Currently viewing the category: "digestive system"

The Processed Food Digestion Experiment

By On · Add Comment · In digestive system, Gatorade, GI tract, Harvard University, M2A capsule, processed foods, Smartpill Capsule, whole foods

Interesting study coming out of Massachusetts, where a team of a Harvard gastroenterologist and a New York artist have collaborated to show us what it looks like when the human digestive system breaks down processed food.

M2A capsule

The video below was shot using the mouth-to-anus or M2A capsule, which contains a camera, light-emitting diodes and a transmitter. Using bluetooth technology it transmits images from the GI tract to a receiver pack worn by the subject. The study also took advantage of technology called the Smartpill Capsule that measured pressure, temperature and pH of the GI tract.

The team wanted to see if there were differences between the way the GI tract digests whole foods and processed foods. The whole foods consisted of homemade chicken stock with handmade noodles, hibiscus Gatorade, and pomegranate/cherry juice gummy bears. The processed foods included Top Ramen chicken, blue Gatorade and gummi bears.

The test was first run in June 2011 with one subject eating the whole foods and the other eating processed foods. The test was run a second time in September with the subjects switching the foods they ate. The pills were consumed right before the food. Watch the video to see the results. Fascinating…

Never A Pleasant Situation

By On · Add Comment · In bad breath, digestive system, halitosis, illness, oral hygeine

We’ve all had the experience of speaking to somebody who has bad breath. It’s never a comfortable situation. Do you hand them a mint or do you try very hard to hold your breath for ten second increments and get out of there as fast as possible? Especially hard is when that person is your friend or your loved one. You’ve just got to let them know – you’re their friend, dammit. It’s your duty.

Well, medical and dental science is now making bad breath, or halitosis, a top priority. Last week, nearly 200 scientists attended the International Conference on Breath Odor Research in Chicago. Attendees included dentists, chemists, microbiologists, psychologists and even flavor researchers. The topics of the conference included causes of bad breath, studies on the most effective natural flavors for treating it, the development of an artificial nose for sniffing out oral malodor, and links between exhaled air and disease.

O.k., bravo, bravo, for finally understanding that bad breath is a health issue. It’s true that some bad breath issues come from poor oral hygiene; however, I am convinced that many cases of severe bad breath – halitosis – come from deep in the digestive system. I’ve met a few people in my travels who couldn’t cover their bad breath with chewing gums or mints, no matter how hard they tried. That’s a internal issue. In these cases, I believe it stems from one of three things:

  1. The person is ingesting a food substance, usually something they eat regularly, that he or she cannot properly digest.
  2. The person is on drugs or medications that dry out the mouth.
  3. The person has another underlying disease
Either way, it is necessary to look into the issue. If you find that you have chronic bad breath, or that no one wants to be around you, make note of any medications you’re taking and discuss it with your doctor. Get checked out by your doctor for any illness, especially if their are other accompanying symptoms, like bloating, gas, pain, diarrhea, or anything else. And finally, start eliminating foods categorically to find the offending agent. I assure you if you go on the hunt, you’ll find the problem and reverse it.
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.