I am concerned about doing the elemental diet because of all the sugar, I get a real buzz off it and I am fighting candidia and the major bad bacteria guys, won't I be feeding them? Why is it so sweet?
I am having bleeding so I feel backed in a corner to do the diet, but really don't like the sugar/ fructose thing.
Is PB8 in an acceptable sub. for the powdered probiotics?
I am weighing in at the weight I was when I was 12 .... getting scary.
barb

Hi, Barb.

Here are a couple of resources I think might answer your questions. If they don't, please write again and I will try to address them further.

One is on the IBD Remission Diet forum. It is a discussion post titled "Elemental diet & thrush" and is dated December 5, 2006. The posts are listed in reverse chronological order, so if you look by date, you'll find it quickly.

Also, at the top of the page, towards the right, you'll find the Book Updates tab. Jini talks about Pre-Existing Yeast Infections on that page.

To be honest, I'm not familiar with PB8. Is that the manufacturer or the product name?

Nicole

Barb,

Here's the response to your question from the AborbPlus website:

We empathise with your problems, however, there are a few difficulties in formulating the type of product you are requesting:

1. ALL carbohydrates are sugars. Even the most complex carbohydrate, vegetable matter, plant matter, etc. when broken down (during the digestive process) is turned into a sugar. Therefore, it is not possible to remove the sugars from a nutrient shake, unless you remove the carbohydrate component - and then you might as well save yourself some money and just consume straight whey protein. You may wish to do this and it is possible to buy unflavored, unsweetened whey protein.

2. Also, just so you know, maltodextrin (a carbohydrate) is a specific molecular compound known as a glucose polymer - yes, in essence, a sugar, albeit one with a slower uptake into the bloodstream than glucose or fructose.

3. Your suggestion for an unsweetened Absorb Plus is a good one and we are looking at sweetening with Stevia (a herb that actually helps with blood sugar regulation). We have been unable to do so thus far due to FDA ruling, however, you never know what can happen.... Keep in mind though, that the product would still contain maltodextrin as in order to be a full nutrient shake, it must have a carbohydrate (sugar) component.

4. Have you looked into Wild Oregano Oil for controlling/ eliminating your Candida problem? It is extremely effective and also an anti-inflammatory, so good for people with IBD. You can find out all about it (and what specifically to look for when buying Wild Oregano Oil) by going to: www.joyofthemountains.com

I can tell you that I also had trouble with the sweetness of the AbsorbPlus shakes, and I decided to mix my own shakes instead. Jini provides instructions for how to do this in her book, the IBD Remission Diet, which I highly recommend.

If you want to go even further in reducing the sweetness of the shakes, you can use rice oligodextrin (derived from whole grain white rice) instead of maltodextrin (which is normally made from genetically modified corn starch). Rice oligodextrin is digested in a similar manner to maltodextrin, but has a slightly more balanced effect on blood sugar.

Rice oligodextrin can be obtained at http://www.proteinfactory.com in their "Individual Powders>Carbohydrate" section.

A few other recommendations:

1) Use coconut oil in some of your shakes (4-6 tablespoons a day total). Coconut oil is 50% lauric acid, which has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also much easier to digest and absorb than other fat sources.

2) Make sure to take oregano oil and/or olive leaf extract during the elemental diet to regulate your gut flora/yeast problem.

3) Read my post on prebiotics in this forum. They have been shown to increase healthy bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) while crowding out pathogenic bacteria and candida. You may want to add a prebiotic to your shakes.

4) I would stick with Natren probiotics. They have far more research behind them than any other brand, with the possible exception of VSL#3 (mostly shown to be effective for UC, not Crohn's). If you can't tolerate BifidoFactor, Acidophilus & Bulgaricus, start with LifeStart 2, which is B. infantis cultured in goat milk (especially if you were not breast fed as a child, since this is a major bacterial component of breast milk).

If you need help making a custom formula, let me know.

Best,
Chris

I forgot to mention - rice oligodextrin has a very bland, chalky taste. It's pretty intense on its own, especially if you aren't adding any fructose or sweetener to it. You could try sweetening with stevia, or you could do an 80/20 rice oligodextrin/maltodextrin blend.

A good source for maltodextrin is: http://www.bioformx.com/shp/recovery/gl ... pid=120500

Chris

Hi, Chris.

Thanks for sharing your experience and advice regarding custom shakes here! I remember you saying that you felt like your gut loved the bowel rest aspect but not the sweetness of the AbsorbPlus.

Nicole

Thank you for the info, on the chemistry of the shake and the why. After I posted I found the elemental diet and thrush. It was very informative. I ordered the Natren products and will try them. I have the runs so I guess the powder is what I need. I have Capra Goat Whey that my ND sent me and maybe I could do a combination of both, alternating through the day.Also right now, I have bruising and inflamation on various parts of my body.... I haven't heard anyone talk of such a thing with UC, it hurts to sit! Any clue. My doctor is talking the Pred. route or Asacol, and I refuse to assault my body with these things. I wish I could find a PC doctor who what ride this out with me. In the meantime I find your site so encouraging and helpful. THANK YOU.
Barb

Barb,

Just a note of caution on the Capra Goat Whey: I believe it has soil organisms (a type of probiotic) in it. You might want to read this article written by Jini about the potential dangers of soil organisms.

DO NOT USE BACTERIAL SOIL ORGANISMS

On page 108 of THE IBD REMISSION DIET, I suggest that readers may want to try a product called Primal Defense after they've been completely healed for 3-6 months. I learned of this product from numerous readers who wrote in to let me know how well it's worked for them. Since I couldn't try the product myself (I've been pregnant or breastfeeding for 4 years and counting), I questioned numerous respected naturopaths, microbiology professors and gastroenterologists for their opinion on the product and all said it looked fine.

However, since meeting the founder and president of Natren Inc. (top quality probiotic manufacturer), Natasha Trenev, I must change my opinion of bacterial soil organisms. Natasha is a world-renowned expert on microorganisms and maintains one of the largest research libraries on that topic in the world. She has sent me an entire CD-ROM of articles, research, clinical data and other scientific studies (most done outside of North America) outlining why it is not considered safe to consume bacterial soil organisms (like those contained in Primal Defense and numerous other products).

To summarize the research briefly, soil organisms (SO) are spore-formers, so they make good competitors for yeast, fungus and other pathogens. This is why many people taking soil organisms will initially experience very favorable results. However, these spores are extremely difficult to kill, surviving commercial sterilants, disinfectants, acceleration forces, heat, pressure, radiation and many antibiotics. Strong antibiotics - like Vancomycin - can suppress certain spores. Spores are so persistent in the intestines that another round of germination may occur after the drug is stopped. Soil organisms can also adapt loose genetic material and incorporate it into their cellular structure – the ramifications of which are as yet unknown. Various soil organisms can produce harmful peptides, affecting hemoglobin in the blood. It's important to keep in mind that virtually all antibiotic drugs were initially developed from soil organisms and as antibiotics become more potent, they cause more damage to the host, not just in the immediate gut environment, but systemically as well.

In the EU (European Union) the use of soil organisms in animal feed is being stringently controlled and questioned at this time. There are simply too many questions and unknowns to sanction the use of soil organisms for human consumption and one certainly cannot qualify them as ‘safe' at this time. Traditional probiotics (like L. acidophilus, B. bifidum etc.) have been used by humans for thousands of years and therefore have a VERY long-term record of safety for human consumption. If you consume bacterial soil organisms, please be aware that this therapy is highly experimental - there is no long-term record of safety for human use. Maybe soil organisms will eventually be proven safe for human use, maybe not. The point is, that at this juncture, we do not know.

I'm very sorry for any confusion this may have caused you. To be honest, this is the very first time I've recommended a product that I have not tried and tested extensively myself – I admit I was swayed by good recommendations from readers. Rest assured that I will not do so again! You should also know that since originally receiving these recommendations, some of these same readers have contacted me again to let me know that they have since had bad flares, or, the lower right quadrant of their colon has become very swollen and tender - whether this is connected to the soil organism consumption, or not, I have no idea.
My sincerest apologies,
Jini Patel Thompson

I did in fact see the note about the HSO or soil organisms. There is no mention of this on the label , I will call the company tomorrow and make sure. THANK YOU ....Appreciate your attention to such details. I have several of the products, Primal Defense etc. and was considering using them and Providence led me to see the NOTE in the book . I don't need any such unknowns thrown in the mix.
barb

Jordan Rubin, the founder of Garden of Life (manufacturer of Primal Defense) has made false claims publicly about his qualifications. He has claimed on various books to be both an "N.M.D." (Natural Medicine Doctor) and PhD. As it turns out, both of these "degrees" came from bogus online "universities" that were shut down by the FTC. I do not trust him or any of his products, despite the fact that I agree wholeheartedly with the nutritional ideas behind many of them.

If I recall correctly, Mt. Capra farms was/is Jordan's source for his "Goatein" product. When I was looking for a high quality source of goat whey, I researched this company and came away feeling very uncertain about the quality of their products. Also, it says clearly on the label for their goat whey that it contains goat milk protein and goat protein concentrate. While goat milk is easier to digest for most than cows milk, goat milk protein would still not be recommended on the elemental diet unless it was in isolate form. At this time I'm not aware of anyone making a goat milk isolate protein powder.

Best,
Chris

Oooh, I can't resist a little snark here: There is also a fair amount of speculation as to whether that even is Jordan Rubin in the "Before" picture he's used to sell his story.

Has anyone else taken a photo of themselves when they were this emaciated and weakened? I never did - the last thing I was thinking about when I weighed 99 pounds was taking a photo of myself! Good idea though...!!

Jini