The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that one in 133 Americans has an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The condition is hereditary, meaning that if a member of your family has been diagnosed with it, you are about six times more likely to have it too.

Gluten intolerance is no small problem. A study published in the journal PLoS ONE estimated that worldwide, about 42,000 children die each year from severe intestinal responses to gluten.

In order to avoid the inflammation caused by exposure to gluten, individuals may consider eating rice- and potato-based starches, as well as consuming nutritional supplements that do not contain wheat and other gluten-heavy grains.

Individuals who definitively have gluten intolerance may benefit from nutritional health supplements in another way. The Office of Dietary Supplements explains that this sensitivity can result in vitamin A deficiency, a condition that dietary supplements may be able to reduce.

Scientists explained the principle behind this hypothesis in a recent issue of the journal BioEssays. Essentially, the research team proposed a treatment system by which probiotic products introduce special bacteria into the gut. These microbes then release predetermined molecules, which the human brain would then process as its own neurochemicals.

Probiotics are already known for their ability to improve digestion, reduce gastrointestinal complaints and even mitigate bad breath caused by oral microorganisms.

Of course, probiotics for brain health are still a long way away, but the Texas Tech team remained optimistic.

"Could this mean that adjunct treatment for people suffering from certain types of mental health problems is a [bacterial] transplant? Food for thought," they concluded.

Many probiotics and herbal supplements are available relatively cheaply over the counter, without the need for a prescription.

The Swiss team announced their finding in the British Medical Journal. To come to this conclusion, they used a seemingly unorthodox method. They fed 20 people large amounts of fondue, and waited.

Half of the study’s participants were given wine and cherry liqueurs during the large, cheese-based meal, while the other half drank tea and water with their fondue. Scientists found that those who consumed alcohol with a heavy meal tended to digest their food more slowly.

However, a breath-based test found that, on average, those individuals who drank wine and liqueurs did not have any more indigestion, gas, belching or bloating than people who abstained from alcohol.

These findings may be a pleasant surprise for those under the impression that alcohol is to blame for indigestion, a problem that Johns Hopkins Health Alerts say is responsible for 70 percent of gastrointestinal complaints.

A study published in the journal Carbohydrate Polymers announced that vitamin tablets made with cornstarch were better able to transport vitamins A and C through the body.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University said that what is at work here is a specific form of cornstarch called high amylose maize starch. When exposed to fatty acid esters, this substance coils around certain oil-soluble molecules, like these vitamins.

Thus protected from the heat and acidity of the stomach, these nutrients were found to pass through the stomach with greater regularity, ultimately ending up in the intestinal tract, where they were digested.

The Penn State team noted that this simple delivery device might also be utilized to increase the uptake of certain prescription medications.

The science website Wisegeek states that dietary supplements that contain cornstarch instead of sugars may be healthier, since the corn-based material takes longer to be digested, which allows the body to absorb the sugar content gradually, rather than all at once. 

A team of researchers led by officials at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center recently reported that of patients who ate at lest two ounces of freeze-dried strawberries per day for six months, 80 percent were found to have fewer bloodborne biomarkers for the carcinoma afterward.

Lead author Tong Chen said that esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 16,000 cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

The group concluded that further research should be done to determine which compounds found in strawberries act to inhibit the growth of precancerous lesions.

The vitamins and nutrients found in strawberries include polyphenols, which is a class of anti-inflammatory compounds, and antioxidants, both of which can be found in many herbal supplements.

Acid-suppressing drugs rake in more than $17 billion a year in profits. The drugs, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are intended to lower the acid levels in your stomach. But new studies show that they are actually doing nothing to fix your underlying reflux problem. In fact, these PPIs are wiping out levels of the “good” acid in your stomach—hydrochloric acid (HCl). Instead of ample amounts of HCl needed for the proper breakdown and digestion of food, your esophagus now gets covered in bile—an alkaline, gastric fluid that can even be more dangerous than acid.

Low levels of HCl could cause you to:

• Experience stomach and digestive pain and discomfort
• Anxiety and stress over food choices
• Experience bloating and embarrassing gas
• Make several unplanned trips to and from the bathroom each day
• Avoid meals, parties and other social settings
• Lose sleep at night and struggle through the day

PPIs only temporarily ease your symptoms of reflux and in the aftermath can cause more damage than repair. A study in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery examined gastric reflux patients before and after taking Prilosec^®. The researchers found that using the prescription PPI did not change the frequency of reflux occurrences. It only alternated the chemical makeup of the stomach content from acid to alkaline.

Please don’t continue to fall for this enormous hoax from the medical establishment. Instead, look into natural supplementation to help keep healthy levels of HCl in your stomach so you can safely and naturally break down and digest your foods for maximum absorption of key vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

A study published in the journal Gastroenterology determined that people with fatty liver disease display unusual levels of two species of gut flora. Specifically, they have higher than normal levels of Gammaproteobacteria and low levels of Erysiptoltrichi.

Fatty liver disease may be caused by a number of agents, from alcoholism to obesity. A liver that accumulates excess fat is at risk for inflammation and decreased organ function.

While the study's authors are unsure what effect these two bacterial strains have on the liver itself, they found that there was a strong correlation between high counts of Gammaproteobacteria, low counts of Erysiptoltrichi and the presence of excess fat in the liver.

The team theorized that these flora may affect the body's levels of choline, a form of vitamin B that must be ingested since the body does not synthesize it.

Future research may address how probiotic treatments can alter the balance of bacteria in the gut. Scientists say the results of such a study would have a number of applications for digestive health.

A study published in the journal PLoS Medicine contains seven easy interventions that parents and children can use to reduce the risk of diarrhea. These public health recommendations are intended to reduce the international prevalence of diarrhea-related deaths from 8.8 million to 4.2 million by the year 2015, which is a goal set in the latest MDG.

The prevention guidelines include breastfeeding, regularly washing hands, improving sanitation and water sources, rotavirus vaccination and vitamin A supplementation.

Additionally, the group notes that hydration and zinc supplementation can be used to treat existing cases of diarrhea, potentially reducing the risk of dangerous complications arising from the condition among children.

Vitamins and dietary supplements may also contribute to improved well-being and a better sense of physical health.

A study published in the journal Nature found that two molecules appear to signal an inflammatory response in the body.

One is interleukin 15, a protein that activates immune cells called T lymphocytes. The other is retinoic acid, a molecule derived from vitamin A that helps human cells grow.

When exposed to these two compounds, the digestive tracts of people with celiac disease get inflamed, the team said.

Often people with the condition experience diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, weight loss, fatigue or anemia, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Grains that may cause this reaction include wheat, barley and rye.

Researchers noted that the results of their study indicate that vitamin A, which can be used to treat inflammation, may have more negative effects than benefits when given to people with celiac disease.

They suggested that further research be done into other food allergies, many of whose mechanisms are currently unknown.

In particular, her advice centered on the consumption of carbohydrates, which she said many people find difficult to completely avoid.

It is a common suggestion that people who have or are at risk for type 2 diabetes should not eat carbohydrates. However, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with these conditions should ensure that between 45 and 65 percent of their calories come from carbs.

Dopart said that reading the dietary information printed on food packaging, eating low-carb alternatives like fresh produce and consuming more proteins and fats at breakfast may all reduce the risk of having high blood sugar.

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can also help dieters lose weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Furthermore, eating a balanced diet and periodically checking one's blood glucose levels may also help individuals improve their cardiovascular health, Dopart told the news source.

The Mayo Clinic reports that unrefined, whole grains may be healthier than processed foods, since they have a higher fiber count and nutritional content.