves in the gut wall are hypersensitve to stimuli. So many things can effect IBS.Julie, you like the book Mike recommends which I am sure is good.I highy recommend you read this one for more of the whole picture. http://www.esthersternberg.com/ and her lecture on line(which is technical) and these other two if you want to learn more. Esther Sternberg, MD - National Institute of Health Title: Neuro Pathways in Inflammatory Disease: Brain-immune Connection and these Nigel Bunnett, PhD - University of California School of Medicine Title: Inflammation: Role of Sensory Nerves and Mast Cell Mediators Jack Wood, PhD - The Ohio State University College of Medicine Title: Neurophysiology of Brain-Gut Interactions During Stress http://www.conference-cast.com/ibs/Lecture...dRegLecture.cfm

 

[eric]

By the way the first thing I recommend is a good doctor patient relationship and taking these into the office with you.Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Glance - Nosology, Epidemiology, and Pathophysiology (Monograph I) http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_nosology.htm Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Glance - Diagnosis and Treatment (Monograph II) http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_diagnosis.html Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Concise Guide for Medical Professionals http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_guide.html

 

[eric]

By the way the first thing I recommend is a good doctor patient relationship and taking these into the office with you.Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Glance - Nosology, Epidemiology, and Pathophysiology (Monograph I) http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_nosology.htm Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Glance - Diagnosis and Treatment (Monograph II) http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_diagnosis.html Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Concise Guide for Medical Professionals http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_guide.html

 

[eric]

Julia it is a book on immunology, specifically how the brain and the immune system work together.Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., is Director of Integrative Neural Immune Program and Chief of the Section on Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institutes of Health. She was trained in rheumatology at McGill University and practiced medicine in Montreal before returning to a research career and teaching at Washington University in St. Louis. The winner of the Public Health Service Superior Service Award and President of the International Society for Neuroimmunomodulation, Dr. Sternberg has written over one hundred scientific papers, reviews, and book chapters on the subject of brain-immune connections, including articles in Scientific American and Nature Medicine. She has also co-directed an exhibition on Emotions and Disease at the National Library of Medicine and lectures nationally and internationally on emotions, health, and disease. THE BALANCE WITHIN The Science Connecting Health & Emotions Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. ��a tour de force, a romp through centuries of scientific discovery written by an expert in the field who brings us to that point where mind speaks to body.� -- Abraham Verghese, author of The Tennis Partner For years, believers in common wisdom and New Age gurus have claimed that a healthy spirit will result in a healthy body. But without scientific proof, doctors have not been able to explain or support that belief. As recently as ten years ago, the immune system was believed to be autonomous, with no connection to the brain. Esther Sternberg, M.D., and other researchers are now making advances that show the actual pathways connecting the areas of our brain that control immunity with those that generate feelings and thoughts. In THE BALANCE WITHIN: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions (W.H. Freeman and Company/May 8, 2000/$24.95 Hardcover) Dr. Sternberg explains the mechanisms and their significance: how nerves, molecules, and hormones connect the brain and immune system, how the immune system signals the brain and affects our emotions, and documents how our brain can signal the immune system, making us more vulnerable to illnesses. They have not only discovered the links, but have demonstrated how they work and what the implications can be for treatable and chronic diseases. What you've known intuitively (that being exhausted or stressed can make you more vulnerable to illness) is now understood scientifically. Sternberg sets the stage for the recent findings by highlighting earlier medical research. Hippocrates and his contemporaries believed there was a connection between our physical and emotional health. By the 15th and 16th centuries, however, medicine became increasingly specialized as researchers began to map the body and focus on specific parts and their functions. Since then, we have learned an enormous amount about illnesses and infections and their impact on specific organs. Only recently have researchers such as Sternberg begun to incorporate this knowledge into a broader understanding of our body. Researchers and laymen alike have praised Sternberg for her clear, lyrical writing. Her descriptions of feeling sick are evocative of woozy days you thought would never end. She is forthright about the conflicts among scientists and argues that it was important that medicine specialized when it did, and that it is just as important that researchers pool their knowledge now. Ultimately, she answers our pressing, relevant questions: Will stress make us sick? Will believing make us well? Why do we feel sick when we get sick? How does our health affect our moods? Until now there has been a lot of speculation about these questions, especially from the New Age shamans, but no serious, informed answers. THE BALANCE WITHIN provides these answers and explains clearly and engagingly how it happens. More Praise for The Balance Within "This refreshing personal saga of research on brain-body interactions knits together historic vignettes with recent experimental approaches. The book is a welcome addition at a time when considerable puzzlement and confusion exits regarding alternative or complementary medicine. We learn to respect the powerful influences exerted by the brain on body function." -- Joseph Martin, M.D., Dean of Harvard University Medical School "Few science books are a beautiful read but The Balance Within achieves exactly that. Esther Sternberg not only illuminates the connections between emotion and health with fascinating precision, but she manages to evoke the emotions themselves, from sunlight happiness to sheltering serenity." -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sex on the Brain, Professor of Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Dr. Sternberg's book is a dazzling tour of a most promising area of neuroscience--the interface between the immune system and the nervous system. This area of research, in which Esther Sternberg has been one of the world's leading scientists for at least a decade, is leading to new understandings and treatments of the stress-related diseases of modern life, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia." -- Elliot S. Gershon, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago "The Balance Within delivers the latest scientific advances in prose that is clear and arrestingly beautiful. Sternberg has a gift for the illustrating detail, the clarifying allusion, the telling metaphor. With The Balance Within, Esther Sternberg joins Stephen J. Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Edward Wilson in the current pantheon of great biology writers." -- Francisco J. Ayala, Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California �The Balance Within is a tour de force of the past, present, and future of our knowledge of mind/body interactions arid stress. Dr. Sternberg, a leading expert on the interaction of the endocrine and immune systems writes beguilingly. A knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide, she makes complex issues clear. Dr. Sternberg takes us from the origins of medicine in Greece, to early medical schools in Padua, to modern research in Montreal and the U.S. She lucidly describes how we came to appreciate the physiology of stress, how the mind influences the body, and how the body affects the mind. More than food for thought, this book is nourishment for those curious about mind and body.� -- David Spiegel, M.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine "The author has undertaken the daunting task of bridging a chasm between what we know as the scientific basis behind disease and what we don't know about how our brains can influence this science to make our physical and mental health either better or worse. She takes us on a fascinating trip, describing difficult scientific concepts in easily understood terms and liberally uses colorful analogies to bring the science into a reality we can all appreciate. However, the journey is not yet at an end, in that knowledge is continuously being added, filling in gaps presently occupied by guesses. One can only hope that Dr. Sternberg will continue to write, acting as our tour guide to interpret the science and connect it with our daily lives in such a way that we can learn to seek and find help within our being!' -- Frances K. Conley, author of Waiting Out on the Boys "Many of the most pressing contemporary health problems are related to the everyday stressors of contemporary society. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Esther Sternberg charts the mechanisms by which stress affects health and well-being as well as the means for minimizing its deleterious effects." -- John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D., Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor, The University of Chicago http://www.esthersternberg.com/balanceWithin.htm Stress is no trend it is a very important part of the human organsim and has many effects on the body. It is a hug player in IBS, but stress isn't really a good word for this as IBS goes right down to emotions themselves.Chronic Diarrhea http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/chronicdiarrhea.html

 

[eric]

Julia it is a book on immunology, specifically how the brain and the immune system work together.Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., is Director of Integrative Neural Immune Program and Chief of the Section on Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institutes of Health. She was trained in rheumatology at McGill University and practiced medicine in Montreal before returning to a research career and teaching at Washington University in St. Louis. The winner of the Public Health Service Superior Service Award and President of the International Society for Neuroimmunomodulation, Dr. Sternberg has written over one hundred scientific papers, reviews, and book chapters on the subject of brain-immune connections, including articles in Scientific American and Nature Medicine. She has also co-directed an exhibition on Emotions and Disease at the National Library of Medicine and lectures nationally and internationally on emotions, health, and disease. THE BALANCE WITHIN The Science Connecting Health & Emotions Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. ��a tour de force, a romp through centuries of scientific discovery written by an expert in the field who brings us to that point where mind speaks to body.� -- Abraham Verghese, author of The Tennis Partner For years, believers in common wisdom and New Age gurus have claimed that a healthy spirit will result in a healthy body. But without scientific proof, doctors have not been able to explain or support that belief. As recently as ten years ago, the immune system was believed to be autonomous, with no connection to the brain. Esther Sternberg, M.D., and other researchers are now making advances that show the actual pathways connecting the areas of our brain that control immunity with those that generate feelings and thoughts. In THE BALANCE WITHIN: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions (W.H. Freeman and Company/May 8, 2000/$24.95 Hardcover) Dr. Sternberg explains the mechanisms and their significance: how nerves, molecules, and hormones connect the brain and immune system, how the immune system signals the brain and affects our emotions, and documents how our brain can signal the immune system, making us more vulnerable to illnesses. They have not only discovered the links, but have demonstrated how they work and what the implications can be for treatable and chronic diseases. What you've known intuitively (that being exhausted or stressed can make you more vulnerable to illness) is now understood scientifically. Sternberg sets the stage for the recent findings by highlighting earlier medical research. Hippocrates and his contemporaries believed there was a connection between our physical and emotional health. By the 15th and 16th centuries, however, medicine became increasingly specialized as researchers began to map the body and focus on specific parts and their functions. Since then, we have learned an enormous amount about illnesses and infections and their impact on specific organs. Only recently have researchers such as Sternberg begun to incorporate this knowledge into a broader understanding of our body. Researchers and laymen alike have praised Sternberg for her clear, lyrical writing. Her descriptions of feeling sick are evocative of woozy days you thought would never end. She is forthright about the conflicts among scientists and argues that it was important that medicine specialized when it did, and that it is just as important that researchers pool their knowledge now. Ultimately, she answers our pressing, relevant questions: Will stress make us sick? Will believing make us well? Why do we feel sick when we get sick? How does our health affect our moods? Until now there has been a lot of speculation about these questions, especially from the New Age shamans, but no serious, informed answers. THE BALANCE WITHIN provides these answers and explains clearly and engagingly how it happens. More Praise for The Balance Within "This refreshing personal saga of research on brain-body interactions knits together historic vignettes with recent experimental approaches. The book is a welcome addition at a time when considerable puzzlement and confusion exits regarding alternative or complementary medicine. We learn to respect the powerful influences exerted by the brain on body function." -- Joseph Martin, M.D., Dean of Harvard University Medical School "Few science books are a beautiful read but The Balance Within achieves exactly that. Esther Sternberg not only illuminates the connections between emotion and health with fascinating precision, but she manages to evoke the emotions themselves, from sunlight happiness to sheltering serenity." -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sex on the Brain, Professor of Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Dr. Sternberg's book is a dazzling tour of a most promising area of neuroscience--the interface between the immune system and the nervous system. This area of research, in which Esther Sternberg has been one of the world's leading scientists for at least a decade, is leading to new understandings and treatments of the stress-related diseases of modern life, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia." -- Elliot S. Gershon, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago "The Balance Within delivers the latest scientific advances in prose that is clear and arrestingly beautiful. Sternberg has a gift for the illustrating detail, the clarifying allusion, the telling metaphor. With The Balance Within, Esther Sternberg joins Stephen J. Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Edward Wilson in the current pantheon of great biology writers." -- Francisco J. Ayala, Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California �The Balance Within is a tour de force of the past, present, and future of our knowledge of mind/body interactions arid stress. Dr. Sternberg, a leading expert on the interaction of the endocrine and immune systems writes beguilingly. A knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide, she makes complex issues clear. Dr. Sternberg takes us from the origins of medicine in Greece, to early medical schools in Padua, to modern research in Montreal and the U.S. She lucidly describes how we came to appreciate the physiology of stress, how the mind influences the body, and how the body affects the mind. More than food for thought, this book is nourishment for those curious about mind and body.� -- David Spiegel, M.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine "The author has undertaken the daunting task of bridging a chasm between what we know as the scientific basis behind disease and what we don't know about how our brains can influence this science to make our physical and mental health either better or worse. She takes us on a fascinating trip, describing difficult scientific concepts in easily understood terms and liberally uses colorful analogies to bring the science into a reality we can all appreciate. However, the journey is not yet at an end, in that knowledge is continuously being added, filling in gaps presently occupied by guesses. One can only hope that Dr. Sternberg will continue to write, acting as our tour guide to interpret the science and connect it with our daily lives in such a way that we can learn to seek and find help within our being!' -- Frances K. Conley, author of Waiting Out on the Boys "Many of the most pressing contemporary health problems are related to the everyday stressors of contemporary society. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Esther Sternberg charts the mechanisms by which stress affects health and well-being as well as the means for minimizing its deleterious effects." -- John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D., Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor, The University of Chicago http://www.esthersternberg.com/balanceWithin.htm Stress is no trend it is a very important part of the human organsim and has many effects on the body. It is a hug player in IBS, but stress isn't really a good word for this as IBS goes right down to emotions themselves.Chronic Diarrhea http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/chronicdiarrhea.html

 

[eric]

Tom, the answer is "broader understanding of our bodies."

Which is a point partly of this thread, to learn all the mecanisms and very important ones such as how serotonin effects digestion and our bodies.I know serotonin is not the only issue in IBS, but it is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ONE with a lot of implications to the condition.

 

[eric]

Tom, the answer is "broader understanding of our bodies."

Which is a point partly of this thread, to learn all the mecanisms and very important ones such as how serotonin effects digestion and our bodies.I know serotonin is not the only issue in IBS, but it is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ONE with a lot of implications to the condition.