This article is part of our May 2020 special issue. Download the full issue here.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, approximately 60 to 70 million Americans have a digestive disease. In addition, the American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year and about 24,000 people will be diagnosed with stomach cancer. Issues involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are diverse, common, disruptive, and sometimes deadly. That’s why we devoted an entire issue of the Natural Medicine Journal to this important topic.
In this issue you will find several Abstracts & Commentary addressing clinical studies about probiotics and irritable bowel syndrome, vitamin D3 and the gut microbiota, how an herbal formula can improve digestive disorder symptoms, and the low-FODMAP diet. In addition, our editor-in-chief, Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, provides important information on how to reduce risk of colon cancer. There is also a sponsored podcast about the connection between viral immunity and the gut microbiome, which is timely given our present Covid-19 crisis.
We now know that the health of the GI tract significantly and systemically impacts overall wellness. That’s why helping patients enhance GI health is a key clinical objective. We hope you find this special issue of the Natural Medicine Journal interesting and useful. And if you do, we hope you pass it along to a colleague.
I’d like to extend a special thanks to the contributors, reviewers, and the Natural Medicine Journal team who came together to create this special issue.
In health,
Karolyn Gazella
Publisher
